Episode Details

In this episode, Dr. Eva Reinicke, DVM, of Northfield, Minnesota joins Becky and guest cohost, Dr. Meghan Milbrath, assistant professor at Michigan State University. One focus of Meghan's MSU bee lab is honey bee medicine training for veterinary practitioners. Her expertise is perfect for chatting with Eva who has been practicing honey bee medicine since 2018.

Honey bees are an emerging specialty for Veterinarians. Meghan and Eva have used the antibiotic access restrictions imposed by the 2017 Veterinary Feed Directive to support the honey bee industry. Eva has set up a honey bee practice to support beekeepers. In addition to providing access to needed antibiotics, she describes how veterinarians can help beekeepers diagnose disease and monitor pests.

Listeners will learn about advanced disease diagnosis and the tools that other livestock industries use to detect pathogens. Eva describes the need and opportunity for more research and governmental support for the honey bee industry from the perspective of a veterinary health care practitioner. Also, this episode addresses how biosecurity is different in honey bee management as compared to other livestock animals.

Join this conversation to learn why honey bees need as many professionals as possible to help take care of them. This episode explores how veterinarians' contribution to honey bee health is growing and where the potential opportunities for improving honey bee care exist. Veterinary care for honey bees is not just limited to access to antimicrobials!

Leave comments and questions in the Comments Section of the episode's website.

Links and websites mentioned in this podcast:

• Michigan State University Pollinator Initiative -https://pollinators.msu.edu/programs/bees-need-vets/index.aspx
• University of Minnesota Bee Squad - https://beelab.umn.edu/bee-squad/outreach-programs
• Veterinary Feed Directive - https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/one-health/antimicrobial-use-and-antimicrobial-resistance/veterinary-feed-directive-basics
• Dr. Reinicke's Honey Bee Practice -https://northlandhoneybeevet.wordpress.com/about/
• Dr. Declan Schroeder's Virology Lab - https://vetmed.umn.edu/bio/college-of-veterinary-medicine/declan-schroeder
• Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium -https://www.hbvc.org/
• Beekeeping Today Podcast episode with the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium - https://beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/s3,e15/

• Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: http://honeybeeobscura.com

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