Did you know that one-third of the foods we eat come from crops pollinated by honey bees? So, it’s no wonder these powerhouse pollinators are under stress.

Pollination of $400 million in crops every year doesn’t happen by chance. Commercial bees are trucked around the country to get the job done. As if that isn’t stressful enough, honey bee populations are constantly beset by pesticides, poor nutrition, microbial pathogens and parasites.

The biggest threat of all is the tiny varroa [vuh-ROW-uh] mite. Traditionally, beekeepers have used miticides to keep mites in check. Problem is, mites have developed resistance to many of these products.

But now, researchers have created a strain of bees genetically empowered to fight varroa mites. Although they’re still being studied, this development could be a game changer.