UGA Vet Trains Students to Spot Bee Hive Disease as Honeybees Support $15 Billion in Crops
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 3
UGA Vet Trains Students to Spot Bee Hive Disease as Honeybees Support $15 Billion in Crops
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 3
Summary
More than a dozen hives became a field classroom at the University of Georgia, where Dr. Jörg Mayer trained veterinary students to inspect honeybee colonies for disease.
Students in protective suits checked wax combs for stunted wings, discolored larvae and tiny mites—warning signs of infections and infestations that can devastate hives.
Honeybees pollinate roughly $15 billion worth of U.S. crops each year across more than 130 kinds of fruits, vegetables and nuts, giving hive health outsized agricultural importance.
The training comes as bees face mounting pressure from parasites, pathogens, climate change, pesticides and malnutrition, threats that are raising the stakes for early detection.