Abell Pest Control is proud to support the University of Guelph’s Honey Bee Research Centre, a leader in advancing honey bee health through cutting-edge research, education, and outreach. As part of our continued commitment to pollinator protection, we’re excited to introduce Dylan, the recipient of Abell’s Pollinator Research Scholarship.
Dylan’s research tackles one of the most urgent challenges facing honey bees in Canada: high rates of overwintering colony loss. This ongoing issue has created an unsustainable reliance on imported queen bees, putting both pollination services valued at over $7 billion annually and honey production at risk.
With support from Abell, Dylan is exploring how the queen bee microbiome influences overall colony health and survival. His research aims to improve queen fitness by identifying and enhancing beneficial microbes in their gut. Key objectives include:
- Identifying microbial links between the queen’s gut microbiome and nine key markers of queen health and fitness
- Sequencing microbial strains to discover those that may boost queen vitality, such as those producing acetate, a compound shown to enhance larval survival and adult development in other species
- Rearing queen bees in the lab after introducing beneficial microbes, to measure the impact on queen development and resilience
The ultimate goal? To develop targeted bee probiotics and an in vitro queen rearing system, a breakthrough that could reduce Canada’s dependence on imported queens and improve the sustainability of pollination services nationwide.
We’re proud to support Dylan and the next generation of scientists working to protect our vital pollinators.
