Honey Bee on a yellow flower in the lab's Pollinator Garden.
Honey bee collecting nectar and pollen on goldenrod in the lab's Pollinator Garden.
Pollinator Garden in the fall.
Mission
The mission of the Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Unit is directly related to improving honey bee stock and honey bee management. This broad mission includes components related to problems caused by varroa mites, tracheal mites and microsporidians in the genus Nosema. The devastating problems caused by varroa mites and the serious problems caused by tracheal mites and Nosema are targeted as the most critical. Scientists are engaged in breeding and testing honey bees for resistance to mites and Nosema, evaluating mite-bee interactions to better describe breeding criteria, and evaluate stock production processes to explore and solve stock problems caused by mites and Nosema.