Lactic acid bacteria have long been associated with benefits to human health and even insect well-being. Social bees build up lactic acid bacteria in their hives or gut, which confers protection against pathogens. In a new article published in the journal Microbiology Letters, researchers found that lactic acid bacteria taken from the honey bee guts can be bred outside their bodies to create a bee probiotic.

The goal of the study was to determine whether bacteria found in honey bee midguts could be harvested and cultivated in large numbers, then reintroduced back to the bees as a supplemental aid against diseases. The researchers identified five bacterial isolates using rRNA gene sequencing and evaluated the bees' tolerances to these bacteria. They successfully recreated bee gut conditions to grow Lactobacillus and Enterococcus bacteria, which — the researchers predict —could be fed back live to the bees as a probiotic supplement. 

This diet of helpful bacteria could fortify bees from diseases, promote nutrient digestion, and ultimately, boost the health of bee populations. Thanks to studies like this one, efforts to save the bees may have gained some new microbial allies.