Dear Subscribers,
The weather continues to surprise here in north central Florida as I described in last month’s newsletter. Intense downpours occur intermittently at any time with no tropical involvement. Heat indices (“feels like”) around 105 degrees F. and straight-line winds around 40 to 45 miles per hour are also becoming the “new normal.”
I crashed my bicycle into a fence, severely spraining my right shoulder over two weeks ago. Fortunately, it’s getting better and my range of motion issues are not hampering most of my sedentary activity, including writing this epistle. I’m being careful not to attempt to return to the level of my previous activity, which includes workouts at the local YMCA. Those of us over 70 years old heal much slower than younger folk, another new normal.
I spent several hours in the hot Florida sun this month as a guest of Andy Miksa, as he caught queens for his business. This was part of an investigative trip by my self and Humberto Boncristiani, a member the bee research team at the new honey bee laboratory here.
Humberto is trying to get a handle on what kinds of research projects commercial beekeepers might be interested in here in Florida. Andy is a second-generation Florida queen producer, son to David in the Sunshine state, and a nephew to Canadian contributor Ron Miksha of the Apis Information Resource Center.
Humberto is also a talented video designer with a growing youtube presence. He and I have teamed up for three presentations. For a taste of what he produces, look at his interview with me on this site. Coincidentally with the material presented in the video, I have been invited to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the A.I. Root Co. in October discussing several historical aspects of honey bee culture.
The bee health guru project mentioned last month is slowly moving along as the bee research team of Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk and associates are ironing out the wrinkles. For details, check the website. The kickstarter project features a column entitled, “If Bees Could Talk,” and a companion piece on listening to the bees, the title of a relatively new book by Mark Winston and poet laureate of British Columbia, Renee Sarojini Saklikar, which is worth a read.
The above topics bring into focus something I’m struggling with. Should I get hearing aids? Would I be able to listen to not only the bees, but other things more clearly? I took the plunge with the local Miracle Ear office here, which like all hearing aid providers, has supporters and detractors. I can hear better in general so far; my hearing loss at high pitches is the issue. While wearing these things, I notice the improved crackle of plastic bags. Not sure that is any improvement in my quality of life! After one of our rains, I heard insects and frogs in a local woods much clearer. However, the downside is that one realizes how many “noisy” environments exist have apparently been muted due to some hearing loss, such that I have to turn the darn things down or even off in many situations, including concerts, meetings in public places, etc.
The story on hearing aids is complex, depending on how you look at it and who you talk to. It’s almost like buying a used car! I read books about it and talked to the local guy for several hours before coming up with a strategy between us that so far is working; he’s only a block from the house, readily available and we generally have a good time meeting together. Miracle Ear also has a life-long service policy, good at any of its offices around the country. One thing I learned is that apparently hearing aids are not necessarily for hearing better; they basically are a way to get your brain tuned into and more aware of sounds that it might have been turned off over the years due to hearing loss. Fortunately, with this honey bee project I don’t have to depend on my own ears; the information is being read by a machine!
Big data is in the news. I first heard the term last year at EAS in Virginia: “ Dr. Joseph Cazier of the Hive Tracks team the audience on a deep dive into a the current discussion of ‘big data.’ . With something like 20,000 beekeepers managing 100,000 colonies, Hive Tracks can now begin looking at the same kinds of data analytics currently in use in other forms of precision agriculture. As noted previously, lots of reliable data is the fuel for further developments in the beehive monitoring field.
“Basically big data is nothing more than the collective results of a large number of scientific experiments. In addition, the information must be comparable and also importantly, publicly available and “freely exchanged.” The sources of this data are numerous, including human intervention, mechanical effort (tractors), natural world behavior, and all kinds of sensory and other data.
“Collecting the data, according to Dr. Cazier, results in a “smart hive.” Of course, he concludes, it’s only smart if the user analyzes the information and acts on it. The ultimate goal is to, in essence, “tell you about yourself.”
