Building A Better Honeybee

Terry Shanor, a beekeeper from Butler County in western Pennsylvania. A co-op of beekeepers in the region are trying to breed tougher honeybees that can survive cold winters and fight back against parasitic mites. (Lou Blouin)

Honeybees have almost become an annual crop. In fact, honey bee die-offs are so common now that beekeepers generally just order more bees in the spring when they lose a hive over the winter.

This has put a lot of pressure on bee breeders to raise more and more bees. And that is only bringing the quality of bees down. But researchers and backyard beekeepers are now teaming up to build better honeybees that are real survivors. And not through genetic engineering—through good old-fashioned selection.

Lou Blouin from the Allegheny Front at WESA in Pittsburgh has the story.

Reporter

  • Lou Blouin, reporter for the radio program The Allegheny Front, based at WESA in Pittsburgh.
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