A longitudinal field study of commercial honey bees shows that non-native probiotics \do not rescue antibiotic treatment, and are generally not beneficial

Authors: Anderson, Kirk; Allen, Nathan; Copeland, Duan; KORTENKAMP, O. - University Of Arizona; Erickson, Robert; Mott, Brendon; OLIVER, R. - Scientific Beekeeping

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/14/2024
Publication Date: 1/23/2024
Citation: Anderson, K.E., Allen, N.O., Copeland, D.C., Kortenkamp, O., Erickson, R.J., Mott, B.M., Oliver, R. 2024. A longitudinal field study of commercial honey bees shows that non-native probiotics \do not rescue antibiotic treatment, and are generally not beneficial. Scientific Reports. 14. Article 1954. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52118-z.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52118-z

Interpretive Summary: Probiotics are widely used in agriculture including commercial beekeeping, but there is little evidence supporting their effectiveness. Antibiotic treatments can greatly distort the gut microbiome, reducing its protective abilities and facilitating the growth of antibiotic resistant pathogens. Commercial beekeepers regularly apply antibiotics to combat bacterial infections, often followed by an application of non-native probiotics advertised to ease the impact of antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis. We tested whether probiotics affect the gut microbiome or disease prevalence, or rescue the negative effects of antibiotic induced gut dysbiosis. We found no difference in the gut microbiome or disease markers by probiotic application or antibiotic recovery associated with probiotic treatment. A colony-level application of the antibiotics oxytetracycline and tylosin produced an immediate decrease in gut microbiome size, and over the longer-term, very different and persistent dysbiotic effects on the composition and membership of the hindgut microbiome. Our results demonstrate the lack of probiotic effect or antibiotic rescue, detail the duration and character of dysbiotic states resulting from different antibiotics, and highlight the importance of the gut microbiome for honeybee health.

Technical Abstract: Probiotics are widely used in agriculture including commercial beekeeping, but there is little evidence supporting their effectiveness. Antibiotic treatments can greatly distort the gut microbiome, reducing its protective abilities and facilitating the growth of antibiotic resistant pathogens. Commercial beekeepers regularly apply antibiotics to combat bacterial infections, often followed by an application of non-native probiotics advertised to ease the impact of antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis. We tested whether probiotics affect the gut microbiome or disease prevalence, or rescue the negative effects of antibiotic induced gut dysbiosis. We found no difference in the gut microbiome or disease markers by probiotic application or antibiotic recovery associated with probiotic treatment. A colony-level application of the antibiotics oxytetracycline and tylosin produced an immediate decrease in gutmicrobiome size, and over the longer-term, very different and persistent dysbiotic effects on the composition and membership of the hindgut microbiome. Our results demonstrate the lack of probiotic effect or antibiotic rescue, detail the duration and character of dysbiotic states resulting from different antibiotics, and highlight the importance of the gut microbiome for honeybee health.