The future of the hives depends on a microscopic secret: a natural antibiotic that bees collect in pollen. Discover how a bacterium, a cousin of our modern antibiotics, is protecting our pollinators from devastating diseases. An ecological solution to a global problem! #Bees #SustainableBeekeeping #NaturalAntibiotics
00:00The bee's secret weapon, a natural antibiotic hidden in pollen, 5, with its vast reserves of honey, wax, and pollen, is a treasure.
00:11But this wealth makes it a magnet for enemies.
00:14More than 30 parasites, including viruses, fungi, and bacteria, constantly threaten our honeybees.
00:22However, the solution to protect them might be hidden in plain sight, in the very grain of pollen they collect and carry home.
00:28In the United States, a team of researchers put forward a bold hypothesis.
00:34They suspected the key lay in endophytes, symbiotic bacteria, and fungi that live inside the tissues of most plants.
00:42Their reasoning was simple.
00:44These microbes benefit from pollination and, therefore, should have evolved compounds to keep their pollinators, the bees, healthy.
00:51And their hunch was entirely correct.
00:54The researchers discovered that the same beneficial bacteria were found both in the stored pollen in the hives and in the pollen of nearby native plants.
01:04Crucially, they demonstrated that these bacteria produce antimicrobial compound scapel of annihilating pathogens that attack both bees and plants.
01:13The team focused on bacteria from the phylum actinobacteria.
01:19It's an incredibly significant source of two-thirds of the antibiotics currently used in medicine.
01:24Upon isolating the strains, they identified that 72% of them belong to the genus Streptomyces.
01:30This genus is already famous in science for producing antibiotics and even anti-cancer and antiparasitic drugs.
01:39To confirm this power, the scientists pitted the Streptomyces strains against known pathogens.
01:45The results were compelling.
01:47Nearly all strains were effective inhibitors of the mold, Aspergillus nijar, causes the serious bee disease known as Stonebrood.
01:54Certain strains also showed strong activity against two bacteria that plague bees, Pnebacillus larvae and Serratia marcesans.
02:04They even attacked three of the main pathogens affecting crops.
02:08The conclusion is clear.
02:10Bees are not only collecting pollen but are actively utilizing this natural defense.
02:15One researcher summarized it this way.
02:18Bees collect these endophytic actinobacteria from the flowers and whisk them back to hive pollen stores.
02:24Where they help to defend the colony against disease.
02:28This finding has a vital implication for beekeeping.
02:31It suggests that maintaining a landscape rich in diverse plant species is fundamental.
02:37As it ensures a greater variety of these beneficial endophytic actinobacteria is available to the bees.
02:44In the future, treating the numerous diseases that threaten our bees could be drastically simplified.
02:49It could be as simple as introducing the right beneficial bacteria into hives to help control specific pathogens.
02:57Offering a powerful natural solution to a problem that challenges beekeeping worldwide.
03:03The secret to saving the bees was in their pantry.
03:06Money Explainers
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