WATKINSVILLE, Ga. (Farm Monitor) — Honeybees play a critical role in U.S. agriculture, pollinating billions of dollars’ worth of crops each year. Georgia has long been a key part of that system, helping supply bees to growers across the country.
But rising colony losses continue to threaten bee populations. Among the challenges are diseases and parasites, including the small hive beetle, a pest that has proven especially difficult to manage in the Southeast.
Researchers at the University of Georgia’s Bee Health Lab are working to better understand those threats and develop solutions to support honeybee health.
For farmers and the agricultural industries that rely on pollinators, that research remains increasingly important.
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