Doggy Detective

Mack the Labrador retriever is an adorable dog with an unusual ability. His super-powered sense of smell is helping save honeybees from a deadly disease.

Mack’s owner, Cybil Preston, is the chief apiary inspector for the Maryland Department of Agriculture. She trained Mack to sniff out American foulbrood. This disease is caused by a bacterium and is fatal to bees. Together, Preston and Mack inspect hives around the state for signs of the deadly condition to stop it before it spreads.

Mack detects foulbrood with his nose more efficiently than humans can see signs of it with their eyes—which is good for all of us. Bees pollinate about a third of U.S. crops. By transferring pollen from flower to flower as they feed, bees help these plants reproduce. “Without bees to pollinate our crops, our food choices would be much more limited and expensive,” says Preston.