Miaoli researchers breed disease-resistant honeybees
Miaoli researchers breed disease-resistant honeybees
2026-10-20
Climate change, pests, and diseases are threatening bee populations, and honey production is declining annually. But after five years of selective breeding, researchers in Miaoli have developed a new strain of bee that is resistant to disease and great at collecting nectar. These new and improved bees are better at keeping their hive clean and produce 30% more honey.
A beekeeper takes a frame out of the hive, covered in busy bees. Beekeepers harvest the honey they make, but with few flowers that produce nectar in the summer, they feed their bees sugar to keep them alive.
Beekeepers need healthy and strong bees. The Miaoli District Agricultural Research and Extension Station spent five years developing a super-bee by crossbreeding a colony with great hygiene with one that excels at collecting nectar. The resulting bees were both disease resistant and great at making honey.
The new bees’ hive-cleaning ability has improved from 70% to 90%, making them more resistant to disease, and they produce 30% more honey. The new strain is already working in two apiaries in Taichung and Tainan.
Huang Tzu-hao
Miaoli agricultural researcher
I hope this healthier strain of bee will be easier for keepers to raise and will prevent more diseases and pests.
Beekeepers are excited to try raising this new bee.
Hsu Chen-sen
Miaoli beekeeper
The success or failure of a hive, whether it does well or not, depends on the queen’s leadership. I also really hope to obtain the strain developed by the research station so we can try raising it.
Climate change has made it harder to raise bees, which has impacted honey production. Hopefully this new strain of disease-resistant bee bred by Miaoli researchers can help beekeepers keep their hives healthy and produce more honey.
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#beekeeper #bees #honey #Miaoli #research #breeding #superbee #climatechange #disease #pests
嗡嗡嗡! 提升30%採蜜力 苗栗農改場培育"超級打工蜂"
2026-10-20
氣候變遷加上病蟲害導致近年來蜜蜂耗損率高，採蜜量也逐年減少，但苗栗農改場花了五年時間，配對培養出愛乾淨又會採蜜的新蜂種，不僅清潔力也就蜜蜂的耐病程度衝上百分之90，採蜜量也增加了30%。
養蜂人家從蜂箱拿出，正在工作的小蜜蜂，養蜂就是為了要收成蜂蜜，但夏季沒有蜜源植物，蜂農還必須用砂糖來維持蜜蜂的生命。
沒有健康強壯的蜜蜂，什麼都不用說。苗栗農改場花了5年的時間，培育出超級打工蜂，以清潔力強的蜂群為父本，採蜜力強的蜂群為母本雜交，首批培育出200隻兼具耐病性與高採蜜力的改良蜂種。
新蜂種有著超強清潔力從70%提升到90%，也就是抵抗力好比較不會生病，以及採蜜量提升到30%，培育出的蜂種，已經在台中及台南各一間蜂場工作。
[[苗栗農改場蠶蜂科助理研究員 黃子豪]]
“所以我希望可以說這個比較健康的蜂種，讓蜂農在飼養上更容易，那也可以避免掉更多的一些病蟲害的狀況。”
蜂農敲碗也想要有新蜂種，試著來飼養。
[[苗栗蜂農 徐陳森]]
“蜂王嘛，其實一箱的成敗呢，好與不好呢，就靠那一隻蜂王在領導。也很希望說能夠得到我們改良場這種研究的一個蜂種，來給我們來飼養看看。”
受到氣候影響，蜜蜂越來難飼養，連帶蜂蜜產量也大受影響，但苗栗農改場成功，培育抗病耐熱新蜂種，希望能讓養蜂產業永續發展。
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