The COVID-19 pandemic has been truly transformational in many ways. Early in 2020, most standard honey bee meetings were summarily canceled due to the virus. Over time, however, it became clear that there must be a better way to communicate information beekeepers and researchers could use. One solution has come through a technology called Zoom.
According to Wikipedia, “Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (Zoom) is an American communications technology company headquartered in San Jose, California. It provides videotelephony and online chat services through a cloud-based peer-to-peer software platform and is used for teleconferencing, telecommuting, distance education, and social relations. Zoom’s business strategy focuses on providing an easier to use product than competitors, as well as cost savings, which include minimizing computational costs at the infrastructure level and having a high degree of employee efficiency.
It is truly remarkable how Zoom has been adopted by all manner of gatherings, and this will no doubt contnue as the pandemic runs its course. It s anyone’s guess about what future form beekeeper and researcher events might take in the future with Zoom technology in play. In some ways, this kind of meeting format has benefits.
Especially significant is the fact that one doesn’t have to travel to take advantage of available information, which can save a lot of money. I could not have afforded to attend the conference I’m reporting on here, for example, which probably would have taken place in Europe. I realized too that writing notes during a Zoom meeting takes on a completely different perspective when compared to my “old” normal reporting style. There is literally no time to jot down ideas as presentations proceed. Fortunately, many of these events are recorded and can be accessed to refresh one’s memory.
COLOSS is a unique international association. It is a non-profit entity governed by the present statutes and, secondarily, by Articles 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code and is politically neutral and non-denominational. Originally a European Union initiative, it has now severed most of those ties and become an independent entity in its own right. The association aims to improve the well-being of honey bees (in particular the western honey bee Apis mellifera) at a global level by advocating for and carrying out basic research and then communicating the results to the beekeeping community. It also helps coordinate international research and educational efforts by disseminating knowledge and training related to apiculture, in the process promoting youth development and gender balance among those studying, or actively involved in promoting, honey bee health.
Based in Berne, Switzerland, COLOSS is composed of scientific professionals (e.g. researchers, veterinarians, extension agents, etc.), as well as students and beekeepers themselves, all actively involved in studying honey bees and their culture. Members can be from any geographic region. Requests to become affiliated can be addressed through the Executive Committee. There is no membership fee at the moment. The Association’s resources mainly come from grants and donations, and earnings from workshops, conferences and other events.
Here’s the President’s welcoming message for the 2020 e-conference:
Dear colleagues,
“On behalf of the organizing team, I would like to welcome you to the 1 st COLOSS e-conference, but our 16 th conference overall. This is our first e-conference, reflecting our strategic decision how to keep on networking during the ongoing COVID-19 safety measures naturally limiting any physical traveling.
“It is apparent that any e-event just cannot replace physical meetings, especially the important trust-building and fruitful discussions during coffee breaks or in the evenings. However, I also see the opportunity to include COLOSS members, who would just not be able to make physical meetings. Moreover, including stakeholders at the open part will foster our dissemination.
“I am therefore delighted to announce that twice as many people have registered for this online event compared to our past annual physical meetings, thereby reflecting the acceptance of such kind of events and further fostering our global exchange. I would like to sincerely thank all the people who made this meeting possible. In particular, it would have been impossible without the exceptionally organized efforts of Geoffrey Williams, Allyson Shabel, and Jack Rowe from Auburn University and Alabama
Extension.
“Appreciation is also addressed to all contributors for submitting their abstracts, which I hope will stimulate rewarding discussions. Please be so kind and consider in advanced potential future activities, in particular enhanced dissemination to stakeholders and joint fund raising.
“Financial support for this meeting is kindly granted by the Ricola Foundation Nature and Culture, Veto Pharma, the Eva Crane Trust, IBRA, Vita (Europe) and the Vinetum Foundation. I am looking forward to fruitful online discussions with all of you, and hope you will enjoy this e-conference. In particular, I am delighted to see many new faces from all over our COLOSS world!
