Honeybee Research

Honeybee Research

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett

As honey bee populations continue to face challenges and experience rates of decline, protecting these pollinators is becoming even more crucial to our ecosystem and food supply. Honey bees are responsible for more than 35 percent of the foods we eat and the honey we enjoy.

Jennifer Berry, Laboratory and Apiary Manager at UGA’s Honey Bee Lab has done a lot of research on protecting honeybee hives from the varroa that causes colony collapse. Berry will share her research at the Georgia Beekeepers Fall Conference, September 23-25th in Gainsville.

But when it comes to climate change...

Berry: “These wild swings in temperature and too much rain, then not enough rain. The biggest thing is everything is out of sync. Fortunately with bees, commercial bees, not feral bees but bees that are under the protection of a beekeeper, they can be fed. If there wasn’t enough nectar. We can take care of them just like our dogs and our livestock. If there’s not enough grain or not enough grass we can feed them. It’s the same with bees. Not to say that’s the same with the feral colonies, the ones out there in the wild that are on their own.”

Information about the Georgia Beekeepers Fall Conference is at http://www.gabeekeeping.com/

The National Honey Board is providing consumers a way to support research that helps honey bees by partnering with several U.S. food and beverage manufacturers in September who will each make a donation to Project Apis m., the largest honey bee non-profit in the country. www.Honeysaveshives.com has more information.

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