Cornell University’s New York State Beekeeper Tech Team is Working to Secure US Food Supply
July 7, 2017
From: Observer
Mite takes major bite out of honeybee population, threatens crops
ITHACA — A tiny mite is causing major problems for New York’s honeybee population and is threatening the fruit and vegetable crops that are a major part of the state’s $500 million agriculture industry.
Cornell University scientists are tackling the problem by working with beekeepers whose colonies are at risk. Launched in 2016, the New York State Beekeeper Tech Team sampled 309 honeybee colonies from 70 apiaries across New York last fall. They found that 90 percent of the colonies were infested with varroa mites, and discovered deformed wing virus in 96 percent of the colonies and 100 percent of the operations sampled.
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