Presenter: Madina Alikulova

Faculty Sponsor: Lynn Adler

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Biology

Session: Poster Session 5, 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM, Concourse, B15

ABSTRACT

Environmental issues such as pollution and climate change have increased stressors on bees, leaving them more vulnerable to disease and population declines. Crithidia bombi is an intestinal parasite that primarily infects bumblebees (Bombus spp.), which are dominant pollinators across many ecosystems. Since the gut microbiome significantly impacts intestinal and overall health, probiotic supplementation offers a unique opportunity to combat infection and reduce stress on bumblebees. While certain probiotics may protect honeybees from several pathogens, little is known if probiotics can help reduce infection in bumblebees. We tested the effects of probiotic  supplementation on probability and intensity of C. bombi infection in the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). We used SuperDFM HoneyBee, a supplement with six strains of lactic acid bacteria as well as yeast. Bees were maintained in individual containers and fed either wildflower pollen with probiotics (w.t. 8.3% probiotic) or without for 5 days before inoculation with C. bombi (36 bees per treatment across two trials) and then for another 7 days before dissection. Gut samples were analyzed for C. bombi infection intensity. We found that probiotic supplementation did not have a statistically significant effect on probability or intensity of infection in B. impatiens. These results indicate that administering an 8.3% probiotic pollen mix is not protective against C. bombi. Pollen with a higher probiotic concentration or delivering doses through alternative means (such as liquid form) could be more effective, warranting further investigation of how probiotics affect bee health.