Dear Subscribers,
We got some rain last week in Gainesville, Florida. Much needed, but not enough. La Niña continues. We also had record lows in December, but it is warming up this week. If we get a few more days of warm weather, we may see the swamp maples start to bloom, the first harbinger of the beekeeping season in North Central Florida.
I am composing this newsletter instead of being at the big do, the North American Beekeeping Conference and Trade Show, in Galveston, Texas (ends today). It will be one of the few recently that I have missed; I have
reviewed several of these events and throughout my career. I will be looking for reports from several correspondents on this meeting. Preliminary reports indicate 1,300 attendees! It helps to have the Canadians and Mexicans as part of this convention.
I have been informed that there have been few responses to my mention last month of a fumagillin study and so here is a second call for help:
My first article in
American Bee Journal covering the activities of Bee Alert Technology inc. is published in the December, 2010 issue. I mentioned a visit to Dr. Robert Cramer in Bozeman, MT who is currently looking at the use of fumagillin in Nosema control. One of the things we discussed was the quantity and quality of fumagillin in commercial products. Over the years, several branded products have been sold, including Fumidil B, Fumagillin B, Nosem-X and perhaps others. Dr. Cramer would like to look at these to determine their general characteristics.
I discussed with Dr. Cramer the concept of putting out the message asking for samples from beekeepers that might have some lying around unused and perhaps still functional. He says the sample size could be quite small, One (1) gram of the material would be sufficient, though more is always better. Ideally he'd like to see at least five (5) representative samples of different aged products with distinct brand names. Essentially the question he'd be asking is how pure is the fumagillin in the products and what conclusions such an investigation might lead to. Please send samples along with brand name and approximate age directly to:
Robert Cramer Jr, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Fungal Pathogenesis
Department of Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University
PO Box 173610
Bozeman, MT 59717
Office: 406-994-7467
Lab: 406-994-7468
My follow up article on
Bee Alert Technology, Inc. is found in the January
American Bee Journal and deals with the organization's work on viruses and landmine detection . It is possible to read more about the activities of the group in terms of its virus work in new digital version of
The Speedy Bee, "there is a significant statistical link between CCD, the iridescent virus and a fungal parasite of the genus Nosema. We don’t know if (1) these two pathogens cause CCD or (2) whether CCD colonies are more likely to succumb to these two pathogens." Now comes a counter claim published in
Molecular and Cellular Proteomics "We believe that there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that bees are a natural host for IIV-6, let alone that the virus is linked to CCD." This, of course, is what
science is all about ; hypotheses are developed that are not easily accepted, often rejected, resulting in controversy, more questions and a new hypothesis.
A reply from Dr. Ron Fessenden concerning the fate of The Committee for the Promotion of Honey and Health: "It has been inactive for over 2 years. Officers have met twice in that time period but there seems to be little support (spell that financial support) for the proposed activities of the Committee. A second symposium like the one held in Sacramento in January of 2008 has been discussed, but again, there has been little financial support for another event like that to be held (except for the volunteer support provided by our company and other related companies). The disparate groups representing the honey industry across the U.S. seem to have a limited support for promotion of the health message related to honey. Furthermore, there has been little actual honey research in the U.S. or internationally about which to report."
A questionnaire concerning beekeeping regulations in Florida has been prepared by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service's
Honey Bee Technical Council, in cooperation with the
Florida State Beekeepers Association, and will be going out soon to all registered beekeepers in the state.
Bee Culture is also asking for
input on this important issue. As more and more newcomers become involved in beekeeping, increasingly urban areas are going to be faced with the quandary of how to reasonably regulate this activity. All beekeepers should help in this effort by contacting
Bee Culture as requested and, most importantly, ensuring they are the "best of all possible neighbors."
Australian honey bees will no longer be welcomed in the U.S. The following is reported by Alan Harman in
Catch the Buzz, "Minister Counselor (Agriculture) Simon Smalley at the Australian Embassy in Washington and a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (ASPHIS) both confirm the move made towards the end of last month. Both say there is a 'temporary suspension' of the imports, but the APHIS website has a one sentence reference that reads: 'Importation of honey bee queens and package bees from Australia is prohibited.' But the halt is not because of the Asian bee incursion in northern Queensland as many expected but because of something called slow paralysis virus."
Whether virus or not, this is quite a turnaround after the thunderous welcome for bees honey bees from Oz in the past few years. There seem to be plenty of other things to worry about as well, inlcuding
Apis cerana. Another island (although Australia is technically a continent) in trouble is Hawaii, now imperiled by small hive beetle as well as Varroa, and what is called an "
undetected Nosema epidemic."
Confused about Varroa tolerance and hygienic behavior (VSH)? Take a look at December's release from the Cooperative Extension Service's
bee health initiative. Here you will find in detail what VSH is and how to select for it. See the "gizmo," developed by the U. of Minnesota and a multi-authored paper on "Plight of the Bees."
Phil Chandler of the United Kingdom is beavering away consolidating some electronic resources. He is looking to combine
biobees.com with another URL on
natural beekeeping He incorporates forums and podcast, and for a small fee you can become a
friend of the bees. His activities associated with neonicotinoids are worth reading, whether one thinks they are a major cause for CCD or not. It's not only honey bees that are taking a hit but a host of other organisms. See more below on a new e-book by Dr. Henk Tennekes.
