Learn About the Honeybee Vaccine

VarroaSense is the first honeybee vaccine of its kind, developed by a group of researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland. The vaccine aims to protect honeybees from the Varroa mite, which is a parasitic insect that feeds on the bees’ blood. The parasite can weaken or even kill bees. It is thought to be one of the greatest threats to honeybees globally.

The vaccine introduces a harmless strain of the deformed wing virus (DWV) into the honeybees. The virus is already present in the majority of colonies, but the vaccinated bees gain immunity to the virus, which also makes them resistant to the dangerous Varroa mite. Researchers have discovered that the vaccine can lessen the number of mites in a colony by up to 90% and boost the survival rate of the bees.

Honeybees play an essential role in our ecosystem. Unfortunately, their population has been on a rapid decline.

Here are three main things you should know about the honeybee vaccine:

• In addition to the Deformed Wing Virus, the vaccine protects bees from the following two dangerous viruses: Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus and the Black Queen Cell Virus.
• The vaccine is given to bees through a sugar solution that the bees consume.
• A select group of scientists, beekeepers, and farmers developed the honeybee vaccine, all of whom share a common goal to make a sustainable solution to protect bees and preserve their population.

If your home has a bee infestation, you can safely remove bees from your house by calling a professional bee removal service.

Here are four ways that the experts can help you:

• They have all the necessary equipment and knowledge to remove bees without harming the insects or damaging your property. They have been trained to carefully remove bees from different types of structures, including homes, offices, and commercial buildings.
• They use ethical methods to remove bees from your property.
• They can correctly identify the type of bees that have infested your home. For instance, honeybees and bumblebees are beneficial to the environment and should be removed and relocated rather than killed. At the same time, insects like wasps and hornets are considered pests and can be eliminated. This information is crucial because it can help determine the best action for the bees and your safety.
• They can prevent future infestations by identifying and sealing entry points for the bees. If you need advice on how to protect your property from future bee infestations, the experts are a call away.

It is worth mentioning that it is always advisable to contact a professional beekeeper to handle any bee infestation rather than trying to remove them on your own.

In summary, the development of the first honeybee vaccine, VarroaSense, is a significant breakthrough in saving honeybees from the Varroa mite. If your property has a bee infestation, you can call The Beeman, the most trusted Orange County bee removal service, to remove them safely.