Selective Breeding Sustainably Protects Honey Bees From Varroa Mite
Published:08 Apr.2022 Source:University of Exeter
A new breed of honey bees provides a major advance in the global fight against the parasitic Varroa mite, new research shows.
The invasive mite, which has spread to all continents except Australia and Antarctica, has been the prime threat to honey bees since its initial expansion 50 years ago. In the study -- by the universities of Louisiana and Exeter, and the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) -- "Pol-line" bees, bred for resistance to the mite in a rigorous 20-year breeding programme, were trialled alongside a standard variety in a large-scale pollination operation.