Newly published research has the beekeeping world abuzz — but not in a good way.
Driving the news: A study out of the University of Guelph suggests increased deaths in honeybee colonies across the country are linked to 2018 restrictions on antibiotic use for bees and other animals. Between 2015 and 2023, honeybee mortality rates during the winter nearly doubled.
Why it’s happening: The reason for restricting antibiotic use was to safeguard against the development of new resistant strains of bacteria. However, antibiotics are the main way beekeepers protect hives from deadly infections, and it seems the bees were dependent on them.
- That said, there’s not enough data to pinpoint infections as the specific reason for more deaths, meaning that we could be seeing a case of correlation, not causation.
Why it matters: You likely know honeybees are pillars of biodiversity, but did you know that they’re also some of Canada’s most valuable workers? According to a 2021 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada study, honeybee pollination contributes $7 billion a year in harvest value to the economy. Finding new ways to reverse mortality rates is an economic imperative.
What’s next: Luckily, researchers are on the case. Western University studies have found positive signs of using probiotics to support bee health. And in 2023, Dalan Animal Research began producing the world’s first vaccine for honeybees against the devastating foulbrood infection. Over 30,000 hives in Canada and in the U.S have since been dosed.—QH