Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, where we’ve gathered the most common questions to help you find answers quickly. Whether you’re looking for more information on our product, American Foulbrood disease, our data, and more, this comprehensive resource is designed to assist you every step of the way. If your question isn’t covered, get in touch with our team through the contact form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
American Foulbrood (AFB) is a highly contagious and devastating disease that destroys the developing bee larvae. The disease-causing bacteria (Paenibacillus larvae) can be present in subclinical levels in hives which can erupt at any time. Infective spores may last in the environment for several decades.
The vaccine works via a biological phenomenon known as Transgenerational Immune Priming (TGIP). The vaccine, containing a killed pathogen, is administered orally to the maternal insect—the queen bee. Attendants caged with the queen are fed queen candy containing the vaccine. Work carried out in Dalan’s laboratories has indicated that the attendants digest the vaccine and produce royal jelly containing vaccine particles. The royal jelly is fed to the queen, and as she ingests it, pieces of the vaccine are transported via her body fat to her ovaries where it is deposited in the eggs. The developing larvae are exposed to the vaccine and start to build up immunity before they hatch.
One vial of the vaccine is thoroughly mixed with 300g of queen candy. 6g of candy is placed in a queen cage containing 6-10 attendants and a mated queen. The cage is kept in a cool dark space with proper water exposure for 7 days while the attendants feed the queen. On day 8, the queen can be released into a hive or be placed in a queen bank.
Everyone’s operation is different. In order to ensure effective use of the vaccine in youroperation, please contact Dalan’s Field Technician, Amy Floyd, at 844-483-2526 or by email [email protected].
No, the vaccine does not contain mRNA technology. The vaccine contains inactivated (dead) Paenibacillus larvae bacteria, the causative agent of American Foulbrood Disease. The vaccine does not contain any chemicals or harmful preservatives and is suitable for use in organic agriculture.
The USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) has approved the vaccine for use and has reviewed Dalan’s data indicating that the vaccine is safe. After over 4 years of study using hundreds of doses of vaccine, immune priming has never indicated a negative impact on queen fitness or honey composition (see data below).
The vaccine does not kill the bacterium. Our AFB vaccine utilizes a dead bacterium to promote an immune response within the honeybee. Vaccination of the queen bee has been shown to limit disease by passing on immunity and/or stimulating immunity in newly hatched larvae (Transgenerational Immune Priming or TGIP).
No. This has not been assessed. We recommend vaccinating a fresh queen for 8 days outside of the hive, making sure her attendants have access only to the vaccinated candy. Removing a queen from the hive, vaccinating her for 8 days, and returning her to the hive is not recommended.
The product is bottled at 50 doses/vial. Therefore, the minimum order size is for 50 queens or 50 hives.
< 50 hives
Currently, you can order vaccinated queens from Honey Bee Genetics. Visit our website dalan.com to purchase your new vaccinated queens today!
> 50 hives
Visit our website dalan.com to submit a quote request or call 844-483-2526. One of our team members will get in touch with you shortly.
The vaccine has shown to reduce larval death associated with American Foulbrood infections caused by Paenibacillus larvae.
The immunity lasts one generation. We recommend requeening annually with vaccinated queens.
Safety and efficacy data is found on Dalan’s website at https://www.dalan.com/package-insert/. Other data and publications can be found here: https://www.dalan.com/media-publications/
Call Dalan at 844-483-2526, or submit the form below.