Beekeepers have hope for bee vaccine

WATKINSVILLE, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Roughly 40% of beehives die every year. There are many factors including lack of food, harmful pesticides, and bacterial diseases that weaken and kill colonies like American foulbrood.

Beekeeper Don Long cares for millions of bees in Athens. Long said the only way to get rid of the disease is to burn the hive.

UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine is conducting is running trials on Dalan Animal Health’s bee vaccine in their bee lab.

Researcher Dr. Lewis Bartlett said the groundbreaking technology could be used to protect against other diseases or be applied to help other insects.

“Forbes Magazine just named it the top 100 inventions of the year,” said Dr. Bartlett.

Here’s the basics on how it works: researchers make a candy cocktail with the vaccine that’s consumed by the worker bees, then they feed the vaccine to the queen. She eats it and it’s transferred to her millions of offspring in the hive.

Long said the vaccine offers hope to protect the bees.

“It’s absolutely incredible the way it works. I’m already considering getting the vaccine for the queens I raise myself,” said Long.

Whether you are a commercial beekeeper or a beekeeping is a hobby, you can inquire about purchasing the vaccine or a queen that’s been vaccinated on Dalan Animal Health online.

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