Dear Subscribers:
I have just returned from the University of Florida’s Bee College. The staff under direction of Dr. Jamie Ellis crammed a lot of information about keeping honey bees into a short time period. We found out that this was in fact the 25th edition of this event, which now rotates between middle Florida (St. Augustine and soon Gainesville), south Florida (Davie) and now for the first time Florida’s iconic western panhandle (Blountstown) source of a special honey called “tupelo”. The area is also known for one of the best movies showing the trials and tribulations of a beekeeper starring Peter Fonda. Yulee’s Gold. was directed by Victor Nuñez and has an approval rating of 94% by the critics, netting Mr. Fonda a nomination for best actor award in 1997.
Especially exciting at this event was the announcement that the new honey bee laboratory broke ground last October and expected to open this summer at the University of Florida. Dr. Ellis informed the group that this is expected to be perhaps the largest facility of its type funded by a coterie of organizations cooperating together, including The Florida State Beekeepers Association, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the University’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS).
According to the Florida State Beekeepers newsletter (March 2018), “the 6,500 sq. ft. facility will be dedicated to bee extension and instruction, and will support practical beekeeping skills, such as honey processing and extracting. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Apiary lnspection Team will be housed here, as well as a beekeeper museum, honey extraction facility, and workshop/equipment storage room. The site will also include a 1,600 sq. ft. covered teaching pavilion and space for a research/ teaching apiary. This new bee laboratory will be the only one in the U.S. with the ability to conduct y ear-round, outdoor research, and the first large bee research epicenter in the Southeast.” For a closer look at the facility as it is being constructed see Dr. Ellis’ explanation of the facility to the University’s President, Dr. Kent Fuchs.
The Patreon page continues to mature as I learn the possibilities of creating this unique beekeeping digest. The latest offering concerns beekeeping smart phone applications and this newsletter will now be available only as a paid post on the site.
Neonicotinoids are back in the news. Risks to bees are pretty much confirmed according to one report: “Most uses of neonicotinoid pesticides represent a risk to wild bees and honeybees, according to assessments published today by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The Authority has updated its risk assessments of three neonicotinoids – clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam – that are currently subject to restrictions in the EU because of the threat they pose to bees. These new conclusions update those published in 2013, after which the European Commission imposed controls on use of the substances.
“For the new assessments, which this time cover wild bees – bumblebees and solitary bees – as well as honeybees, EFSA’s Pesticides Unit carried out an extensive data collection exercise, including a systematic literature review, to gather all the scientific evidence published since the previous evaluations. The team also applied the guidance document developed by EFSA specifically for the risk assessment of pesticides and bees. Jose Tarazona, Head of EFSA’s Pesticides Unit, said: ‘The availability of such a substantial amount of data as well as the guidance has enabled us to produce very detailed conclusions.’
“There is variability in the conclusions, due to factors such as the bee species, the intended use of the pesticide and the route of exposure. Some low risks have been identified, but overall the risk to the three types of bees we have assessed is confirmed.”
Randy Oliver in the latest University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources UC Nursery and Floriculture Alliance Newsletter (Winter2018) concludes: “Everyone’s heard about the claim that honey bees are going extinct due to the neonicotinoid insecticides. Although I’m glad that folks are concerned about the bees, the fact is that that claim is not accurate.”
His “objective analysis” is more nuanced than the former release listed above. He looks at two reasons the neonicotinoids are generally effective and less toxic. They are more targeted, being systemic in nature, and the fact that their toxicity for many non-targeted organisms, including humans, is much less problematic than previous pesticides that include the so-called “dirty dozen” persistent organic pollutants, which include some extremely highly toxic chemicals, many classed as organophosphates.
The latter compounds, according to Wikipedia, “are potent nerve agents, functioning by inhibiting the action of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in nerve cells. They are one of the most common causes of poisoning worldwide, and are frequently intentionally used in suicides in agricultural areas. Organophosphosphate pesticides can be absorbed by all routes, including inhalation, ingestion, and dermal absorption.
Unfortunately, the benefits of neonicotinioids come with major downsides. They are extremely toxicity to insects in general, while at the same time directly targeting those that interact with plants in a number of ways, including pollinators like honey bees.
