New endowed lectureship in wild bee health

Bumblebees (which also belong to the wild bees) foraging. Institute of Bee Health, University of Bern - The University of Bern has established an endowed lectureship for wild bee health, which has been made possible thanks to support from the Vinetum Foundation. With it, the University and the Foundation intend to help combat the worldwide decline of wild bee populations. As pollinators, wild bees play a decisive role in human nutrition and environmental protection. However, their populations are in massive decline. "Research on the health of wild bees is still in its infancy", says Peter Neumann, Vinetum Endowed Professor of Bee Health at the Institute of Bee Health at the University of Bern. "To counteract the decline of wild pollinators, it is essential to gain a better understanding of the underlying factors." These key factors in wild bee health include disease, pollution, nutrition, and genetics.