No 123 incorporating BeeBiz February 2016 The Role of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Bee Colony Deaths, Klaus-Werner Wenzel Bee-Centred Beekeeping: Learning from Wild Bees and Tree Beekeeping, Jonathan Powell Research: Food Odor Air Path, Dr Michael Ifantidis

Contents No 123 • February 2016 EDITORIAL 2 COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPING 30 Editor Colin G Butler, neonicotinoids, global A Danish Bee Farmer’s Year, Part 4, October John Phipps warming; & great trees from little acorns - December, Sub-editor: Val Phipps grow. Anders Peter Blæsild, translated by Anthony Neochori, 24024 Agios Nikolaos, Lee, Denmark. Messinias, Greece LETTERS 6 tel: 00 30 27210 78089 Drones, Willie Robson, Northumberland. BEE HIVES 34 email: [email protected] Strange Bees, Bill Clark, Cambridgeshire. The National Hive, a Typically British Compromise, Mike Thornley, Scotland. Advisory Editors OBITUARY 7 The Queen Bee Hive, Trevor Smith, David Aston NDB, Science; Colin G Butler, 1913 - 2016 (from Bee England. Geoff Hopkinson NDB, Environment Buzz). The Slovenian Hive, John Phipps Greece. Correspondents NEWSROUND 9 TRAVELLERS’ TALES 40 Australia, Geoff Manning; Brittany, Association News: BBKA ADM, Geoff A Winter Visit to the Slovenian Apicultural Job Pichon; Canada, David Dawson; Hopkinson BEM NDB; BFA - the weather, Museum, Croatia, Gordon Lovric; Cyprus, Roger White; beekeeping funding in the EU, professional Frank Linton, England. Czech Republic, Dr Vita Vydra; England, development, swarm monitoring project, Nigel Payne; Italy, Alison Parnell and Ilaria Beecome, Stockholm, and Oliver Field, BEE-CENTRED BEEKEEPING 42 Baldi; Ireland, Philip McCabe; Lithuania, Margaret Ginman; IBRA - honeybees get Learning from Wild Bees and Tree Rimantas Zujus; Nepal, Bhim Suwal, Jitendra their own Gene Bank, Norman Carreck; Beekeeping, Lihani; The Netherlands, Ko Zoet; Poland, National Honey Show, Sandown Park - the Jonathan Powell, England. Maciej Winiarski; Portugal, Antonio Pouseiro; new venue for 2016. Scotland, Mike Thornley and Eric McArthur; Other News: NBU - Diane Steele, FORAGING LINES 50 Serbia, Predrag Cvetkovik, Russia, Vitaliy new RBI, Andy Wattam; Bee Health Towards Integrated Mite Control. Petrovsky; Ukraine, Dr Alexander Komissar; Application - First Phase, USDA; National Dr Margaret Couvillon, Switzerland. USA, Ann Harman. Memorial Arboretum, Stuart Roberts; & Vita Europe, Calendar photo winners, RESEARCH 52 Bee Farmers Association - Stephen Fleming. Food Odor Air Path, the way non- Margaret Ginman experienced Apis mellifera L forager bees are Central Association of Beekeepers - CORRESPONDENTS 13 guided in flight directly to a feeder, Pam Hunter England, Nigel Payne; Ireland, Philip Dr Michael Ifantidis, Greece. Publishers and Advertising McCabe; Brittany, Job Pichon; Serbia, Northern Bee Books Predrag Cvetovik; Canada, David Dawson; THE GREAT WAR - Scout Bottom Farm, Mytholmroyd, Australia, Geoff Manning; and Nepal, ITS EFFECT ON BEEKEEPING 60 Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 5JS Tejeen Pun. - as seen through the pages of the British tel: 01422 882751 Bee Journal: April - May 1916, PESTICIDES 22 Stuart Ching, Nottingham. fax: 01422 886157 email: [email protected] The Role of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Bee Colony Deaths, Design Klaus-Werner Wenzel, Germany. D&P Design and Print Printing Custom Print Limited, 13-23 Naylor Street, Liverpool L3 6DR Cover photograph The Editor’s almost completed bee house/workshop. As I was so obsessed with this project over winter, for Christmas, I found in my stocking the out of print publication “The Shed Book” by Gordon Thorburn and Gareth Jones, which Val had managed to find. Within it are about 90 B&W plates of the sheds and workshops created by sheddists, each with a The Editor welcomes articles for inclusion in the BKQ, particular hobby, and in which they can retire from the world and fully absorb themselves but please state when submitting a ms if it has been sent in their fascinating interests. It is a remarkable book and undoubtedly the sheddists simultaneously to any other magazine or journal. featured - as well as their sheds - are as idiosyncratic as one would expect. No beekeepers were featured, however, so the Editor would be very pleased to redress this by publishing The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. photos of beekeepers’ own work places or places of refuge, together with some information about themselves. © The Beekeepers Quarterly ISSN 0268 4780 2 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016

EDITORIAL

Colin G Butler bee scientists - von Frisch, Ribbands and Neonicotinoids olin Butler, one of the most Lindauer - which eventually lead me to o be honest, I am getting a prominent of English bee purchase their works. bit fed up with writing about scientists, died on the 4th January Whilst Colin Butler made the initial this subject. Why - because at the grand old age of 102. discovery of queen honeybee pheromones, as far as I am concerned I am CHe is most famous for his discovery of he acknowledged that there was much, convincedT that these chemicals are causing “queen substance”, a pheromone produced much more to learn about bees and that a an enormous amount of damage to the soil by the queen, and described its cohesive great amount of research needed to be done and waterways, to their inhabitants and to importance to the colony life. on them. all forms of life in the very complex food For many people, naturalists, beekeepers The publishers were delighted with chain where contact is made in some way and others interested in entomological Butler’s contribution to their series of books with neonicotinoids. Many governments, science, he is well known for his classic and some of their comments written in the environmental organisations, scientists work “The World of the Honeybee”, first preface are illustrated here. and millions of ordinary people globally published in Collins “New Naturalist The NN books are highly regarded for are convinced that severe damage is being Series”, in 1954 which since then has been their beautifully designed covers, Butler’s caused by them, yet the big Agro businesses reprinted, many times. book is no exception, with an illustration of which produce them are supported by many I came across this book well over forty a worker bee beginning to emerge from its farmers and pandering governments. years ago. As a beginner beekeeper I had cell. The evidence - which at least calls for a already devoured Dean’s “Encyclopaedia of Also worth noting are the excellent ban on cautionary grounds - is simply being Beekeeping” (which led me to choose Smith B&W plates with detailed close-up photos ignored by many in power, but to make use Hives) and Frank Vernon’s “Beekeeping” in of bees and their various activities. Taken of some well-used cliches “there are none as the “Teach Yourself Series”. Whilst I looked well over 60 years ago, they are as good as deaf as those who refuse to hear”, “none so at other books on practical beekeeping, I soon any camera can produce today. blind as those who refuse to see”, and, of noticed that they all carried the same basic course, the sobering “the writing is on the tenets of the craft, apart from the various wall”. idiosyncrasies of the writers. Excellent advice Many supermarkets now are refusing to I was given by a beekeeping advisor was to stock foods which have been treated with ‘read books about bees, understand the bees neonicotinoids and are not stocking any and you will soon learn how to improve your garden chemicals which have them as an management of colonies’. ingredient. So in 1974 it was Butler’s book that In this issue of the BKQ there is a I bought (£2.10 when my salary was not comprehensively-researched article written much more than £60 a month); a treat for by Klaus-Werner Wenzel which reviews the myself. It was everything I hoped it would literature on neonicotinoids and its effects in be, starting with general information on the Europe, but mainly Germany. hymenoptera, then after gradually being introduced to each member of the honeybee Global Warming colony, it went on to explore colony life and igh winds, high seas, high the role of each caste. A large section of the temperatures, heavy rainfall book dealt with colony odour, the role of and flooding, each more queen substance and colony reproduction, extreme than usual, are all followed by discourses on the food of bees, Happarently indicative of global warming. foraging and direction finding. As regards The message has been there for a long time the latter discourses, Butler introduced but still - at least as regards flooding - lessons the reader to the findings of other leading have not been learned that would help mitigate some of its worse effects. George The World of the Honeybee, by Colin G Butler, first Monbiot, writing in the Guardian, blames published over 60 years ago. in part the sponsored deforestation of the uplands as one of the causes for flooding. Live trees take in considerable amount of water, their roots stabilise the soil and the surrounding ground, rich in nutrients ensures a plentiful supply of worms which aerate the soil and facilitate drainage. It has also been noticed that on adjacent farmed fields, one under organic cultivation, the other chemically managed, drainage is Part of the Editors’ Preface considerably better on the former. Larger to the book. The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 3 tractors, (one at the recent machinery show much publicised method of Eric McArthur murmuring of the bees. I first came across costing well over a million) allow farming in Glasgow many moons ago. The only this method of bee therapy in Ukraine, near to be carried out every day of the year no drawback for the ordinary beekeepers is that Sumy, not far from the Russian border. I matter what the weather, even though the the evaporating apparatus is quite costly and found it immensely relaxing and dozed after extra wheels and tracks are supposed to obviously great care and the use of protective a few moments, awaking two hours later minimise compaction. Certainly, a move clothing is needed whilst carrying out the feeling thoroughly refreshed. I understand to organically-based agricultural methods operation. Maybe there is an opportunity this is becoming an increasingly common could well improve farming, even better, here for local associations to procure the practice in Ukraine and Russia, and recently, mixed farming - which would supply the necessary apparatus and to train and delegate on the internet, I saw the picture illustrated much needed organic matter. Yet, fields still the work to a responsible member. Ideally, at the end of this Editorial of people in get bigger and bigger, and in the dry windy if the work was carried out locally in a very what looks like a laboratory with face masks springs of East Anglia soil erosion is an short time spell, it would help to prevent attached to hoses which connected to bee enormous problem - light soils, nothing to the re-infestation of colonies with varroa in hives. However, I cannot see that sitting hold the soil together - and an absence of the area. upright like that, in a lab with several other hedges and trees. people, could be anything like as restful as I was pleased to see that The National sleeping on or next to the hives. Memorial Arboretum are doing a grand Great Trees from Little Acorns Grow One thing I will have to be mindful of is job with tree planting - and that they are his is a metaphor for the germ of to reduce as much as possible any vibrations not averse to planting non-native species. an idea I had in my head which, in would could annoy the bees. Any jobs in As will be seen later in this issue, Geoff’s reality, grew out of all proportion the workshop will be only of a light nature, contribution of evodia trees was very to what was originally intended. with heavy and machine work being carried welcome - they grow rapidly and provide THaving obtained a Slovenian Hive I out away from the shed. However, during beekeepers with plenty of forage for their decided that I needed to build a shelter the three months of working on the shed, I bees when there is little else available to for it. However, one thing led to another was never further than a metre or so from them. With a warmer climate, trees only on and now, after three month’s work, I have six colonies of bees which were flying every the verge of being frost tolerant may become almost finished a 4m x 3m structure which day. Despite the hammering, drilling, increasingly common, providing a richer incorporates a workshop/tool store, a section painting, and felting the roof, I was not on diversity of habitats for wildlife. Maybe they for the Slovenian Hive, and a nice west- any occasion troubled by any of the Greek could take the place of certain native species southwest facing verandah. The part which (Cecropian) bees, neither was Val when she which are rapidly becoming scarce due to houses the Slovenian Hive will also be a came to inspect progress. I do believe that the various pests and diseases to which they chamber for resting in, where the occupier bees can get used to one’s presence - and have succumbed; currently it seems they are can breathe in the health-giving scents it might explain why in earlier times many almost impossible to save. of the hives and listen to the comforting cottagers were happy to have their bees near

Oxalic Acid xalic acid is now widely accepted as being both an effective and relatively safe method of treating bees for varroa.O I say relatively safe for I know that in warmer parts of Southern Europe - and possibly during the milder winter of this year in the UK - sealed brood in colonies can be killed when it is applied. A commercial beekeeper not far from me uses the trickling method - finding it both quick and easy - and he tells me that he is willing to lose a couple of frames of brood in each colony in order for his colonies to be free from varroa at the start of the year. News from LASI in Sussex, and published widely on social media sites by Norman Carreck, reveals that of all three methods of applying oxalic acid - spraying, trickling and sublimation, the latter is not only more effective and safe, but also, for some reason, allows the colonies to develop better than when the other two methods are used. Dr Margaret Couvillon writes about Making the base was the most difficult job as the ground wasn’t level and had huge rocks protruding through the surface. Val was extremely worried when she saw what the eventual height of the shed the research and its findings in her usual would be! Another problem was the unavailability of really good wood. Most of the cross section wood column ‘Foraging Lines’. wasn’t square and even tapered along the lengths, the tongued and grooved wood was also often Interestingly, this was the chosen and twisted and had pieces of the tongues and grooved sides missing. 4 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016

their back doors. My bees have one fault that I know - they dislike being disturbed when there is a cool wind, otherwise they are easily manageable with very little protective clothing, which increases my beekeeping pleasure.

Do you want to learn about beekeeping in the beautiful Mani part of Greece, well known for its magnificent mountains and its unspoilt beaches? Beginners especially welcome. More information: www.iannisphoto.com

Left above: Almost completed: another coat of wood preservative is needed, a layer of heavy mineral felt needs adding (6 kg/sq m), beading needs to be fitted on the outside of the windows, boards need fixing to the eaves, and steps made up to the verandah.

Left: A Long hive is fastened to the side of the ‘health chamber’. It has a ventilated screen which can be closed on the back of its longest side. High above the long hive and above the Slovenian hive are flaps which can be opened when the latter is opened to allow the bees to escape.

Bee House Plan

Laboratory type method of enjoying the health-giving scents of the hive. The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 5

6 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 letters to the editor

Drones will be mated to drones from other hives or my new bees were C. hederae. Their main Dear Editor to feral drones. The feral colonies are now few nectar and pollen supply is from the ivy I was interested to read an editorial in the SBA and far between and more often than not are flower, Hedera helix. The following two days magazine this month about drone brood. We riddled with varroa and so I would suggest were cool and blustery with little bee activity also use starter strip in our supers and it is “more drones in the future, not less”. and I only managed to obtain two or three always very noticeable that the bees start on - poor - photos, but Sunday dawned sunny worker brood and build the rest in drone to Willie Robson and calm and I took half a dozen decent a ratio of one third worker/two thirds drone, Chain Bridge Honey Farm photos of what I reasoned were probably indicating that even at heather time the bees Northumberland the firstC. hederae to be confirmed for East are desperate to rear more drones. Anglia! Conscious that my site was almost I remember being at an agricultural Strange Bees certainly in its second year, I hurried home and switched on my computer to register my show in the Tyne valley and I came upon the Dear Editor find. The first thing I noticed was that the beekeeping stand. They were selling heather A Rare Bee? On Thursday afternoon, Oct 1st, site map for C. hederae, had been updated cut comb and the beekeeper in charge asked 2015, I was out walking with Wendy, when to 2015, and now extended to the very top me what the dark honey was along the I saw a couple of ‘’strange” bees quartering of Norfolk with at least four in our area - so lower edge of the comb honey. Well, I said, a south-facing chalk bank. Closer inspection I didn’t bother! The following day, when I these are drone cocoons. Those who ate this revealed nine fresh-looking holes, and a showed my photos to a beekeeping friend honey would get their jaws slackened no similar bee flew out from one. I surmised that who plays golf on the nearby Gog Magog doubt! So it turned out that the beekeeper the quartering bees were males, and they all course, he remarked, ‘They are probably the had taken his excluders off in early August had very pronounced yellow stripes. For the same bees in the edges of our bunkers. This and the bees had drawn the comb down past forty years I have seen at least five other is about the third season they have appeared, to within two rows of the bottom bar and species of bee and wasp excavating this site, and this week there are thousands’. I have built the last two rows in drone because there but always between March and mid August. since read that they have spread as far as would be sufficient warmth rising from the I couldn’t find any reference in my books, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. brood nest to allow brood rearing in these including Falk’s 1992 report on solitary bees The males of this species are said to be two rows. Remember that this would take and wasps. However, a 2007 Buglife leaflet attracted to the ‘triungulins’, of an Oil Beetle place towards the end of August when most showed a similar bee - although with white - species not mentioned - which then hop colonies would be throwing out drones and stripes - named the ‘Ivy mining bee’, Colletes onto the bees in order to be transported the night temperatures would be close to hederae. I then easily found it on the ‘net’. to a female, from whence, of course, they freezing. So the management in that colony It was described as new to science in1993, eventually get into a cell to scoff the egg and decided to go against their instincts and rear previously thought to be a variant of C. provisions. It is thought that the triungulins a few drones. This tells us that each colony helophilus or C. succinctus. An attached map emit the scent of a female C. hederae. This is an individual (black bees) and if the lack dated for 2014 showed how, after initially must be an extremely hazardous link for the of drones is among their collective concerns being found along the South Coast in 2002, beetle, because the males only fly for a few they will go against their instincts and act it had spread up to the line of the Thames - days, and the entire sequence, from first male accordingly. except for two sites, in the Oxford area which emergence to the last nest-hole being sealed, In a similar vein we often notice that did not surprise me, as that is Christopher is only around six weeks. No wonder the our bees will remove the honey from drone O’Toole’s home ground!! The many photos female beetle lays 6,000 plus eggs! comb that has been built immediately above showed varying-hued stripes, from orange to the queen excluder in an area corresponding white, and the script also mentioned that the Bill Clark to the influence of the warmth rising from stripes paled as the bees matured. I decided Cambridge the brood chamber and at a temperature which is suitable for brood rearing. They will then transport drone eggs up through the excluder and rear drones up in the first super. Unfortunately, the drones thus reared become stuck in the excluder and die there when they attempt to make their first flight. This is upsetting for the beekeeper. This would not happen if the combs in the first super were entirely of worker comb. Nevertheless this indicates to me that the bees don’t like to be short of drones, as we already know. It also indicates that they are capable of thinking their way through a problem (intelligence?). In all their years of evolution and instinctive behaviour they won’t have come across queen excluders. So to those of you who are cutting out drone brood to get rid of varroa I say “this might not be such a good idea”. Your queens The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 7

OBITUARYwhich keeps workers aware of her continued deficiency in the amount of queen substance presence, the absence of which causes them available, or, perhaps, a breakdown in its to begin rearing new queens. collection and subsequent distribution plays To test this theory, Butler placed a an important part in the phenomenon of queen in the middle of her hive in a wire swarming”, when a honeybee colony divides gauze cage, so that surrounding bees could to produce two colonies and which can be a not touch her, and found that the workers headache for beekeepers. began to behave as if they had lost her, The discovery of queen substance raised rearing new queens. hopes that synthetic chemicals might be He concluded that some sort of physical developed to control swarming and Butler Colin Butler, October 26 1913 - January 4 2016 or chemical signals from the queen to keep went so far as to get a patent on synthetic the colony loyal were being transmitted, “queen substance” with the idea of marketing not through smell, but through physical it for swarm suppression and to facilitate the Colin Butler contact with the few workers attending her. introduction of replacement queens into No one had reported seeing any physical unwilling honey bee colonies, and also as a olin Butler, who has died aged signals, so the latter theory, that the queen possible human contraceptive. 102, was one of the world’s most emits some sort of chemical substance, Unfortunately, he was wrong. Bees still distinguished entomologists seemed the more plausible. swarmed and it had no action in humans. and was credited with the Butler then compared the behaviour of He concluded that other factors, perhaps discoveryC of a pheromone known as “queen workers that had left the queen after licking even psychological reasons, were involved. substance”, a scientific breakthrough which the special wax which covers the queen bee’s The mechanisms of swarming remain transformed our understanding of the social body, with those of other workers which something of a mystery to this day. behaviour of bees. had examined her body with antennae, but The son of a schoolmaster, Colin Butler carried out his research at not licked her. Each of the bees that had Gasking Butler was born at Horsham on Rothamsted Experimental Station, licked her body offered regurgitated food to October 26 1913 and educated at Monkton Harpenden, to which he had been recruited other colony members within the first five Combe School, Bath, and at Queens’ in 1939 to work on bee research. Early in minutes of licking her, while the other bees College, Cambridge. the war, as the government was seeking to did not. After graduation, he won a Ministry of optimise food production, bee research was In other experiments he observed that if Agriculture and Fisheries research scholarship made into a separate department with Butler a queen was rubbed with a piece of cotton and went on to become superintendent as its head, growing from two members of wool, the cotton wool became as attractive of the university’s entomological field staff to twenty. to worker bees as the queen herself. station, teaching and carrying out research He continued to work at Rothamsted He also found that the number of bees on whiteflies and locusts. In 1939 he left until his retirement in 1976 as head of the which any given queen can inhibit from Cambridge for Rothamsted. entomology department, publishing several rearing new queens varies quantitatively During the war, Butler had a large share books about bees, including The World of the with the amount of contact allowed between in formulating the Foul Brood Diseases of Honeybee (1954), a classic monograph, and queen and workers; and when material from Bees Order, a pioneering disease control Bumblebees (1959, with John B Free), both the digestive tracts of workers which had measure introduced by the government in published in Collins’s New Naturalist series. licked the queen was added to the drinking 1942 to combat, in particular, the widespread The research for which he was best water of groups of queenless bees, the incidence of American foulbrood disease in known was carried out in the 1950’s at ovaries of those bees developed much less British hives with a programme of targeted a time when the mechanisms of social than control bees without the additive. apiary visits. He also set up a bee disease cohesion in honey bee colonies were not His conclusion was that of all the advisory service. well understood. A healthy colony might factors that keep members of a colony of After the war, in 1946, he travelled to contain some 40-50,000 workers, several bees together, “the strong desire for ‘queen the US to learn about new techniques of hundred drones and normally a single mated substance’ is probably the most important”. “instrumental insemination” of honeybees, queen, to whom the colony is fanatically He went on to show that queen substance and on his return he developed the techniques loyal. What causes the workers to produce is produced in the mandibular glands of in collaboration with J Simpson. Together a new queen to replace one which is failing, the queen, and in 1959 a collaboration they inseminated many queens, including or has been lost, was, however, a mystery. with Robert Kenneth Callow led to its for Brother Adam, the beekeeper at Buckfast As any beekeeper will know, when a queen identification as 9-oxodec-trans-2-enoicAbbey who became famous for breeding the is removed from a colony the behaviour of acid. disease-resistant “Buckfast bee”. Butler and workers changes from a state of organised They also showed that this acted as the his wife Jean became lifelong friends of the activity to one of restlessness. After a few sex-attractant for drones when deployed monk, and Jean would send him a birthday hours, they will have modified one or more at about 10 metres above the ground, the cake each year. cells containing female larvae into emerging height at which queens fly on their “nuptial Butler was such an enthusiast for field queen cells. flight”, the first demonstration of a sex- research that he even used boats as mobile Traditionally, beekeepers assumed that attractant pheromone. laboratories, once rowing out to sea in a the queen must emit some sort of odour In 1955 Butler suggested that “either a fishing boat with his son, on a calm evening, 8 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016

and deploying “queen substance” on a mast fishing and sailing. Later he and his wife and Cornwall, he also served as president to see how far out they could attract drones. moved to a village near Cambridge to be of Cornwall Naturalists Trust and was He also used the mast of his yacht in the near their family. an honorary member of the British Fens to place queens for mating, together During the 1960s Butler served as Beekeepers’ Association. with a sample of “queen substance”, to treasurer of the Royal Entomological In 1970 he was elected a Fellow of the see how far drones would go to find them Society, then as president in 1971-72. Royal Society and appointed OBE. (drones were still visiting his mast several He was president of the International He married, in 1937, Jean Innes, who years after the experiment ended). Union for Study of Social Insects from died in 2011. Their son and daughter After retiring from Rothamsted, he 1969 to 1973. A member of the National survive him. moved to Cornwall to enjoy his hobbies of Trust Regional Committee for Devon From ‘Buzz Buzz’ Bee Culture.

