Can Beer Save the Bees?

You’ve probably heard that bees are in trouble. Besides being the ones responsible for honey (and mead), they’re also responsible for pretty much every other crop on earth, so their disappearance has been one of the modern world’s greatest problems. That explains why we’ve been so keep to devise creative solutions to keeping the hive alive, which has led us to a very important question – can beer save the bees?

There are a few things threatening the honeybee population, from pesticides to climate change. One of the deadliest problems, however, are mites called varroa destructors that live in the hive for a time, which eventually collapses from the virus spread by the mites.

As it turns out, when scientists tried rubbing beta acid found in hops on the bees back in 2012, all of the bees lived and all of the mites died. Now, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finally approved the use of hops around honeycombs, so the mite exterminations can begin. We don’t have all the answers to stopping hive collapse, but we’re definitely working on it. We’ve got your back, little bee-bros.

Via