Yours sincerely,
Peter Neumann, President, COLOSS
In the first year of its existence (2008), COLOSS sported 60 members from 27 countries, Dr. Neumann reported in his introduction to this meeting. It has grown steadily and currently has 1515 members from 102 countries. He thanked the specifically thanked the Ricola Foundation for a grant that has recently infused economic stability into the organization.
“The Ricola brand was created by confectionery business Richterich & Compagnie in 1930 based on the twin pillars of innovation and quality awareness. The family company now exports its herb specialties to more than 50 countries around the world. As a pioneer in organic herb cultivation, Ricola’s close ties with culture and architecture were established early on in the company’s history. These ties are further reinforced through the two Ricola foundations and its own art collection.” The foundation(s) supports research in three basic areas: bee health, plant sciences and earthen architecture. The latter is based on using loam as an organic building material. https://www.ricola.com/en/about-ricola/company
The Ricola grant has created many possibilities such that a new organization has been born, Dr. Neumann emphasized, calling it COLOSS 3.0. The current e-meeting, therefore, is able to concentrate on several specific areas that are being looked at carefully within this context. These include improving communication throughout the organization, and identifying financial awards for contributions, as well as support of the core projects and task forces that make up the bulk of COLOSS’s activities.
The aims of this e-meeting were to look at the overall state of honey bee health, present updates from the task forces and core projects, and considering networking to 2022 and beyond. The format as noted by the host, Geoff Williams, of Auburn University, included 10- minute recorded reports on core projects and task forces, with some breakout sessions for discussion. Sadly, those had to take the place of old-fashioned coffee breaks and associated socializing characterizing the traditional convention. During the presentations there were approximately 100 official participants with 60 more onlookers (beekeepers and other interested parties), participating as part of a Facebook Live session.
COLOSS has three “core” projects that are the meat of the organization. These include its namesake, Colony Loss Monitoring; something called the BEEBOOK; and “Bridging Research and Practice” (B-RAP), which seems to be modeled to a degree after the United States Cooperative Extension Service.
Robert Brodschneider reported on Monitoring Colony Losses. Some 80 researchers are involved. It suffers from the fact that traditionally there’s little data collected on this area worldwide and no standardized recording procedures exist. The group is attempting to use a crowd sourcing effort via beekeepers to collect as much information as possible, via Citizen Science projects, an other initiatives. Also included are open surveys, since every beekeeper generally has a phone, is on the Internet, reads journals, and attends meetings.
Some 20 countries have been identified so far using common survey techniques. Standard questions include Winter and Spring losses, Spring evaluations, and natural disasters. Other observations look at the presence of dead bees, queen status, and detailed descriptions of affected colonies. Beekeepers around the world are being contacted to assist in this effort, including the Americas, Europe and Middle East, New Zealand, Mexico, Israel and Iran. Currently, most participating beekeepers come from Norway and Sweden, with a response rate of ten percent, 10,000 in 2013, growing to 30,000 in 2020.
Reports on losses published by this core group are generally included in the international Journal of Apicultural Research 2012 to 2020 under separate titles, including 2-year analyses employing standard methods, effects of migration; operation size, young queens. Essential questions also include management decisions and environmental conditions, Varroa levels and local forage plants available to honey bees among others: Colony Loss Rates 2015/2016; Colony Loss Rates 2016/2017; Colony Loss Rates 2017/2018; and Colony Loss Rates 2018/2019.
Generalized goals to increase participation of beekeepers and countries are being considered. More participation in Africa and Asia are needed. Issues with respect to data protection also may exist, including protecting intellectual property. COLOSS is looking to promote information gathering as an example of promoting the “greater good” in what amounts to a worldwide chain of data sharing.
Perhaps the most significant publishing effort by COLOSS is what is called the BEEBOOK, a unique publishing effort that aims to standardize research methods. This practical manual seeks to be the definitive, still-evolving, how-to-do-honey-bee-research document.
