This winter, some bees in Ontario will be given a pancake-like patty of yeast, soy flour, and a simple syrup to eat before the bees retreat to their hives in sub-zero temperatures. This type of early-winter snack is often used in beekeeping to help boost the hive’s nutrition when little food is available, or after winter to boost the hive’s activity. But these patties are different: Created by SeedLabs, a division of the startup microbiome company Seed, they also include a blend of probiotics designed for honeybees. Just as there’s evidence that certain doses of some strains of probiotics in yogurt can boost human immune systems, the company says that probiotics may also help bees stay healthier in the face of disease and pesticide exposure. After testing its product in fruit flies, SeedLabs is now testing it with bees.