Bee gut health may hold the key to more resilient colonies and queens

Researchers at the University of Guelph are studying honey bee gut microbiomes to learn how they affect digestion, immunity and overwintering success, and that work is expanding to focus on domestic queen bees as Canada faces high colony losses and depends on imported queens.

Researchers at the University of Guelph are studying honey bee gut microbiomes to learn how they affect digestion, immune regulation and resistance to harmful microbes. The project began as the Canadian Bee Gut Project and has collected thousands of samples with beekeepers across Canada. That work is now expanding to focus specifically on domestic queen bees. The research is being discussed amid sustained colony losses and a reliance on imported queens. Key facts: - The bee gut microbiome supports digestion, immune regulation and helps ward off harmful bacteria, according to the research team. - Brendan Daisley, a postdoctoral fellow involved in the work, said the team is investigating how the microbiome influences overwintering success. - The Canadian Bee Gut Project has profiled thousands of samples and is expanding its focus to include domestic queen bees. - Canada imports up to 300,000 queen bees each year from countries including Italy, Chile and the United States to meet domestic demand. - A 2025 report found that almost 40 percent of colonies did not survive the winter nationally, and Ontario beekeepers reported losing more than a third of their stock in 2025. - The Ontario Beekeepers' Association has noted pressures such as loss of farmland, new pests and diseases, and some beekeepers have discussed supplements like probiotics or prebiotics as an area of interest. Summary: Researchers link the honey bee gut microbiome to colony and queen resilience and are expanding studies to domestic queens while beekeepers and associations watch for findings. Undetermined at this time what specific interventions or outcomes will follow from the research.