Pollinators are in crisis. Nearly 60 percent of honeybee colonies in the United States were lost last winter, and beekeepers in France reported losses of up to 50 percent. The causes are multiple — parasites such as the Varroa mite, invasive species, exposure to pesticides, the stress of long-distance transportation, and increasingly erratic weather patterns linked to climate change.
Red light therapy — or more precisely, low-level light therapy (LLLT) using red and near-infrared wavelengths — works in humans by stimulating mitochondria, the structures inside cells that produce energy. It has been shown to support tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and improve cellular function. Researchers at University College London (UCL) tested whether the same mechanism could benefit honeybee and bumblebee colonies.
The results were striking. Colonies that were deliberately exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides — a class of common agricultural chemicals — and then given regular red light treatments recovered normal behaviour within days, returning to foraging sooner and maintaining stable hive temperatures. Treated bees showed improvements across three key areas: cellular respiration, visual acuity, and immune system strength.
Beefutures has translated these findings into a practical product: the Onibi Light, the world's first commercially available in-hive light therapy device. The device was presented at Apimondia 2025 — the world's largest beekeeping congress, held that year in Copenhagen, Denmark — where the company shared its trial data. Beefutures describes the approach as a tool to help beekeepers protect colonies against the full range of modern stressors, from chemical exposure to transport stress and extreme weather.