Caring for honeybees with antimicrobials

Honeybees serve as agricultural pollinators that are widely managed by commercial beekeepers. They also host pathogens and Varroa mites that can affect a colony’s strength and survival.¹

Antibiotics approved by the FDA can be used to proactively manage infection and endemic disease occurring in the US and Canada. These target 2 common bacterial diseases: American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB).¹

Photo: Maarten Zeehandelaar/Adobe Stock

There are a dozen antimicrobial drugs approved by the FDA for use in honeybee colonies for AFB and EFB. These all rely on 1 of 3 antibiotics: oxytetracycline, tylosin and lincomycin. These medications—which are also approved for use in other animal species—are required to be ordered or administered by a licensed veterinarian through a prescription or a veterinary feed directive (VFD).^2,3

According to the FDA and Jörg Mayer, DVM, MS, DABVP, DECZM, DACZM, professor of zoological medicine at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in Athens, oxytetracycline is the only FDA-approved antimicrobial for bees that requires a VFD.

“As a broad generalization for the bees: All medically important feed additives require a VFD and all medically important water soluble antibiotics require a prescription,” Mayer said in a lecture at the 2025 Veterinary Meeting and Expo in Orlando, Florida.^2,3

Although many individuals primarily view honeybees as food-producing animals, all veterinarians including those in general practice, can care for and prescribe for them, according to Kaitlyn Krebs, DVM, MBA, DABVP (Canine/ Feline), an assistant professor in clinical primary care at the University of Pennsylvania’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital in Philadelphia, as well as a beekeeper. “We don’t really learn about bee medicine in veterinary school…but as veterinarians, we have a responsibility to the bees,” Krebs said in a dvm360 interview at the 2024 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention in Austin, Texas.⁴

According to Mayer, when writing a prescription or VFD for honeybees, a veterinarian must be able to diagnose AFB and EFB. “The big problem that veterinarians writing those prescriptions or [VFDs] need to be aware [of is] that there are many states where [AFB] is either a notifiable or reportable disease,” Mayer said in a dvm360 interview.

When it comes to prescribing antimicrobials, Lee Pope, DVM, a veterinary consultant for Revelation Animal Health, emphasized the need for veterinarians to be mindful of the honey being created by bees and, like any drug, to provide education for administering proper doses. “The caution with beekeepers and veterinarians treating bees is just to remember [that] this is a food animal species, essentially. So we can’t just grab random medications. We have to be very cautious in what we use [and] how it’s used,” Pope said in a dvm360 interview. “Going over the prescription with the client, about how to give it and giving specific details…[and] being very specific so there’s no gray zone.”

After a beekeeper has obtained a prescription or VFD from a veterinarian, they can work with a distributor of the drug or medicated feed or manufacture their own feed while complying with applicable regulations.³

Drugs approved by the FDA for use in honeybee colonies are not typically packed specifically for that purpose. Because these medications are not typically purchased in “unit-of-use containers” appropriate for honeybee use, veterinarians often are required to repackage them to accommodate exact doses that a beekeeper can administer.⁵

Before antibiotics are administered to a honeybee colony, they are often mixed with dry sugar. The compounded mixture is then sprinkled on top of the brood nest at the bottom of the hive.⁶

Takeaways

Pope noted that although more research in the field is anticipated, these medications have been studied with bees. “We know how well it works,” he said.

Mayer noted that beekeepers should be encouraged to reach out to veterinarians if they think they need antibiotics.2 “There are plenty of references and resources available to help everyone work through the process,” he said.

Krebs said continuing education opportunities, industry conference lectures, webinars and online resources are available to professionals seeking information about caring for honeybees.4 “The AVMA has a great handbook for veterinarians who are looking to get into honeybees and there’s the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium as well that provides a ton of resources for veterinary practitioners. But there’s a ton of other resources out there as well,” she said.

REFERENCES

1. Anderson KE, Allen NO, Copeland DC, et al. A longitudinal field study of commercial honeybees shows that nonnative probiotics do not rescue antibiotic treatment, and are generally not beneficial. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):1954. doi:10.1038/ s41598-024-52118-z
2. Mayer J. Bee germs: bacterial and fungal diseases in the honeybee. Presented at: Veterinary Meeting & Expo; January 25-29, 2025. Orlando, FL.
3. Using medically important antimicrobials in bees—questions and answers. FDA. January 3, 2024. Accessed March 18, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/development-approval-process/using-medically-important-antimicrobials-bees-questions-and-answers
4. Krebs K, Coppock K. Caring for honeybees in general practice. dvm360. June 21, 2024. Accessed March 18, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/ caring-for-honey-bees-in-general-practice
5. Richards ED, Tell LA, Davis JL, et al. Honeybee medicine for veterinarians and guidance for avoiding violative chemical residues in honey. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2021;259(8);860-873. doi:10.2460/javma.259.8.860
6. How to administer antibiotics to a beehive. dvm360. September 10, 2017. Accessed March 18, 2025. https://www. dvm360.com/view/how-to-administer-antibiotics-to-a-beehive