Two new weapons have been added to the arsenal in the battle to save Tennessee's honey bees from two types of mites that have killed half of the state's honey bees.
Bees are important to Tennessee agriculture.
If these blossoms aren't pollinated, they won't set fruit. The two types of mites attacking honey bees are the tracheal mite and the Varroa mite. The tracheal mite attaches itself in the bee's breathing passageways and suffocates it. The Varroa mite attaches to the outside of the bee and sucks its body juices. Beekeepers had been using a pesticide called Apistan to control Varroa mites.