Riya d's Senior Project Blog

Project Title: Bee-yond Antibiotics: The Potential of Plant Essential Oils in Combating Honey Bee Disease BASIS Advisor: Dr. Travis May Internship Location: USDA Carl Hayden Bee Research Center Onsite Mentor: Mr. Brendon Mott

Project Abstract

Honey bees are essential pollinators, supporting both biodiversity and agricultural productivity. However, honey bee populations are under threat due to numerous factors, such as habit loss, exposure to pesticides, and disease. Bee diseases such as European Foul Brood (EFB) and American Foul Brood (AFB) have become increasingly difficult to address due to the resistance of disease-causing microbes to antibiotics, which are frequently misused and overused. This study aims to identify plant essential oils that effectively inhibit pathogenic bacteria without negatively affecting essential bacteria that are critical to hive and gut health. Many plant essential oils (phytochemicals) have been shown to have varying levels of effectiveness against honey bee pathogens, but this study will also take into consideration their effects on bacteria that are essential to the hive and gut. Determining the efficacy of such natural antimicrobial substances is vital, as they could serve as alternatives to overused antibiotics in honey bee agriculture such as Oxytetracycline, and help improve honey bee health and agricultural productivity in the long run. However, it is also crucial to evaluate their impact on the broader microbiome of the beehive and gut to ensure that essential bacteria — and therefore the overall health of the hive and gut — are not harmed.