THIS GRANT AIMS TOINCREASE POLLINATOR SECURITY BY DEVELOPING TOOLS THAT GIVE BEEKEEPERS A MEANS TO PREDICT COLONY FAILURE MONTHS BEFORE COLONY LOSS. DEVELPMENT OF A DIAGNOSTIC PLATFORM THAT GIVES RELIABLE EARLY WARNING TO BEEKEEPERS ABOUT FUTURE LOSSES CAN PERMIT MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS THAT MAY PREVENT PREDICTED LOSSES. THIS IS A CRITICAL NEED AS U.S. BEEKEEPERS HAVE LOST AN AVERAGE OF 40% OF THEIR COLONIES EVERY WINTER AND 46% OF THEIR COLONIES EACH YEAR OVER THE LAST 11 YEARS. THIS IS A CONCERN FOR BOTH THE BEEKEEPER AND THE AGRICULTURAL FOOD (NUT, SEED, FRUIT AND VEGETABLES) PRODUCERSWHO RELY ON THESE BEES TO POLLINATE CROPS. THE VALUE ADDED TO THE ~100 CROPS THAT REQUIRE OR BENEFIT FROM HONEY BEE POLLINATION IS ESTIMATED AT $16 BILLION PER YEAR. TOOLS THAT GIVE EARLY WARNING OF UPCOMING LOSSES WOULD ENABLE BEEKEEPERS TO BETTER PREPARE FOR HONEY BEE SHORTAGES BY EITHER IMPLEMENTING INTERVENTION PRACTICES OR SECURING REPLACEMENT COLONIES TO FILL ANTICIPATED SHORTAGES.