Norman Carrick reported on the project so far, which began in 2010, first looking at molecular tools in honey bee research. Conclusions from this indicated that standard techniques were needed in many areas, and their lack created confusion. The volume uses the current Drosophila (fruit fly) research manual as a guide. It hopes to provide practical guidelines for researchers; extension specialists and beekeepers with reference to honey bee health.
The first three volumes of the work consist of 31 peer-reviewed chapters, authored by 234 of the world’s leading honey bee experts, representing 34 different countries, and including 2000 protocols (example sugar roll sampling for Varroa mites). They are available online and as well as hard copy. The original printed 200 copies quickly sold out. It is now found at Amazon.com via print on demand. There have been 80,000 downloads on the Taylor and Francis website. Most downloads so far include Propolis, royal jelly, brood as human food, and queen rearing. Over 1500 citations since 2016 have been accessed with the subject of Varroa most downloaded. Volume four of the BEEBOOK will soon be published. It will be focused on Asian honey bees, Apis cerana.
Meanwhile the Apis mellifera volumes are being expanded to include exotic species like the Asian hornet Vespa velutina and possibly soon its larger relative Vespa mandarinia? New Techniques are also being incorporated relating to out-of-date molecular biology and genomics techniques. Other topics include the importance of the honey bee microbiome, good laboratory practices (GLP) and other guidelines related to experimentation such as The Pan-European Genotype-Environment-Interactions Experiment (GEI)
The B-RAP core project: “Bridging Research and Practice” focuses on the importance of communication. It is well known that beekeepers, advisers, and researchers often don’t speak same language. Bridging that gap is not easy according to Linde Morowetz and Lotta Fabrica Krisiansen who now chair the project and co-presented at the e-conference.
Beginning in 2015, there have been B-RAP discussions twice yearly through 2020. Brainstorming sessions by the group began in 2016, followed by three in 2017 to get ideas, finally resulting in three surveys developed in 2018. The first official survey was sent in 2019 to researchers and advisors. A second targeted beekeepers in 2020. This is obviously a brand new program and hopefully will garner ideas from organizations that have traditionally attempted to bridge the divide between farmers (producers) and advisers (academics). One of the most prominent examples of this concept is the model presented by the United States Cooperative Extension Service Service .
Meanwhile, there have been presentations looking at beekeeping tools within this paradigm, including a 2019 presentation in Gothenburg on 27 social principles by Frank Vanclay, and another examining online tools (Apmondia 46 in Montreal 2019), along with a survey of Coloss members about their concerns. The core project needs more members who are asked to put B-RAP on their COLOSS.org user profile.
COLOSS currently has the following task forces in operation. Apitox, Nutrition, Sustainable Bee Breeding, Small Hive Beetle, Varroa, Velutina, Survivors, Virus. A “completed task force” is something called “CSI Pollen.”
Varroa Task Force: As expected, this is the largest. It has 80 members from 24 countries, co-chaired by: Victoria Soroker ; Fani Hatjina; and Martin Kovacic. It’s looking at integrated Varroa Control from top to bottom, including conventional acaricides, biorational materials, biological control, physical-mechanical removal, and breeding for resistance.
Specific aims include: evaluate current beekeeper practices, improve and develop novel strategies, evaluate diagnostic levels, determine impact of infestation levels on colony health, explore different mechanisms of Varroa tolerance and resistance (bee breeding and survivor task force), provide recommendations using core project B-RAP. The procedure for determining what to do begins with a discussion leading to formulation of a research question, followed by constructing experimental protocols, and identifying volunteers to execute the experiment. The following are specific ongoing experiments:
Assessing Varroa Levels: Current experiments look at infestation levels employing six beekeepers 10 apiaries and 177 colonies, estimating mite levels using icing (powdered) sugar and soapy wash.
Management of Formic Acid: Four countries (Europe) are testing 16 apiaries and 260 colonies using five formic acid dispensers looking at several interpretations of control of mites and effects on bees.
