WELCOME

BEEKEEPERS!

I'm Terry Ryan Kane, a veterinarian and bee keeper living and working in the Ann Arbor area. With more than 40 years' experience as a veterinarian, coupled with an understanding of the regulatory processes that govern the veterinary industry, I have the necessary balance of experience to help keep your hives healthy and compliant at a time that our nation's bees are increasingly at risk.

Honey bees hold a special place in human life. They are fundamental to our food production and food security. Bees pollinate the majority of our food crops and orchards. They contribute to overall plant biodiversity. Perhaps more visible and familiar are the hive products we consume; honey, propolis, pollen and royal jelly. Honey bees, like all other animals, face diseases and are very sensitive to environmental factors.

The increase in hive deaths has focused attention on pollinator and environmental health, particularly the loss of biodiversity and the impact of global climate change. It is critical that bee keepers and veterinarians work together to understand and manage the multiple factors that impact colony health health.

FDA RULES FOR BEE MEDICINES

Did you know that honeybees are classified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as livestock along with other food producing animals? Because antibiotic resistance is a serious problem around the world, the judicious legal use of these drugs is required for the health of people, animals and the environment..what we in the medical field call 'One Health'.

What ARE the new rules? Beekeepers are no longer able to buy certain medically important antibiotics over the counter. Instead, they must obtain a "Veterinary Feed Directive" (VFD) , or a prescription from a licensed veterinarian for these medicines.

This new rule applies to bee hobbyists and commercial beekeepers alike, although most hobbyists will never need an antibiotic prescription or a VFD.

our_services

What the VFD rules

mean for you

GENERAL BEE HEALTH

Honey bees get sick from bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, pesticides, poor nutrition, and combinations of these.
The majority of pests and pathogens can be managed with basic colony care, good nutrition and an integrated pest management plan in place.

It is important to be able to identify the signs of a healthy colony as well as when disease is present. Your veterinarian will work together to do both, to determine the cause(s) of any illness in the colony and devise a course of treatment.
Click here to learn about common bee diseases — signs, symptoms and treatments.

WHAT IS A HIVE CALL?

Hopefully, your bees won't need a veterinarian. But if they do, we are required to have a working relationship, a VCPR, Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship in order for me to prescribe or dispense certain medications.

You and your bee vet will examine the hives together, collaborate to make clinical judgements and decide together on the care and treatment of the colony (s). If a medication is needed that require any prescriptions (or VFD) , I follow the rules of the State of Michigan and the FDA.

To find a bee veterinarian in Michigan go to

https://www.michiganbees.org/veterinarians/

Also, www.hbvc.org, the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium, Find a Bee Vet.

WHAT BEE MEDICINES REQUIRE VFDs?

For an up to date list of approved medicines, the application instructions, the labels and dosages that fall under the VFD rule or require a prescription from a veterinarians please consult the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank, FARAD, http://www.farad.org/vetgram/honeybees.asp

By definition, a VFD ("Veterinary Feed Directive") drug is a medication that is intended for use in or on an animal feed and is used only under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

The link above offers you a quite complete list of farm medications, since many beekeepers have other farm animals too.