Since its foundation, the Institute has been recognised as the official organisation committed to defending and promoting the Italian honeybee: Apis mellifera ligustica. This race represents a natural asset whose value for apiculture is recognised worldwide.
Protection and promotion efforts also focus on another race of honeybees, Apis mellifera sicula, traditionally bred in Sicily.

In this area the main lines of research are:

- Breeding and selection of queen bees of the race Apis mellifera ligustica, also by instrumental insemination of queen bees
- Comparative study among Apis mellifera ligustica populations and interracial hybrids.
- Biometric and genetic characterisation of bee populations present across Italy
- Study of the biodiversity of bee populations, with a view to preserving the biological and ethological characteristics of the subspecies Apis mellifera ligustica.

These activities are supported by an instrumental insemination laboratory (located in the operating unit in Reggio Emilia), where lines of particular genetic interest are preserved for the purpose of setting up specific selection schemes and providing beekeepers with an insemination service for the queen bees they produce.

Moreover, the Institute has been entrusted with keeping a national register of queen bee breeders, created by Decree no. 20984 of 10 March 1997 with the aim of defining technical guidelines for selection activity in the beekeeping sector. The Institute represents the scientific body of reference for this Register and is responsible for technical and organisational coordination of initiatives.

On a local level, the Institute promoted the creation of a register of Apis mellifera ligustica queen bee breeders for the region of Emilia Romagna (Regional Regulation no. 29 of 15/11/91) and today coordinates the related management and technical activities.