Unique Honeybees Found Only in Southern California Can Fend Off Deadly Varroa Mites

Unique Honeybees Found Only in Southern California Can Fend Off Deadly Varroa Mites

‘Southern California is home to a black-and-yellow flying treasure’, wrote scientists giddy over good news about bee populations—and our food supply. Commercial honeybee hives across the US have been collapsing for years, under attack from deadly parasites—but now a unique hybrid bee found only in the southern part of California has demonstrated the ability to […] The post Unique Honeybees Found Only in Southern California Can Fend Off Deadly Va…

Southern California bees are keeping deadly mites in check

In Southern California, some honeybees appear to be doing what many others across the country cannot: living with one of beekeeping’s most destructive parasites and keeping it under control. That matters at a time when U.S. beekeepers are reporting severe losses. Managed honeybee colonies in the United States have faced annual losses of 40% to 50% in recent years, and losses reached as high as 62% in 2025, according to the source material behind…