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No 123 incorporating BeeBiz February 2016 Full digital subscription only £15. The Role of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Bee Colony Deaths, Klaus-Werner Wenzel Existing postal subscribers who require an additional digital Bee-Centred Beekeeping: Learning from Wild Bees and Tree Beekeeping, Jonathan Powell subscription £5 but contact NBB for necessary voucher code. Research: Food Odor Air Path, Dr Michael Ifantidis www.bkqonline.co.uk This will allow readers to easily search the text for subjects and over time we hope to incorporate a series of active links from this digital edition to bee sites, commercial, academic and general. Both The Editor at [email protected] and The Publishers at [email protected] would be pleased to hear your comments on this new development. Jeremy & Ruth Burbidge, Publishers The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 9 Newsround

ASSOCIATION NEWS

It will be his duty to Chair the 2017 the lion’s share of the budget annually at BBKA Annual Delegates Meeting, within which €5.3 million but has the most hives in the ADM January 2016 the following issues will hopefully have been EU with 2.45 million and 23.4K beekeepers As with the 2015 BBKA’S Annual Delegates tided up: – 4.5k professionals. The UK has, according Meeting, this year’s meeting, held on the 1) The Standing Orders to be simplified to our National Bee Unit, 274K hives, 9th January 2016, was preceded by a and the Constitution to be strictly observed 43,900 beekeepers of whom around 500 considerable volume of e mail traffic between during the year ahead and with the professionals. Quite a contrast. Delegates and Association members. This was preparations for the 2016 ADM How each EU country decides to spend to be expected in view of some unresolved 2) To carry on with the progress achieved its money is very different as BFA members matters, left over from the last meeting. in simplifying the accounting system and to found last year during a fact-finding visit The omens were good when the trial run look to the rationalisation of some of the to Madrid. A party of our members will be of the electronic voting system worked to loss-making activities, going to Germany in March to investigate everyones’ satisfaction, but within minutes 3 ) To serve the Associations with their this further. that hoary old trouble spot, namely Standing basic needs and not to become overwhelmed In the UK only 1.59 per cent of the Orders, reared its ugly head. The Dover with extraneous activities that convey little beekeeping budget has gone direct to delegate expressed the worry that each or nothing to 90% of the membership. commercial bee farming. Most of the money one needed to be voted on. However, after The task of explaining the minutiae to has been used to finance the NBU. However, some discussion, agreement was reached. the lay members of the BBKA lies with the the BFA believes this money was intended Shortly afterwards the Standing Orders were Delegates, a task made much easier with the when the Apiculture Programme started in suspended, thus allowing for a reordering advent of web sites, iPads and the like. 1997 to do exactly what the grant is called of the Agenda, to allow for a later financial This is intended as an end-of-the- – to “improve the general conditions for matter to be discussed at a more appropriate year report where there have been certain the production and marketing of apiculture time. improvements but there is much work still products.” Standing orders, and, in fact, the to be done. Should the small hive beetle So it is interesting that in the UK where Constitution, were part of a pattern; and / or the Asian hornet arrive, then the most of the honey produced is sold by interpretation of these being a cause of some benefit of harmonious relationships between members of the BFA but still can only satisfy concern. This was eating up time that might beekeeping groups will be essential for the around 14 per cent of consumer demand. In have been spent to better effect. good of beekeeping. The BBKA are not Spain that figure is over 80 per cent. There was good evidence of progress with there yet, but there’s hope. All EU countries are obliged to produce a well-received report on Bee-Connect, the Geoff Hopkinson, Honorary Member a robust way of counting hives and submit link between farmers, spray contractors and a detailed programme for the next funding Beekeepers. Bee-Connect is to get off the period. The BFA has worked hard to help ground later this year. BEE FARMERS with this consultation which we hope will The item on ‘whistle blowing’ also took enhance commercial beekeeping operations time up in the programme and added a ASSOCIATION in the future. further duty for the Executive, namely to Margaret Gilman, General Secretary BFA officials are meeting with other get to grips with the Charity Commissioners European colleagues to find out more about and the interaction between them and the The Weather. Temperatures in much of the how they use their apiculture funds and see Examination Board. UK have rarely been out of double figures if we can influence the way our Government The 2016 budget was accepted but for months and much of the country has uses ours. not before the monies expended on the been lashed by a relentless series of gales The tiny slice of the cash that filters Yearbook, the Apiary and Education leaflets and heavy rain. Bee farmers report rescuing down to the BFA is used very wisely. It were questioned. hives from flooded areas - battling through provides less than five per cent of the cost The move to increase Capitation by sodden fields of mud to get to them. One of our world-class apprenticeship scheme. £2.00 was passed on the Delegates vote but had his honey house completely flooded out. Four of our youngsters are currently in New the call for a card vote reversed that decision The weather has meant most farmers Zealand learning how others run successful and the proposal was lost. have had to feed their bees throughout the bee businesses. This has been financed partly The decision to host the 2018 Annual winter. This not only leads to extra expense from our other partners – Rowse Honey, The gathering of the International Young but many have been reporting no break to Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, Beekeepers and to grant funds accordingly brood in their hives. The Waterloo Foundation, The Livery was approved despite some reservations re Beekeeping Funding in EU. Much time Companies Skills Council, City and Guilds, the shortage of time for preparations. Surrey is being spent at the BFA at the moment BeeGood, B J Sherriff and the BFA. The generously guaranteed a contribution of on discussion of the next EU Apiculture biggest chunk comes from the bee farmers £5,000. Programme. taking part in the scheme. This shows how The election of both the Executive The United Kingdom gets €590k each dedicated BFA members are to passing on Committee and the Examination Board were year to help the honey bee industry. This is their skills to future generations. One of the completed and John Hendrie, a long-serving from the EU allocated funds of €33.1million apprentices – Phoebe Lamb said: “We loaded servant of the BBKA was elected President. per year for the years 2013 to 16. Spain gets hives by night on to a lorry, drove until

10 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 Newsround

in Malmo, Sweden. Chairman David suffered through pests, diseases and so on. Wainwright will also be there to speak about The National Bee Genebank will be ideas for a knowledge transfer project the based in Fort Collins, Colorado BFA is drawing up and pollination officer That’s great - can I get my hands on Alan Hart will be heading a workshop on some bee semen to breed better bees? Well moving bees to crops and orchards. General not yet... and maybe like the big [plant] secretary Margaret Ginman will be sharing seed banks it isn’t intended to be used in views on hive counting methods throughout that way? Rather it is a way of preserving all the EU. strains of honey bee and those with desirable CPV Research. Supporting research traits (like Varroa resistance) - in case we lose is an important part of BFA work and to them or need to reintroduce a trait... that end we have been talking to many Having been announced, steps are universities about bidding for new projects. underway in collaboration with Washington We are also carrying out a members’ survey State University to determine exactly NFU’s Chris Hartfield (right) with BFA member on CBPV. We also await results of a piece which species, subspecies and traits are David Rudland of East Surrey Bees at the honey of research we have commissioned on hive important to collect - so the “germplasm” tasting at Stoneleigh. counts in the UK. (genetic material) collected is (IBRA hopes) Oliver Field. Finally some sad news – representative of honey bee biodiversity. They the death of a bee farmer Oliver Field. Here will report to a newly formed “germplasm morning, unloaded them to place them on his son Robert says a few words about his species committee.” to the Manuka hillsides.” Another, Sebastian father: Meantime, the ARS team at Leaver said: “An incredible experience of a Oliver Field 1935 - 2016. On the 22nd Batoouge, Louisiana, is refining the lifetime.” of January the bee keeping world lost one methodology for freezing (cryogenic We have also used this EU cash to of it’s well-known characters. Oliver Field preservation) and handling of the genetic investigate ways to roll out training for followed in the foot steps of R.O.B. Manley material when they collect it. mature candidates who apply to us for advice and David Rowse in successfully running Longer term, they hope to roll out on how to enter the commercial market. hives commercially in Southern England. He this programme to preserve non Apis bee Our recent publicity has attracted several was also very much a countryman at heart and other pollinators. hundred enquiries from people interested and developed his love for nature through http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ in the BFA. We are running a series of days spent fishing with his father. He was pr/2016/160126.htm Information Days to cope with this. probably best known, however, for the three http://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2016/ Professional Development. The BFA books he wrote about bee keeping and his jan/bees/ is also embarking on some Continuous passion for the countryside. Honey by the http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/projects/ Professional Development for current Ton captured the imagination of many an projects.htm members. Our first pilot day was well- enthusiastic bee keeper who was keen to try received. We had sessions on pollination and turn their hobby into a small business. contracts, health and safety in the workplace, Although often controversial in his opinions the key to running a successful business and he was always willing to give of his time if he NATIONAL the importance of building good relations felt he could assist or encourage in any way. with local farmers. We offer Food Safety, HONEY SHOW Food Hygiene and Health and Safety courses New Venue for the 2016 to our members. Front cover of National Honey Show Building these links with the National Oliver Field’s Farmers Union was strengthened recently book. We’re pleased to announce this year’s when we combined our quarterly Board National Honey Show will take place at meeting with a honey tasting at NFU HQ Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey, in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. We were able KT10 9AJ on Thursday 27th, Friday to let NFU employees taste honey from all 28th and Saturday 29th October 2016. over the UK. Sandown Park is close to Esher railway Swarm Monitor Project. The BFA is station and high street. It is a larger venue also occupied at the moment with the re- with plentiful free parking, wifi, cafes, and siting of the famous award winning beehive everything for our show will be under one – The Hive - exhibit from the 2015 Milan roof. There will be space for more traders, Expo. We have played an active part as so anyone interested should get in touch co-ordinator of the European FP7 Swarm [email protected] monitor project with Nottingham Trent Lecture Programme: our speakers University, Inra, CARI, Capaz, ARNIA, IBRA for this year include: Sue Cobey ‐ World Szomel and the EPBA; signals resulting from Honeybees get their own Gene Bank leader on Instrumental Insemination and this research are used to drive the lighting The US Agricultural Research Service all things queen bee related Dave Tarpy ‐ and sound effects in The Hive. (ARS) is setting up a new honey bee gene Professor of Apiculture, Texas USA Philip Beecome, Malmo, Sweden. Ever bank to help preserve the genetic diversity McCabe ‐ Apimondia President A popular Berwick bee farmer Willie Robson of honey bees. This move has been made to representative from the Bee Farmers is a keynote speaker at Beecome in March help beekeepers due to all the losses colony Apprentice co‐operative ‐ the new voice

The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 11 Newsround and generation of beekeepers (mentor is in popularity each year as new features are the BFA secretary) Bee Health Application added. Each of the 300 or so monuments The overall themes will be Queens, Ist Phase to the victims of war has its own following. New Generation, and Honey Shows Dr. Medhat Nasr Many are a tribute to the art of sculpture and on a Global Scale. As well as our usual [email protected] it is correct to say that this collection is the programme of lectures, there will be the finest in the country. The 40,000 trees on additional Bee Craft lectures on Friday, The Bee Health app is based on current site are, in effect, a backdrop, magnificent in and lectures for those fairly new to scientific knowledge to address honey bee their own right and, as with the monuments, beekeeping on Saturday. diseases and pests. It is a handy resource to more are being added year by year. help beekeepers and other users to detect, Such was the case on December 6th, Other news diagnose, manage and treat honey bee when, thanks to a project initiated by diseases and pests. It includes pictures and Stafford beekeeper Geoff Hopkinson, four treatment options which aid beekeepers beekeepers (with a military chapter in their in adopting appropriate pest management background, covering all areas of the forces NATIONAL practices. Thus, beekeepers can improve and encompassing conscription plus national bee health and enhance on-farm food and regular military service) planted a tree BEE UNIT safety and biosecurity practices in their each in their respective designated areas. This Following the recent promotion of operations. piece of theatre was built around the fact Regional Bee Inspector Nigel Semmence Download the free Bee Health app from that the four trees planted were the Chinese to the Post of Contingency Planning Alberta Agriculture and Forestry: http:// Bee Tree, Tetradium danielli, a prime source and Science Officer at the National Bee www.programs.alberta.ca/17713.aspx#ad- of pollen and nectar, flowering as it does late Unit, and the movement of Regional image-0 in the season. Bee Inspector Julian Parker to take over It is developed for iOS and Android Geoff, who is 87, was awarded the British managerial responsibility for the Southern platforms. It can be downloaded to iPhone, Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday England Region, I am pleased to announce the Samsung phone family and iPad. To Honours in 2012 for services to beekeeping, that Diane Steele has been appointed as download to ipad, you need to use the provided the Tetradium daniellii trees, which the new Regional Bee Inspector for the iPhone only option for downloading. To are also known as Chinese Bee Trees. South Eastern England Region which find the app, search App Store or Google These trees which are large, quick- is comprised of Greater London, Kent, Play store for “beehealth”. A second phase of growing hardwood trees that flower Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex. this application is currently in production. profusely from late August to October, with (Buckinghamshire has now been moved bees working the flowers in summer as late back to its previous place within Southern as 9pm. Region). National Memorial Geoff secured Chinese Bee Tree seeds Many beekeepers in the South East from the Morris Arboretum, in Philadelphia, of England will know Diane, as she Arboretum in the early 1960’s and has since supplied has worked for the last seven years as a The National Memorial Arboretum, near the trees across England and Northern and Seasonal Bee Inspector for the National Lichfield, is a visitor attraction that increases Southern Ireland. Bee Unit in East and West Sussex and also at times in Surrey. She lives in Middleton- On-Sea near Bognor Regis and in addition to Beekeeping enjoys Travelling, Yoga and Gardening and is also a keen photographer. Diane’s training for the role commenced in early January 2016 as part of an ongoing development programme. Andy Wattam. National Bee Inspector

Tree Planters at the NMA.From the left, facing - Keith Winstanley, Dennis Anslow, Lynne Lacey. Geoff Hopkinson, Stuart Roberts, Dave Battersby, James Shawlcross (Assistant Curator NMA). Diane Steele Photo by Alan Goodman

12 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 Newsround

Dave Battersby, President of the South Staffordshire Beekeepers Association, VITA EUROPE who helped to plant the trees with Geoff, Dennis Anslow and Keith Winstanley, said: “The loss of flowering plants that provide food for bees is one of the key issues blamed for their decline in Europe, the US and other parts of the world. There will be more bee trees added to the arboretum’s tree stock in 2016, which will provide more valuable late season pollen and nectar to those insects of a social, semi-social or solitary lifestyle. With a well managed and productive apiary already on site, the honey bees will likely be the main beneficiaries. The bees, however, are only part of the arboretum’s ecosystem, which is a direct contrast to the surrounding agricultural land where the use of chemicals is part of the way of life and the reduction in hedgerows continues year by year. A recent report published in the journal Nature Communications notes that pollinators such as bees (of all kinds), moths and hover- flies have shown a 28% decline Results of 2015 Vita Photo Sebastian Owen, Commercial Manager since 1970 with little or no sign of this Competition at Vita (Europe) Ltd, said: “Entries to the abating. Here then we have something to Vita’s 2015 international photo competition 2015 Vita Photo Competition were of even be treasured, quite different to its original attracted the largest numbers of entries higher quality than previous years with some purpose. yet with submissions from people on five stunning photos. The judging panel certainly Sarah Montgomery, Managing Director continents. had a tough task in selecting entries from of the Arboretum, said: “The Arboretum’s The overall winner is Hamish Symington across the globe and we were pleased to see 150-acre site comprises a variety of natural with his image of two bees, each with its some innovative close-ups and montages. habitats, including emerging woodland, proboscis extended, drinking nectar from We warmly thank our judging panel and, of hay meadows, riverbank and marsh, which comb. course, especially the entrants.” each have a wealth of flora and fauna. Fourteen entries will appear in the limited The 2015 Vita Calendar will be sent “We are passionate about preserving edition 2016 Vita Calendar distributed to to Vita distributors across the globe, but a these wonderful habitats for wildlife, as Vita’s global network and the winners. Some medium resolution pdf file of the calendar well as educating children and adults alike of the photos are below and a pdf file of the can be downloaded at no cost by registered about them. We are, therefore, delighted full calendar is available for free download to users of the Vita Photo Gallery. Registration to have Chinese Bee Trees planted on the users of the Vita Gallery www.vita-europe. is free and it can be accessed via www.vita- site.” com/gallery. europe.com/gallery The Arboretum’s main purpose is to The international judging panel was: serve as a monument to those uniformed The 2016 Vita Calendar line-up is: Miguel Tejerina of Apilab in Argentina, Yeşim men and women who served their country January Pierre Roth Altay of Bavet in Turkey, Jesús Yepez Peña in times of need and but also encompasses February Margaret Edge of Vetinova in Mexico, Capucine Meneau a wonderful array of natural habitats. There March Yudy Sauw of Apinov in France, Svetlana Pantyukhina must be ways of conveying that aspect of April Sadie Illett of Vita CIS in Russia, plus Giles Blomfield, the value of the site to the many thousands May Catherine Cendre Jeremy Owen and Max Watkins on behalf of of visitors each year. The ethos of the site June Jody Gerdts-Martin Vita (Europe) in the UK. is based on the fallen. We, however, have a July Margaret Edge One of our selection of the photos most commendable addition to the role of August Shantay Francis above. Sign up for the Vita Gallery (free) the Arboretum. September Hamish Symington and download the 2016 Vita Calendar. Stuart Roberts, South Staffs BKA. October Sarah Smithers November Susan Kimber December Luka Sljivic Under-16 winner Alexandre Coulange- Guillamet Honourable mention Karol Steele

The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 13 from our correspondents

ENGLAND massive brown trout, and it is amusing to anything in particular. March is now but Nigel Payne watch them pushing the ducks out of the weeks away- time to sort the supers! What way to get to the offerings! Added to this a lovely thought! One of the joys of winter beekeeping for me, free entertainment The famous Butcher’s and probably most other beekeepers too for shop nearby happens to sell the best black that matter, is my annual trip to the suppliers pudding known to man, and so a necessary Ireland of all things beekeeping in a neighbouring day of beekeeping work is transformed into Philip McCabe county to exchange my wax harvest for the something not to be missed! past year for new foundation. Shelves upon This Autumn was characterised by a At the time of writing this article and as I shelves adorn the dimly lit interior of the long and unseasonably warm period of look out my window, the rain is coming ancient building, and rummaging through weather. It did not end until early January. down like ‘stair rods’. Ireland has been in it is a source of great enjoyment. All the Daytime highs were around 12 degrees receipt of a number of unwanted visitors latest gadgets and technology are on display, C, and night-time lows were not much since early November - Desmond, Eva and and the friendly lady in charge is a fountain different. Bees were out and about every Frank, these are the names of the winter of knowledge and as helpful as can be. Add day, foraging for the remaining ivy still in storms that have battered this green isle over to this the opportunity for a good old gossip flower, and anything else they came across the past 10 weeks. I cannot recall the last with the other beekeepers present and you in village gardens. Cultivars were flowering time I witnessed such an event. The centre of have the recipe for an hour or two of pure out of season widely. As a result, colonies Ireland is just one major lake, families forced enjoyment! The principal factor governing were much stronger and more populous to leave their homes because of floods. the total number of sheets of foundation than they should have been. Despite all this Reports from the farming community is needed can be laid squarely at the door of foraging so late in the year, it was difficult that the land is so wet it may take many the vast acreages of Oilseed rape grown in to asses whether input was exceeding months, or even years, to recover with no these parts. Getting the honey off the hives consumption or the other way around. grasses for animals, hence no wild flowers before it sets in the combs is a juggling act Hefting is fine so far as it goes, and visual for bees. Although we had incessant rain the between the weather and the bees. If they inspection so late in the year is usually to be temperature has been exceptionally warm are able to get out on to the Spring rape avoided. To be on the safe side all colonies with the bees flying, thereby using stores and the race is on to deal with it in the narrow were given a generous helping of fondant wasting energy. My father used to say ‘we window between capping and granulating. before Christmas and will probably get should have a good cold spell every winter to Due to the vagaries of our island climate another one towards the end of January. keep the bee’s house bound for a few weeks and the volatility of the infamous Jet Placed in freezer-bags open at the end, so that they have a good rest’. Well that Stream, the chances are that half of it will the bees can take it or leave it- it does not being the case, I hope we get a good cold have granulated in the combs before the deliquesce and make a mess this way, and spell in the first months of this new-year. other half has been capped over. End result? even if the tough plastic inadvertently closes Global warming seems to be having a – the whole comb has to be sacrificed in over the bees make short thrift of chewing major effect on our weather and if we are order to melt out the honey, and another through it to gain entry. to believe the expert weather forecasters we sheet of foundation is required. Added to The bees in their bijou apiary beside the might get a warm summer this year. For this, any incomplete or misshapen combs River Piddle are standing proud in an inland some reason I recall many hot summers in will also have to be replaced. It is only when sea. This is almost an annual occurrence the fifties and sixties when my father had you add all this together that you realise at this site, and the bees don’t mind a bit! an abundance of sections from our CDB what an excellent idea the “Wax swappage” After all, the surrounding fields are the old hives. Now maybe it’s only my imagination scheme really is. “Water meadows” of bygone days. At least and perhaps there were more wet summers, My wife usually accompanies me on this they haven’t far to go to get their water to although these we tend to forget about, day out, mainly because we stop for lunch dilute the fondant! Soon the waters will but I have a feeling that we did have better on our way home in the Old Coaching recede, and I will be able to get to the hives weather then. Inn a few miles down the road, situated without resorting to chest-waders. My main concern this year is how well in the main street of a delightful little Honey prices remain buoyant. Now that my queens were mated last year and will they town through which runs the enchanting the season for coughs and colds is upon us, last through the next few months. The hives River Test- that muse of wild brown trout demand is high, and consumers will pretty have a good supply of ivy honey over the fishermen the world over. In days past the much gladly pay, within reason, whatever winter and when I tested a few hives in the old Inn was the mecca for wealthy anglers- price is asked. Keeping up with requests first week of January so at least they will not those privileged or rich enough to be able for “another jar please” is a welcome task. starve, but they must have a good supply of to fish those hallowed waters. A carrier Given the very low prices in Supermarkets water nearby. Nature has taken care of this stream to the main river emerges for a for blended honey “from more than one little task for me – I use plastic buckets filled short distance alongside the pavement, country” this is indeed heartening. Mind with ‘river’ stones with the stones higher where a resident tribe of mallard compete you, when the latter is tasted the difference than the rim of the bucket, this prevents the for the bread thrown to them by the local between the two is overwhelming. Blended bees from drowning. children. The battle is joined by a group of honey is just “sweet”, and doesn’t taste of There are many things happening