Now comes the European Union’s take on this: “Big data, an interactive platform and six different technological innovations are the core of the recently started Horizon 2020 project B-GOOD in its 4-year mission to pave the way toward healthy and sustainable beekeeping across the European Union.
“In close cooperation with the EU Bee Partnership, the project aims to develop a EU-wide bee health and management data platform, which will enable sharing of knowledge between scientists, beekeepers and other actors in the area.
“To ensure interoperability and the establishment of the platform as a centralised EU bee data hub and support beekeepers in maintaining honey bees healthy, the European Food Safety Authority – EFSA’s Health Status Index (HSI) will be further extended and operationalized.
“This will be done for example by selection of key health indicators, creation of user-friendly protocols, development of novel tools to monitor health parameters giving attention for the honeybee gene pool.
“B-GOOD’s platform will utilise and further expand the open source BEEP comprised of a monitoring device and the already functional user-friendly application for digital beekeeping logbooks.
“The ultimate goal is to supply beekeepers with a decision-making tool that will provide comprehensive analysis and advice based on the flow of data from the beehives and their environment, including landscape composition and resource availability, agricultural practices and climate. To achieve this the project will rely on and expand EFSA’s honey bee simulation model ApisRAM, and apply machine learning to provide linkage between bee health and environmental and management context.” .
These programs are popping of all over in various configurations with different objectives often. I am currently involved with a project known as beehealth.guru, which I described in some detail in last month’s newsletter. In addition I have created a file at Patreon.com, which seeks to provide information about many of the apps that are currently available .
Lots of gloom and doom reporting in the press continues over the decline of honey bees. Now comes a Catch the Buzz from Bee Culture Magazine about the effect of what is called the “flow hive” on colony numbers . The report concludes that four years after the introduction of this hive, it has had a dramatic impact on honeybee populations around the world. The developers claim to have successfully shipped 51,000 hives to 150 different countries. And since the launch of the hive in 2015, the number of beekeepers in the U.S. alone has increased by over 10%. In celebration of National Pollinator Week – the developers are donating their hive proceeds to international honeybee advocacy groups, which include nine local grassroots pollinator projects in Australia and the United States that are at work protecting wild habitats all around the world.” As with any new technology one should look at both the pros and cons when considering specific contraptions and vetting some of the statements made.
Although reports of honey bee decline seem to be the norm, a consequence of that is good for some beekeepers. The price of honey appears to be rising. So-called “raw honey” is also up in price. The National Honey Board surveyed 2,000 U.S. consumers online and they ranked honey as their second favorite sweetener after sugar. Eighty percent said they would still buy honey if the price increases and that is up from a year ago.
“U.S. retail prices for honey averaged $7.72 per pound in June, up nearly 7% from $7.23 in June 2018 and more than 57% from $4.91 in June 2010, according to data from Bee Culture magazine published on the National Honey Board’s website.
“ ‘Honey consumption in the U.S. is at an all-time high,’ said Margaret Lombard, chief executive officer of the National Honey Board. Americans consumed 596 million pounds of honey or nearly 2 pounds per person in 2017, which represents a 65% increase in consumption from 2009, according to a research study she provided.
Lombard said the rise in demand for honey comes as more people are looking for natural sweeteners and are interested in how they are sourced and produced.”
Don’t forget propolis as a possible income producer for beekeepers as time goes on. This is now on the table in Turkey. The Siirt Beekeepers’ Association is preparing a project for the production, processing and marketing of propolis, Faik Efe, the head of the association, told Anadolu Agency (AA). It is very hard to produce propolis. That is why beekeepers have not always been interested in it,” Efe noted. ‘Now, in Turkey’s eastern Siirt province, a total of 50 out of 1,300 members of the association are producing propolis,’ he added. The wikipedia entry provides a good description of this material that translates to “before the city,” as it has been known for centuries to protect honey bee colonies via being deposited by bees at colony entrances and coating the inside of the nesting cavity, protecting the colony in a variety of ways.
