The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to help the NC Agricultural Foundation test the efficacy of mite-resistance honey bees in North Carolina and increase the number of honey bee colonies/beekeepers across the state. The project will address the drop in the number bees from feral and commercial hives in North Carolina that has occurred as a result of mite infestation, and by doing so, help growers of crops that depend primarily on bees for pollination.
