Bee Microbiome Fights Against Fungi

In the new study, a team led by Irene Newton showed that B. apis can inhibit the growth of two common fungal pathogens, Beauueria bassiana that infects 70 percent of all known insect species and is actually used as a biological insecticide to kill herbivorous insect pests like mites, and the more relevant pathogen Aspergillus flavus that targets honey bee brood and can also infect crop plants. [...]live bacteria are not even needed for this protective effect, according to the study. According to that study, the bacteria induces a bee immune response that kills mites and blocks viral infection.