The latter reference brings the discussion to wikipedia itself. I attempt to use it exclusively at the Apis Information Resource Center and have for a long time supported the effort by donations. “As Wikipedia’s twentieth year anniversary approaches, many of the site’s early peers have fallen by the wayside; those that survived have been overrun with ads and misinformation. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia founded on radical collaboration and reliable sourcing, persists. What was once a scrappy experiment has become the world’s most popular reference work. Recently, Wikipedia was even enlisted by its peers—unknowingly—to counteract their problems with fake news.
“Yet, the online encyclopedia was not always looked to as the grownup of the web. Within its first ten years, some labeled the project a fad bound to fail, others claimed it as a harbinger of the Web’s future. Wikipedia did not fail, nor has the open collaboration it exemplifies become the template for most online platforms.
“Wikipedia’s legacy is an opportunity to reflect on this project and online communities more generally. That is, what insights are available from Wikipedia’s twenty years of history? What does this history tell us of expectations fulfilled or disappointed, opportunities seized or missed, myths confirmed or busted, lessons learned, or the probable future?” Lots! I hope readers will contribute as well to this worthwhile project
If you’ve got a yen to get into the almond business, a Catch the Buzz from Bee CultureMagazine reports you can get there by investing in an almond orchard . Brandon Silveira, a fourth-generation farmer and real estate investor is the founder and CEO of FarmFundr, an Agriculture Investment company that is offering the first ever crowdfunded almond orchard.
Farmfundr.com provides investors the opportunity to own a piece of high desired California Farmland without the daily upkeep.
“We encourage accredited investors to consider diversifying their portfolios and investing in sustainable agriculture real estate,” Silveira states. Farm returns have averaged more than 12% since the great depression, but investors must realize that farmland is a long-term investment. It takes a $30K minimum investment to get into the almond business, although one can expect an estimated 13% return.
Contributor Ron Miksha says goodbye to Susan Rudnicki in an obituary that is characterized by senses of loss and admiration. Read his listing of thoughtful comments she made on his blog over the years. . Ron will also be in Montreal at Apimondia 46. I hope to meet him there!
See the discussion about this congress in last month’s issue and the more recent personal invite from those putting on the show Sign up soon as the deadline for discounted registration is July 31, 2019.
The Pollinator Partnership is announcing the 2019 Mit-A-Thon, September 7 to 14, 2019: “This a tri-national effort to collect mite infestation data and to visualize Varroa infestations in honey bee colonies across North America within a one week window. All beekeepers can participate, creating a rich distribution of sampling sites in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Their Varroa monitoring data will be uploaded to this location.
“The parasitic mite, Varroa destructor (Varroa), and the viruses it vectors is a significant driver of this honey bee colony mortality. Yet, indicators suggest that many beekeepers are not monitoring honey bee colony Varroa infestations and therefore not able to connect infestation to colony loss.
“OBJECTIVE: 1) To raise awareness about honey bee colony Varroa infestations in North America through effective monitoring methods. 2) Management strategies will be made available for discussion within bee organizations utilizing Mite-A-Thon partner developed information and outreach materials. All beekeepers in North America are encouraged to participate. There is no cost. You can create your own test materials or kits can be purchased online and at your local bee supply store.
“OUTREACH: Promotion of Mite-A-Thon will be through local bee clubs, state beekeeping organizations, and national associations (see partners for examples)
“DATA COLLECTION: Participants will monitor the level of mites (number of mites per 100 bees) using a standardized protocol utilizing two common methods of assessment (alcohol wash or powdered sugar roll) and then enter data, including location, total number of hives, number of hives tested, local habitat, and the number of Varroa mites counted from each hive. The published information will not identify individual participants.
“SPONSORS: Sponsorships are being solicited to underwrite costs and grants, as necessary.
CONTACT: Miteathon@pollinator.org or 415-362-1137
“TO DO: Determine your preferred method of testing for mites and commit to a day for testing, either individually or through beekeeping organizations, and report your data (see above).”
