Arista Bee Research

Honeybees play an essential role in pollinating our food crops. The Varroa mite is the leading cause of high bee mortality and reduces the availability of bee colonies for pollination. The Arista Bee Research Foundation has shown that it is possible to breed resistant honeybees by selecting colonies that can remove Varroa themselves. In this project, a rapid test is being developed to enable the selection of resistant behavior through a simulation of Varroa infestation—without the use of the actual Varroa mite.