Breading Cleaner Bees to Protect Hives

It is always good to be grateful to scientist who can help keep honeybees to produce honey. I just love honey.

A British scientist is hoping to reverse the critical decline of the honeybee by breeding cleaner bees to protect hives from potentially devastating diseases.

Francis Ratnieks, the UK's only professor of apiculture, is undertaking pioneering research based on a breed of worker bee genetically programmed to keep hives clean.

Ratnieks's research concentrates on breeding queens from the same father line as the most hygienic worker bees.

These eggs turn into baby mites.

Stuart Bailey, chairman of Rowse Honey, is committing £100,000 to the project.

We totally support the British Beekeepers' Association campaign for £8m emergency funding from Defra over the next five years.

Honey, honey, honey... all but honey.