A new study about the risks to honey bees from the parasitic mite Varroa destructor provide important results that will help contribute to reducing the treatment of bees with chemical and pharmaceutical products.
The study was the largest assessment on honey bee selection ever conducted in Europe. It explored the possibilities for increasing the resistance of commercial bees to the Varroa mite by selective breeding. It also analysed the ways to improve beekeepers’ access to resistant material. Conclusions demonstrate that selection on Varroa tolerance can be efficient and detail how breeding structures should be established.
