Animal Sciences

Chris Elsik, associate professor of plant and animal sciences, and fellow CAFNR researcher and geneticist Bob Schnabel, associate professor in the Division of Animal Sciences, are applying their knowledge and experience of cattle and dairy genetics to the issue of Varroa mites in honey bees. The duo looks at the bees simply as little livestock.

April 12, 2018

Breeding a Better Bee

The honey bee is as busy as ever. From almonds to zucchini, honey bees pollinate more than 90 agricultural crops in the United States — worth more than $15 billion annually. In 2017, the apiculture industry provided pollination services valued at nearly $320 million, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. In addition, the bees also produced almost 150 million pounds of honey. But honey bees face a multitude of threats. Insecticides, diseases and pests all contribute to colony losses, but no stressor is greater than the Varroa mite. This tiny external parasitic mite, which was…