As I unfortunately predicted in previous issues of this newsletter, the Trump administration is now in the process of severely cutting, if not eliminating, the national government’s role in collecting honey bee statistics. “The US Department of Agriculture has suspended data collection for its annual Honey Bee Colonies report, citing cost cuts — a move that robs researchers and the honeybee industry of a critical tool for understanding honeybee population declines , and comes as the USDA is curtailing other research programs .
“It’s also another step toward undoing President Barack Obama’s government-wide focus on protecting pollinators , including bees and butterflies, whose populations have plummeted in recent years.”
This appears to extend to research as well: “The USDA recently announced plans to relocate key research units from Washington, DC, to Kansas City over the objections of employee unions, who say the changes are triggering an exodus of experts from the agency . The move covers bee industry researchers. The union that represents one of the research units says employees must decide by July 15 whether to relocate. This does not affect just apiculture, but also the wider agricultural community.
In contrast to this situation, the European Union has launched an ambitious apicultural support program for 2019-2022: “EU support for beekeeping is provided through the national apiculture programmes which aim through approved applied research projects to improve the general conditions for the production of honey and other apiculture products in the EU.
“Ireland specifically has secured funding through this initiative for a further three year National Apiculture Programme. This programme which is co-funded by the EU commission will provide funding of up to €90,000 (€270,000 in total) per annum for the duration of the three year programme.
“The current National Apiculture Programme which received funding of €217,985 over the last three years will expire at the end of this month. In light of this, researchers are invited to submit proposals for the new National Apiculture Programme which will run from the 1 August 2019 until the 31 July 2022. The aim of the programme is to:
“Minister of State for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle T.D., today launched the next round of the National Apiculture Programme.
“The Minister said, “I am delighted to announce the introduction of the next National Apiculture Programme which will run for the next three years to 2022. This Programme, which supports research into production standards, demonstrates my Department’s continued support to the beekeeping sector in Ireland”.
The Economist magazine has been on a crusade of sorts for several years concerning the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It’s latest prognostication is downright scary discussing the reasons for this new epidemic, including over use and the fact that research in these materials is almost nonexistent. (The World If, July 2041) what-if-antibiotics-stop-working in the July 6-12, 2019. It’s the reason the beekeeping industry has now got veterinarians involved in prescribing oxytetracyline for honey bee diseases (American foulbrood). Is it conceivable that in the future honey might become a product that somewhat rescues humanity from this self-inflicted condition? One indication is a fairly recent book now available from Northern Bee Books entitled: Honey in Modern Wound Management.
“With the emergence of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms, there is a need to find effective treatments. The therapeutic properties of honey are due not only to its antimicrobial activity, but to its ability to promote wound healing. This text offers the reader an insight into both the historical and modern uses of honey, and provides both laboratory and clinical data as well as dealing with the mode of action of honey, as it is understood to date. “
Those watching the Mueller report got an earful of evidence of how the Russians affected the last presidential election and are in fact continuing to attack our democracy at the present time. It looks like the Russians are much more in synch with the U.S., given their official explanation on why honey bees are dying in record numbers.
“From the Moscow suburbs to the Altai republic more than 4,000 kilometers to the east in Siberia, millions of bees were reported to have died off this summer. Mass bee deaths were cited in 24 of Russia’s 85 regions, raising the threat of severe economic losses to Russian agriculture that may reverberate long past this season.
“ ‘If we lose the bees, everything will be affected,’ said Arnold Butov, the head of Russia’s beekeepers’ union. ‘We have to protect them as if they are holy.’
Authorities say some 300,000 bee colonies died off over June and July — peak months for honey harvesting.”
“Butov told The Moscow Times the losses could mean that Russia, which produces about 100,000 tons of honey annually, may produce up to 20% less than usual this year. He also warned that bees pollinate a wide variety of crops in Russia, including key staples like buckwheat.