14 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 this springtime in Ireland. Workshops on Heathrow Airport on the day I visited and Wishing nice weather, plenty of clean bee health are being organised by our Bee when I explained what she had she was none flowers and good honey yields. For me 20 or Health Officer, Eleanor Attridge and this too impressed. However, she rang me a few 25 kg per colony is nice. is a most welcome development. We have days ago looking for the name of the nearest a very strong education system here and association which she now intends to join. informing members of what to look for Until the next time, happy beekeeping. when checking their bees is so important. Many associations are holding ‘beginners classes’ for new members as well as the usual Brittany series of lectures for members. We have a Job Pichon large number of excellent lecturers who are in great demand with our associations. January 25th 2016. Until now the weather Over the past few years in Ireland we has been very warm, bees flying very often, have seen an exponential increase in the taking water and some pollen from gorse number of companies supplying beekeeping and camelias. Stores consumption has been equipment. This tells its own story; many higher than usual, bees thinking that as they A glance at a colony under the crown board in new beekeepers. Over the past 10 to 15 years have heavy stores and no low temperatures, January. our membership has more than doubled brood raising had not stopped in winter like and, as I see it, there is a great enthusiasm they usually do. now amongst all beekeepers. So, how will be this year? Here we hope In my travels I come across so many new to have a nice spring, with willows flowering inventions from very innovative beekeepers; in late March. Through the rape flow, stocks however, some must come with a health will need deep frames changed, and with the warning. On the equipment side it’s very first sealed drone brood, queen raising will enlightening to see some of the items being start. Like every year, some young (or new) developed to make life easier for us, but beekeepers will ask for help and for over- on the treatment for diseases side, it’s a wintered nucs established on 5/6 frames. mine field! Some of the concoctions now Last year some nucs were so strong that they being sold for the treatment of varroa can suffocated during transport (one especially be scary. It seems people are not satisfied which had been sent 400 km away). Now A very strong let alone colony in a neglected hive. with the professionally produced products, if some beekeepers want a nuc established Ivy wraps the hive as protection. chemical or organic, and come up with some on 5 or 6 frames, they need to come with a This stock has been living year after year in a ‘new potion’ that will solve the riddle of the 10 frame box for more space and a screened neglected old hive without any varroa control universe, in beekeeping terms at least, for board like the Nicot ones. It’s a shame to see and will be transferred next April/May as soon as the treatment of varroa. One of the many a nice colony dying through suffocation in drones are flying at the start of the rape flow. Why? if the queen is crushed the stock will be able to re- complaints I come across is the fact that April or May after being over-wintered with queen, and we want some larvae for grafting. The many members, when treating their hives, do success. owner of the land has agreed to give us the stock. not follow the manufacturer’s instructions. I As the stock is so strong we think that it will have hear of people who still use varroa, not in It’s time to prepare the next year: no American Foul Brood, a healthy colony! Ireland I hasten to add, put in the strips and I have a stock of new frames, 50 kg of wax leave them long after the time they should foundation (part to be sold), 10 new deep Photos: Job Pichon have been removed. Excellent research is boxes and a stock of plastic jars. It’s part of ongoing in our universities and institutes my work, the bees must do the rest. My but the difficulty I see with this is that the programme : Canada information on the ongoing development or 2 - 3 deep frames or more changed in each David Dawson results does not filter its way down to the stock, in April/May . beekeepers. This is something I am trying to Queens raised in May / June, using larvae It has been said that people who are willing to address wearing my Apimondia hat. from selected colonies. give up everything and emigrate to another The first indicators for bee losses this Matings in protected apiaries, not near country are more inclined to be risk-takers winter is being targeted at about 28% mongrolised areas. and entrepreneurs than those who stay globally. This is a small reduction so let’s Working with fellow beekeepers of our local at home. There may be a grain of truth in hope it continues in that direction. association. this – at least for the emigrating generation. On a lighter note I was invited recently Honey from rape extracted at the end of the The area where I live is on the edge of the to view a colony of bees above the ceiling flow. flat prairie land and is mostly unsuitable in a lady’s bedroom. The first indicator was Building nucs for the next year and rearing for conventional agriculture being poor soil a large stain that appeared in the ceiling, a some colonies if needed. and full of huge rocks. In the last 10 years little over a metre in size. The lady thought And hoping for a nice honey yield. or so, developers have divided up the land she had a leaking pipe and called a plumber into numerous two or five-acre building lots but it seems he took off, like a scalded cat, I have year after year too many nucs, and we have received hundreds of German- when he saw the bees. Well I got the call and some will be sold if they look to be nice. I speaking immigrant families mostly from advised her that we can remove them but have about 50 colonies and during the last Russia. They all want a couple of cows, some will leave it until April, weather dependent. 10 years I have not seen any American Foul chickens, geese, goats, a large vegetable patch Their entrance on the facia board looked like Brood in my apiaries. and many seem to want to have a few hives

The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 15 of bees too. As a result the area is overrun Another man had two colonies for significantly. with novice beekeepers. a couple of years and got lots of honey. One new beekeeper I met recently is Some of these novice beekeepers are Easy, he thought, and spent the next starting with 500 colonies, which sounds more adventurous than others and start winter nailing together equipment for 100 unbelievable, and I cannot imagine anyone very ambitious beekeeping ventures. For colonies. He converted part of his garage for doing such a thing in the UK, but he seems example, last year I met a complete novice extracting with a new stainless steel extractor, to have done his homework thoroughly. beekeeper that had been told he could automatic de-capper, pumps, tanks etc etc. As a teenager he worked on his uncle’s bee make $40,000 from 100 hives. With Two years later everything was for sale as he farm where they managed 800 colonies, and absolutely no previous experience, dollar discovered there was more to beekeeping his father, who is likely to be the principal signs in front of his eyes and ‘Beekeeping than he thought. beekeeper, ran 100 colonies for a number of for Dummies’ as his guide, he bought a lot There are other examples but I think years on his own whilst also having a full- of cheap old equipment and 14 packages readers will get the idea. time job. Being a relatively young man – of bees. I met him later in the summer and On the other side of the coin there are 35 years old – he qualifies for a special low- offered to have a look through his bees the commercial beekeepers that take things interest young-farmer government loan and with him to give him some advice, much more seriously and plan to a higher degree that certainly helps. Originally he was going like a visiting advisor of the old English – especially if they have to borrow lots to buy 500 packages of bees but since he will beekeeping associations, and guess what: of money. Last year honey production in likely only have boxes full of new frames with the first colony I opened was riddled with Canada increased by 11.4% to 42000 tons, plastic foundation, he was convinced to buy American Foul Brood! Needless to say due mostly to an increase in colony numbers 5-frame nucs instead. He has signed up for he had been putting the cappings in an with existing beekeepers. Here in Manitoba 166 nucs each week for 3 weeks starting in up-turned roof for the bees to lick up the in 2015 we had 806 registered beekeepers spring. In the meantime he has to assemble honey (!!) no doubt spreading the AFB to who produced 7140 tons of honey – up up to 2000 brood boxes/supers, lids, floors all his colonies, but I had seen enough and roughly 14% over 2014. That was in spite and of course 20,000 frames, though he is referred him to the Dept of Agriculture bee of the fact that average yields were down looking for secondhand supers so that the inspector. so the number of colonies had increased bees will at least have some drawn comb.

60 x 200 foot building of another nearby commercial beekeeper. 16 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016

Meantime he is currently having built a large 60 x 50 foot building for extracting, storage and overwintering. The overwintering part will have cooling, too, because even though we still have bitterly cold winters, with global warming we are tending to get more warm spells when it is hard to keep the bees quiescent. And to top it off, he has bought (used) a 120-frame extractor with de-capper and everything conveyorised. Not far away is another commercial beekeeper who had out-grown his previous place. He has just built a huge 60 x 200 foot building with, additionally, at the front an office section and salesroom to meet food inspection standards. There’s a lunchroom with a fully-equipped kitchen, male & female toilets and even a shower room. This man started beekeeping as a retirement hobby but now, together with his son, runs 1400 colonies, and last year produced 257,000 pounds of honey. This they reckoned was down on their long-term average due to lots of swarms. In 2015 everyone seems to have had problems with swarming (even me!). I was given a personal one-hour-long tour of the new facility and was absolutely blown away by everything. My photographs hardly do it justice. The up-to-date 120 The 120 frame extracting line. frame extracting line is the most modern available capable of processing 300 or more supers per day. It has a pneumatic system for lifting the supers onto the front conveyor with a screw-style scraper for removing the burr comb from the top and bottom of the frames. Then there is the de-boxer that pushes up the 10 frames all at once and puts them onto the de-capper arms. After the de-capper, the frames are held on a conveyor until there are sufficient to load the extractor. The extractor lid is opened and 30 frames are pneumatically pushed off the conveyor into the extractor. This automatically pushes 30 empty frames out the other side onto Plenty of space for storage. another conveyor system from where they are put back into the supers. This is repeated three more times until the extractor is full. All the honey from the extractor, honey and wax from the de-capper, and the drippings while the combs wait to go into the extractor, everything goes into one big tank under the extractor. This honey and wax mixture is pumped to a heat exchanger to warm it up and make filtering easier. Actually, it is not filtered but it goes through a centrifuge that separates the honey and wax perfectly. The wax drops out on a continuous basis and has the consistency of dry porridge oats. They have two large rooms for overwintering their bees and when I looked inside they had 700 colonies in each room, all on pallets for fork lift trucks and everything as clean as anything. I could wax lyrical about other Winter storage of colonies. The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 17 features of the place but the photos will say it better.

Real Estate sign to attract incomers to live and work in the area.

Erica carnea, photographed in early January, in Serbia. Serbia Pedrag Cvetovik anyone is interested they can have a look at: http://biofizika.pote.hu/docs/farma/ Honey Production file/EJPSB_1%282%29125-151.pdf We had unusually long warm autumn here, Unfortunately, after such a good season and only in December weather turned here in Serbia, we are not so lucky in the cold, below average, and now it is also end because the export of honey doesn’t cold, almost without snow. Bees are well till work till now for some reasons (maybe Serbian Honeys - Left to Right: Honey dew from oak trees; now. While visiting and working for some there is no need for honey on the World beekeepers on several bee yards, I’ve seen Market). So, you can imagine, there is a lot the noticeable differences in hive strength of honey on the domestic market. Some Heather Moors between bee yards, but it is still too early to exporters have already received honey We have heather (Erica carnea) in Serbia, predict how bees will overwinter. from beekeepers but don’t have the money but not in large quantities. It can flower Beekeepers had a very good season here, to pay... the price of honey has dropped. between late autumn and spring. I first came and in some parts of the country, including Now, the retail price varies from 4-9 euros, across it maybe 30 years ago, when I was on my area it was the record honey crop. After depending of the area, type of honey, etc. one mountain peak (at 1024 m) when I was the record acacia flow, honeydew appeared I didn’t have a big production because walking with a group of friends belonging (in central and south parts of Serbia) and I still don’t have many hives, but have two to our Ham Radio Club. It was about 20 lasted a pretty long time, from late June to main types of honey; acacia (black locust) km from my town, in the North West, at almost the end of August. Conditions were and honeydew, but also some naturally the beginning of October. Several years favourable - dry Summer, hot days and cold mixed honey. Sending you a picture, not ago, when I’ve travelled through another nights - excellent for honeydew from oak mine; in the middle is sunflower honey mountain, range far from me, I noticed trees. It appeared even on some other trees which I’ve put in as an illustration for that erica in bloom in the spring. I know there is or shrubs (in north part of the country) but Luxembourgish journal. The lighter acacia also heather where a Russian beekeeper lives didn’t bring much honey. honey in the picture is also not mine; it is in the mountains, so last spring I traveled I had an interesting contact last Autumn; from people whose bees I take care of. Mine to visit him. We could see the red heather the editor of national beekeeping journal is light yellow, really very nice, tasteful from his house as there were no leaves on in Luxembourg contacted me through my and very thick honey. One my customers the trees. The area of heather wasn’t large - website and asked if he could publish an recently told me that one beekeeper, their within a circle of 3-4 km there was about article about beekeeping in Serbia in their friend from other town, tasted the honey 3-5 hectares on the side of the mountain. journal. I agreed, of course, but suggested they’d bought from me (they don’t know His neighbour, also a beekeeper, said the to him that since it is pretty old article I me) and said “Such honey is worth ten heather didn’t always flower as well as that could write a new one, updated, to which euros!”. year and sometimes snow can cover all the he agreed. The article was translated into I sell honey for around 6,8 euros for plants during the time they were in flower. German and published in the December the 1kg jar, but there is a very difficult However, sometimes the beekeeper can get issue of their magazine; over ten pages with economical situation in my town and surplus honey from this unusual source in many pictures! people often simply doesn’t have money spring. While working on that article and to buy honey. You can imagine; there Calluna vulgaris, of great importance to searching the web for some English used to be , in the past, one big factory UK beekeepers, I believe is absent in Serbia expressions, I was lucky to find a very in my town, with 16,000 workers (the though this summer/autumn flowering plant interesting long article, “Nectar Production whole municipality has around 50,000 is present in some of the former republics for the Hungarian Honey Industry”.If inhabitants) and now there are only 1,500 of ex-Yugoslavia - Croatia, Bosnia and workers. Montenegro. 18 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016

Australia Eucalyptus gummifera, now Corymbia gummier - just to confuse us folk! Geoff Manning

I am the president of my local Rural Fire Brigade. Don’t be fooled by the exalted title, it is a bit like being ‘champion of your street’. I just chair the monthly meetings; the real, responsible, work is done by the Captain, Deputy Captain and Crew Leaders. I only mention it because we have been attempting to do some hazard reduction burns for weeks, but the weather always seems to intervene. Just enough rain to stop a successful burn. Not quite the case elsewhere. Most of the southern parts of the country are having major problems with bushfires. A colleague in Western Australia informs me that there were not likely to have been any hives lost, even though much of it is prime bee country, as it was not in use at the time, but it will certainly have a major impact down the track. I would expect that South Australia will be similar. A Victorian friend indicated that the major fires there were not in important beekeeping country. The

My hives are being used for raspberry pollination, a new fruit to me. The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 19 fires did, however, lead to much property Nepal deep interest in taking part in beekeeping damage. Tej Pun training and seminars. They even want to As I write Tasmania is experiencing some share their ideas with each other. Because seventy fires and some of them at least are Honey without Flowers? of our passion for beekeeping, very cheap, in the famed Leatherwood honey country. Nearly everyone knows that bees make honey duplicate honey from India hasn’t been Although many hives were removed as the from the nectar of flowers. Here, we get honey bought for the last two years. I find it very fires got underway, there are still many in the without flowers, most often in November easy to suggest that they conserve bee plants fire areas and their fate will not be known each year. Cherry (after blooming), local these days. Some of the beekeepers also keep until the fires are controlled or extinguished. pine trees, bamboos, etc. are the main trees bees inside homes, with entrances through It seems certain that a large proportion of the in which lots of numerous small black insects the walls, to avoid the extreme cold. Some Leatherwood crop will not eventuate. (aphids - Ed?) cover their branches and drop traditional beekeepers were fed up with Here, meaning where I live in North down small amount of honeydew that can be the mites and let their hives deteriorate. Eastern New South Wales, the weather has seen everywhere beneath the branches; one However, in conclusion, more new local been fairly mild and as I indicated above, can taste it and the bees are really busy from people are attracted to beekeeping these also providing ample rain. Cattlemen are early in the morning. One fine morning days. They also get me to translate the BKQ rubbing their hands with glee. I was in front of the hives analysing their into Nepali. The honey prospects were pretty ordinary activities; most of the bees seemed very active and so far that seems to be also the reality. flying to the north and coming back to the My Winter Plan Bloodwood is now flowering; however the hives very soon. I asked myself why they are Every year bees are inactive during the winter local species rarely gives nectar, although so busy this time and instantly followed their season. It’s probably correct to say that their the pollen is of good quality. I was looking flying and reached a pine forest about 200 activities are at zero level due to extreme at some hives today and was pleasantly meters above my house. The buzzing of the cold. The queen bees don’t lay eggs. It’s really surprised to see some bloodwood honey bees was everywhere on the pine branches very cold in the morning and after around coming in. So maybe this is the year. The which surprised me very much. However, if 2/3 pm but middays are warm. There are tree flowers profusely most years and is one it rains all the drops of honeydew are washed not any other winter crops and flowers at of our more spectacular in appearance. The away and the honey production becomes all. I’ve made a plan to increase bees’ forage. species that grows in the famed Pilliga Scrub only a good story. When winter begins and For this, I’ve sown oil seed rape, mustard is regarded as a reliable honey producer as the weather changes to very cold, all the and peas. I hope the crops will support my is the one in Western Australia. Over there small insects vanish and the bees also seem beekeeping research. Let’s see what changes they call it Red Gum, just to be different. inactive. will be made. Both names refer to the red coloured gum that shows as bands in the timber. Global Climate Change I am pollinating some raspberries at Raspberry and pear bloom in March each the moment. Interesting, particularly as I year, but this time they have been in flower had never knowingly seen a raspberry plant since early December. They are good for before, and had not eaten any until this the bees but what will happen at their usual Christmas Day. They are being grown on blooming time? I’ve to make a note of it. I land that previously was growing blueberries, think they don’t all open due to heavy dews in which I also pollinated. When I say grown the morning. These non-seasonable flowers on land, that is not strictly true, they are may support beekeeping to some extent. It’s being grown hydroponically. The blueberries all because of global climate change, isn’t it? were under bird netting, but the raspberries are under long igloos and are open ended. I The Attraction of Beekeeping assume that the grower thinks that the birds Nearly all the people who see me at harvest that have a fancy for blueberries will not take time have started to keep bees. They have a Honeybee on pine. to the colour change. As a field naturalist I am dubious, but have to admit that so far I have not seen the slightest flutter. Still I also know that animals are conservative as to their food, but when a source is eventually discovered, stand back from the rush!

A droplet of honeydew. Honeybee on pear blossom.

20 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016

Ripe raspberry.

a

Honeybee on raspberry.

Tej is a school teacher and his family all participate in their traditional method of farming. Students playing outside their classrooms.

A bee hive in the wall of a house.

Buckwheat in flower.

Traditional method of keeping bees in horizontal tree log hives.

A new frame mostly filled with honey and pollen.

Tej’s extended family.

Modern hives.

A good crop of mustard. Emptying honey from the extractor. Cutting the grass. Honeybee on pear.

