HONEY BEES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT MANAGED POLLINATOR IN THE UNITED STATES. DESPITE EXTENSIVEINVESTMENTS OF TIME AND MONEY BY BEEKEEPERS AND RESEARCHERS, AN UNSUSTAINABLE PROPORTION OFCOLONIES ARE LOST EACH YEAR IN THE US. THESE LOSSES ARE THE RESULT OF MULTIPLE STRESSORS (E.G., POORNUTRITION, PESTICIDE EXPOSURE) THAT ARE CATALYZED BY THE PRESENCE OF A WIDESPREAD PEST: THEECTOPARASITIC MITE VARROA DESTRUCTOR. BEEKEEPERS HAVE RESPONDED TO VARROA BY DEVELOPING HONEYBEE STOCKS THAT ARE MITE-RESISTANT. THERE ARE DOZENS OF SUCH STOCKS AVAILABLE TO BEEKEEPERS ACROSSTHE COUNTRY. UNFORTUNATELY, BEEKEEPERS ARE OFTEN LEFT TO RELY ON ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE REGARDING HOWREGARDING HOW SUCCESSFUL EACH STOCK WILL BE IN THEIR APIARIES. WE PROPOSE LEVERAGING OUR EXISTINGBEEKEEPER-DRIVEN BREEDING PROGRAM FOR A VARROA RESISTANCE TRAIT CALLED 'MITE BITING BEHAVIOR' TOGENERATE RELEVANT DATA ON THE PERFORMANCE AND PROFITABILITY OF MULTIPLE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLEHONEY BEE STOCKS. WORKING CLOSELY WITH BEEKEEPERS AND BEEKEEPING ORGANIZATIONS IN INDIANA ANDPENNSYLVANIA, WE WILL DISTRIBUTE COLONIES ORIGINATING FROM FOUR COMMONLY-USED HONEY BEE STOCKSTO BEEKEEPERS ACROSS EACH STATE. FOR TWO BEEKEEPING SEASONS, WE WILL WORK WITH THESE BEEKEEPERSTO MONITOR THE EXPRESSION OF TRAITS ASSOCIATED WITH COLONY HEALTH AND PROFITABILITY IN EACH OF THESECOLONIES. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO GENERATE EVIDENCE-BASED DATA THAT WILL HELP BEEKEEPERS CHOOSETHE BEST STOCKS TO INCREASE THE SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFITABILITY OF THEIR BEEKEEPING OPERATIONS. THISPROJECT SYSTEMATICALLY ENGAGES STAKEHOLDERS AND STATE APIARISTS THROUGH HANDS-ON TRAININGWORKSHOPS, DATA COLLECTION, THE CREATION OF EXTENSION MATERIALS, AND DISSEMINATION OFRESULTS.