Dalan Animal Health May Have an Answer to Record Honeybee Losses with Innovative Vaccine Technology

ATHENS, Ga., April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dalan Animal Health, Inc., a pioneer in honeybee health and disease prevention, today addressed the unprecedented honeybee colony losses reported in 2025, in some areas in the nation reaching an alarming 70-80% annual loss rate. As the agriculture industry continues to grapple with the impact of these losses on crop pollination, Dalan is highlighting its breakthrough vaccine technology that offers beekeepers a sustainable solution to combat disease-related colony decline.

The record losses experienced in 2025 have been attributed to a combination of factors including viruses, pesticides, poor nutrition, and limited treatment options. Beekeepers are noticing their margin for error with treatments and nutrition are razor thin.

With honeybees responsible for pollinating approximately one-third of the food consumed in the United States, these losses represent a significant threat to food security and agricultural productivity.

"The devastating colony losses have created unprecedented challenges for beekeepers and farmers alike," said Dr. Annette Kleiser, CEO of Dalan Animal Health. "Our vaccine technology represents a paradigm shift in honeybee health management. By harnessing the natural process of maternal immune priming, we're providing beekeepers with a powerful new tool that helps address disease pressure and colony loss at its source, without chemicals or antibiotics. We are taking stressors off the table and providing some breathing room for bees and beekeepers."

Dalan's groundbreaking vaccine technology, which received conditional license from the USDA in December 2022, works by exposing queen bees to inactive bacteria, allowing them to pass immunity to their offspring. This approach has shown the ability to prime larvae against mortality caused by the bacterial disease American Foulbrood (AFB). Moreover, field trials on the East coast, Southeast, West coast and Canada have correlated a decrease in viral pathogens such as Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) with vaccinated colonies.

"Beekeepers across the country are doing everything they can to stay ahead of the curve, but the losses this year have been unlike anything we've seen before," said Chris Hiatt, Past President of the American Honey Producers Association. "What we need are new, science-based tools that give us a fighting chance. For too long, beekeepers have been stuck reacting to disease. This vaccine flips the script—it's a proactive approach that offers real potential to reduce losses before they start. I'll be experimenting with the vaccine this year with 200 hives through Dalan's Colony Loss Relief Program and am excited to track the results."

"As a company, we recognize the immediate needs to help beekeepers who have already suffered devastating impacts," added Dr. Kleiser. "Our Colony Loss Relief Program provides a bridge to recovery for affected operations, helping to restore pollination capacity for the 2025 growing season while implementing preventative measures for the future."

To further support affected beekeepers, Dalan partnered with major retailers to introduce the Colony Loss Relief Program, offering a support for the purchase of the Dalan's honeybee vaccine, to help protect colonies from disease and allowing beekeepers to invest back into their operations.

If interested in the Colony Loss Relief Program, please email Adam Costello, Dalan's Director of Commercial Operations at acostello@dalananimalhealth.com.

For more information about Dalan Animal Health's vaccine technology and support programs, please visit www.dalan.com.

ABOUT DALAN ANIMAL HEALTH

Dalan Animal Health (www.dalan.com) is dedicated to bringing the world transformative animal health solutions to support a more sustainable future. Dalan plans to develop vaccines for other honeybee diseases and underserved invertebrate species, such as shrimp, to deliver a more sustainable food supply. Dalan's biotech innovation has been recognized through numerous international awards such as TIME's Best Inventions, Fast Company's Next Big Things in Tech, and most recently featured in FORBES. The company is headquartered in Athens, Georgia at the University of Georgia's Innovation Hub.

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SOURCE Dalan Animal Health, Inc.