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Ongoing Projects


A Partnership for Improving Northeast Honey Bee Breeding Stock by Implementing Novel Selection Criteria

One mechanism whereby beekeepers can mitigate colony losses is through selective breeding programs that select for stock well-adapted to local environments and pest/pathogen resistance. To strengthen the quality and availability of locally adapted bee stock, we are engaged in a collaborative initiative that brings together bee breeding operations in Vermont with the expertise and resources of bee disease experts at the Vermont Bee Lab.

In 2022, we began an exciting collaboration with Dr. Kaira Wagoner of University of North Carolina Greensboro to trial novel hygiene-elicting brood semiochemicals as a tool for assaying honey bee colony resistance to pests and disease (Unhealthy Brood Odor or 'UBO'). Thanks to this new partnership, Vermont bee breeders have been among the first in the nation to incorporate this new hygienic testing assay into their breeding programs.

Learn more about UBO


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Pesticide Residue Monitoring

In 2021, we began monitoring pesticide residues in bee collected pollen. This work has expanded into a citizen science project with beekeepers throughout Vermont to understand pesticide exposure to honey bee colonies.

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Understanding Bee Forage Resources in Vermont

This study (led by Brianna Borch) aims to identify which plant sources honey bees in Vermont are relying on for nectar and pollen throughout the growing season (May through September). By understanding which plants bees are utilizing and when, more educated land use decisions can be made in order to protect and promote these important floral resources to support honey bee health as well as improve honey yields for beekeepers and support local agriculture. Furthermore, understanding which plant species contribute to single-plant honey varietals could help bolster marketing initiatives for local Vermont honey.


National Honey Bee Survey

The National Honey Bee Survey (NHBS) represents a nationwide colony inspection program which gathers longitudinal data on US honey bee health. Data collected by NHBS provides a baseline for honey bee disease levels, valuable to beekeepers and researchers. Since 2009, the survey has detected existing pest and disease loads across all US states and is monitoring for the emergence of other invasive organisms such as Apis cerana and Tropilaelaps spp. mites. Colonies are also tested for pesticide residues to assess the variety and quantity found in the wax, bee bread, and pollen of US hives. The Vermont Bee Lab serves as a proxy for conducting these surveys in Vermont. We visit 24 apiaries throughout the honey season, collecting composite samples of live/dead bees and hive materials to be sent for laboratory analysis. Funding from the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) helps to support the project in collaboration with the University of Maryland (UMD), USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and State Apiary Specialists.