## 3 Results  
In total, 403 questionnaires were received; 41.9% of participants used the English version of the survey, 39% used the Italian one, and 11.9% and 7.2% used the French and Spanish versions, respectively. With regard to the geographical distribution of participants, 74.7% (301/403) were from the European continent whereas 25.3% (102/403) were from non-European countries (mainly Northern America, Australia and New Zealand). Among all the targeted professions, most participants were beekeepers (323/403, 80%) or veterinarians (62/403, 15%). Here, we report only the data received from beekeepers in the European region (248 questionnaires) as data from other very large and diverse geographical regions of the globe represented a small percentage of the received questionnaires. In this category, 38% of the participants (95/248) were professional beekeepers while 62% were hobby beekeepers (153/248). Figure 1: Disease scoring (weighted means) according to its impact on honey bee health. Part A. \"General Information about the Honey Bee Diseases, the Proper Management of the Hives and the Use of Medicines\"  
The majority of beekeepers (mean, 93.04%) knew about the main honey bee diseases (especially Varroa, nosema, AFB and EFB) but they were less aware of minor or less known honey bee diseases (such as tracheal mite, Tropilaelaps or myriasis). Varroa was considered the most important disease affecting honey bee health, followed by viral diseases and nosema (Figure 1). The modified weighted mean equation was used for the calculation. According to 78.6% of hobby and 77.4% of professional beekeepers, the adoption of good beekeeping practices alone, without the use of any active ingredients or medicines, is fully or partially sufficient to control nosema, EFB, tracheal mite, AFB and viral diseases. On the contrary, 85.1% of hobby beekeepers and 93.7% of professionals think that the application of veterinary medicines is indispensable for controlling Varroa. Part B. \"Assessment of Specific Knowledge about the Prevention and Control Measures Adopted for Varroa, AFB and EFB\"  
The survey showed that 71.3% of hobby and 72.8% of professional beekeepers use organic acids (formic acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid) for the control of Varroa while 45.3% and 45.7%, respectively, also rely on the application of mechanical methods (e.g., queen caging and brood removal). Four percent of hobby beekeepers (0% of professionals) do not use any type of Varroa control measures. Concerning the monitoring of Varroa infestation levels, almost half (48%) of the hobby beekeepers and 38% of professional beekeepers in Europe always check such levels prior to treatment. On the other hand, 11.3% of hobby and 15.2% of professional beekeepers consider such an approach unnecessary, and therefore, they never monitor the parasite. Regarding the diagnosis of AFB and EFB, 74.9% and 91.7% of hobby and professional beekeepers, respectively, declared that they are able to identify the visible signs of the diseases by themselves. Less than 27.8% of hobby beekeepers and less than 22% of professional beekeepers rely on laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis of these microbial infections while the use of on-field kits varied between 16.7% and 27.5% in both categories. Showing the sample to a more experienced beekeeper in case of doubt or consulting with veterinarians were the least adopted options (percentages varied and were below 15.2%). The \"shock swarm\" technique was considered the best method to manage EFB or AFB (only hobby beekeepers). The destruction of the affected colonies was also one of the preferred strategies for both diseases (especially for professional beekeepers). Between 1% and 10% of beekeepers consider the application of antibiotics, alone or in combination with the shook swarm technique, as a valid method for the control of such bacterial diseases (Figures 2 and 3). On the contrary, between 13.2% and 28.1% of beekeepers do not know how to manage such diseases.