Dr. Medhat Nasr, Alberta Provincial Apiculturist has helped produce a winner of a computer application:
Alberta has a vibrant beekeeping industry. It houses 283 000 honey bee colonies, representing approximately 43% of the bees in Canada. Alberta’s beekeeping industry contributes $75 million a year to the agricultural economy. This revenue is produced from honey sales, pollination service fees. In addition, $550 million is produced from the pollination of pedigree hybrid canola and canola.
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) is responsible for administering the Bee Act, and regulations for implementing best practices for pest management, bee biosecurity and on farm food safety. These services help control bee pests which enhance honey bee health, and ensure an adequate supply of healthy bees for crop pollination demands. Following best practices will also safeguard the production of quality honey to meet export market requirements and customer expectations.
In recent years, honey bee health and survivorship have been challenged in Alberta and across the world. AF shares beekeepers’ concerns regarding heavy population losses and availability of bees for crop pollination. In Alberta, beekeepers reported an average bee colony mortality of 45% per year. This colony mortality is 3 times the long term average of 15%. To improve the bee pest surveillance and biosecurity program, the AF-Apiculture program has partnered with the Biosecurity and Food Safety program and developed a smart tool, the ‘Bee Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Application’ for mobile phones.
This project provides an online accessible tool for beekeepers. The app will assist in real-time identification of disease by the beekeeper, verification of diagnosis, and treatment recommendations. Thereby, early diagnosis of outbreaks can be identified and response plans for action or treatments can be taken as needed.
The mobile application was built on the Apple-iOS and Android platforms with the following high-level capabilities:
• Project 1 (complete): Provide pictures, information on symptoms, and treatments including proper use of medications for diseases and biosecurity recommendations.
• Project 2 (in progress): Allow registered Alberta beekeepers to take pictures of their issue/disease and email them to AF-Apiculture staff. Pictures will be assessed, diagnosed, and verified while findings will be recorded in the bee pest surveillance database.
Project 1 has already been completed. The ‘Bee Health’ app is free to download on Apple or Android devices.
Project 2 will start soon, with the aim of making the app interactive with registered Alberta beekeepers. They will be able to log on using their registration number which will give them access to additional services in diagnoses, verification and consultation with AF-Apiculture staff.
We envision that app functionality will meet industry demands for new technology-friendly tools that enhance business, bee health, biosecurity and food safety practices. It will improve decision making processes that lead to growth and sustainability by improving beekeeping management skills. Better management reduces annual costs of implementing your bee pest surveillance program by decreasing bee colony mortality, and reducing cost of production; both of which in turn support the economic growth of the industry.
This app is really worth a look. Take a look at the reviews so far. I look forward to Part two of this valuable program, but so far part one is comprehensive and best of all available to anyone. See more of Dr. Nasr’s activities at the March 10th and March 11th meetings of the Calgary and District Beekeepers Association. Read his annual report for the province, and the article on him in the 2010 American Bee Journal.
