The USDA has recently approved the world’s first vaccine designed to help the declining population of honeybees. The vaccine fights against American Foulbrood disease, a bacterial condition that is a major threat to honeybees, and helps their immune systems. American Foulbrood is incredibly contagious and often will affect an entire hive if a few bees become infected. The new vaccine is a solution that is consumed by worker bees, which then incorporates the vaccine into the jelly of the hive. When the queen honeybee ingests the jelly with the vaccine in it, it protects her and her ovaries from the disease. All future honeybees developed from the queen are then protected. This treatment is a huge step in protecting the vulnerable honeybee population, which plays an integral role in our ecosystem.
Image via HiveBoxx
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