BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > DISEASE & PEST CONTROL

American Foulbrood Sniffing dogs

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Knisely:
In Maryland, a state employee is training dogs to inspect hives for harmful bacteria ? a crucial job as honeybees are sent around the country to pollinate crops.
 
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/03/dining/dogs-bees-colonies-sniff-bacteria.html

BeeMaster2:
I don?t know why they need a dog. Most bee inspectors that I talk to can walk through an apiary and smell hives that have AFB.
The only advantage I would see is the dogs would be able to smell it much earlier than a human could.
Jim

Stephanie30:
Well, it's good news, isn't it? I mean with all that information that we heard lately about bees disappearing dogs can help to save them, right?  :rolleyes: I'm sorry if my question is dumb! It's just the beekeeping is something new for me. The thing is that my father-in-law owns this business and because I've got fired during the pandemic he wants me to join him until I'll get a new job. So, I'm just browsing beekeeping forums to learn as much as possible. I'm a vet doctor btw and I know much more about pets than bees  :cheesy: I even have a blog about dog's health as a hobby so I hope to combine it with beekeeping.

BeeMaster2:
Stephanie,
Welcome to Beemaster.
Jim Altmiller

TheHoneyPump:
AFB is old old old news.  So much so that while it is still around, AFB certainly is not any threat to the bee populations in present day. It would be like saying that chicken pox or measles or polio are of great concern in the population. AFB is out there but is virtually non-existent in terms of the level of concern to beekeepers.

It is nice to know about AFB but it is certainly not why bees are disappearing. Disease vectoring parasites like the varroa destructor mite, and viral infections like IAPV or KBV are the primary reasons bees are disappearing.

Interesting about sniffer dogs. Just adopted a new pup here and perhaps he can be trained.  Though I really wonder how well they can tell the difference between some foul brood (EFB/AFB) and a heavy nectar flow from dandelions or sunflowers or goldenrod.  Those honeys stink to hll and are much much more foul to my nostrils.

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