Honeybee Colony Response to Probiotic Supplementation and Grazing Practices

Authors

• Katya M. Busenitz, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Tom Weissling

Committee Members

Jonathan Lundgren, John Ruberson, Troy Anderson

Date of this Version

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Degree of Master of Science

Major: Entomology

Under the supervision of Professor Tom Weissling

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2026

Comments

Copyright, 2026 Katya M. Busenitz. Used by permission

Abstract

Honeybee health is a complicated issue. Studies were conducted to scale honeybee (Apis mellifera) health from the microbiome to the landscape. Colony health parameters were measured in response to probiotic administration. Colony capped brood production, colony summer weight gain, and Varroa mite incidence were measured. I found that applications of over-the-counter probiotics did not improve the measured parameters of honeybee health compared to a control group. Results suggest that probiotic application was not beneficial but positive benefits may depend on application method, brand, or strain of probiotics used. I also examined how colony health metrics responded to different rangeland management practices. Our findings showed that rotational cattle grazing increased the number of flowers in the pastures, which may contribute to increased weight gain in colonies placed there. Additionally, we identified a significant positive correlation between forage height and brood production, and a significant negative correlation between forage height and Varroa mite levels. Evidence gathered from these studies suggests landscape scale habitat improvement has an impact on honeybee health.

Advisor: Tom Weissling