Mr. Oliver concludes that neonics (abbreviation for “neonicotinoids”) are “ideally applied as seed treatments, where the amount per seed can be carefully controlled, so that by the time that a plant produces nectar and pollen, the residues are too diluted to harm pollinators. Unfortunately some serious incidents of inadvertent bee kills when the seed coating rubbed off in pneumatic seed planters occurred.”
Although the seed-coating issue has now been resolved, according to Mr. Oliver, the question of neonic residues in nectar and pollen has not been resolved. “In general, the residues in the nectar and pollen of properly-treated agricultural crops (typically less than 3 ppb) do not appear to cause significant adverse effects on honey bee colonies. I’ve personally visited beekeepers in corn, soy and canola growing areas, and they report that with the introduction of Bt genetically-engineered crops and the use of neonic seed treatments, that the pesticide issues that they suffered from in the 1960s and ‘70s have largely gone away.”
That said, Mr. Oliver continues “ insecticides by definition are designed to kill insects. No insecticide is environmentally harmless, and as we learn more about unintended effects, our regulators must revise the approved allowable applications. We have now found that the honey bee colony is a special case, and it is able to ‘buffer’ the sublethal effects of the neonics on the colony. Despite clear adverse effects on individual workers, the net result to the colony is generally minimal.”
Unfortunately, he writes, “although properly-applied neonics appear to generally cause minimal measurable adverse effects on honey bee colonies, they may have more deleterious effects upon bumblebees and solitary native bees. This is a serious concern, of which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is well aware. Another concern is that especially with the widespread prophylactic use of neonic seed treatment, more and more residues are ending up at agricultural field margins and in aquatic ecosystems. Certain uncultivated plants in the field margins concentrate neonic residues in their nectar and/or pollen. For example, a study in Saskatchewan found residues up to 20 ppb in some flowers — enough to start causing problems in bee hives (serious problems occur at 50 ppb), and strong adverse effects upon some native pollinators. These unintended effects upon native pollinators and aquatic invertebrates need to be addressed, and the universal use of treated seed should be restricted.”
Although agricultural deployment of neonics can be regulated, other uses such as nurseries and home-owners are more difficult to contend with. No insecticide is harmless, Mr. Oliver says, “All of agriculture should shift towards integrated pest management practices to reduce reliance upon pesticides. California is the most proactive state in the Nation as far as safe pesticide use. The ag community and chemical companies have gotten the message loud and clear that the consumer wants them to reduce pesticide use and develop more eco-friendly pesticides — both of which they are doing.”
Finally, he concludes the best future will be the adoption of agroecology, which goes beyond “certified organic.” The field of agroecology is “based upon biology, soil improvement and sustainability, rather than arbitrary rules that exclude precision breeding and environmentally-friendly synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and practices. Keep in mind that it is the consumer who can affect the most rapid change — even the largest agribusinesses respond immediately to consumer demand.”
A report in the March 2018 Alberta Bee News about the Western College Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) program concludes that “bees need veterinarians too.” This group is also looking at the interface between agriculture and ecology, hoping to characterize the possible physiological effects that chemicals such as neonicotinoids might be having on honey bees. The health of of the bee population is “undeniably at risk,” the group reports, and it “may be that neonicotinoids are partially to blame.”
The neonic situation is mentioned in passing by the Risk Monger in his second offering, “Evolutions in Trust, Part 2: Blockchain (Citizen) Science.” Like the proverbial Ishmael, son of Hagar, referenced in the first line of Moby-Dick, he concludes to have been “voted off the island.” Given what we are seeing in the current political/scientific environment, however, this is worth a read.
The Bee-L discussion list is a moderated forum for the discussion of research and information concerning the biology of bees. Current Discussions are posted via email, and go back as far as 1989. The Bee-L community includes beekeepers, academics, and government agricultural specialists among others. Postings are considered informed discussions based on experience and scientific inquiry.
An example of discussions include those in March 2018 on several topics, including, Breeding Against Varroa , Varroa Mite Management, and Harmful Effects of Essential Oils, as well as Radiation.
These postings are relatively easy to look at by simply passing the mouse arrow over their subject line. The sheer amount of material is daunting. I am looking into the possibly of curating these, but the legal implications need to be worked out. So at the moment I am putting in URLs to the full posts that I consider significant. One of the biggest issues with this resource is that although cataloged based on the subject line, postings may not in fact reflect the actual topic to any degree, again requiring some degree of “curation.”
