Eltopia Communications LLC — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase I: 8.13

Description

The honey bee provides essential pollination services for over 45 commercial crops grown throughout the U.S., adding $14.6 billion to the value of the country's agricultural production each year. In addition, U.S. beekeepers produce between 170 and 220 million pounds of honey each year, more than 50% of total U.S. consumption. Hence, a sustainable supply of healthy and affordable honey bee colonies is a critical factor affecting farm productivity and the stability of farm incomes and food prices. The parasitic honey bee mite V. destructor is considered to be the most serious global threat to beekeeping and to the sustainable production of crops that rely on A. mellifera for pollination. V. destructor, which kills honey bee colonies of European descent within one to two years, has killed millions of managed and wild colonies in the U.S. in the past two decades. The losses per year averaged 30% per winter from about 2006 until 2013, when a 42% loss was recorded. Various methods to control the mites (V. destructor) have had limited success. Some treatments have resulted in unintended side effects harmingbees, developing resistance in mites, and pollutants in the bee products (wax and honey).Eltopia Communications LLC is developing the MiteNot, a patented technology that will sterilize mites while they reside in brood cells without harming the drones or their sperm viability; dramatically decreasing mite populations with each treatment. It showspromise in early lab tests at the University of Minnesota's Bee Lab administered by Dr. Marla Spivak, MacArthur Fellow and Distinguished McKnight Professorof Entomology. At a cost of $25 - $50, with a unit life-spanof 3-5 years, U.S. and European beekeepers will save money, increase profits,andspend farless time treating mites. There is no danger of polluting the honey, wax, or the bees with the eco-friendly MiteNot.