Summer Brood Interruption for Effective Varroa Control; studies include 2 seasons, 10 countries, 370 colonies with results published in Journal of Apicultural Research comparing queen cage studies with oxalic acid control.
Impact of Brood Interruption on Colony Productivity: Four countries involved. Planned activities include the following: evaluation of drone presence in bee populations; brood interruption and reinfestation of colonies; in vitro rearing of Varrroa. Illegal (off label) products are not being evaluated.
Apitox Task Force: “Tox” refers to honey bees being poisoned. The group is small with three members who will currently share data and information, develop relevant methodology, and communicate results. Members are working with European Food Safety Authority, reviewing toxicology on honey bees; making comments and suggestions; examining pesticide degradation via a ring test accomplished 2019. A hypopharyngeal gland or HPG study is in the process of developing a protocol.
The Bee Nutrition Task Force: Proposed in 2019 at Apimondia 46 in Montreal,is just getting started in standardizing and harmonizing bee nutrition research. Some 91 members are now brainstorming. The Group is targeting new members. How to get new members interested is being examined.
These two questions arise. Will COLOSS vet bee foods on the market? or should it perhaps develop its own bee food, similar perhaps to the Beltsville Bee Diet?
Sustainable Bee Breeding Task Force: Given that genetic variation exists in honey bees along with natural selection, it is vital to understand the world’s honey bee populations better. Currently 49 members from Europe, Turkey and Canada are participating. One issue is conserving diversity while trying to maintain a specific line of honey bees.
The group is looking for new insights across Europe with so-called “smart bees” being sampled and single nucleotide polymorphisms or snps being deployed. Some 13 countries are involved looking at four honey bee traits, including recapping behavior. https://coloss.org/sustainable-bee-breeding/
Survivors Task Force (Treatment Free Bees): Several examples of these honey bees exist worldwide that are being explored, including Sweden 2001, France 2007, and Norway and Netherlands 2017. Two major objectives are to find survivors and understand the reason for this. Currently an online survey is looking for beekeepers with five or more colonies surviving without treatment; as well as examples of survivors in the wild.
A major offshoot of this task force is the citizen science project called Honey Bee Watch, which is looking to find partners to centralize and standardize data collection, with the following description: “ a multi-year, international citizen-science project, the Survivors Task Force will gather data on surviving Apis mellifera populations — as well as Asian honey bees — to meet these main objectives:
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To fill in the “data deficiency” status of honey bees (including Apis mellifera and other Apis spp.) as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List for Threatened Species
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To investigate and better understand how biological, behavioral, and environmental traits affect survivorship
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To engage a wide audience in a science-based initiative, thus indirectly increasing their awareness of and appreciation for the importance of honey bees.
Virus Task Force: Fifty members in 14 countries are cataloging new viruses and looking for standards of diversity ; need to develop better knowledge of variability viruses, update and compile information for the research community. Began in April 2017 in Avignon; met in 2018 Warsaw; Halle Germany and Montreal in 2019 with Apimondia. Currently concentrating on Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) ; looking at variability, distribution patterns, and sampling protocol. Difficult due to total number of viruses that affect honey bees and related insects. Currently studying worldwide distribution and routes of infection; diversity in hymenoptera; looking for variants and recombinants ; how can beekeepers use information directly is a challenge.
Velutina Task Force: Need to understand this wasp’s spread and biology (Vespa velutina). Formed in 2015 in Slovenia with 40 participants; 11 countries. Met last in Montreal with Apimondia. With 20 members from 12 countries and now has 70 participants from 20 countries. The wasp is managed as part of European Union Invasive species regulations.
The CSI pollen Task Force, is worth looking at. This Citizen Science Investigation on pollen was programmed for two years, 2014 and 2015, and has been declared completed. Whereas the other task forces were reported on at the e-conference, this one was not, presumably because it is “completed,” although it is certainly an important area to consider. In conclusion, this Coloss project, aims to be the largest investigation on pollen diversity available to honey bee colonies in Europe.