22 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 23 AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES AND HONEYBEES The Role of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Bee Colony Deaths: A Synopsis of Recent Literature, with special reference to the situation in Germany Klaus-Werner Wenzel, Germany. Edited by Graham White

Introduction flowers, intoxicated by neonicotinoids. A Harvard research group carried out ees today face many threats, Neonicotinoids are far more poisonous a ‘semi-field’ investigation by feeding bees including: loss of habitat to bees than DDT: from 5,000 to 10,800 sub-lethal doses of imidacloprid (brand and wildflowers, industrialtimes more toxic (5). name “Gaucho”); remarkably, while all the monoculture crops; Varroa The seeds of wheat, oilseed rape, maize colonies survived for the first 12 weeks, 96% Bparasites; viral, fungal and bacterial diseases; and soybeans, are almost universally coated of them were dead by the 23rd week (9). climate change, etc. However, the weight with neonicotinoids. These insecticidesThis reveals the ‘time dependent’ nature of of recent research confirms neonicotinoid are water soluble and persistent in soil chronic, sub lethal poisoning by neonics. insecticides as the primary killers of millions and water, with a half-life in some soils of The sub-lethal toxic effects of neonics of bee colonies. up to 18 years (6); moreover they degrade damage processes vital to the survival of the This ‘state of the science’ has been into chemicals which are just as toxic as the colony like: recently confirmed in various reviews (1 neonics themselves. Moreover, since soil task differentiation in the colony, - 3). In December 2013, responding to and water remain contaminated for years, feeding and caring for the larvae, this mountain of scientific evidence, the it is unlikely that the EU’s two year ban on mutual grooming European Union imposed a moratorium neonics will yield positive results. (esp. removal of parasites), banning the use of three neonicotinoid Neonicotinoids are termed ‘systemic’, thermo-regulation in the hive. insecticides, as seed-coatings on crops which because they invade the entire tissues of attract bees; this suspension has been in a plant, from roots and leaves to flowers We also observe grossly abnormal force for two years (4). and fruit. Crucially, they also appear in the behaviour among the bees; they cannot A similar moratorium was also imposed pollen and nectar of the flowers, rendering retract their tongues; they tremble on Fipronil, a phenyl-pyrazole insecticide, them poisonous to bees. The entire plant uncontrollably on the comb; they cannot whose toxic effect on bees is similar to NNs. becomes poisonous to insects; every plant, perform the ‘waggle dance’; they fail to This ban will be reviewed in December in every treated field is toxic to bees, along recognise related bees, etc. (10). Sub-lethal 2015. with marginal plants like wildflowers. doses of imidacloprid also cause the hypo- However, the real danger from these pharyngeal glands to atrophy, damaging Mode of action of neonicotinoids (NN) insecticides is subtle and hidden; we don’t young nurse bees’ ability to produce royal- Neonicotinoids (NN) were released onto the often see bees falling dead from the flowers, jelly for the queen and brood (11). market in 1992, by BAYER (the inventor), poisoned by neonics; but the minute for use ‘against biting and sucking insects’. amounts of these toxins, gathered by the Weight of recent publications They kill insects by blocking nerve impulses bees with the pollen and nectar, induce a and paralysing muscles. Ever since they were slow, sub-lethal poisoning. Neonicotinoids confirms the impact of NN licensed, we have seen an exponential rise in damage the bees’ entire nervous system; In contrast to hundreds of high quality bee colony deaths, in Europe and America. foragers become disoriented and cannot studies, which confirm that bees are killed by The effect of neonicotinoids on bee- find their way back to the hive (7,8). This is chronic, sub-lethal neonicotinoid poisons; brains, is similar to the effect of nicotine the simple explanation for so-called ‘CCD’ just two papers claimed that NNs are not on human brains; they chemically bind to (Colony Collapse disorder), mainly seen in responsible for bee deaths. Both papers came acetylcholine receptors on the brain synapses. the USA, in which almost all the foragers from authors who are linked to the pesticide While nicotine only stimulates the human disappear from apparently healthy colonies. industry. brain for a short time, (hence the smoker’s All that remain in the hive are the queen, The first paper claimed that all existing need for constant re-supply), neonics cause a few young bees and combs full of honey. laboratory and semi-field investigations used permanent damage to bees’ brains; they Very few dead bees are found, in or around neonics doses which were too high and too hyper-stimulate synapses, overload sensory the hive. The entire working population of toxic; the authors claim that these doses did systems and wreck muscular co-ordination. bees simply vanishes without trace, dying not reflect ‘real world’ concentrations of NN We can see this neural hyper-stimulation somewhere out there in the fields. Such found in the pollen and nectar, which bees in bees, when they fall quivering from the colonies are doomed. gather from the fields. 24 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 PESTICIDES

Such was the phrase in a ‘publication in them, by choosing to feed on untreated that a chronic, sub-lethal pesticide exposure preparation’ from Helen Thompson, then flowers), was demolished by research groups of just 0.25 ppb (ppb = 1 part per billion, head of the pesticide department at the from English and Irish universities. They or 1 ng/g imidacloprid) will kill them. This British Ministry of Environment and Food used a dual-choice-feeding test, in which means that a cumulative dose of just 250pg DEFRA (12). On April 29th 2013 the UK honeybees and one bumblebee species, (picogrammes) of neonicotinoids per bee, government used Thompson’s data in an were offered: either a pure sugar solution, would kill an entire colony of honeybees attempt to block the EU’s moratorium on or a neonic-laced solution. The experiment (20). neonics (4); they failed. proved that, when offered field-relevant Shortly afterwards, in September doses of neonicotinoids found in nectar, NN cause direct suppression of the 2013, Helen Thompson resigned her UK neither honeybees nor bumblebees avoid bees’ immune system government post and moved to a new imidacloprid (“Gaucho”), Thiamethoxam One of the most significant, if not THE job with the neonicotinoids producer (“Cruiser”), or clothianidin (“Poncho”) most important publication in recent years, SYNGENTA in Basel / Switzerland. in food. Moreover, bees of both species concerning NN stems from Di Prisco et Recently it has been proved that the data preferred to ingest more of the imidacloprid al. (21). Biological processes are regarded provided by Thompson, and used by the UK and thiamethoxam-laced sucrose solutions as ‘proven’ if they can be demonstrated at government, was false (13). than the uncontaminated sucrose. the molecular-biological (genetic) level. Then, in April 2015, a research group This strongly suggests that bees cannot Scientists from three Italian universities from several Swedish universities published taste neonicotinoids in solution and are not found definite evidence, at the molecular the results of a very ambitious study in repelled by contaminated nectar. Rather, level, that clothianidin and imidacloprid ‘Nature’; this used 16 paired and matched the bees learned to prefer a solution which negatively affect the transcription factor landscapes (14). Control areas (planted contained two different NN’s - presumably in honeybees which controls the immune with untreated seeds) were compared with because they were ‘stimulated’ by the NNs. response; thus exposure to NN reduces a neonic- treated areas, in which oilseed The authors assume that the bees experience bee colony’s immune defences. In order to rape seeds were coated with clothianidin. a ‘pleasurable’ stimulation in their brains, demonstrate the impact of these molecular However, bees in the study also had access similar to that enjoyed by nicotine-addicted events in practice, using freshly emerged to certain areas of field margin plants and an smokers. honeybees, the authors demonstrated area with wild flowers. After estimating the If bees prefer to collect nectar laced with increased replication of the Deformed proportion of oilseed rape pollen collected, neonicotinoids, it follows that they will bring Wing Virus genome (DWV). Indeed, the the concentrations of clothianidin in pollen more NN-laced food back to the colony. number of DWV genome copies increased and nectar collected by bees, were measured. This suggests that colonies could be exposed up to 1000-fold after field-realistic sub- It turned out that both honeybees and to even higher levels of these neonicotinoids lethal amounts of NN were fed to bees. bumble bees had collected higher amounts than experiments with field concentrations The increase in virus replication was dose- of Clothianidin in comparison to earlier had earlier predicted. dependent, and the rate at which honeybees studies. This discovery refuted Thompson’s died was also dose-dependent. claim, that previous researchers had over- The validity of measuring chronic In order to prove this direct lethal effect estimated NN concentrations in earlier (sub-lethal) toxicity, rather than of NN, the authors chose the DWV virus experiments (15). acute (LD50) toxicity because it is a hidden infection, endemic in Secondly, any studies that reported The mass of scientific research confirms virtually all bee colonies worldwide. On its adverse effects of NN to bees were criticised that neonicotinoids are sub-lethally toxic to own, Deformed Wing Virus does not cause and undermined by claiming that: honeybees and other pollinators. Faced with the death of bee-colonies; it is always present ‘unrealistically high dosages of NN’ had been this, the industry simply ignores the current in colonies, but usually has no effect. used in the experiments; this implied that state of scientific knowledge, and clings to However, when one adds neonicotinoids the studies were ‘invalid’. They claimed that, the outdated LD50 test (the measurement of to the equation, DWV becomes lethal to under ‘real’ field conditions, bees could taste acute toxicity used in toxicology, chemistry, bee colonies (22, 23). Thus DWV forms a the chemical residues of NN in treated crops, and medicine since the 1940s). The industry deadly partnership with the Varroa mite, and so would avoid foraging on them (16). does this, despite recent recommendations by infecting and killing colonies which Yet again, this claim was also disproved, as by EFSA that the EU should adopt more have been rendered immune-deficient by recently published in Nature (same issue as sensitive modern methods, to measure lethal neonicotinoids (24). According to Di Prisco ref. 14) (15,18). chronic toxicity, in regard to neonicotinoids et al. (21) such immune suppression by We note a strong association between (19). NNs also exists in regard to bacterial gut these critics and the pesticide industry; a key Acute-lethal toxicity (LD50) is infections such as Nosema. Thus, there is author, T. Blaquière, belongs to an institute established in the laboratory by feeding great concern over the triggering of immune (loosely connected to the University subjects a range of concentrations of the system suppression by NNs since they open a Wageningen / NL), which is funded by test substance, from low to high doses. The Pandora’s Box of lethal pathogens. Moreover, both BAYER and SYNGENTA. Strangely, dose which kills 50% of the test-animals while the pesticides-lobby continues to deny among his fellow authors Blaquière is barely within 24 - 48 hours, is then defined as the dangers which NNs pose for bees, there known for bee-research. Moreover, he has the LD50 (lethal dosage 50%). It was is strong agreement among scientists that the a bad reputation in the Netherlands, due discovered that the dose needed to produce discoveries of the Di Prisco group are a major to peddling his fake expertise, with false death by chronic toxicity was dramatically breakthrough for understanding the impact assertions about Neonicotinoids (17). less: 29 to 172 times lower than the acute of neonicotinoids on honeybees, and for the Blaquière’s false claim: (that bees could LD50 dose. If bees are assumed to have a threat that they pose to other pollinators, detect the taste of neonicotinoids, and avoid wintering-time of 150 days, it is estimated moths, butterflies and to biodiversity. The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 25 PESTICIDES

On the 8th of April 2015 the threats university bee research departments. They weakens colonies by acting as a vector for which NNs pose to ecosystem services were usually publish this pesticide-defence story infectious diseases (24). asserted by EASAC (the European Academies in non-academic journals, to hoodwink the << In 1993 populations of the western Apis Science Advisory Council) (25). This broad public and the politicians (27, 28). Such mellifera had been detected in the “Primorski- and detailed meta-analysis of the worldwide authors also created the notorious German Region” (the Russian pacific coast between literature on NN (with 331 references) also Bee Monitoring Project (DEBIMO), Wladiwostok and the Chinese border) which confirmed the impacts which NNs have on initiated and co-funded by the pesticide were happily coexisting with Varroa mites. bees’ immune response. industry. Predictably, the conclusion of this The bees had been brought to the Primorski- Referring to the results of Di Prisco et industry-sponsored project, was that the Region more than 100 years ago by Ukrainian al. it was concluded “that neonicotinoids Varroa mite is the main cause of bee losses; settlers. Great hope arose that these Varroa- cannot be considered as the only ‘cause’ neonicotinoids are innocent! resistant honeybee populations could solve the of Colony losses, but they can aggravate However, the DEBIMO Report was Varroa problem. The results from tests in the the impact of viral pathogens, stably false, biased and incompetent. It contained USA and in Europe in the late 1990s were associated with honeybee colonies all over falsified graphs, and it did not even admit unsatisfactory, however >>(23). the world”. that the most-found pesticide - thiacloprid In Germany, the five leading Bee- Such a statement from EASAC (a - is itself a neonicotinoid (23, 29). EFSA Institutes collaborated on the so-called council which represents the 29 National did not even consider such a biased and ‘Project Primorski’ from 2002 to 2003. Science Boards of the European Union incompetent publication worthy of mention When this ended, the result was: “so and Switzerland), may be considered as (4). unsatisfactory that further experiments cannot almost a ‘definitive confirmation’ of the Since Varroa mites only parasitise be recommended to beekeepers” (32). causal connection between neonicotinoids honeybees, the claim that the Varroa mite Actually, the Varroa mites increased less and immune-system deficiency in bees, as is the primary cause of honeybee colony in the Russian Primorski colonies than they discussed above. losses seems absurd because the even more did in the German honeybee hives (Apis dramatic decline of bumble bees (30) and carnica), but “all requisite tests for honeybee Effects of neonicotinoids clarify wild bees (31) cannot be explained by the colonies had been clearly below average”. previously obscure aspects of bee Varroa mite. A major study in “Nature” by The yield of honey from the Russian deaths. Swedish universities dealt with meticulous colonies was 35% less than that of the carnica If we limit the discussion of the threats to research into the neonicotinoid clothianidin bees, even though the native German bees bees, and loss of colonies, to biological (“Poncho”) in 16 replicated and matched had more varroa mites. In fact, to provide factors alone, some questions just can’t be landscapes, mentioned above (14). Under the Russian colonies with the best possible answered; if we only look at parasites and the toxic impact of clothianidin, wild bees foraging conditions, these were placed diseases, we simple cannot account for the disappeared completely, while survival right in the middle of canola fields, treated vast scale of colony losses. However, if we of bumblebees was greatly reduced; this intensively with NNs. It is amazing that no- take into account current knowledge on the confirmed the findings of earlier semi- one considered if the failure of the Russian effects of systemic neonicotinoids, then these field trials with NN (14, 15). This is why colonies was due to the toxic influence of phenomena can be explained, or can at least the agro-chemical lobby usually avoids all neonicotinoids. After all, as early as 1999, be investigated. The agro-chemical industry mention of the decline of wild bees and other the French had already banned the NN lobby tries to hide any uncertainties in their pollinators. The pesticide lobby is equally imidacloprid from use on sunflower crops, unconvincing (pesticide-free) explanations. anxious to bury the paper by Di Prisco et al., because of its poisonous effect on honeybees However, the bee expert H.J.Flügel, famed which proves that sub-lethal doses of NN (33). Later, the French NN ban was extended for his meticulous and honest presentations suppress bees’ immune response (21). to other crops like maize, without any fall in and articles, recently gave an excellent review The Varroa mite’s original host is the crop yields (34). Consequently, any denial (23); his examples proved ideal for discussing Eastern Honeybee, Apis cerana, of East-Asia; of the dangers posed for honeybees by NNs the impact of Neonicotinoids. For simplicity, Varroa was first described on the Russian is simply not credible, even if one accepts these citations from H.J.Flügel (23) will be Pacific coast in 1852. But Apis cerana suffers that internet access was less developed in indicated in << italics >> below. little damage from Varroa destructor, since those years. The French situation in regard they have co-evolved over millennia. Only to neonicotinoids and bee deaths was widely Varroa mites the male drones are affected by the varroa known. parasite; female worker bees are entirely << Another unexplained item is: why Most of our current knowledge, that unaffected. During the late 1970’s Varroa damage caused to bee colonies by Varroa neonicotinoids are the primary cause of destructor invaded Germany, hidden destructor infestations is expressed differently accelerating bee-losses worldwide, has within Asian honeybee colonies. Since the in different parts of the world; and this in spite emerged from other European countries, western honeybee Apis mellifera did not of the proof that Varroa destructor, outside rather than Germany. In contrast to the co-evolve with varroa, it enjoys none of the Asia, all belong to one single clone. >>(23). scientific concensus, the agro-chemical natural defences which Apis cerana employs: It is obvious that the way neonicotinoids lobby maintains that systemic pesticides in grooming, biting and physically removing act in synergy with Varroa was not taken pose little threat to bees (except for mistakes mites. Sadly, in the case of our Western into account. The pesticide-loading with in applying them); the industry preaches honeybees, this exotic blood-sucking parasite NN in different regions should have been that the primary danger to bees comes from attacks every bee: male drones, female considered. However, even when analyses the varroa mite (26). workers, developing larvae and queens. It of NN in honeybee hives might have been In Germany, the pesticide industry’s seems certain, however, that Varroa by itself too costly, the adoption of so-called ‘spray Varroa Cover Story is preached by the does not kill honeybee colonies; but the mite book records’ of surrounding areas would so-called ‘Bee Institutes’, and even some 26 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 PESTICIDES have been best. The highest NN loadings this would run contrary to the normal became possible to give evidence of viruses are found in: North-America (100% NN in evolutionary path, which generally leads to with disease potency for honeybees. But it crops of maize and 95% for soya beans in increased reproduction. was not until the mid 1990’s that the tool the US); in certain European countries, and On the contrary, the increasing lethality of “Reverse Transcription PCR” enabled for China (in some southern parts of which of Varroa mites, which we observe, suggests rapid identification of viruses in honeybees. apple trees have to be hand pollinated due to that it is suppression of the bees immune Worldwide, about 20 virus species are now the absence of bees). A further toxic penalty, response by NN (see below), which has made known, which can induce disease in honeybees. from long-term poisoning of plants with these mites more deadly to the honeybees. >>(23). systemic insecticides, is that NN persist in It would be interesting to know how Reverse Transcription PCR makes it far the soil, with a half life of 3 to18 years (6). the ‘German Varroa lobby’ will explain easier to detect viruses in honeybees. It is << As a matter of fact genetically identical these biological phenomena. It is probable, notable, however, that the rising number of Varroa mites increase faster in temperate however, that they will continue to hide and virus species identified has kept pace with climate zones than in warmer tropical climate. ignore these ‘inconvenient’ facts. the rising use of NN since the mid 1990’s. Thus honeybee colonies in Africa survive This may suggest that the increasing number infestation by this mite for significantly longer Nosema of viruses discovered in bees were actually times than honeybees in temperate latitudes Several research groups found that sublethal the result of direct immune suppression by of the world - even without any treatment dosages of NN (even minute amounts NN (21); this is even more likely, as bee against Varroa -. >>(23). corresponding to the lowest borderline losses were also increasing during that time. Again it seems reasonable to consider ranges of field concentrations) increased << In particular DWV (Deforming Wing additional impacts by NN. For the crops infection of the bees’ gut by Nosema Virus) is regarded as dangerous for honeybees. most heavily treated with NN, like maize, sp., leading to death (37, 38, 39, 40). If DWV is injected by parasitic Varroa canola and sunflowers, are grown over huge Presumably, suppression of the immune mites, these viruses are allegedly much more areas in temperate zones. We also know that response, as described above (Di Prisco et dangerous than the existing DWV. Severe untreated fields are still contaminated by al., 21) weakens the bees’ immune defence changes of this virus species must have occurred wind-borne NN when treated seeds are sown against such pathogens. if it had been spread all over the world since in adjacent fields (35). In landscapes where << In contrast to Varroa mites honeybees long times, because before 2003, it was not industrial monocultures prevail, it may be can pass Nosema cerana via flowers to bumble known that bumble bees could be infected, impossible to find any area which remains bees, and it was found that for, all 7 bumble too; thereby developing the disease of crippled uncontaminated by neonicotinoids. This bee species being investigated, Nosema cerana wings as known from honeybees >>(22). was actually confirmed by a Government was significantly more dangerous to bumble As explained above, for the similar investigation in the UK. (13). bees than to honeybees. >>(23). process involving Nosema cerana, such a Since radically different growing The toxicity of NN to honeybees is change in other species may indicate that conditions apply to crops in tropical similar, in principle, to their toxicity for other suppression of the bees’ immune response, countries, fewer neonicotinoids are used bee species (41). However, the honeybee is following the application of NN, is the there; sometimes none at all. Moreover, the worst model for assessing NN toxicity underlying cause; this is even more so in healthy honeybees, with strong immune to other bee species, because the huge size the case of bumblebees. Varroa mites do systems, are well able to cope with Varroa and resilience of a honeybee colony serves not affect bumblebees and so could not mites. Also, we have a further advantage as a buffer against the loss of thousands of possibly be responsible for increased losses in the sun-drenched tropics, since NN’s foragers and workers (15, 25). By contrast, due to varroa-transmitted viruses. DWV decompose under the impact of strong UV bumblebee colonies are very small; they is found at all stages of bee development: light. may only have 10 to 100 workers and thus in the eggs and larvae, as well as in drone << In regard to the Varroa mite another are far more sensitive to the loss of worker- sperm (22). The reason why DWV has phenomenon exists: when during the 1980’s bees. Solitary bees are even more vulnerable such exceptionally harmful effects on about 2000 dead mites in a honeybee hive than bumblebees; in solitary bees, a single honeybees has been explained by Di Prisco had been counted after treatment for varroa, mother has sole responsibility for feeding et al (21), when neonicotinoids suppress the this was not alarming at all. Nowadays a her larvae. This ‘single mother’ enjoys no bees’ immune response, we see enhanced honeybee colony will be lost, when 500 or less such ‘buffering capacity’, unlike the huge replication of Deformed Wing Virus, which dead mites are found. The question is whether colonies of social bees . tips the balance towards colony-death. Varroa mites have become more aggressive, or Moreover, in honeybee colonies, if whether they adapted to the western honeybee neonics shorten the lifespan of a queen the by moderate reproduction in order to prevent colony will simply rear new queens (31); Compilation of neonicotinoid effects extinction of their sole host in a short period bumble bees cannot make ‘emergency Recent research has clarified certain, of time. On the other hand, it is assumed queens’ in this way (42). Because of their very previously unexplained, biological that honeybee colonies are threatened by viral different biology and ecology, bumblebees phenomena. Generally, it is the sub-lethal infections, transmitted through the bites of are far more vulnerable to neonicotinoids; effects of systemic pesticides, mainly NNs, these blood-sucking mites.>>(23). and solitary bees are even more vulnerable which damage or destroy the bees’ immune Such considerations are unlikely. It is not than bumblebees. Thus Nosema cerana response. As far as the Varroa mite is plausible that Varroa mites, being genetically constitutes a much greater danger to NN- concerned there is no scientific proof that identical in the whole western world compromised bumble bees. Varroa causes the collapse of honeybee (36), should have developed, at different colonies, as is claimed by the agro-chemical locations, identical genetic changes, which Viruses lobby and many official institutions in lead to diminished replication. Moreover, << In the middle of the 20th century it Germany. Varroa mites clearly live as The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 27 PESTICIDES parasites in honeybee hives; they may evidence of damage to bees being caused colonies. This study was launched in 2003, weaken bee larvae, but they do not kill entire by neonicotnoids’; furthermore, the EPA largely funded by BAYER and SYNGENTA. colonies. They may contribute to bee deaths only agreed to ‘reassess’ NNs by 2019. As This pathetically flawed study ground to indirectly, by infecting bees with viruses if to flaunt its servitude to the pesticide a halt, after ten years, in 2013. The results and bacteria via their bites. However, such industry, the EPA then granted an unlimited of that overtly false and biased study were endemic infections may already exist within licence for Sulfoxaflor, a fourth generation exactly as predicted: “There is no doubt, the colony, as was proven for the potentially neonicotinoid, equally deadly to bees. that the varroa is the main cause of bee deadly DWV, since both the eggs and drone Sulfoxaflor was released to the market by colony losses”, followed by diseases. sperm can already be infected with the virus. DOW CHEMICAL in early 2014, without This hopelessly incompetent and biased Such endemic infections in the past could any independent risk-assessment or testing; study failed to meet even the most basic also explain why DWV is to be found in only Dow’s test data was used. However, on scientific standards (23, 39). Pointedly, it almost every beehive worldwide. Chronic Sept., 12th, 2015 , a US Court ordered the was ignored by the international literature latent infections of DWV remain hidden EPA to revoke its biased and scientifically and dismissed out of hand by EFSA. within apparently healthy bee colonies; but unjustifiable licence for Sulfoxaflor (43) In order to salvage something from the this virus becomes virulent and deadly when Europe wreck of the DEBIMO study, a new project, the bees’ immune systems are damaged by The European Food Safety Authority,“SMARTBEES” seeks to generate even NN (Di Prisco et al. (21): EFSA, serves as the expert scientific board more propaganda for the pesticide-lobby. The “Worldwide Integrated for the 27 countries of the EU. In late 2012 The project, led by the Hohenneuendorf Assessment of the Impact of Systemic a crucial majority at EFSA demanded a Bee Institute, in the state of Brandenburg, Pesticides on Biodiversity and ban on the three NNs most dangerous to is often touted in the tabloid press; the Ecosystems” of the Task Force on Systemic bees: Imidacloprid, Thiamethoxam andpesticide lobby was granted 6 Million Euros Pesticides (TFSP), examined 1120 peer- Clothianidin. Following this expert advice, by the European Union to fund this fake reviewed scientific papers on bee deaths in April 2013, the European Commission ‘research’. The project employs many experts and pesticides. These not only confirmed imposed a two year moratorium on the use from the fields of: bee-genetics, parasitology, that honeybees and other pollinators are of these three NN (plus Fipronil) on crops virology, molecular biology, immunology, damaged by NN, but that biodiversity in which attract bees. The ban commenced as beekeeping, and public-relations specialists; general is threatened and already damaged of December 2013 (4). but toxicologists are conspicuously absent! (3). This was confirmed by the Policy A court case against the European SMARTBEES research focuses on the Report of the European Academies Science Commission’s moratorium on Neonics was ‘dangerous triangle’ of: bees + mites + viruses. Advisory Council (EASAC) to the EU (25). then launched by BAYER and SYNGENTA; This spurious research purports to discover The general threat which NN’s pose to it remains pending at the European Court in how Varroa mites magically transform global biodiversity and human food security Luxembourg. In view of the large number harmless endemic viruses into lethal bee- was highlighted. In particular, EASAC of scientific papers, which confirm the toxic killing viruses. Such absurd hypotheses are condemned the widespread prophylactic use effects of NNs on bees, it is likely that the revealed as false, when the confirmed results of NNs and recommended that they should neonics ban will be extended, both in time from Di Prisco et al. (21) are taken into be removed from the natural environment. and scope. account. Alternative systems of Integrated Pest However, the pesticide industry De Prisco’s team proved, at the molecular Management (IPM) should be implemented; continues to lobby the European level, that NN depress the bees’ immune a return to traditional crop rotation would Commission intensively; its success is response in a dose-dependent manner. be a major step. EASAC is supported by confirmed by the fact that Sulfoxaflor Moreover, NNs enhance replication of the 29 National Science Academies of the from DOW CHEMICAL,was granted a Deformed Wing Virus (21). These synergies, EU and Switzerland, which underlines the license by the EU in July 2015, against between Neonicotinoids and bee-virus gravity of its judgement, of the ecological the clear advice of EFSA (44). This biased pathogens were also noted by the expert threats posed by NN. The General Assembly and irrational decision may explain why a scientists of the European Science Academies of the 29 National Science Academies meets request for 20,000 Euros by scientists of the (25). twice a year in a European capital (25). Task Force on Systemic Pesticides (TFSP), But the really dangerous ‘German to conduct risk assessments on Sulfoxaflor, Triangle’, which should be investigated, Political background was earlier refused by EU authorities. is the three way conspiracy of: the Agro- USA Germany Chemical-Lobby; the German Bee Institutes The US EPA (Environmental Protection A strange situation exists in Germany, where (paid from the public purse) and the Agency) continues to reveal the extent of the agro-chemical lobby has entered into an German Pesticide Regulators”. its close alliance and partnership with the unholy marriage with the Bee Institutes of Two examples will suffice: pesticide industry. In 2003 for instance, various federal states; together they falsely Federal Institute for Pesticide Risk the EPA licensed BAYER’s clothianidin assert that the Varroa mite is: “bee killer Evaluation (BFR - Bundesinstitut für ( “Poncho”); it did so against the formal, number one”. With their hands over Risikobewertung) written judgement of its own Scientific their eyes, they ignore the overwhelming On March 30th 2015, German Division and then ignored several petitions consensus of international research, which conservationists read disturbing news about from environmental NGOs for retraction of points to the real cause of global bee deaths the BFR in the French journal Le Monde. that license. being neonicotinoid insecticides. The BFR was already under suspicion over After the European Union banned This perverse lobby continues to promote its peculiar risk evaluations; for example it neonicotinoids in 2013, the EPA’s official the ‘truth’ of their German Bee Monitoring declared glyphosate to be ‘harmless’ despite response was that: ‘there is no reliable Study (DEBIMO), on winter-loss of bee massive evidence to the contrary. 28 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 PESTICIDES

