A few years back, we reported on “Bazz,” a black Labrador Retriever trained by South African beekeeper, Josh Kennett, to scent detect American foulbrood, a devastating bee killing disease.Kennett went so far as to create a bee-keeping suit to protect “Bazz” from bee stings (see photos of “Bazz” in his suit here). “Bazz’s” ability to detect the spore forming bacterium, Paenibacillus, was remarkable, but was “Bazz” a “one off?”

No!  Meet “Mack,” a two-year-old Labrador Retriever who is the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s newest apiary inspector. With his owner, chief apiary inspector, Cybil Preston, “Mack” inspects beehives for the same highly contagious bacterial disease as “Bazz” did: American foulbrood.  Note that we said that “Mack” is the newest inspector. The Maryland Department of Agriculture has had a “bee dog” on staff since 1982, and is believed to be the only state agency in the nation using a dog to detect AFB. “Mack” is the fifth dog to hold the position, and his predecessor was also a Labrador Retriever (notice a trend here?).

“Mack” works from November to April and because temperatures are cooler, bees are less active, making Mack less apt to get stung. He moves from beehive to beehive, sniffing each one for the distinct odor of AFB infestation, and if he smells AFB in a hive, his alert to his handler is to sit. Mack can inspect 100 hives in 45 minutes (Preston, on the other hand, can inspect only ten hives in the same amount of time). Read more about Mack here.

Image of “Mack” found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information