Researchers, veterinarians and even a retired K-9 are part of MSU’s mission to protect pollinators and educate future scientists
By: Liam Boylan-Pett, Nick Schrader, Greg Kohuth, Jacob Templin-Fulton
-Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture Funded this Project
"It is not an easy task: putting a bee suit on a dog. But on a warm July morning, Sue Stejskal is maneuvering a mesh veil over the floppy ears and sudden movements of Maple, an English Springer Spaniel who is panting with delight as she prepares to show off her skills.
They are at the Michigan State University Pollinator Performance Center on the south side of MSU’s campus. Through a partnership among the Department of Entomology, MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension, the center, which houses a honey extraction facility, is the 15‑acre home to MSU’s pollinator studies, teaching, outreach and many pollinator‑related field experiments.
Just outside the facility, Maple, donning her makeshift bee suit, is about to inspect multiple hive boxes. On this day, no bees are in those hives, but one of them will contain the scent of American foulbrood, or AFB, a spore‑forming bacteria that is highly contagious and destructive for honeybee larvae. Maple’s task is to sniff out the AFB. She zigzags from box to box with Stejskal holding a lead before sitting and lifting a paw in front of a hive."
Photo Caption/credit: Maple, a retired K 9, donning her bee suit at the Pollinator Performance Center. Photo by G.L. Kohuth