Le Monde revealed that one third of Pesticides and Honeybees. http://www. www.cbgnetwork.org/4352.html the Members of the BFR Commission moraybeedinosaurs.co.uk/neonicotinoid.html. 18. KESSLER, S. C., TIEDEKEN, E. on Pesticides and Residues are directly 6. REXRODE, M., BARRETT, M., ELLIS, J., SIMCOCK, K. L., DERVEAU, S., employed by the chemical industry; others J. GA BE,P., VAUGHAN, A., FELKEL, J. MITCHELL, J., SOFTLEY, S., STOUT, came from the ‘dubious’ Bee Institutes. MELENDESZ, J. 2003. EFED risk assessment J.C., WRIGHT, G. A. 2015. Bees prefer The satirical comment from Le Monde for the seed treatment of clothianidin 600FS on foods containing neonicotinoid pesticides. corn and canola. United States Environmental doi:10.1038/ Nature 14414. was, that in Germany: “people from the Protection Agency, Washington D.C. pesticide industry give expert safety 19. EFSA. 2013. Guidance on the risk 7. HENRY, M., BEGUI, M., REQUIER, F. assessment of plant protection products on bees advice on their own products” (45). O., ROLLIN, O., ODOUX, J .F., AUPINEL, (Apis mellifera, Bombus ssp. and solitary bees). Federal authority for Consumer P., APTEL, J., TCHAMITCHIAN, S., EFSA J 11: 3295 (266 pp.). doi:10.2903/j. Protection and Food Safety: BVL DECOURTYE, A. 2012. A common pesticide efsa.2013.3295. (Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und decreases foraging success and survival of honey 20. CHARPENTIER, G. weitere Autoren hie Lebensmittelsicherheit) bees. Science 336: 348–350. reinfügen et al., 2014. Lethal und sublethal During a presentation in 2015, in Berlin, 8. FISCHER, J., MÜLLER, T., SPATZ, A. effects of imidacloprid, after exposure, on at the world’s largest agricultural products K., GREGGERS, U., GRÜNEWALD, B. the insect model Drosophila melanogaster. fair, ‘Die Grüne Woche’, the Director of MENZEL, R. 2014. Neonicotinoids Interfere Environmental Science and Technology 48: the Department for the Admission of Plant with Specific Components of Navigation 4096–4102. Protection (Pesticide Regulation Authority), in Honeybees. PLOS ONE 93: e91464. 21. DI PRISCO, G., CAVALIERE, V., Dr. Karsten Hogardt, stated that the BVL doe:10.1371/journal.pone.0091364. ANNOSCIA, D., VARRICCHIO, P., sees itself as: ‘a service for its clients, the 9. LU, C., WARCHOL, K. M., CALLAMAN, CAPRIO, E., NAZZI, F., GARGIOLO, G., plant protection industry’. In this role R. 2012. In situ replication of honey bee colony PENNACCHIO, F. 2013. Neonicotinoid Bulletin of Insectology 65 clothianidin diversely affects insect immunity it is ‘advised’ by an expert group of ‘risk- collapse disorder. : 90– 106. and promotes replication of a viral pathogen managers’ including many from the pesticide 10. DOUCET-PERSONENI, C., HALM, M. in honey bees. Proceedings of the National industry. It is shocking and disgraceful, that P., TOUFLET, F., RORTAIS, A., ARNOLD, Academy of Science USA, DOI: 10.1073/ no independent scientists are allowed in G. 2003. Imidaclopride utilisé en enrobage de PNAS1314923110 the regulation, or licensing, of pesticides in semences (GAUCHO(R) et troubles des abeilles. 22. DE MIRANDA, J., GENERSCH, E, 2010. Germany (46). Rapport final. Agriculture.gouv..fr./IMG/pdf/ Deformed Wing Virus. Journal of Invertebrate However, a ray of light suddenly rapport,fin.pdf Pathology 103: 54–561. appeared, when the Federal Minister for 11. HATJINA, F., PAPAEFTHIMIOU, 23. FLÜGEL, H.-J. 2015. Von COLUMELLA Agricultural Affairs, Christian Schmidt, C.,CHARISTOS, L., DOGAROGLU, T., bis CCD – das Bienensterben im Wandel der released an urgent order on 22nd July, 2015. BOUGA, M., EMMANOUIL, C., ARNOLD, Zeit (Hymernoptera: Apidae). Entomologische Based on the EU Moratorium, this order G. 2013. Sublethal doses of imidacloprid Zeitschrift 125: 27–424. banned the Neonicotinoids: imidacloprid, decreases size of hypopharyngeal glands and 24. NAZZI, F., BROWN, S .P., ANNOSCIA, clothianidin, thiamethoxan for use in seed- respiratory rhythm on honeybees in vivo. D., DEL PICCOLO, F., DI PRISCO, coating of winter-cereals (47). Apidologie DOI10.1007/s13592- 013-0199-4. G., VARRICCHIO, P., VEDOVA, 12. DEFRA 2013. An assessment of key G., CATTONARO, F., CAPRIO, E., evidence about neonikotinoids and bees. http:// PENNACCHIO, F. 2012. Synergistic Parasite- www.easac.eu/home/reports-and- statements/ Pathogen Interactions Mediated by Host Literature detail-view/article/ecosystem-se.html Immunity Can Drive the Collapse of Honeybee 1. SANCHEZ-BAYO, F. 2014. The trouble with 13. GOULSON, D. 2015. Neonicotinoids Colonies. PLOS Pathogens 8.e100273. neonicotinoids. Chronic exposure to widely impact bumblebee colony fitness in the field; 25. 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31. SANDROCK, C., TANADINI, L., L., DUSAUBAT, C.,MONDET, F., NEUMANN, P., SANDROCK, C. 2014. PETTIS, J., BIESMEIJER, J., POTTS, S., TCHAMITCHAN, S ., COUSIN, M., Influence of combined pesticide and parasite NEUMANN, P. 2013. Sublethal neonicotinoid BRILLARD, J., BALDY, A., BELZUNCES, exposure on bumblebee colony traits in the insecticide exposure reduces solitary bee L., LE CONTE, Y. 2010. Interactions between laboratory. Journal of Applied Ecology 51: reproductive success. Agricultural and Forest Nosema microspores and a neonicotinoid 450–459. doi:101111/1462-2920.12426. Entomology 16: 119–128. weaken honey bees (Apis mellifera). 43. U.S. court decision - http://www.eenews. 32. ROSENKRANZ, P. 2003. Was ist dran Environmental Microbiology 12: 774–762. net/assets/2015/09/10/document_gw_03.pdf am Primorski-Mythos? Deutsches Bienenjournal 38. PETTIS, J. S., VON ENGELSDORP, D., 44. EFSA Decision – http://www.efsa.europa. 11:7. JOHNSON, J., DIVELY, G. Jahr. Pesticide eu/sites/default/files/scientific_output/files/ 33. MINISTRE DE AGRICULTURE ET exposure in honey bees results in increased levels main_documents/3692.pdf DE LA PECHE. 1999. La mise en culture de of the gut pathogen Nosema. Naturwissenschaften 45. FOUCART, S. 2015. Noire semaine semences de tournesol traitées au 99:153–158. pour l`expertise. Le Monde (Paris) articlel est interdite. Journal Officiel de la Republique 39. WU, J. Y., SMART, M. D., ANELLI, C. 30.III..2015 http://www.lemonde.fr/idees/ Francaise 38: 2413. M., SHEPPARD, W. S. 2012, Honey bees (Apis article/2015/03/30/noire-semaine-pour 34. STOCKRADT, E. 2013. Neonicotinoids mellifera) reared in brood combs containing expertise_4605627_3232.html?xtmc= in agriculture only prophylactic. Science 340: high levels of pesticide residues exhibit increased neonicotinoides&xtcr=1 675–676. susceptibility to Nosema (microsporidia) 46. HAEFEKER, W. 2015. (President of 35. KRUPKE, C., HUNT,G. J., EITZER, B. infections. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 109: European Professional Beekeepers). http:// D., ANDINO, G., GIVEN, K. 2012. Multiple 326–329. podcasts.haefeker.org/?p=132. routes of pesticide exposure for honeybees living 40. DOUBLET, V., LABAROUSSIAS, M., DE 47.http://www.bmel.de/SharedDocs/ near agricultural fields. PLOS ONE 7.229268. MIRANDA, J. R., MORITZ, R. F ., PAXTON, Downloads/Presse/EilverodnungBienen.pdf;jse Medine doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029268. P. J. 2014. Bees under stress: Sublethal doses of ssionid=46D0C08CD3D8928F89541AA76A 36. Solignac, M., Cornuet, J. M., Vautrin, neonicotinoid pesticide and pathogens interact 4D7 C39.1_cid365?__blob=publicationFile D., Le Conte, Y., Anderson, D., Evans, J., to elevated honey bee mortality across the life * Prof. Dr. med. Klaus-Werner Wenzel cycle. Environmental Microbiology 1111/1462– Cros-Arteil, S., Navajas, M. 2005.The invasive Entomological Society ORION Berlin since 2920.12426. Medine doi:10.1111/1462– Korea and Japan types of Varroa destructor, 1889 2920.12426 ectoparasitic mites of the western honeybee Task Force on Systemic Pesticides IUCN 41. ARENA, M. & SGOLASTRA, F. 2014. A (Apis mellifera) are two partly isolated clones. (International Union for Conservation of 272 meta-analysis comparng the sensitivity of bees to Proceedings of the Royal Societies Series B : Nature) Terrassenstrasse 411–419. pesticides. Ecotoxicology 23: 324–334. 48, D-14129 Berlin 37. ALAUX, C., BRUNET, H.- 42. FAUSER-MISSLIN, A., SADD, B. M., E-Mail: [email protected]. 30 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPING Monthly Tasks in the Apiary By Ander-Peter Blæsild. [email protected] www.fredeligebier.dk Edited by Anthony Lee

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October. Fig 1: My new formic acid evaporator comprises many parts (a) (left). However when they are assembled (b) (right) it works really well. Fig 2: A bear in an apiary. Ready, steady… Fig 3: Bear armagedden Fig 4: Slovenian cage, for protection against bear attack Fig 5: Electric fence for bears Fig 6: The remains of round stone wall protected enclosure for bees in the Catabrian mountains, with modern example shown in the image below. 3 6

October live with varroa without great loss. Already hurray for that! Wasps are to bees what the October is the month where we can enjoy in the spring, there was a feeling that this fox is to weak game - they clear up. nature’s many colors and the fresh autumn year would be a season for high numbers of air. The bees are getting ready for winter and mites. We were all satisfied with the excellent Agents Against Mites all that remains now is to give them a last rate of colony survival over last winter I’ve spoken with beekeepers this year who feed, before leaving them to face the cold winter, but it may well prove to have its price far into September had still not yet dealt winter. The bees are beginning to go into when many small and weak families come with their bees against varroa. That these their winter clusters, and in this edition of through the winter. I think it has been the beekeepers will lose colonies in the coming Monthly Tasks I shall focus on enemies of longest bee-season for many years: not only winter is obvious, but their bees will also bees - their enemies, both natural and man- did it begin three weeks earlier than usual, be able to re-infect many apiaries in their made. but it also lasted well into late summer. vicinity – and this is not fair. The most This has been really hard for the bees, and important thing with undertaking Varroa Mites many colonies were very sparsely populated treatment is that it is done at the right We beekeepers have made great efforts following August’s formic acid treatment. time, which requires that there is a proper through the season to protect our pets It was also a year heavy with wasps, evaporation. When formic acid treatments against external enemies. The Varroa mite is with consequent robbery of colonies. The are applied in the beginning of August, this one of the nasty ones, but with the timely colonies that had too many mites and thus can be a period of high temperatures. This intervention of the beekeeper, bees can few guard bees were simply robbed out, and can result in the formic acid evaporating The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 31 Commercial Beekeeping too quickly, leading to injured bees and showed me the remains of what had once The Chemical Enemy loss of queens. I could feel that there was been an apiary - all was smashed beyond So, an enemy that our bees are exposed a problem with this this year, as there were recognition. In Norway and Sweden electric to, one which is worse than Varroa insofar so many who ordered new queens due to fences are often erected around apiaries as we cannot really do anything about it, formic acid loss. This year I’ve tried what is where there is the possibility of bear visits. is the use of chemicals in agriculture. The for me a new formic acid evaporator, made (see Figure 4). latest addition of pesticides is the use of so- by the firm Nassenheimer (see Figure 1). It During a recent trip for Danish called neonicotinoids. These chemicals are consists of a box with a vaporiser cloth and beekeepers to Slovenia, the large cages were extremely toxic for our bees, and some of this is one evaporator bottle with a wick designed to be seen, to ensure the safety the them have a half-life in the soil for up which accurately dispenses acid down on the of bees against the bear’s sweet tooth (see to three years after treatment. These have cloth. I’m quite impressed by this system; Figure 5). But even before using modern led to large bee losses in Germany and the the dosage is well controlled, and the colony means such as electric fences and iron cages, responsible chemical companies have had to did not suffer too much harm during the beekeepers have tried to ensure their pets pay beekeepers for their losses - this has only treatment. were safe from the bear. This my daughter been associated with severe acute injuries, The colonies that were too small for had witnessed whilst hiking in northern but what will be the long-term damage? formic acid treatment all received a 6-frame Spain. Out in the middle of the Cantabrian nuc, which was placed over the top after mountains she came across some large October’s chores their queen was removed. These colonies are round stone formations which looked like With the uncomfortable questions out of now on 17 frames and they look really good the ruins of some ancient towers (see Figure the way, I will conclude with a look at the and strong. It’s also a very fine thing to have 6). However, on a visit to the Ethnographic practical tasks required this month. I usually plenty of nucs to at one’s disposal Museum in the hamlet Grandas de Salime use the last half of October to check feed she learned that here they had a mini version levels in all my colonies. In this work I have Ants of the round formations - with a beehive developed a good routine, where I lift a hive When identifying new apiaries, it is standing in the center (see Figure 6). The a couple of centimetres on each side, by important that the nearest neighbours are staff at the museum explained that what she which I can get a good idea of the amount of not great mounds of red forest ants, as come had seen in the mountains were abandoned feed present. If the colony feels a little light, springtime these ant colonies can rather apiaries, which were built each with a it will get another feed. When feeding at this quickly clear the hives of both feed and bees. massive stone wall around, to prevent bears colder time of year it can be a good idea to I had one year established a new apiary, robbing the hives. pour a little feed directly onto the bees on which overlooked these large ant mounds. Like many other places in the world, in the frames before filling the frame feeder for At the first visit to the apiary, I could note a northern Spain there haas been a decrease one last time. By doing this, the bees will violent ant attack where the ants had started in bee populations due to disease and many quickly find the feed in the feeder. With from the end of a row of hives. When I came have given up trying to keep bees. Some are this last feeing I recommend three parts dry to visit, the ants had reached the fifth hive in trying to get started in the old apiaries and sugar to two parts water in the blend. For the row, where there was still a little life - on thus some of the round apiaries in Spain, me, the work in the apiaries in October is the other hand the first four hives had been known as Cortines, have been renovated a quiet time, where my back is allowed to completely emptied both of bees, brood and restored. New beekeepers are offered straighten, and the surrounding nature can and feed. In such a situation there are two these apiaries free if they promise not to be enjoyed to the full. As stated, the bees options, either move the bees immediately move bees. Of course, there have also been are getting themselves ready for winter, and or do battle with the ants. Ants are also part developed the more contemporary methods the beekeepers in Denmark can reassure of the Danish environment and food chain, of bear security á la what we see in Norway themselves that their bees are unlikely to so for me the choice was easy and the bees and Sweden. The organisation is called receive a visit from a bear this winter. were moved the same day. FAPAS, which is the organisation behind many of these initiatives in Spain. FAPAS is Bears a fund for the protection of wild animals and November I feel every spring the bees have retained the entire bee initiative has actually sprung November is the month when it is dark, wet, their instincts against their natural enemy, from a concern for cold and windy. During this time there is the bear. The only place a bear has a the bear’s survival. For as FAPAS stresses, no work for the beekeeper to do out in the weakness against bees is in the nose and whilst the bear is the bees’ enemy, the bees apiaries and the bees must now have peace mouth region. When we open a hive in are the bear’s best friend. Without bees from us humans. They will go into a cluster, cold weather in spring, or during the winter there is no pollination of the blueberries in the form of a ball, in their hives, and will oxalic acid treatment, it is clear that the bees that are so important for the bear to survive sit like this for many months. In this edition go after the mouth and nose. I believe that the Cantabrian winter. So without bees, no of the Monthly Tasks, I will take the reader because of my rather large nose the bees treat bears. And in the end: without bees, no life. on a journey into the beehive. me as if I’m a bear on a honey-rampage, and Do the bears and bees problematic friendship that just something I must pay the price remind you of something? It is paradoxical to Hive Placement for! In countries that retain their bears and man, and especially agriculture, which is so Location is important both in terms of other wild animals, significant resources are dependent on bee pollination, when perhaps production, but also in relation to bees’ employed to exclude bears from apiaries, in reality agriculture is the bees’ worst enemy. well-being. To be allowed to breed from the as a visit from a bear can be tremendously We can try to protect the bees against the best queens, work must constantly be done destructive (see Figures 2 and 3). I myself bears, mites and ants, but the question is, to minimise various environmental impacts have visited a Norwegian beekeeper who can we protect them from ourselves? on the bee colonies. It is important here to 32 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 Commercial Beekeeping

November: Fig 1: Hobby-sized melting chest filled with old frames removed from mating hives Fig 2: Production of new sheets of foundation: European standard cell dimeter is 5.37mm, whilst the American is 1 2 5.26mm. Fig 3: Melting chest for professional beekeeping

the temperature up to 35C, because it has really good insulation properties. My choice is made and personally I would not be too keen on living in a house made of thin timber boards.

