December 24, 2025
Canadian beekeepers lose nearly a third of their colonies each winter, posing a threat to both pollination services, valued at over $5 billion annually, and broader food security.
Through a national initiative known as BeeOmics, co-funded by Genome BC in partnership with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and the BC Honey Producers Association, Dr. Leonard Foster and his team laid the groundwork for a new approach to bee health. By using proteomic analysis, they identified biological markers linked to traits such as disease resistance, hygienic behaviour and winter survival. These protein-based biomarkers are now being used to guide selective breeding in apiaries across Canada.
Colonies bred using this approach have shown significantly lower levels of parasites and viruses, including Varroa mites and Deformed Wing Virus, and higher rates of winter survival. Large-scale studies across more than 1,500 colonies have confirmed the link between hygienic behaviour and reduced pathogen load, improved colony size and greater seasonal resilience.
In partnership with the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Genome BC has continued to support this work by co-funding new research that combines climate, microbiome and genomics data to predict disease outbreaks before they occur.
Where BeeOmics uncovered the why and how, the follow-up work scales the science into action. That means fewer dead colonies, more resilient food systems and better outcomes for both farmers and bees.
