Give Bees a Chance with Host Defense!

Now through September 30th, purchasing any product from Host Defense’s Give Bees a Chance program results in contributions of both cash and mushroom extracts to BeeFriendly!  BeeFriendly is a research initiative of Paul Stamets (leading mycologist and founder of Fungi Perfecti), Dr. Steve Sheppard (Entomology Department Chair at Washington State University) and the Washington State Beekeepers Association focused on how to help reverse devastating declines in the global bee population that are critically threatening the world’s food security. 

Since the initial detection of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in 2006, honey bee keepers have been losing roughly 30% of their hives annually. Although CCD is not fully understood, it appears to be a destructive synergism of multiple drivers of collapse. These include but are not limited to pesticides, parasitic mites, and increased viral levels.

Give Bees a Chance is a selection of Host Defense products chosen because of their direct affiliation with either bee populations or research efforts to reduce bee viruses. Through the Give Bees a Chance program, Host Defense has already contributed over $150,000 to fund bee research, specifically studying how mushroom mycelium extracts can help bees overcome CCD. In addition to cash contributions, Host Defense has also donated countless research hours and materials (liquid extracts) to the research efforts. In total, awareness efforts stemming from Paul Stamets, Fungi Perfecti, and the Host Defense supplement line have cumulatively resulted in millions of dollars in funding for the Honey Bee & Pollinator Division at Washington State University. This year, Host Defense pledges to contribute up to another $50,000 to Washington State University for additional research. 

In 2015, experiments began where honey bees drank different mushroom mycelium extracts. Some extracts reduced viruses in bees by 75% or more, greatly increasing colony survival! “As an entomologist with 40+ years of experience studying bees, I am unaware of any reports of materials that extend the life of worker bees more than this,” says Dr. Sheppard. Now that’s buzzz-worthy!