Donate | PHIRA-Science

Help keep independent pollinator science alive.

Bee colonies are being lost to parasites faster than most people realise.

Some of these threats are new. Some are spreading quietly, and many are not being properly studied because they don’t fit neatly into large funding programmes.

That’s why PHIRA-Science exists.

We are a small, independent, not-for-profit research organisation focused on pollinators - especially bees. Our work includes honey bees and Tropilaelaps, but it also extends to other pollinating insects that are essential to ecosystems and food production, yet routinely overlooked.

We work on problems that matter in the real world, even when they’re unfashionable, underfunded, or inconvenient.

So far, all of our research has been done on a tiny budget:

No salaries
No institutional backing
No industry funding
No one getting paid for their time

Just scientists, fieldwork, long hours — and a belief that this work needs to exist.

Why independence matters

Being independent means:

We can ask difficult questions
We can publish results even when they’re uncomfortable
We can work on emerging threats before they become disasters
We can study pollinators that fall outside mainstream research priorities

But independence also means we rely on people like you.

What your donation supports

Your support goes directly into research, including:

Fieldwork and sample collection
Laboratory analysis
Research on parasites, pathogens, and stressors affecting bees and other pollinators
Testing practical, affordable solutions for beekeepers and land managers
Communicating results openly, without paywalls

Even small donations make a real difference when no one is drawing a salary.

Why it matters

If independent pollinator research disappears, decisions are left to:

Institutions with competing priorities
Industry interests
Projects that only get funded once it’s already too late

We believe pollinators - and the people and ecosystems that depend on them - deserve better.

If you value honest, independent science, please consider supporting PHIRA-Science. You’re not paying for overheads. You’re not paying for profits. You’re helping keep vital pollinator research alive.

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