Small Hive beetle Task Force: Five papers published in 1997; 186 papers in 2019. Emphasis to understand life cycle and reproduction with pupation occurring in the soil. Currently found in Africa and Asia, also on bumblebees and solitary bees; looking at beeswax as a major introduction method; and comparing in-hive trapping of adults and treating soil to kill immatures that leave the hive to complete their development in the soil.
I was privileged to attend a three-day small hive beetle workshop on the University of Florida campus back in October 2018. So readers can get a feel for what goes at these events, I am providing here some excerpts of the proceedings and conclusions from that conference with the full event linked here.
An annotated bibliography was suggested along with a listing of current regulations already in force in specific geographic regions. The latter idea resulted from experiences where uninformed bureaucrats made decisions based on incorrect or outdated information. Others included a standardized rearing procedure and genetic testing protocol; needing to see what variants of the beetle exist around the world. Finally a comprehensive review article is required and is something the COLOSS group is adept at producing.
The final tasks selected included the following:
TASK A: Ring test for molecular diagnostic tool(s); need a standardized diagnostics procedure for small hive beetle.
Questions to be looked at: (1) how to get a good DNA sample from colonies (bees, debris, from flowers, from other bees; what matrix is best to sample? how sensitive is the test?), (2) test a variety of molecular markers, (3) test a variety of beetle sources, (4) make sure test is robust enough to limit false positives/negatives (by including other Aethina species). An Elisa test or LAMP is currently being consdered.
TASK B: Tools for Small Hive Beetle Management
Much like that produced by the Honey Bee Health Coalition for Varroa, small hive beetle information needs to be consolidated into a single source.
Questions to be looked at: What is alarming and what is not (i.e. what is “normal” or acceptable when beetles are present?) what options (in and outside hives, i.e. honey houses) exist for control measures? (3) what basic beetle biology life cycle steps are not known?
It was noted that sources for small hive beetle information already exists. Present at the meeting was Michael Hood, Professor Emeritus at Clemson University whose book: The Small Hive Beetle, Aethina tumida Murray was published by Northern Bee Books in 2017. His Top Twenty Small Hive Beetle Management Recommendations presumably would be a basis for many of the tools eventually developed.
TASK C: Determine in-hive trap efficacy
Need a list of available traps and their relative effectiveness. Questions to be looked at: which traps to test?, what standardized protocol(s?) exist, what attractants are best, and what killing agents should be used? Finally, how traps can be used for diagnostics and management purposes?
TASK D: Review article listing predictive markers for colony collapse due to beetles. Need definitive answers as to how small hive beetle and Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) might be related. Are there potential triggers/predictive markers for small hive beetles with respect to a colony collapsing.
Questions to be looked at: are there potential triggers/predictive markers for small hive beetles with respect to a colony collapsing? what predisposes a colony to host beetles (i.e. what attracts them to colonies vs apiaries)? and (3) what predisposes colonies to collapse?
In addition to the tasks above, the following organizational actions are or will be put into play:
1. Develop an annotated bibliography (Endnote, Google Drive, Zotero, Password Protected. (Completed Oct 10th 2018)
2. Develop a picture database of small hive beetle (see COLOSS website, bugwood, (others can link their albums here)
Update the COLOSS webpage with appropriate details.
This article was written to educate the beekeeping community about COLOSS, an outfit that has not had much exposure in the United States. The depth and commitment of this non-profit European honey bee research effort is not matched anywhere around the globe to my knowledge. It stands out as well by casting a wide net not only to develop basic knowledge about honey bee health and apiculture, but also to ensure basic important information gets is distributed to the beekeeper.
Finally, it’s worth looking at how COVID-19 might affect global honey bee research. And COLOSS leads the field here with it’s recent analysis published in the Journal of Apicultural Research.
Potential photo sources: Website of COLOS; Facebook page of COLOSS.
Originally published in American Bee Journal, Vol 2021 pp. 1101-4, January 2021
