Dog Helps Detect Deadly Bee Disease
Turns out that man’s best friend is also helpful to bees. Mack, a yellow Labrador retriever, works with the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Apiary Inspection Program sniffing bee boxes. If he smells the deadly American Foulbrood bacteria in a hive, he stops and sits.
“If he is between two hives, I ask him to show me, and he puts his mouth on the colony,” says Cybil Preston, Mack’s handler.
Maryland’s chief apiary inspector explains that before bees cross state lines - to go to California in the winter, for example - they must be inspected. American Foulbrood isn’t common – there were just 13 cases in 2017 - but it is deadly. Bacteria spores multiply and grow in bee larvae and is highly infectious. Diseased hives must be burned to stop the bacteria, which can live up to 40 years.
Typically people do the inspections, opening hives looking for larvae that is brown instead of white. They can also smell the bacteria.
But dogs can smell it early on and without opening the hives, Preston says, which greatly speeds up the process.
“Mack did an entire load of 1,500 colonies that went to California in December. He did it in a fraction of the time it would have taken us,” Preston says.
The biggest challenge is keeping the dog from getting stung. So Mack can only work when the bees are dormant with temperatures 52F or cooler, which is typically November through early April in Maryland.
Preston took classes with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to learn how to train dogs for scent detection.
Because every dog is different, there isn’t a written formula of how to train, she says. She has been contacted by apiary inspectors from Wisconsin and Maine who are interested in training dogs to work with bees.
“It’s very rewarding, but it’s time consuming work,” she says. “I am more than happy to chat with employees of other states’ apiary departments.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Maryland Department of Agriculture, 50 Harry S. Truman Pkwy., Annapolis, Md. 21401 (www.mda.maryland.gov; Twitter: @MdAgDept).
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Dog Helps Detect Deadly Bee Disease AG WORLD Turns out that man’s best friend is also helpful to bees Mack a yellow Labrador retriever works with the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Apiary Inspection Program sniffing bee boxes If he smells the deadly American Foulbrood bacteria in a hive he stops and sits “If he is between two hives I ask him to show me and he puts his mouth on the colony ” says Cybil Preston Mack’s handler Maryland’s chief apiary inspector explains that before bees cross state lines - to go to California in the winter for example - they must be inspected American Foulbrood isn’t common – there were just 13 cases in 2017 - but it is deadly Bacteria spores multiply and grow in bee larvae and is highly infectious Diseased hives must be burned to stop the bacteria which can live up to 40 years Typically people do the inspections opening hives looking for larvae that is brown instead of white They can also smell the bacteria But dogs can smell it early on and without opening the hives Preston says which greatly speeds up the process “Mack did an entire load of 1 500 colonies that went to California in December He did it in a fraction of the time it would have taken us ” Preston says The biggest challenge is keeping the dog from getting stung So Mack can only work when the bees are dormant with temperatures 52F or cooler which is typically November through early April in Maryland Preston took classes with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to learn how to train dogs for scent detection Because every dog is different there isn’t a written formula of how to train she says She has been contacted by apiary inspectors from Wisconsin and Maine who are interested in training dogs to work with bees “It’s very rewarding but it’s time consuming work ” she says “I am more than happy to chat with employees of other states’ apiary departments ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Maryland Department of Agriculture 50 Harry S Truman Pkwy Annapolis Md 21401 www mda maryland gov; Twitter: @MdAgDept
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