Written Question·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·UIN 69138

Bees: Animal Breeding

Tabled: 18 July 2025
Answered: 25 July 2025

Question

Anna Gelderd

LabourSouth East Cornwall

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) native and (b) varroa-tolerant bee breeding programmes in England.

Answer

Mary Creagh
Developing varroa-tolerant bees through selective breeding is likely to be very difficult as it requires geographic isolation or artificial insemination to preserve the resistance traits being selected for, as well as large numbers of colonies to ensure t...

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