Eliciting beekeepers' preferences for the small hive beetle control policy in Italy: a contingent valuation survey approach

Aethina tumida, commonly known as the small hive beetle (SHB), is a parasite of social bee colonies. In 2014, when the beetle was first detected in the Italian Region of Calabria, the Italian Ministry of Health started an SHB control strategy. Over time, dissatisfaction with the control measures has grown among beekeepers and eroded compliance with the reporting obligations. Our study analyzes Southern Italian beekeepers' preferences toward alternative SHB control policy. We use a contingent valuation survey to elicit beekeepers' preferences for five alternative control strategies. We find the ex-post biosecurity measure in place reflects in the lowest reporting rate. Our results suggest that implementing the destruction of infested hives only (selective destruction) can be a first, effective step toward enhancing compliance with the reporting obligations. Our findings also suggest that training and extension can be a winning strategy to improve beekeepers' collaboration with the passive SHB surveillance system.