Let’s talk about the honey bee’s microbiome!
The bee gut can be split into 3 different regions each with a different microbial profile. Snodgrassella alvi, Gilliamella apicola, the two species of Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium are actually found in worker bees worldwide!
So what does the bee microbiome do? Some of the bacteria helps bees break down their carb heavy diet into lactic acid and acetate. Which suggests that the microbiome contributes to the bee nutrition.
Environmental and developmental factors can alter the bee’s microbiome which effects the bee’s health in ways like immune response, susceptibility to stress, and defense against pathogens.
