Location: Pollinator Health in Southern Crop Ecosystems Research
Project Number: 6066-30500-004-014-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 18, 2025
End Date: Sep 17, 2026
Objective:
To conduct research and outreach that improve native and honey bee health. A particular focus will center on managing stressors like poor habitat (e.g. forage, agro-chemicals) and parasites (e.g. Integrated Pest Management of varroa and tropilaelaps mites) to benefit beekeepers and agricultural producers operating in the Mid-South United States.
Approach:
Insect pollinators, especially bees, residing in the Mid-South region of the United State face pressures from multiple stressors, including parasites and pests like the Varroa destructor mite and Aethina tumida small hive beetle, poor habitat caused by loss of forage and use of agro-chemicals. Because of the agricultural importance of the region, there is a need to better understand and reduce the impact of these stressors to pollination-service providing insects by identifying and developing agricultural practices that are feasible to beekeepers and row crop farmers. To address these issues, work will focus on identifying and deploying knowledge, tools, and procedures that contribute to successful management approaches for major parasites (e.g. varroa and tropilaelaps mites) and pollinator forage (wildflower plantings, soil disturbance and amendments, and role of invasive non-native plants). This work will contribute to improving the health of honey bees and other pollinators, especially by supporting ARS Stoneville PHSCERU’s work to improve pollinator health in intensively managed agricultural landscape. This in turn will promote U.S. food security via effective crop pollination.