Eric Mussen (left) and Lance Gimbal

DAVIS — The Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at the University of California, Davis, has received a $10,000 donation from Gimbal’s Fine Candies, San Francisco, in support of its outreach and research activities.

The family-run, fourth-generation company, founded in 1898, is donating 5 percent of all future proceeds to UC Davis honey bee research from its newly launched line of Honey Lovers’ candies, heart-shaped fruit chews made with natural honey.

The first check, issued March 8, will be used in support of outreach and research activities at the facility. Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen, member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology faculty, recently accepted the check from Lance Gimbal, president and chief executive officer.

"The UC Davis bee biology program is extremely appreciative of the generosity of Gimbal’s Fine Candies,” Mussen said. "Their contribution will enable us to reach more people with factual information about bees and beekeeping. It also is possible that their support of our research efforts may help uncover better methods of dealing with pests, parasites, and diseases of honey bees and honey bee colonies."

The line of Honey Lovers, featuring 16 different flavor combinations, includes pomegranate honey, honey-dipped strawberry, honey vanilla and huckleberry honey.

Seeking to help save the bees, company officials expressed concern about the declining bee population. "Approximately one-third of our food supply depends on honey bees," said CEO Lance Gimbal. "Honey bees are in the middle of a crisis."

Much of the concern for the declining bee population is linked to colony collapse disorder (CCD), a mysterious malady characterized by adult bees abandoning the hive. The bees fly off and leave behind the queen bee, immature brood (eggs, larvae and pupae) and stored food.

"CCD is still very much with us and is continuing to take a significant toll on honey bee colonies, both in California and across the country," Mussen said. "Hopefully, researchers will determine the cause and suggest solutions before too long.”

Mussen suspects CCD is caused by a yet-to-be-discovered virus and exacerbated by a combination of other viruses, pesticides, parasites, diseases, malnutrition and stress.

The honey bee research program at UC Davis, one of the oldest in the country, dates back more than 76 years. The 8,200-square-foot facility on Bee Biology Road, located west of the UC Davis campus, is named for Harry Hyde Laidlaw Jr. (1907-2003), considered the father of honey bee genetics.

Among those working in honey bee research at UC Davis are Mussen; bee-breeder geneticist Susan Cobey, manager of the Laidlaw facility; bee breeder-geneticist Kim Fondrk; and insect virus researcher Michelle Flenniken, the Häagen-Dazs Postdoctoral Scholar. Native bee specialists are Neal Williams, assistant professor of entomology, and Robbin Thorp, emeritus professor, who both maintain offices and research quarters at the Laidlaw facility. Also at the facility are beekeepers Elizabeth Frost, research assistant, and undergraduate student Tylan Selby, majoring in entomology.

The allergen-free Honey Lovers' fruit chews are available at Walmart and Fresh & Easy stores, as well as Amazon.com and candydirect.com. Additional stores featuring Honey Lovers will launch this spring.

More information on bee research at UC Davis is available from the bee biology Web site. More information on Gimbal’s Fine Candies is available from (800) 344-6255 or from its Web site.