A first step for Bee Colony Collapse Disorder
This 2023 season has proved to be a hard one for North American Bees. The Canadian Press reported that some hives saw a 50 per cent die off during the winter. And in California, Dr. Timothy Lawrence wrote in the Washington State University publication, Treefruit.wsu.edu, “this year beekeepers are experiencing much higher-than-normal winter losses and there is an acute shortage of bees for the 2023 almond bloom. Even some very good beekeepers report losses of more than double what they typically experience.” Washington state itself may also have had the worst CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) problems since the disastrous year of 2005.
CCD, many apiary scientists think is the result of several factors, diseases, neonicotinoid pesticide poisoning, climate change, loss of genetic diversity, and air pollution.
However, with a new bee vaccine approved in Canada and the US, there may be hope on the horizon. The American Foulbrood (AFB) disease attacks the next generation of bees by killing larvae, and leaving no hope for a bee colony’s future. Dalan Animal Health, has been given a licence to try a new vaccine on a limited number of Canadian hives, supervised by veterinarians. The US manufacturer’s vaccine is also FDA approved in the US.
Forbes.com has reported that Dalan’s CEO Annette Kleiser has called the American Foulbrood disease: “one of the costliest diseases for beekeepers. ‘Fifty percent of hives globally carry the pathogen, and an outbreak can happen at any time.’"
Ernesto Guzman of the University of Guelph, says that AFD is caused by Paenibacillus larvae bacterium spores, and Dalan Animal Health’s drug can mean beekeepers will use fewer antibiotics.
The bee vaccine is a first in the insect world. By feeding worker bees powdered sugar and glucose with dead Paenibacillus spores, the vaccine is indirectly fed to the queen. She eats the worker bees secretions, and the next generation is immunized against the disease.
Other negatives for bees
However, further work must be done to save pollinators.
A multi-pronged approach is needed to address climate change from increased rainfall or drought limits bee foraging, affecting their numbers. While businesses that make up for the loss of native bees by renting out hives, might spread disease. And breeders might be affecting genetic diversity.
Neonicotinoid pesticides
Scientists have warned about pesticide use and their effect on reducing the numbers of the pollinators important to agriculture.
University of Guelph’s Dr. Guzman has also studied Ontario bee colonies and the presence of the varroa mite that effect bee immune systems, as a possible cause of Colony Collapse Disorder.
Neonicotinoid pesticides are used to control mites, but may affect the overall health of bees. There is evidence neonicotinoids cause bee disorientation, memory loss, and causes them to forget to come home to their hives. Reproduction numbers can be affected, as well as the life cycle of queen bees.
Human intervention has not always proved efficient for bees. Farmed hives sometimes have less genetic bee diversity, and bee hive rentals might have a role in spreading disease. Neonicotinoids used in farming also might have also proven a disaster for bees, as they have been common since the beginnings of the advent of Colony Collapse Disorder. If medical science can now help save our pollinators, Dalan Animal Health may prove that science can have a positive affect on pollinators.
Read more about Dalan Animal Health bee vaccine
Sources
2023 is looking like one of the worst years for honey bees in nearly two decades. (2023, February 21). Fruit Matters. https://treefruit.wsu.edu/article/2023-is-looking-like-one-of-the-worst-years-for-honey-bees-in-nearly-two-decades/
First vaccine against serious bacterial infection in bees approved for use in Canada. (2023, October 20). The Canadian Press. https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/first-vaccine-against-serious-bacterial-infection-in-bees-approved-for-use-in-canada-1.6610610
Canada's bee colonies see worst loss in 20 years, explosion of mites blamed. (2022, July 23). CBC/Radio-Canada. https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/canada-bee-mortality-1.6530171
This Is The First Vaccine For Honey Bees To Stop American Foulbrood. (2023, June 27). Forbes.com. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2023/06/27/this-is-the-first-vaccine-for-honey-bees-to-stop-american-foulbrood/?sh=5a4d78a3695c
Colony collapse disorder. (2023, November 13). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder
The World’s First Vaccine for Honeybees Is Here: It could be a game-changer for beekeepers fighting American foulbrood, a disease that can wipe out entire colonies. (2023, January 9). Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-first-vaccine-for-honeybees-is-here-180981400/