Honeybees have been facing massive global die-offs for decades. Now, some local organizations are working together to help protect them.

David Blocher says he worked with Aspetuck Land Trust to find the perfect home for his queens.

Blocher sits on the board of the Backyard Beekeeper's Association. He says the dozen or so colonies will help members learn how to raise their own queens.

He says the end goal is to breed queens that are resistant to the Varroa mites that have been decimating the global bee population for decades now.

Blocher says the offspring of these queens will be able to find and remove Varroa mites before the infestation spreads.

He says breeding resistant strains is the only way to protect a vital piece of global agriculture.

It'll also mean more homegrown honey for the Backyard Beekeepers Association's more than 300 members in southwestern Connecticut.

The USDA says 35% of the world's food crops depend on honeybees and other pollinators to reproduce.