The Inner Skeleton Depending on how we design our hives, the bees have the opportunity to build their inner skeleton in the form of wax. When bees are around 10-14 days of age, they develop some glands on the underside of their body, and with these glands and a basis of honey and a little pollen, they can create the hive’s inner skeleton. The wax is 3 where the bees will have their brood and also accommodate their stores. Depending on use the same equipment for bottoms, roofs overwintered on all different kinds of hives, how the wax is formed, the bees will hatch and magazines so everything fits together as long as the hive is dry. I have in my 35 as either worker bees, drones or queens. The properly and allows for more accurate years as a beekeeper tried a number of cells in the form of hexagons are unique comparison of the colonies. The layout of different types: WBC hives, timber-made and all the world’s super computers could the hives in apiaries is also very important. beehives and the current polyurethane hives. not find a better solution. If you look right Perhaps this is actually the main factor In all hive types I’ve got bees to overwinter. through a honeycomb you can easily see to be taken into account in order to get If you have hives of timber these should be the pattern of the centre of a cell on one comparable results that can be used to make treated against moisture and the roof should side being the position of the meeting of informed decisions about which queens to be well fitting. Hive bases - possibly in three cell edges on the other side. We could breed from. I still have a few apiaries where the form of wire mesh - secure a ventilated probably call this Intelligent Design. Within the bees are in a “nice” straight row and in climate. I think it’s exciting that in these these hexagonal cells it is the diameter of these apiaries comparing yields is not worth years many new types of hives have been the cell that determines the creature being much; in such an alignment there is simply developed, but also it seems logical to me developed. When a queen deposits an egg too much drifting. The best arrangement that bees in Denmark do not spend the in a cell with a diameter of 5.2 to 5.6 then is to have the hive entrances pointing in winter under the same conditions as bees worker bees in the cells will be formed. If different directions. My favourite set-up is in Africa. We must remember that the bees the cell exceeds 5.8 mm she will deposit the one where the beehives are in groups holding a cluster in the winter temperature an unfertilised egg in the cell and these of four hives with hive entrances pointing of about 20C to maintain life, and at the will thus be developed into drones. In cells toward the four corners of the world. This same time if there is a temperature outside constructed downwardly hanging in the size arrangement I apply also to my mating hives the hive of -10C this will cause condensation 5.2 to 5.6 mm, a queen will develop in that with great success. Drifting also negatively problems. Should the bees over-winter cell. affects the bees’ temperament, as they in wooden boxes, it is necessary to have a become stressed by trying to constantly certain thickness for the timber, otherwise ’Virgin’ Frames throw unwelcome visitors out of their hive the temperature fluctuations will be too To guard against the risk of brood diseases, or stop them at the gate. Diseases and varroa large and moisture will take over. Personally, the use of fresh foundation is a necessary mites can also be spread through drifting. I’m ambivalent about my choice of using part of a profitable beekeeping. With the sythentic hives: I’m fascinated by natural additional of new foundation frames made Hive Types materials and timber is cheap and hives of pure beeswax, can we reap the extra honey The hive is the bee’s protection against the can be made ’DIY’. However, due to the that the bees would have consumed to winter cold and therefore greatly improves necessity of a certain thickness of the timber, produce their own wax? It requires relatively their chance of survival. There are many at least 28 mm, then with timber boxes there large amounts of honey for the bees to make different types of hives and at least as many is a lot of heavy lifting involved. In addition, 1 kg of wax. In beekeeping literature figures opinions about which hive is best for the the styrofoam hive possesses big advantages have been given which suggest it takes bees. However, bees can be successfully in the springtime, when the bees again need between 5 and 20 kg of honey to make one The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 33 Commercial Beekeeping kilo of wax. In a good year I expect my total a Swedish queen breeder, who is deeply Beekeeping Relations volume of beeswax to increase by 20%. At engaged in his work with the ’black’ bee. I began my articles with a little description the end of the season the old frames of wax The talk is lively round the table, and when inside Ingvar’s house in Sweden. That are melted down with the use of steam. The four beekeepers get together to talk about meeting actually pretty accurately describes, rendered wax is then heated to 90C and then something that interests them time can fly why beekeeping means so much to me: rolled into fresh sheets. The heating of wax by. My time as this years writer for Monthly meeting other people around a common to 90c ensures that all bacteria spores are Tasks has also flown by, and this is the final interest. In my beekeeping I have really a killed, such as foul brood. So if you make part. Soon it’s Christmas and New Year, lot of relationships with other people. I’m a your own sheets of foundation it’s worth and a natural time to look back on the year member of the Danish Buckfast bee breeders remembering that. that went by. Like all years there have been association, and also a similar association joys and sorrows, speculation, proposals, for Ligustica bees. In these gatherings we Frame Measurements solutions, insight and frustration. are beekeepers who have different outlooks When I worked for the late Poul- and viewpoints, and we are also competitors Erik Sørensen my winter work was the Harvest with different political standpoints. We production of foundation and we produced My honey yield this year was middling, are however, deeply dependent on each many tons each winter. It was here that I with an average of 38kg. All the honey is a other, because the breeding of bees can learned that beeswax is a variable product. nice blend of hawthorn and clover, with a only succeed in the long term if we really Beeswax can have a wonderful smell, on fine colour and taste. My queen breeding work together, sharing our work together, the hand it can smell quite the opposite. exceeded all expectations; this year I’ve had to ensure a continuous diversity of genes Beeswax readily absorbs elements which are a very high successful mating percentage in within our breeding lines. If we don’t do fat soluble and therefore needs protection my mini hives, and the queens were really this, then breeding will harm more than it against this. It’s especially important that we well mated. They were often found to be egg helps. I have a close working relationship respect the natural size of the bees cells. It’s laying after 10 – 12 days, which together with many of these beekeepers, and many tricky to find an exact one-size-fits-all cell with a mating success of over 80%, indicates of these acquaintances have over the years diameter however, as different races build that all went above and beyond what might turned into friendships. slightly different-sized cells. The standard have been expected. There was however a It’s been a very enjoyable challenge to size agreed on in Europe is 5.37mm whilst period of very hot weather in July where be chosen to write this year’s Monthly Tasks. in the USA it is 5.26mm. One of the reasons mating was not satisfactory. Everything Having to set down in words, or attempt to for the European standard being larger is suffered in the heat, and I think it was the set down, how I go about my work, has been due to the ’black’ bee Apis mellifera mellifera drones that were the main issue, or rather the a learning process for me. Over the summer having been widespread in Europe, and lack of them. The bees had plenty of work to I often found myself writing the final lines the black bee builds the largest cell size of do in the hive during the extreme weather, right up to the deadline. all European races. Because of this, some and consequently the drones weren’t taken foundation suppliers still impregnate their care of as well as they might have been. Return to the Kitchen sheet with cells of a 5.4mm diameter. In We hadn’t met Ingvar before that day we sat our neighbouring countries there have been Overwintering in his kitchen in Sweden. We had contacted a quite large number of experiments with My bees were in generally poor condition him by email and asked whether we might creating foundation with cell imprints of following formic acid treatment, due to visit him; he wasn’t long in responding, 4.9 – 5.1mm. The reason is that these small the hot weather experienced in the second and welcoming us to his home. He showed cells give a faster development time for the half of August. The colonies were in many us round his enchanting homestead, and brood, with the theory being that this could cases small and some were hit by viruses, with openness we received insight into his minimise the number of varroa mites. After which is a strong indicator for too many beekeeping and work with the preservation being tried widely for a number of years, varroa mites. Because of this situation, I of the gene pool of the black bee (in Swedish these experiments did not show the desired decided to supply their winter feed over a known as ’the Nordic bee’). Our common effect, and the majority of wax renderers still long period. I continued feeding long into interest brought us together, and knowledge using this cell size don’t sell much foundation October and the colonies filled their boxes exchange is the way forward for bees and these days. with bees and are looking really strong again. beekeepers. Thanks to all those who have I’ve begun noting the colonies which don’t shared their knowledge with me. Practical tasks in November have a lot of mites (done by mite fall count Melt old frames. Render wax. Ensure hives following formic acid treatment), and I are storm-safe. Clean empty boxes and see a big difference. Whether this is caused mating hives.Place mouse excluder over hive by breeding or environmental factors, I’m entrances. Sell some honey. not sure. Perhaps it’s both, as I’ve heard something about epigenetics. After such a long beekeeping season there is now DECEMBER only oxalic acid treatment left, and that I I’m sitting in a small Swedish kitchen do around Christmas time, as that’s when together with Ingvar, Jacob and Ivan. There the colonies are finally broodless. Those is friendly warmth coming from the wood- beekeepers that treated their bees too early burning stove. On the table there is herring, this year (November), ought to consider a ‘Balling’ of queens is one subject I have received soft boiled eggs, cheese, and freshly brewed spring treatment also. many questions about. coffee – loads of coffee. We are visiting 34 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 BEE HIVES THE NATIONAL HIVE: a typically British compromise Mike Thornley Scotland

Introduction were in general use and had been for many parties such as a representative from the hile researching the years. Subsequently the National Mark Food Products of the Empire Committee, Scottish Smith hive Honey Trade Committee had appointed civil servants and staff at the Rothamstead (BKQ 121), I found a panel of experts to which manufacturers Experimental Station. The committee’s brief myself wondering how of beekeeping appliances were invited to was to draw up regulations, determine and theW National hive, used by the majority of submit specimen single-walled hives for its monitor honey quality, enrol members to the hobbyist beekeepers in Britain including consideration, “the panel selecting one, which scheme, and to develop standard labelling myself, had come into existence. It was clear with minor modifications, was considered and packaging. that in terms of being accepted as a British the most suitable for recommendation as the Measuring honey quality proved to Standard, the National preceded the Smith, standard”. The pattern chosen was already be difficult, the committee having to despite the fact that the latter was rightly made by several companies and sold under raise the maximum allowable sucrose seen as a simpler and more economical different names and it was considered that content from 5 to 10%, and the quality hive. At the same time it appeared to me a single name, the National, should be control subcommittee sending out letters that the original design of the National was substituted. to producers who breached the limit, almost identical with the earlier Wormit Reading the leaflet it struck me that the demanding an explanation and even their hive, manufactured by Steele and Brodie, in single-walled hive with short-lug frames attendance. Size of honey jars was discussed Scotland. might have been the Smith hive and also at length, the committee rejecting a The first document describing thethat it would be interesting to know proposed 2 lb. jar as well as a 3/4 lb. fancy National in the Scottish Beekeepers which hive had been selected, with minor jar on the grounds that a standard should Associations Moir Library in Edinburgh is modifications, and named the National. be the standard – hence the 1 lb. squat jar. the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Could it have been the Wormit hive and was Importing of foreign queen bees became Marketing Leaflet No. 79 “The ‘National’ there a Scottish dimension to the story? I an issue (a practice generally deplored by Single-Walled Hive” dated April 1935, went to the National Archive in Kew to view the committee members) although the amended April 1936. This leaflet notes the minutes of the National Mark Honey suggestion for a national bee breeding station that, while the double-walled WBC hive Trade Committee (thinking that there were came to nothing. However the consideration was firmly established, the comparative a lot of Nationals in all of this). by the committee of the design of hives went cheapness of single-walled hives had well beyond its remit. attracted attention and several patterns had been created by manufacturers to meet The National Mark Honey Trade the demand, so much so that there was an Committee 1932-1939 The emergence of the National urgent need for standardisation. The National Mark Honey Trade Committee single-walled hive came in to existence as a result of the The idea of a standard, cheap hive came Merchandise Mark Act of 1926, which was out of the committee’s discussions on an aimed at stopping imported goods being ambitious proposal for a Federation of sold as British produce. This protectionist National Mark Honey Producers. The measure was balanced by a move to raise cost of hives and stocks for the cottager the quality and attractiveness of home- beekeepers was too high. “The price of a produced goods, which would receive a hive at the present time lies between £2 and quality mark. Eggs were the first to receive £3 and it would be possible for a suitable type the government’s attention, being graded, of hive to be supplied in the flat in quantity stamped and sold in standard packages from at between 10/- and 14/- each”. A federation 1929 when plans were made to roll out the could supply hives (and bees) at lower scheme to cover other produce. prices to beekeepers registered under the The National Mark Honey TradeNational Mark scheme. Committee was set up in 1932 under the The 1934 committee meeting chairmanship of Sir Francis Acland Bt, MP, considered a paper on the “Proposed Single- which met annually until 1939. The terms Walled Hive” and set up a panel to receive of reference acknowledged that some people samples from manufacturers of beekeeping might regard honey as a minor agricultural appliances with a view to selecting a design product but “the honey scheme was fortunate in as the basis for a standard hive. By the To this end a single-walled hive with having, at the outset, the promised cooperation next meeting, in 1935, the process had short lug frames had been put forward two or of the Bee-Keepers Associations”. Thebeen completed and the committee turned three years previously as a tentative standard committee comprised well-known figures its attention to the draft of Marketing but had not been pursued as long-lug frames in the beekeeping world, other interested Leaflet No. 79 on the new National single- The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 35 APIABEE HRIESives walled hive. So, which manufacturers had National whilst others retained their own the National hive came to be adopted as submitted hives, and which one had been names, to the annoyance of the committee the British Standard, or show how the gap recommended as the standard (with minor who sent out letters requesting that the old was bridged in the war years between the modifications)? names be dropped. Overall, the process, Acland Committee standing down in 1939 The Acland Committee minutes do not which was more of a re-branding exercise and the British Standard 1300 “Bee-hives, tell us, but the marketing leaflet it approved than the creation of a new design, appears Frames and Foundation” being published had advertisements from seven beekeeping to have been caught up in a tangle of in 1946, ten years after the National had appliance manufacturers, and one honey complementary but competing self-interests. first emerged. However the introduction to supplier (AW Gale of Marlborough who the British Standard itself confirms that the was fighting a battle against foreign honey specification was prepared by a committee masquerading as British produce). One comprising representatives of the British of the manufacturers was Burtt and Son Beekeepers Association, Scottish Beekeepers of Gloucester whose 1939 (and 1950) Association, Welsh Beekeepers Association, catalogue describes the National as being Apis Club, Ministry of Agriculture and the hive that was introduced in its 1921 Fisheries, Rothamstead Experimental catalogue (as the Simplicity hive) and was Station, Honey Producers Association, renamed in 1935 as the National Single and the Beekeeping Appliances Makers, a Walled Hive, “being identical with the single composition not unlike that of the Acland walled hive now adopted as standard by the Committee and suggesting some continuity. Ministry of Agriculture”. (Note 1) Two types of hives were recommended However the explanation is not quite as as standards: the WBC and the National. simple as might first seem for another of However the National, by this time, had the advertisers, Lee’s Super Bee Supplies undergone some modifications. The brood of Middlesex, also, in its 1939 catalogue, box was constructed out of 3/4 inch walls describes the Lees’ Simplex hive as being all round, with an external upper frame and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture’s lower, chamfered frame on the end walls, National Mark Honey Committee. In a to provide the extra thickness required to further twist, the Mountain Grey Apiary, accommodate the ends of the long-lug of Brough in Yorkshire, did not feature Lees Simplex hive in its 1939 catalogue; another frames, but justified somewhat ingenuously in the marketing leaflet but its owner, claimant to the National. in the text as “having the advantage of A J Abbot, was a member of the Acland reducing the weight of the brood box, Committee and keen to take the credit. The National becomes a British increasing simplicity, and providing better The 1948 catalogue features the MG hive Standard means of handling”. Alternatively the brood (highlighted as a 1927 MG innovation): The brood box of the 1936 National as box could be constructed in accordance “It is now 21 years since we first introduced shown in the drawings in Marketing Leaflet with the drawings and specification in the this pattern of hive, a fact that we are proud No.79 was 18 and 1/8 inches square, but not 1936 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to state in view of its undoubted present square inside, being double walled at its ends, Marketing Leaflet No 79. The floorboard day popularity and its recent adoption by to support eleven 14x8 1/2 inch frames, was now square, the projection, seen as a the British Standards Institution (sic) as with long lugs, and a division board. Finger water trap and an inhibition to the tight the IMPROVED NATIONAL HIVE, grips were cut into the 3/4 inch side and packing of hives for transport, was removed, thus providing a further tribute to our far 1/2 inch end walls. The floor board which and reversible and non-reversible options sightedness in producing the original”. protruded almost 3 inches was reversible and offered, the latter with increased slope for Two of the manufacturers advertising in came with an entrance block that gave two better drainage. Two roof depths were put the marketing leaflet were from Scotland: sizes of reduced entrances. Optional features forward, with the roof either hard on top of Steele and Brodie, of Fife, whose Wormit included a crown board having one central the crown board (now with two openings) hive appeared in the early 1930s and was opening, for a Porter bee escape, which or alternatively lifted well above either a almost the same as the National, except for it was suggested could be covered with a quilt or crown board with no opening, its rebated boxes, and the firm of R & J piece of glass for inspections. (A quilt could resulting in different methods of ventilating Young of Dunoon which was described in be substituted if preferred). A shallow or a the roof space. As the document states: The Scottish Beekeeper in 1936 as having deep roof was shown lifted above the crown “The standardisation of roofs has presented “all the vigour and enthusiasm of youth” and board by small fillets. It was recommended difficulties, as methods of ventilation are was offering the “American-type National that the National should not be painted undergoing rapid evolution”. single walled hive, which costs less than a £1, but treated with a coat of light-coloured The introduction of the National bought in the flat”. wood preservative (with the option of an single-walled hive was seen as a spur to Len Heath (“A Case of Hives” additional coat of boiled linseed oil applied modernising beekeeping, to reduce costs, Burrowbridge 1985) is probably correct hot). Another recommendation was that the and to make for more efficient management. in pointing to the Simplicity hive as a zinc covering to the roof also should not be However, there was significant resistance forerunner of the National, and that a painted white as this created condensation from the beekeeping community and this number of manufacturers were producing in winter. In fact, condensation was to be the is reflected in the compromised design of similar designs. Following the selection National’s main problem initially. the National. The original 1936 National process some of the manufacturers were The British Standards Institute has not looked like a simple box but in reality it had quick to advertise their product as the new been able to provide information as to how double end walls, not only to accommodate 36 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 BEE Hives the long-lug frames but also as a feature to test could not be adopted. In June 1939 appeal to those beekeepers who held out the committee met for what would be its for double-walled hives. When it came to final session, Sir Francis having died the the British Standard National hive of 1946, previous year and the war about to break its pragmatic re-design resulted in even out. Rothamstead was looking for a grant for more complexity, rather than simplicity. further testing of honey and almost the last (Interestingly Russells of Edinburgh, who decision made by the committee was that in 1946 were offering both a National and “samples of genuine Scottish heather honey a modified National, make no mention of should be obtained and tested.” handles, describing the latter’s modifications Back in December 1936, following the as strengthening straps. Indeed, the changes publication of details of the new National may not even have been modifications but hive, Dr John Anderson in his editorial in rather the wholesale adoption of AJ Abbot’s The Scottish Beekeeper, wrote a tongue- Mountain Grey Apiaries MG hive). Further, in-cheek piece titled “Variety’s the Spice in the spirit of compromise both the original of Life” in which he admitted to having in and modified patterns were permitted as his apiary not only three of his own Glen the standard. Likewise, two roof designs hives but also two 10 frame hives, a couple were also allowed, one to accommodate the of WBCs and one O’Brien hive, while also continuing use of quilts by some beekeepers pointing out that at least one past president (before being dropped in the final BS 1300 of the Scottish Beekeepers Association kept of 1960, now withdrawn). bees in skeps. He concluded by stating that: “Absolute standardisation is impossible; more than that it would not be good business” (as the appliance manufacturers so ably demonstrated). However by May 1946, ahead of the publication of the BS 1300, John Images of Modified National Hive from Ministry of Cunningham, the then editor of The Scottish Agriculture and Beekeeper, was writing that “beekeeping was Fisheries Bulletin 144 “Bee-hives” encumbered by too many non-essentials and Colin Butler 1949. that there is an increasing interest in single- walled hives, as evidenced by the adoption of the Smith hive”. So was it the Smith hive that MG hive claimed by AJ Abbot to be the original Butler also recognised that the single National. brood chamber of the National was had been put forward in 1932 or 1933 as insufficient to accommodate strong colonies a tentative standard but rejected because of with prolific queens, resulting in the need its short lug frames? The Acland Committee This tension between old and new for double brood boxes or alternatively the minutes throw no light on this but, if it was beekeeping practices is highlighted in suggested adoption of the British Jumbo hive, the Smith hive, a golden opportunity had the 1949 Ministry of Agriculture and which was put forward as a tentative standard been lost. Fisheries Bulletin 144 “Bee-Hives”. Its in Amendment No.2 1947 to BS 1300. This author Colin Butler of the Rothamstead was a brood chamber that contained twelve Experimental Station wrote: “probably Notes deep 16 x10 inch frames with short lugs in the most acrimonious of all the many 1) Official documents tended to include a a simple four-piece box, like the Smith and controversies among beekeepers has been hyphen in ‘single-walled’ while manufactures Langstroth hives which had met with much concerning the rival merits of single and and commentators usually omitted it. resistance from the authorities (Note 2). double-walled hives”. He reviewed these The British Jumbo hive was designed to be 2) I have a recollection of reading a blow by under various headings and concluded that compatible dimensionally with the other blow account of correspondence between Willie as far as health of the colony was concerned parts of the National, and mutated, when all Smith of Innerleithen and the British Standards there was nothing to choose between double Institute in which Smith seeks to establish the the boxes were so designed, into the British and single-walled hives but when taking credentials of his hive and have it adopted as Standard Modified Commercial hive. One in to account capital cost, maintenance, British Standard. I cannot trace this and the can only conclude that the National hive transport, and ease of manipulation “the editor swears that it was not published in BKQ. was a dromedary, designed not by one but single-walled hive is definitely superior to the I am beginning to wonder if this was a dream. by two committees. double-walled type”. However he conceded If any reader can point me in the right direction I will be most grateful. Also I would welcome that when the first National hives were A Scottish Dimension? any comments or corrections on this and my introduced they tended to be very damp previous article on the National and Smith hives. inside in winter and went on to recommend The Acland Committee appears not to have My email is [email protected] wide entrance openings (with mouse guards), had any representatives from Scotland. open feed holes in the crown board and a Throughout its deliberations, heather honey Acknowledgements well ventilated roof, a level of ventilation that proved to be problematic, its “gelatinous The following are thanked for their help: John might be questioned (and now considered to content” making the testing difficult.Kinross, Una Robertson of the Moir Library, the be no longer necessary given the wide scale Rothamstead sought to develop a suitable staff at the National Archive at Kew, and Lucy use of open mesh Varroa floors). test but reported back that a thixotropic Ahmed of the British Standards Institute. The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 37 BEEAPIA HRiIESves