“Russian officials have quickly put the blame for the losses on pesticide use run rampant. Earlier this month, the spokeswoman for the state agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, Yuliana Melano, told the state-run Rossia-24 television channel, which showed the footage of dead honey bees, that in 2011 the agency had relinquished most of its powers to control pesticide use. ‘The Economic Development Ministry, in our view, needs to take responsibility,’ she said. ‘They were the ones to propose less regulation.’ “
“The authorities have already begun assigning responsibility. On Wednesday, the first criminal case was opened on a possible violation of pesticide use in the Oryol region 300 kilometers south of Moscow.”
Sound familiar? Maybe? But at least in Russia they appear to be taking steps that might be somewhat helpful. Should the Russians in fact have a way of assisting beekeepers that the U.S. should take advantage of?
Rosanna Mattingly, Editor, Western Apicultural Society Journal has published her latest items of interest for beekeepers listed here:
More Bad Buzz For Bees: Record Number Of Honeybee Colonies Died Last Winter
Disrupting one gene could be first step toward treating honey bee parasite nosema ceranae
Researchers Search For Solutions To Help Montana’s Honey Bees
How a Honey Bee’s Waggle is Inspiring Aerospace Design
Pollen collected by US honey bees in urban settings shows dramatic seasonal variation
Honey Bee Colony Losses 2018-2019: Preliminary Results
To help the bees, protect the prairie
Test your bee and other pollinator knowledge!
We depend on pollinators
Bees Required to Create an Excellent Blueberry Crop
Boosting Bee Health…Naturally
Garden Plot: Making pollinator gardens and hydrangeas bloom
Bees find new home after swarming at Bridgeport Village in Tigard
Bayer buzzes with excitement during National Pollinator Week
Public asked to plant gardens for bees/pollinators at PennDOT rest stops, interchanges, traffic islands
FROM CATCH THE BUZZ
FROM ABJ EXTRA
FROM POLLINATOR-L
EVENTS
Celebrating 10 years of collaboration for InforMEA: collective intelligence for environmental governance
Bee thieves find sweet rewards in California’s almond groves
Five pollinators beyond honeybees
Entomological Society of America, Plant-Insect Ecosystems Section June-July 2019 Newsletter
Congratulations to the 2019 USA PAm-Costco Scholar Fellowship
Buzz Kill: U.S. Honey Bees Suffer Worst Winter on Record
Empty Calories
Why is honey in Oman creating a business buzz?
Organic farming enhances honeybee colony performance
Honey bee waggle dance communication increases diversity of pollen diets in intensively managed agricultural landscapes
Butterfly House returns to promote public awareness of pollinator issues
What’s Happening To Our Honey Bees?
Bee hotels leads UNG to participate in pollinator census
Grocery giant Kroger updates pesticide policy
American Transmission Company: Continues funding for planting and pollinator habitat projects
Operation Pollinator Tours Southern Manitoba
Should I stay or should I go? Pollinator shifts rather than cospeciation dominate the evolutionary history of South African Rediviva bees and their Diascia host plants
Honeybees hit by Trump budget cuts
Yellow jacket ‘super nests’ are back in Alabama
FROM CATCH THE BUZZ
FROM ABJ EXTRA
FROM POLLINATOR-L
EVENTS
At both of the above sites, one can see more posts from Bee Culture’s “CATCH THE BUZZ,” “American Bee Journal “ EXTRAS, and the Pollinator-L discussion list.
Check out the July 2019 Bee-L discussions:
A great many posts concentrate on honey bee breeding, creating new genetic combinations (heterosis and cross breeding) and stock selection standardization. Euthanizing colonies and weighing hives got some play as well.
As always, see the latest extension efforts at the Bee Health Extension site. Check out the article on nosema advanced field and lab techniques.
Ninety five units of Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees, second edition were sold on Amazon.com June 24 through July 21, 2019. Pittsburgh and Atlanta led the way in sales.
From the editorial endorsements: “A must-have book for all types of beekeepers who want good information.” — Dr. James E. Tew, State Extension Specialist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Malcolm T. Sanford
https://beekeep.info
