Beehives are the honeypot for a city's microbial secrets

Assistant Professor Elizabeth Hénaff co-led a study that found the debris in urban honeybee hives provides information about cities’ microbiomes, important to understanding the health of those communities. “There's a growing body of literature that shows that exposure to diverse microbiomes is a key component for positive health outcomes,” explained Hénaff, noting that the project tested hives in New York, Venice, Sydney, Melbourne and Tokyo.

Additional media about this study:

What honeybees can reveal about a neighborhood’s germs — from Queens to Brooklyn to Tokyo, Gothamist, March 29, 2023

What bacteria and fungi lurk in your city? Bees may have the answer, National Geographic, March 29, 2023

What’s in the microbiome of your city? Bees might be able to tell us, Cosmos, April 5, 2023

Beehive microbes hold the secrets to our cities’ health, Advanced Science News, April 13, 2023

A bee’s eye view of cities’ microbiomes, NPR Science Friday, April 28, 2023