THE SLOVENIAN HIVE John Phipps Greece

I did not make the progress that I wished for with the hive in time for this issue of the BKQ. There were several reasons for this, but chiefly because, as I explained in my Editorial, my shelter for the hive grew to become a full- sized bee shed. Another reason was that there has been a delay in the wiring of the 20 frames and fitting them with wax foundation. This was due mainly to the fact that there are no holes in the side bars of the frames and the recommended number of five holes on each side needed to be drilled; this means THE QUEEN BEE HIVE a total of 200 holes. My cordless drill is too Trevor Smith heavy for this task and a Dremel drill, used by model makers, would be ideal, but it is rather expensive at about £70. However, I have found he hive was given to me in 1985 Students joining the bee club would get a a much simpler and cheaper solution and, at by Dr. Ballard, a novice beekeeper gentle introduction to the honey bee and the last, have on order, as I cannot find one locally, at that time. He had been given parts of a hive in their first sessions using this a set of fine drills with hex-shaped ends to their the hive by a patient from his hive. Only when students felt comfortable shanks which will fit into the quarter inch slot medicalT practice in Tamworth, Staffordshire. looking at honey bees through the glass in of a Black and Decker cordless screwdriver. The photo shows the metal hive in situ, this hive did they progress to handling bees, As regards the hive itself, as recommended between the trees, in the apiary at Queen under supervision. the hive front and a couple of centimetres or so Elizabeth’s Mercian School, (QEM’s), The management of this hive was not around the front edges have been painted, but Tamworth in the Autumn of 1985. easy as it tended to overheat in the summer I have yet to coat the rest of the exterior with The hive was constructed of aluminium months, with condensation frequently seen linseed oil. and glass. It was double-walled, in that the on the glass walls due to lack of ventilation I have also finished the part of the bee shed actual hive body was enclosed in a solid- and the heat transfer properties of the hive which will house the hive. It rests on a solid walled aluminium case. The brood chamber materials, as well as the bees’ metabolism. shelf about a metre or so above the floor. To used ten short lugged BS1 frames, running Bees would hang out of the front of the hive the left of the hive (from the inside) there will the cold way. The solid aluminium floor and would inevitably swarm every year. To be a mesh vent fitted in the shed wall so that doubled as an entrance, aluminium entrance overcome the overheating issues the hive there is plenty of air in that part of the shed blocks controlled the size of the entrance, needed careful positioning in the shade and some having 8mm holes drilled in them, to the lid lifting slightly to allow a flow of air. The painted hive in place in the bee shed. act as mouse guards. As the colony of bees Overwintering colonies in this hive meant within the hive expanded it was possible to that we had to pack insulation materials in add another brood box on top and run it as the space between the brood chamber and double brood, as shown in the bottom photo the aluminium case. A quilt was put on top (with Leroy Stratford, a QEM’s student of the crown board, under the roof. tending to the bee garden in the late spring Cleaning this hive was an issue, as clearly of 1986). The roof was not clipped and was scorching the brood body with a blow torch rather loose fitting and therefore prone to be would end up shattering the glass, and the blown off in a high wind. The use of bricks use of cleaning agents such as caustic soda to secure it was essential. was not an option to use with students. The hive was used in the summer months Unfortunately, this hive no longer exists, as an observation hive, in situ in the apiary. as with a lot of other bee equipment and It was too big and heavy to be lifted and be display materials, it was destroyed in a shed transported easily. Whole classes of students fire at Torc High School, Tamworth. could stand around it and be shown the inner workings of a bee hive without disturbing Trevor Smith - taught Rural and the bees and therefore reducing the risk of Environmental Science in three Tamworth stings. Students would be able to see bees schools between 1976 to 2002. He moved to leaving and returning to the hive, pollen Helston Community College in Cornwall in loads passed on and stored, bee interactions 2002 to teach Science. Now he is semi-retired including waggle dancing, many being from teaching, but still running 4 colonies in fascinated by what they saw and wanting the school apiary and is a committee member of more in the after school bee club. West Cornwall Beekeeper’s Association. 38 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 BEE Hives

The inside of the bee shed with the flap open. The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 39 BEEAPIA HRIESives to prevent damp from occurring. Above the hive in the front wall of the shed I have fixed a hinged flap which can be opened when the hive is being examined, thus allowing the bees to leave the shed and re-enter the hive. At the side of this part of the shed, between the door and the back, there is a window to improve the light (even though the door may be open when examining the colony) and above this window is another hinged flap which can also be opened to allow the bees to leave. I have also made a special board for wiring the frames and fitting the foundation. As the In the Mani part of Greece walls of stone Slovenian frames are not the same size as my Wiring board - Slovenian frame version. Langstroth frames, at the bottom of the board bee hives were common the wooden batten to hold the frames in place can be moved accordingly and held in place with a couple of nuts and bolts. When the board is set up in the Langstroth mode, the bolt at the left can be tightened to push the side bar out of square thus tightening the wire when the bolt is eventually released. Unfortunately, the side bars of the Slovenian hive are slightly wider and resist bending, so the use of hands and the cotton bobbins will have to be relied on for getting the wire really tight. I already have the wax in stock - organic wax from the forest regions of Senegal, supplied by Bamba Dieye of Biecologic Wiring board - Langsroth frame version. Beewax, Carrara. Italy. 40 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016

Travellers’ Tales A Winter Visit to the Slovenian Apicultural Museum Frank Linton

ontinuing our practice of Much of Ljubljana’s charm derives from A third site of interest in Ljubljana is visiting cold and dark places over the identity given to it by its native-son the tourist shop located on Dolnicarjeva the winter holidays, my partner architect Jože Plečnik (“Yo za Plaich nik”). ulica (street), which sells hand-painted hive and I elected to visit Slovenia and Plečnik’s residence, now a museum, is located panels inspired by those displayed in the Cthe Slovenian Apicultural Museum this past a few minutes’ walk from the town square. In Apicultural Museum. This shop has a larger December. We started our visit in the capital, his garden one can see a new Slovenian bee selection of hive panels than the museum Ljubljana (“Lube liana”), then stopped at house with five Slovenian hives, called AZ shop does and offers them in several sizes. the apicultural museum in Radovljica (Ra hives after Anton Žnideršič, their inventor. The Apicultural Museum is located doe leetsa) before continuing onward. This Another AZ hive, perhaps an original from about 50 kilometers north of Ljubljana in account is a personal perspective and is not his garden, serves as the pedestal for a bronze the town of Radovljica, a few kilometers necessarily what you would encounter if you bust of Plečnik in the entryway of his house. from picturesque Lake Bled. If you look were to travel there yourself – which I highly carefully as you enter Radovljica, you may recommend. For example, a summer visitor see a working bee house. The museum is could find more activities of interest to a located on a pedestrian-only plaza; a minute beekeeper. or two’s walk from a municipal parking lot. Why Slovenia? Apart from the The Apicultural Museum is in a large yellow Apicultural Museum, Slovenia represented building in the square, and occupies part an alluring ‘unknown’ to us. Travel guru of the first floor. We entered the building Rick Steves calls Slovenia “one of Europe’s by the big wooden doors and went up the most unexpectedly charming destinations” stairs where we encountered the figure of a and “the least visited and most underrated of beekeeper transporting his hives to alpine Europe’s alpine countries”. meadows on a pack frame. The Apicultural Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, A Slovenian bee house in Plecnik’s garden. Museum is open year round, with limited was a pleasant surprise. Our hotel room hours in the winter. overlooked the car-free town centre which was festooned with holiday lights and filled with people drinking hot mulled wine at outdoor tables nearly twenty-four hours a day. The bells of the churches in the town center chimed the hours; a lovely sound currently absent from our suburban lives. Bee House on the outskirts of Radovljica. Google Street View.

Overall, the museum is nicely done; it is a pleasant, sunny environment. Some of the exhibits were more interesting to me than others. I glanced at the segments on pre- AZ hives and historic figures in Slovenian beekeeping. I paid more attention to the backpack-transportable hives, the hives that were figures of men or animals carved from tree trunks, and the ceramic hives that looked like doll houses. The beekeeping equipment Bust of Plecnik on a Slovenian beehive. was also interesting; I saw smokers and pipes, a variety of queen cages handmade from A second site that may be worth a visit is wood and wire, a version of a stethoscope – the Honey House in the downtown area on for listening to colony sounds, and a number Mestni Trg (street). I did not visit this shop of scrapers. The box for shipping live bees myself, as it was closed whenever I happened was different from the one I was used to, and Ljubljana on a winter holiday evening. past it. the portrait of St. Ambrose, patron saint of The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 41 TRAVELLERS’ TALES

St Ambrose, Patron Saint of Beekeepers and Waxmakers (c1840). beekeepers – with a beehive – seemed to be Beehive panel: Beekeeper placing a swarm queen into a hive. gazing heavenward with a “Why have you For the Apicultural Museum see: http://www. done this to me?” look. REFERENCES There is more information about Ljubljana, muzeji-radovljica.si/ Several displays were interactive to some Plečnik, the Apicultural Museum, hive panels, For hive panels see: http://viewfromthepier. degree. First, there was an observation hive AZ hives, and Carniolan bees on the internet. com/2013/06/25/beekeeping-in-slovenia/ and exhibit. The observation hive itself was For example: http://web.bf.uni-lj.si/jbozic/muzej/hivefron. missing, but the base for it was there, and For Ljubljana see: http://www.inyourpocket. html there were photos of a swarm departing com/ljubljana For AZ hives see: http://www. from it. Second, there was a small, dark For a virtual museum of Plečnik’s work in 360 slovenianbeekeeping.com/index-one.html hexagonal room into which one could enter degree views, see: http://www.burger.si/Plecnik/ For Carniolan honey bees see: http://www. and be surrounded by the sounds of bees – a uvod_eng.html kranjska-cebela.si/En/kranjska_cebela.php simulated in-hive experience. I appreciated this attention to colony acoustics (and the above-mentioned ‘stethoscope’) because I keep an observation hive by my desk and listen to its sounds all day long, year round; these sounds vary greatly over time, and are reliable indicators of the colony’s activities. There was also a small theatre, with tiered benches for the audience and a stage set consisting of a combination bee the Joyce Jones Bee Jacket house and honey house, both modern, for demonstrating how to work the AZ hive and process the honey. Produced since 1983 - and thousands sold Lastly, one of the main rooms of the museum was devoted to beehive panels. Takes the sting out of beekeeping. Hundreds of them, mostly from the 19th Fully tested and carefully made century, were grouped by their thematic in our own apiaries. content. In Slovenian bee houses, hives are 100’s sold at our very reasonable prices placed side by side and stacked atop one another, a situation that invites drifting. & no complaints Slovenian beekeepers painted each hive’s Flat top £36.00 front panel differently so that their bees could De lux £48.50 more easily identify and return to their own Ex large £57.00 hives; they also painted them in ways that Childs de lux £41.00 were meaningful to humans, illustrating, Over trousers £25.00 for example, religious, moral, cultural, and New All in one Jacket & Trousers historic themes, humorous events, and (grey) Med, Large, Extra Large £90 daily life. These panels provide a view into *All prices include V.A.T. & postage the interests and values of people from that place and time. Scenes of beekeeping Obtainable only from Limetree Apiaries were relatively few. The hive panels found Dewsbury Road, Elland HX5 9BE in souvenir shops are also hand-painted, tel/fax 01422 375713 inspired by the originals in the museum. BEE CENTRED BEEKEEPING Learning From Wild Bees & Tree Beekeeping

Jonathan Powell Trustee of the Natural Beekeeping Trust and Member of Tree Beekeeping International The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 43 BEEKEEPING

Typical apiary - can you spot the hive?

have written many articles about space of forty years the decline of forage, the from failure. A system where the beekeeper is tree beekeeping, and could easily write drop in queen fertility, and the vitality of required to give up control and complexity, another for The Beekeepers Quarterly bees being eroded. and evolution is once again determined by about this ancient form of beekeeping. The evolutionary path of the bee is a the bees and nature. A hive that can last a IHowever, I feel strongly that I need to go story of imperceptible change over millions hundred years or more and cost nothing. deeper into the subject and explain why of years, where bees slowly evolved to fit This is not the fantasy of a dreamy idealistic I believe tree hives are one of the most each locality, or devolved to end broken beekeeper, but an old Eastern European inspiring hives, particularly in the context of relationships with the environment. Then, traditional form of beekeeping called tree the environmental challenges that bees face in a mere 150 years, a blink in time, under beekeeping, where a hive cavity is formed in the 21st century. the stewardship of a new master, “modern inside a living tree. As I prepared to write this article I was beekeeping” together with the pressure aware of the brief, which included discussing of modern agriculture, the old order that History of Tree Beekeeping the dimensions and methods used in tree shaped bees was washed away. We have taken Whilst the history of tree beekeeping does beekeeping. This raised a small voice in my control, but are we smarter? The bees have not span the millions of years of the bees’ head which argued that if I simply gave a always selected on the basis of survival of the history, it can claim to be one of the oldest description of the history, dimensions and fittest, whilst we select on simpler parameters forms of beekeeping and one that perhaps methods of tree beekeeping I would be like honey yield and temperament. Add to most closely respects the innate preference of ignoring the transformation this form of bee that swarm suppression, bee importation, bees. Tree beekeeping can trace its roots back hive has had on me, not only as a beekeeper, artificial splits, prophylactic use ofover 1000 years to Eastern European monks but also as a human being. And ignoring this antibiotics, sugar feeding, and migration, who provided the first written account of tree would be a disservice to the bees and their and we have woven a tangled and confused beekeeping in 900. A Russian tomb from the message. Therefore, if this article simply evolutionary path that has no direction for 5th century was found to contain a complete gives you more intellectual knowledge about bees and is alien to their genetic history. set of tree beekeeping tools, and a preserved the tree beekeeping, or gives you more ideas What if there was a completely different tree hive was recovered from the Older river for the next beekeeping experiment, then I approach to beekeeping? Where the dating to around the 10th century. In 940 will have failed. We live in a world saturated beekeeper makes a hive that suits the bees King Otto I allowed tree beekeeping within with knowledge and technology but I fear it or they do not come. Where the density the Teltowsche Heide (Grunewald forest, is lacking in wisdom. Having kept bees as a of hives is set by the bees, and there is no Berlin), but the last Zeidler (German tree child in the 1970’s, I have seen in the short intervention to stimulate the hive or save it beekeeper) gave up in 1550. 44 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 BEEKEEPING

Comb in Polish hive. A Different Approach to Beekeeping

Polish tree beekeepers in the 17th forest was declared the Russian Tsar’s private The majority of tree hives are created in century could manage up to 60 hives, and property. These hives are now open, their pine trees that are typically older than 150 wealthy tree beekeepers would manage as entrances are closing and they have no bees. years; larch is another common tree, and many as 400 hives. At this time Polish tree The last Bielowieza tree beekeeper, Filmon to a lesser extent oak, fir and spruce. First, beekeeping saw its maximum development. Waszkiewicz, died in 1967. the crown of the tree is removed so that the It was an important branch of the economy; Gradually, for the convenience of tree grows in diameter. Traditionally, after profits from wax and honey could be 30 beekeepers, tree hives migrated to log a further 70 years, the third generation of times higher than from wood. Tree hives hives on platforms, then to logs on the tree beekeeper makes the hive. Ideally the belonged to kings, princes and cities, ground, and then, with the start of modern tree needs to be at least 80 cm in diameter. and tree hive keepers had a right for an beekeeping, to thin walled hives with frames. The family line then manages the hive for inheritable timeless lease of the tree hives. In With modern commercial beekeeping also 200-300 years. When done correctly, the return beekeepers would pay tax in the form came sugar, antibiotics, genetic dilution, tree is not harmed; indeed, it is believed that of hive products, wax and honey, tending migratory beekeeping and dense apiaries. making the cavity invigorates the tree. meadows and later money. Historically, In this tree hive management system, there was another advantage to the tree and the top one third is respected and always bee relationship, most notably in Poland Renaissance of Tree Beekeeping left undisturbed for raising brood and for where there was legal protection and severe The tree hive tradition in Eastern Europe winter stores. If there is any spare honey it punishments preventing the felling of trees was all but lost by the 1930’s. Then, in 2002, is harvested from the bottom two thirds of containing hives, and protection of the hive Dr Hartmut Jungius and Dr Przemysław the hive. Typically 10-15kg is harvested in a from robbery. (Przemek) Nawrocki of the World Wide normal year. The hives are opened just twice From the mid 19th century the economies Fund for Nature (WWF) discovered tree a year: once in spring to check if the hive of wood and honey changed. Wood became beekeeping still being practiced in the is populated, and then in the autumn for more important to fuel war and industrial Southern Urals of Bashkortostan, Russia, the honey harvest. This infrequent opening development. Legal bans on tree beekeeping while they were setting up a 22,000 hectare maintains the medicinal hive atmosphere. were imposed by the rulers of Austria, Prussia woodland nature reserve. Over 700 hives The hives are not treated for mites with and Russia to make way for the felling of the can be found here, of which, in an average acid washes or pesticides and yet remain trees. However, even after some decline, the year, 30% are naturally populated by swarms healthy. Interestingly, many beekeepers Polish census of 1827 recorded over 70,000 and managed by the Bashkir. the West, often referred to as ‘natural tree hives. In Belarus there are still more than We know how traditional tree hives beekeepers’, are similarly discovering that 800-1000 log hives in trees, but only a few tree are constructed, using knowledge gathered bees will slowly adjust to mites and diseases. cavities with bees. In the Polish Bielowieza from the Bashkir, together with historical They can only do so if they are left to manage National Park there are still 112 tree hive information from countries such as Germany themselves, i.e. they are rarely disturbed, cavities, made before an 1888 ban when the and Poland. their winter honey stores are left intact, and Tree beekeeping in Poland. they are not fed sugar, which weakens the bees’ immunity (1). Tree hives naturally populate at a density of three hives per 1km2; however this varies greatly depending on the weather. In good years almost all the Bashkir hives will fill with bees, but in very poor years only 10% may have bees. The low density of hives greatly reduces the problem of disease spread whilst matching forage level to bee density. By allowing the weather to test the bees, the weak colonies fail and only strong colonies propagate their genetics. Tree hives being static allow bees to build long term bonds and connections between the environment and other colonies.

Construction of Tree Hives We can now look in detail at the construction and dimensions of a hive, but remember this is tree beekeeping and the dimensions are approximate. I like to use my hands and limbs to do the measurements, and if you see me hug a tree in the forest, I’m probably measuring it ... and giving it some love! Construction of the a tree hive starts with a slot that forms the ‘human entrance’ to the hive, at 4-5 m from the ground. The slot is typically 800-900 cm long and 12 cm wide. The internal diameter of the hive is around 35 cm and has a volume of approximately 80-90 litres. This leaves thick walls of at least 5 cm to insulate the hive. A cavity is normally left open for a year to let Platform for making a hive in a tree. 46 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 BEEKEEPING

The first cut into the tree.

Two sets of spales fitted cross-wise in the hive.

Hardwood spikes with bait or ’welcome’ Entrance hole. comb are fitted to the roof of the hive.

Hardwood spikes with bait or ’welcome’ comb are Entrance and entrance plug. Traditional hive-making tools. fitted to the roof of the hive. The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 47 BEEKEEPING the wood season. When the hive is occupied, bees in the wild is difficult and there are very the gut of bees compromises their immune the bees will gradually cover the walls with few large traditional non-commercial forests system, (1). protective propolis. A slot door of similar with large trees. Additionally, spotting a In the UK it is likely that many thickness to the walls and with insulating colony high in a tree in a forest is hard, and conventional apiaries already exist close to foliage completes the hive’s human entrance. studying one is even harder. However, there wild hives; in the Andover (Wiltshire, UK) The bees’ entrance is located one third are useful studies on bees in Arnot Forest locale alone there are reportedly over 80 of the way from the top of the hive, by (USA) by Prof Thomas Seeley (2) and others wild bee sites, many house strong colonies forming a 8cm x 8cm hole that is positioned which provide some possible benchmarks. continuously inhabiting their hive for many approximately 20 cm away from the human In one of his last lectures in Switzerland years. entrance. A carving axe is used to create a in 2015, Professor Seeley outlined differences So, there is a picture emerging of wild long tailed plug that fits inside the entrance between how wild bees live compared with colonies retaining vitality through normal hole leaving two vertical 1 cm x 8 cm slots those in a typical apiary, as shown in the selective pressure. The fear that they are a either side of the plug. The tail of the plug table on page 49. I have included a tree potential pathogen reservoir is not borne goes into the cavity and marks the point beekeeping hive column and additional out by studies, or anecdotal evidence. above which the beekeeper must never parameters, though I appreciate not all the Furthermore, Gideon’s and Seeley’s research disturb the colony. Honey may be harvested apiary traits are common to all beekeepers. has shown that natural selective pressure below the tail of the entrance plug. Clearly there are many differencesuncompromised by treatments and alien Inside the cavity two sets of two spales between tree hives in the wild and their inputs has been a positive to bee health and are arranged in a cross that fit above and ground-based apiary cousins, but do these created an important genetic reservoir. It has below the entrance plug. Each spale is affect the health and vitality of the bee? worked for millions of years, and rather than approximately 1cm x 0.8cm x 40cm and Professor Seeley firmly believes the shun this natural wisdom, we could do well pointed at the ends. The length is adjusted attributes of natural tree hives have a to embrace it by creating tree hives. to be a tight fit inside the cavity with the measurable and significant positive effect With the resilience of wild bees in mind, pointed ends digging into the side walls. on the hive health. The Arnot Forest bees it is no wonder that tree beekeeping has Spales are not necessary if the hive is not he studied had adapted to the deadly varroa caught the imagination of many beekeepers harvested for honey. mite, and no signs of foul brood diseases across Europe. The Natural Beekeeping The final internal components are eight were found in forest studies spanning 33 Trust, (8), and Free The Bees, (9), promote thin hardwood spikes used to fix 8 cm x 8 cm years. In one of Seeley’s studies, inspired by tree hives, and new organisations such as bait comb to the top of the hive. Personally forest bees, he recommended apiary hives Bractwo Bartne, (10), and Tree Beekeeping I prefer to call it ‘welcome comb’, as we are be spaced much wider: at 10m, to reduce International, (11), have formed to teach not trapping the bees for collection, instead transfer of disease. tree hive making and tree beekeeping skills. we are inviting them to stay. The welcome But could more extensive tree Additionally, tree beekeeping is being used comb is arranged to encourage the bees beekeeping with its minimal inspection or to protect four different races of dark bees to build comb parallel to the door, which the introduction of unmanaged tree hives be (Northern, Augustowska, Kampinoska and simplifies inspection. a problem for conventional apiaries? Asta) in Polish forests, and in Bashkortostan, The traditional tools for hollowing out Catherine Thompson’s 2014 paper on tree beekeeping is bringing additional the hive include: hand forged adze, round “Parasite Pressures on Feral Bees” touches on income to the local community. In Germany, scorp and heavy duty chisel/lever. A carving this concern. However, it showed established habitat forestry initiatives are attempting to axe is used to make the internal components feral bee colonies apparently able to tolerate increase forest biodiversity by incorporating and this also doubles as a hive tool. More high values of deformed wing virus (DWV) tree beekeeping. recently, tree beekeepers use chainsaws to that would normally lead to colony mortality I believe that tree hives, which draw speed up the process of making the hive and [feral is used to describe likely escaped closely from the innate preferences of the working platform. The process takes one to swarms from apiaries, though I prefer the bees in the wild, can offer new directions to two days. term “wild” and will use that from now on]. apiculture. Recent hive designs, such as those The final stage is to add the tree This tolerance may be related to the work by Lazutin, Somerville and Haverson, (12) , beekeeper’s family mark on the tree. In of Gideon et al [2015], (3 ),on DWV and have mimicked the high insulating properties Bashkir this is called a tamga, and historically ‘superinfection exclusion’, in which they of tree hives. This is supported by the work in Poland, a signum (more recently it is highlight honeybees, varroa and DWV of Mitchell, (13). Increasing numbers of called ‘ciosno’ and ‘znamię’). This is cut into reaching a stable state by natural selection. beekeepers are rejecting treatment of bees, the bark at the base of the tree. The mark Papers by Miller 1935, (4), Bailey 1958, and the practice of leaving enough honey for shows ownership, and was once also used (5), and Goodwin 1994, (6), all indicate that overwintering bees and rejecting the use of for tax collecting purposes. wild bees do better than managed colonies sugar is becoming more common. concerning disease, and the main threat to For me, a narrow focus on apiculture Comparisons Between Tree Colonies wild colonies are local dense populations of misses the full inspiration of trees and and Those in Managed Apiaries poorly managed colonies. This may not be bees. Bees have suffered from catastrophic But just how well do tree hives match the a surprise when we consider that horizontal loss of quality non-toxic forage, genetic natural preferences of bees? What would bees transfer of pathogens, not seen in wild and mechanical manipulation. To restore do if we did nothing at all? Only when we hives, is common in beekeeping. We also vitality, bees need our support and creating know this can we judge if our interventions know that the microbiota of honey bees tree hives is a way to do this, particularly if are supporting them or not. For more can be damaged for several decades by the not harvested for honey. Extensive networks understanding, we therefore look to the bees use of antibiotics, (7) . Furthermore, it is of tree hives, including those in protected in the wild and how they live.The study of well established that the effects of sugar on habitat forests, can provide an environment 48 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 BEEKEEPING

Newly completed hive with Hive door without Hive door with insulated entrance - now ready for pegs for securing the door. insulating entrance. the bees.