Beekeepers who have experienced significant colony losses may be eligible for assistance from the Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). Eligibility extends to bees housed in a managed hive and used for honey production, pollination or breeding. Colony losses must be in excess of normal mortality, according to the news release:
“The colony, hive and feed losses must be due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition and incurred by an eligible producer in the county where the adverse weather or loss condition occurred, the release states. The losses must be the direct result of an eligible adverse weather or loss, including but not limited to: Colony Collapse Disorder, colony loss only; earthquake; eligible winter storm; excessive wind, flooding, hurricane, lightning; tornado, volcanic eruption; and wildfire. Producers can apply at the local Farm Service Agency service center. For 2018, the application period will end no later than Nov. 1.”
Thanks to Joe Traynor for sending his March newsletter. Looks like the 2018 almond pollination season just concluded was a success all around: “All our beekeepers report lots of almond pollen in their hives, indicating the bees did the job they were hired to do. Hives also heavied up on nectar, after the pollen was collected. Growers seeing nectar-collecting bees working flowers (or what remains of flowers) are understandably reluctant to release their bees but some are aware that the game is over when no pollen remains in the orchard. We don’t argue (or try not to argue) with growers that keep their bees too long (not a problem for beekeepers that wait around for PNW apple bloom or Valley citrus, but an impediment for beekeepers that want to head south – maybe 20% of almond beekeepers).”
Some large research grants are in the offing; perhaps the new Florida Bee Lab will be able to take advantage of them. According to a “Catch the Buzz” seven million dollars is targeted for The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR). This nonprofit established through bipartisan congressional support in the 2014 Farm Bill, today announced 16 grants for research to address declining pollinator health, an ongoing threat to agricultural productivity in the United States. The awards are matched by more than 50 companies, universities, organizations and individuals for a total investment of $14.3 million toward research and technology development. Another “Buzz” looks at the 10 million dollar research budget by 2020 proposed by The National Honey Board cooperating with Project Apis m.
Bayer Bee Health Care 2020, a multi-year, million-dollar research initiative, is well on its way to finding measurable and tangible solutions for improving the health of honey bee colonies in the USA. A diverse group of researchers and scientists is focused on studying critical bee health topics affecting beekeeping, such as bee nutrition, the parasitic Varroa mite, disease management and enhanced colony management techniques through “smart hive” technology.
Fran Bach continues publishing “Items of Interest to Beekeepers” from her desk at the Western Apicultural Society (WAS)
SICK BEES EAT HEALTHIER
A PROMISING BACKUP TO THE HONEY BEE IS SHUT DOWN
TOOLS HELP SOYBEAN GROWERS SUPPORT POLLINATORS
BEES4VETS FUNDING COMPETITION – YOU CAN HELP!
FEED A BEE FUNDS 20 NEW PROJECTS ACROSS U.S.
US & CANADIAN FARMER-RANCHER POLLINATOR CONSERVATION AWARDS
SOME NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDES ARE MORE TOXIC TO BEES THAN OTHERS; HERE’S WHY
TAMMY HORN POTTER JOINS PROJECT APIS M. BOARD
Episode 99 (November 23, 2016, 34 min) is my pick for this month’s Kiwimana podcast: Joe Lewis, Beekeeping 357.
Here is what you will discover
How to cure “The Not enough Bees Disease”
The secret to keeping lots of bees and working a full time job
Why Five is the right number in Beekeeping
What the Beekeeping 357 principle all about
How Joe started writing for the American Beekeepers Journal
Resources mentioned in the show include:
Joe’s Business is Harford Honey
Book Following the Bloom by Douglas Whynott
The Book Beekeeping in Coastal California by Jeremy Rose
Susquehanna Beekeepers Association
Joe Lewis Queen rearing Calendar Wheel, download PDF
The fifty two most important people in your BeeClub
Interview with Randy Oliver from Scientific Beekeeping
Randy Oliver’s Article Queens for Pennies,
North West New Jersey YouTube Channel
Landi Simone Nucleus Colonies Presentation
Interview with the Great Frank Lindsay
J Smith – Better Queens Download from Michael Bush Website
Bill Bundy Vimio Video – A Practical Guide to Requeening
As always, check the latest extension efforts at the Bee Health Extension site. See Dr. Jamie Ellis’ videos on bee diseases, published from the from the University of Florida Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab (HBREL)
Eighty-two units of Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees were sold on Amazon.com February 19 through March 18, 2018. Pittsburg, PA led the way.