Continuing debate on neonicotinoids has resulted in the following press release from the American Beekeeping Federation
http://abfnet.org : " SAN FRANCISCO and WASHINGTON, D.C. – Beekeepers and environmentalists today called on EPA to remove a pesticide linked to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), citing a leaked EPA memo that discloses a critically flawed scientific support study. The November 2nd memo identifies a core study underpinning the registration of the insecticide clothianidin as
unsound after EPA quietly re-evaluated the pesticide just as it was getting ready to allow a further expansion of its use. Clothianidin (product name 'Poncho') has been widely used as a seed treatment on many of the country‘s major crops for eight growing seasons under a 'conditional registration' granted while EPA waited for Bayer Crop Science, the pesticide‘s maker, to conduct a field study assessing the insecticide‘s threat to bee colony health." Read more on this from
Catch the Buzz There are other takes as well, however, including work on
bumble bees.
Check out the links of the month at
publish2.com. Included is more news from Hawaii, Provo Utah (legalizing beekeeping), glowing caterpillars (wax moths), Canadian pollination initiative, an update on CCD, and what bees can teach us about democracy and the financial system.
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Gleanings from the January 2011 edition of
Bee Culture :
Remember that Bee Culture continues to be available in a digital edition:
http://sample.beeculture.com
Dick Largen, Bethalto, FL describes his efforts to control small hive beetle with a number of traps. Frank Grover, Boise, ID writes about his efforts to a good neighbor as a beekeeper. David Papke, Stewartstown, PA provides some tips on purchasing the correct truck for an operation. Bottom line, make sure it's a "work truck."
Clarence Collison and Audrey Sheridan take a closer look at thermoregulation. Read how workers do this critical task and the inherent variability that can be found in different lines of bees.
Ernie Schmidt describes "the people's hive." Often named after its inventor, Abbe Emile Warre, who tried 350 different systems in developing the hive, it is described as "healthy for bees and easy for the keeper." Read how it differs from a top bar hive and can be built for much less than a conventional Langstroth hive. An interesting comment on Bee-L I believe suggested that the Warre hive was not designed with small hive beetles in the picture.
Larry Connor writes in depth about the foundation of the colony, the worker bee. Read how this individual develops and its numerous duties over a relatively short life. Managing worker bee population is the goal of every beekeeper. All too often the future of the hive rests on this key skill.
Jennifer Berry asks what's worse about small hive beetle, the pest or the cure? Referring to beekeepers using
fipronil, she discusses the risks and rewards, all the time pointing to a
PLoS One article on the numerous miticides and agrochemicals being used in apiaries.
Jim Thompson looks at a history of the lowly hive tool. Read about the patents that exists, the variability found in these implements, and why they are not just glorified paint scrapers.
The
Bee Culture 2011 calendar is tucked into this issue. My favorite month is November, with Suzanne Matlock's split picture of L.L. Langstroth on two side-by-side hives. Get out your camera and enter next year's contest by October 3, 2011.
Melanie Kirby uses chain link fencing in a creative way to deter bears. Read how this approach is better in Michigan and differs from that old standby, the electric fence.
Ann Harman says it's winter and provides eight sure fire recipes to warm up with honey. How about p-nutty warm-up and hard day hot lemon?
Jim Tew also has winter on his mind. Find out how his management is changing during the critical time of the year with reference to feeding and combining colonies.
Ross Conrad urges readers to engage in "Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward Men," throughout the year, not just Christmas. Read what this has to do with all our activities, especially beekeeping.
Norman Carreck details big changes at the
International Bee Research Association. Read about the Association's history and its possible future activities. Now more than ever it needs support of beekeepers
Tom Rearick says "We've all been here before." Read the current parallels that exist between the French wine industry devastated by
phylloxera from the Americas and the current beekeeping situation being challenged by exotic pests from Europe, Asia and Africa. He looks forward to getting away from "crafting" bees to being able to manage them more consistently, with better measurements and understanding, resulting in better success for the health of bees and beekeeper.
Connie Krochmal provides an engaging history of cotton, its cultivation and potential as a honey crop. Only recently, has the latter become a possibility in the southeast, now that the boll weevil is somewhat under control and concentrated chemical treatment for this pest is no longer required. The appearance of cotton honey, once thought to be an impossibility in many regions is the result of a successful program very much like what is being promoted for beekeeping pests, as well as the phylloxera in the above paragraph,
integrated pest management
The case against systemic insecticides is laid out in a new electronic book,
A Disaster in the Making, by Dr. Henk Tennekes. (PDF eBook) It ties the disappearance of a wide range of species (birds, insects especially) to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, which includes one now being associated with CCD, clothianidin.
In the Bottom Board, Ed Colby discusses his "road less traveled" taking up beekeeping and snow patrolling instead of more lucrative employment. It's a recapitulation of what many have to decide in a life where he quotes his Uncle Helmer, "One minute you're 19, and your whole life is in front of you. Then you wake up one morning and you're 80 years old. It goes just like that!"
Sincerely,
Malcolm T. Sanford
beeactor@apisenterprises.com
http://apis.shorturl.com
Bee sure to subscribe to
Catch the Buzz, Bee Culture's latest releases of importance to beekeepers. Also access the
Apis Information Resource Center , which contains archived articles, listing of posts on blogs, web sites, and links to related materials. .
