Using a novel 'queen banking' approach combined with targeted application of probiotics to enhance domestic production of high-quality honeybee stocks

Lead Applicant: Emma Allen-Vercoe

Research Priority: Competitive Production Systems

Program Type: Tier 1

Funding Cycle: 2024/2025

Research Centre: NA

Research Summary: Ontario's beekeeping industry struggles with significant overwintering losses, which has led to a dependency on imported queen bees to replenish domestic stock and agricultural pollination. Addressing this, our approach integrates the concept of 'queen banking’ (mass-storing of queens to offset supply-demand disparities) with advanced microbial therapeutics, emphasizing the use of specialized probiotics to enhance queen gut health, nutrition and longevity. We will assess the impact of various probiotic formulations on overwintering at three commercial queen banking stations across Ontario, while also elucidating mechanisms of action in vitro using a new lab-based queen rearing system (QueenVitro). Our evaluations will encompass factors such as queen survival, worker acceptance, post-winter reproduction in nucleus hives (‘nucs’), colony attributes (genetics, food reserves, population density), microbiome dynamics, infection resistance, and prevailing environmental conditions. Through our pioneering efforts, we will help transform Ontario’s beekeeping industry, positioning it as a global leader in sustainable innovation.