Bees at hive entrance. The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 49 BEEKEEPING

for bees, free from human intrusion and economic imperatives. After more than a century of continuously taking from bees, there is a strong need to redress the balance. Tree hives, which respect and focus on the needs of the bees, provide a new direction.

References: 1.  Johnson 2013: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/ journal.pone.0031051 2.  Seeley: http://www.nbb.cornell.edu/seeley.shtml 3. Gideon 2015: http://www.nature.com/ismej/journal/vaop/ncurrent/ full/ismej2015186a.html 4.  Miller 1935: Natural comb building. Canad. Bee J. 43(8) : 216-217 5.  Bailey 1958: Wild honeybees and disease. Bee World 39, 93-95 6.  Goodwin 1994: Incidence of American foulbrood infections in feral honey bee colonies in New Zealand. NZ J. Zool. 21 285-287 7.  Tian 2012: http://mbio.asm.org/content/3/6/e00377-12.full 8. Natural Beekeeping Trust: http://naturalbeekpingtrust.org/ 9. Free The Bees: http://freethebees.ch/10. Bractwo Bartne Foundation: http://bartnictwo.com/en 11.  Tree Beekeeping International: http://tree-beekeeping.org/ 12.  Somerville & Haverson: http://beekindhives.uk/the-modified- golden-hive/ 13.  Mitchell 2015: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00484-015-1057-z

ITBA Backed Courses For 2016 (details will appear on http://tree-beekeeping.org): Germany - Mellifera April and July Germany (Essen) - 2010 König October Germany (Paderborn) - March, August September Germany (Düsseldorf) - June Lecture. Belgium - October Poland (Augustow) - July festival, April Course France (Normandy) - September UK (Somerset) - April

Tree bee hive making course, in Bavaria, Germany 2015. 50 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016

Dr Margaret Couvillon �ora�in� �inesTowards Integrated Mite Control: owadays, you’d be hard from the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social 100 bees (range 2-29). After OA treatment, it pressed to find a beekeeper, Insects, which is led by Professor Francis was found that all methods gave high varroa whether commercial or hobby, Ratnieks, describe an effective method, mortality at one or more of the higher doses. who hasn’t heard of the honey including its application, for the treatment However, sublimation was actually effective beeN parasite Varroa destructor. The mite, against this challenging parasite (Al Toufailia at all four doses, including the lower doses which originates from East Asia and is now et al. 2016). In their research, the scientists (0.56, 1.125, 2.25, 4.5g), while trickling widespread across all continents except used oxalic acid (OA), a naturally occurring only worked at 2.25g and spraying at 1.125 Australia, inflicts harm on honey bees in two chemical found in vegetables like carrots and 2.25g. Is it just that sublimating OA ways. Firstly, varroa harm honey bee worker and already present in honey. For decades, kills everything in its wake? The scientists also pupae directly, as the female mites lay eggs OA has been known to be fatal to varroa, compared bee mortality across applications, within the secret recesses of the sealed cells on but what was missing was evidence that and they found approximately 1-3 dead the pupae, which provide the blood meal for compared doses and application methods bees per hive per day, and there wasn’t any Mother Mite and offspring alike. However, side-by-side and analysed not the number, difference between control (n = 10) and perhaps even more insidious is the indirect but the proportion, of mites that are killed. treatment (n=100) hives and no difference harm: the mite can spread viral diseases so The article, which is open access, can be read before and after OA application. The only that relatively low numbers of parasite can as a pdf from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00 exception was that spraying at the highest of result in colony death, particularly in the 218839.2015.1106777 doses did kill about 10 bees per day per hive. winter. In 2013, Al Toufailia et al. began by The scientists then set out to track I first heard of Varroa destructor when I treating 100 hives with oxalic acid, while these 110 colonies for 4 months after the began my Ph.D. on honey bee guarding and 10 hives were left as untreated controls. experiment. Of the 10 untreated control nestmate recognition. The year was 2004, The OA was applied using one of three hives, 8 (80%) survived. Of the hives treated and I had just moved to Sheffield, UK. At methods: trickling, spraying, or sublimating. with oxalic acid, survival was: sublimation, the time, the lab was still using Apistan, the Most critically, at the time of the treatment 38/40 = 95%; trickling, 25/30 = 83%; strips that are placed within the hive where (January), the hives did not possess any spraying, 19/30, 63%. In other words, they release the chemical fluvalinate, which capped brood because it was necessary that sublimation gave the highest survival. is toxic to varroa. When Apistan first became all the varroa be phoretic (i.e., on the adult And because mere survival isn’t the entire available to beekeepers, it was nearly 100% bodies, not within the brood cells). Just to be story, the colonies were also monitored effective at killing the mites within a colony. sure, the scientists checked all the hives and for strength. The surviving hives treated In theory, not killing all the mites isn’t removed whatever small patches of capped via sublimation had significantly more actually a huge problem because what’s brood remained. brood compared to the hives treated with important is to keep varroa levels low The first step was to determine varroa other methods, and there was about 21% enough such that they do not harm the mortality. The scientists took two samples of more brood in the colonies treated via OA colony. However, with the case of Apistan, about 260 worker bees per hive, one sample sublimation compared to the control hives. the “nearly 100% effective” ended up taken just before oxalic acid treatment and Putting it all together, the authors contributing to the mite crisis we now face. the second 10 days later, when the mortality conclude that the sublimation (versus Those scrappy, surviving mites that by the caused by the oxalic acid was over but before trickling or spraying) method is the best in grace of random variation were resistant to springtime, when capped brood would all respects for the control of Varroa mites fluvalinate had a large advantage, one could begin to appear. The bees were frozen and with OA. It is effective at lower doses, say, over the varroa that were not resistant. then placed into a double-mesh honey causes no harm to bees, results in higher Over time, resistance became wide-spread, strainer, where they were washed with warm colony survival and more springtime brood. and now Apistan treatments, although still water from a hose nozzle. The varroa passed Overall, it was found that the application commonly used, are only about half as through the first mesh and were trapped in of 2.25g OA via sublimation for broodless effective. the second, finer, mesh. Then it was time to hives in winter killed 97% of the colony’s Scientists and beekeepers worldwide count the mites and bees from each sample varroa mites. And, as a cherry on top of the recognize that Varroa mites are a big problem and to determine mortality (ie, how many OA sublimation Sunday, the method does for beekeepers, and several have turned their mites per bees were found before and after not require the hive to be opened, and it is talents to tackling the problem. Today I want OA treatment). quick, taking about 3 minutes per hive. to write about new research published in And what was found? Pre-OA treatment Of course, it’s worth mentioning that the Journal of Apicultural Research, where (using any methods), the average level of oxalic acid treatment via sublimation may Hasan Al Toufailia and Luciano Scandian varroa across the 110 hives was 9.8 mites per be a method that requires, firstly, that the The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 51 research beekeeper buy or borrow an applicator. Secondly OA is harmful to the eyes and mucous membranes, so it is important not to inhale OA, either as a powder or as fumes. To help with these issues and other safety concerns, the research scientists prepared a pamphlet on “How to Apply Oxalic Acid Via Sublimation to Control Varroa”, which you can download from the LASI web site: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/ gateway/file.php?name=pamphlet- sublimationtreatmentoxalicacid-a4- 1page-2016.pdf&site=60 A beekeeper once quipped to me, “Put 10 beekeepers in a room and they will have 20 different opinions about a topic.” I imagine that the control of varroa will certainly not be an exception. And so I encourage all of you to take a good look at these data, collect some of your own, and keep on discussing!

Reference: Al Toufailia H, Scandian L, Ratnieks FLW (2016) Towards integrated control of varroa: 2) comparing application methods and doses of oxalic acid on the mortality of phoretic Varroa destructor mites and their honey bee hosts. Journal of Apicultural Research 54

The Central Association The Centralof Bee-Keepers Association Bringingof Bee-KeepersScience to the Beekeeper ActingBringing as a bridge Science between to the the beekeeperBeekeeper and the scientist, the CABK is a must for all who are interested in bees and other social Actinginsects. as We a bridgeorganise between two conferences the beekeeper per and theyear, scientist, plus our socialthe CABK evening iswhich a must takes for all who are interestedplace during in the bees National and Honey other Show. social insects. SingleWe organise membership two costs conferences just £10 per year,per and includes free copies of lecture booklets. year, plus our social evening which takes place To join us, visit the CABK website or duringcontact the National the Hon Secretary: Honey Show. Pat Allen +44 (0) 1708 220897 Single [email protected] costs just £15 per year, Dual £18 per yearhttp://www.cabk.org.uk and Corporate £20 per year and includes freeRegistered copies charity numberof lecture 278710 booklets. To join us, visit the CABK website or contact the Hon Secretary: Pat Allen +44 (0) 1708 220897 [email protected] http://www.cabk.org.uk Registered charity number 278710 52 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016

HONEYBEE RESEARCH Food Odor Air Path – The way non-experienced Apis mellifera L. forager bees are guided in flight directly to a feeder. Michael D. Ifantidis

Abstract models regarding the communication modes This is not confirmed, as first the ratio N.-E. wo Apis mellifera L. bee colonies between experienced and non-experienced Fr. / E.Fr. is always far below the value of the 14,15 were used in the present study, A. mellifera foragers, which on the basis also unit (1/1) and secondly recruitment is the first as the experimental of the present study’s data are partially or not achieved even by relatively small groups 8, 11, 12 4 20 colony and the second as the totally invalidated. of E.Fr. . Additional recent data , control. Each one belonged to a different Key words: Communication, Apis call also into question the credibility of the T 5 and morphologically distinguishable bee mellifera, experienced forager (E.Fr.), non- famous D.L.-H . race. A distant experimental - as well as a experienced forager (N.-E.Fr.), intruder Furthermore, there has been recent control-feeding station were used. These foragers (Int.Fr.), dance language hypothesis adequate evidence that both of the two 5 were installed at equal distances from the pair (D.L.-H), odors only hypothesis (O.O.-H), well-known hypotheses (i.e., the D.L.-H. 40 of the colonies and at possibly diametrically direct flight, food odor air path (F.O.A.P.), and the O.O.-H. ) are not able to fully opposite directions. Only the bees of the information group (I.G.), barrage-like or partially explain to a satisfactory degree 19, 34 experimental-colony were trained to collect rhythms of arrival rates (B-L.R.A.R.), latent concrete cases of anomalies that undiluted honey at the experimental-feeding phase (Lt.-ph.). K-cage, outdoors feeding concern the recruitment of N.-E.Fr. bees station, but not at the control feeding (Otd.Fdn.). by their E.Fr. hive mates. For example, station. A relatively large information-group both hypotheses are unable to interpret of experienced forager bees was thus formed, Introduction the anomaly, in which N.-E.Fr. are able to which grew unhindered. It is this large size Regarding the issue of communication follow a zigzag path, either in a horizontal or of the information-group that gives rise to between E.Fr. and N.-E.Fr. Apis mellifera in a vertical plane, which connects the hive the presupposition for the formation of an L. bees, there have until now been two with the feeding station and along of which 9 effective Food Odor Air Path (F.O.A.P.) prevailing and widely known but mutually already fly their experienced companions . between the experimental colony and the opposing hypotheses. Chronologically, the On the other side all of the recently 9, 13, 14, 15, 16 distant experimental feeding station. The first is the “dance language”-hypothesis published cases of anomalies can study’s methodology allows the F.O.A.P to (D.L.-H.) 5 and later came the “odors only”- be explained within the framework of the be interrupted at will, which is done at the hypothesis (O.O.-H.) 40. Both the common newly formulated notion of the Food Odors latent phase (Lt.-ph.). During this phase points and the differences between these two Air Path (F.O.A.P.). the trained foragers are confined to what’s hypotheses will not be dealt with here as they The aim of the present paper is to known as a K-cage. At the same time, have been discussed in detail elsewhere15. investigate (a) if N.-E.Fr. bees can, contrary 40 the forager bees of the control colony are Suffice to say that neither the D.L.-H5., [in to the principles of the O.O.-H , fly stimulated outdoors with the same food but its original version] nor the O.O.-H40 [in “directly” to a distant feeding site, and (b) at a provisional feeding station near their its definitive version] paid enough attention if the direct flight is, contrary now to the 5 hive. Then the feeder, occupied by the bees to the importance of sounds as stimuli principles of the D.L.-H , made exclusively of the control colony, is transferred under produced by the dancing bees (although not through the F.O.A.P., i.e., totally without the flight line of the experienced forager- necessarily as a teleological concept). Since the aid of the symbolic movements specific bees of the information group. The latter then, however, extending scientific research of the waggle dance. belong exclusively to the experimental has been conducted on this very interesting colony. So, when the F.O.A.P. will have been issue. Perhaps the most significant findings Materials and Methods reinstated, the bees of the control colony are firstly that not any of N.-E.Fr. bees were The bee colonies. Two honey bee colonies will also have flown through it directly and recruited with silent dances35 and secondly (each one composed of 30,000 bees) were automatically to the experimental-feeding that the vibration signal produced during used during a three year experimental station. The foragers of the control colony the tremble dance 1,29 is probably raising period (2006, 2007 and 2008). One colony are never allowed to return home from the the colony’s capacity for processing nectar31. belonged to the foreign Italian yellowish experimental feeding station, so that it is The significance of these two points is the Apis mellifera ligustica race and the other not possible for them to convey information evidence they provide which supports, in the to the native dark-greyish Apis mellifera about the offered food there to the other former that the production of sound is more macedonica. The bee colonies were used bees in their colony in any way whatsoever important than the symbolic movements of as either the experimental colony or as the - even with dances. As a result, it was the dances, and in the latter that the vibration control colony. More specifically, the Italian possible, for the first time in the relevant signal is produced during a dance, which bee colony was used as the experimental literature to experimentally guide non- does not at all indicate distance or direction colony in 2006 and 2007, while the experienced bee foragers (from the control of the food site. Consequently, both cases macedonica colony was used as control. colony) directly to a distant feeding station, substantially weaken rather than strengthen In 2008, the reverse happened, i.e., the only with the aid of a F.O.A.P., i.e. without the validity of the D.L.-H5. Another weak macedonica was the experimental colony the intervention of the waggle dances. A point of the D.L.-H.5 is the acceptance that while the Italian acted as the control. discussion is carried out of the limitations the recruitment of N.-E.Fr. bees takes place The experimental area. The of the worldwide established hypotheses and individually by an experienced hive mate. experiments were conducted in a hilly, rural The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 53 HONEYBEE RESEARCH area of shrubs (Fig.1)., in Argyroupolis, was set up, whose aim was simply to that were painted. This manipulation of Kilkis – Northern Greece, latitude 40o59’ N, stimulate the foragers of the control colony the bees was only necessary during the longitude22o56’ E, altitude186m. The area outdoors during the so- called latent phase preparation period of the experiment (see is partially cultivated only with wheat. There (Lt.-ph.), [see below –“The main period of paragraph “The uses of the K-cage” below), is an abundance of the herb Polycombon the experiment”]. The provisional feeding in order also to determine objectively the sp., in the harvested fields (the stubble), the station was installed 15m away from the effective size of the I.G. The size of the I.G. is blooming period of which may extend to two colonies (Fig.1), on the country road effective when the N.-E.Fr (not yet painted) November38. The prevailing wind was from leading to the experimental feeding station, of the experimental colony are arriving at the the W- to the E-direction. i.e., beneath the E.Fr. bees’ flight path to and feeder at “barrage –like rhythms of arrival from the experimental feeding station. In all rates”15.These very particular rhythms in three feeding stations undiluted pine honey their turn mean that there was at least one was offered to the bees. N.-E.Fr. bee arriving at the experimental Monitoring the scout bees from feral feeder within one minute. The B.-L.R. A.R. colonies. Before starting the experiments of the N.-E.Fr. bees at the specific feeder and for two successive days, the scout foragers in addition reveal that these bees also (like from possibly feral macedonica colonies already their experienced hive mates) reach were monitored. This took place for at least the feeder by flying in the shortest time, two hours of each day by directly watching i.e., “directly” from their hive through the the feeder at both the experimental feeding formation and the function of a F.O.A.P.15. station and the control feeding station. The preparation period of the The visitor scout bees were systematically experiment. It is an essential condition in Fifure 1. The experimental area. X: The position captured with the aid of a handmade the experiment that the I.G. of the E.Fr. of the two colonies,. A1: The positions of the apparatus18 while they were sucking up the bees from the experimental colony is as large experimental feeding station in 2006 and B1 undiluted honey from a shallow dish-feeder. as possible. In this way, the experiment, correspondingly in 2007 & 2008. A2: The positions Capturing the intruder-foragers perhaps for the first time, simulated natural of the control feeding station in 2006 and B2 correspondingly in 2007 & 2008. C: The place of (Int.Fr.). During both the preparation and conditions, since in nature the I.G. also the provisional feeding station the main period of the experiment, all the grows in an unrestricted manner if food Int.Fr. bees [belonging always to the control is abundant. The prompt formation of a colony] were also irrevocably captured at relatively large I.G. at a distant feeding the experimental feeding station. This also station is accomplished through the happened to the few foragers of dubious application of a modified method39. For a origin (race), the number of which have not detailed description of the entire process the been included in the obtained experimental reader is referred to an earlier publication7. data. In this way the possibility was excluded But speaking in general, an uncovered Figure 2. The experimental feeding station, (right) that any information about the food at feeder-plate is gradually transferred away the layout of the pair of the bee colonies the experimental feeding station has being from the position of the hive to the definite transferred to the foragers of the control position of the experimental feeding station. colony. The main period of the experiment. Guarantee for the food-odor’s The last day of the experiment’s preparation The layout of the colonies and of the uniqueness). This was achieved by offering period is the one when the rhythm of feeding stations. The pair of bee colonies pine honey at the feeding stations, since the arrivals of the N.-E.Fr. bees of the was installed at the edge of an Acacia the parasitic insect Marchalina hellenica experimental colony at the experimental sp. grove (Fig. 1, and Fig.2. - right). An producing the corresponding honeydew is feeding station start to become barrage- experimental feeding station as well as a not naturally present at the experimental like. When the F.O.A.P function starts, control feeding station were installed 150m area. Furthermore, there are no pine trees the Lt.-ph. is inserted in the experimental (in 2006) and 210m in the next two years in the vicinity of the experimental area. In procedure. The way this is done is by away from the place of the two colonies, in order to prevent the bees from sticking to temporarily confining all the bees of the I.G. a possibly diametrically opposite direction the honey, small pieces of non-toxic material in what’s known as a K-cage17. In this way (Fig. 1). A slightly curved country road were strewn on the surface of the undiluted the F.O.A.P is interrupted at will, signalizing connected the experimental feeding station honey. the starting point of the main period of correspondingly the control feeding station Differentiation between the E.Fr. and the experiment. In addition, during the with the small Acacia sp.grove in 2006. N.-E.Fr. bees. In order to distinguish clearly Lt.-ph. the foragers of the control colony In 2007 and 2008, the control feeding between the E.Fr. and N.-E.Fr. of the same are potentially stimulated through an station was placed adjacent a provincial race at the experimental feeding station, the outdoors feeding (Otd. Fdn.) with the same road. A yellow umbrella was placed at the latter were painted at their arrival there with food but at the provisional feeding station experimental feeding station (Fig.2. - left) as the same color with which the experienced (beside their hive). The feeder, occupied by an artificial ground landmark for the E.Fr. bees were already painted. In this way, the the stimulated bees of the control colony, bees. Only the bees of the experimental continuously arriving N.-E.Fr were very easy is gradually transferred further away until colony were trained to collect the food and monitored and furthermore incorporated in it reaches under the flight line of the E.Fr. always only at the experimental feeding the ever- growing information group (I.G.) bees of the information group to and from station, never at the control feeding station. of the E.Fr. It was primarily the foragers the experimental feeding station. The latter In addition, a provisional feeding station originating from the experimental colony belong steadily to the experimental colony. 54 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 HONEYBEE RESEARCH

The possible combinations of the two station whereas during the preparation period next paragraph of this text). Its exit tube experimentally controlled factors, which only the shallow dish-feeder is enough to be could be either open or shut, according to influence the values of the rhythms of the used at that site. Respectively, at the control the requirements of the experimental phase. arrivals of the N.-E.Fr. of the control colony feeding station the ice-cream bowl feeder At the control feeding station four K-cages at the experimental feeding station, i.e.,the was usually used in the so-called K-cage. For were installed in a square-arrangement (Fig. combinations of (a) the F.O.A.P. and (b) the a detailed description of the structure of the 3) and in such a way that there were always Otd.Fdn., entail the following four phases K-cage, the reader is referred to a previous two entrances at each of its four sides. So in of the main period of the experiment: phase paper 17. this case each K- cage was equipped with -i: without F.O.A.P. & without of Otd.Fdn., The outdoor feeding of the control two entrances, one at each of two adjacent phase -ii: with F.O.A.P. & without of Otd. colony foragers. The shallow dish-feeder sides. In this case the unique exit tube of Fdn., phase -iii: without F.O.A.P. & with was also used to stimulate the foragers of each one of the cages remained constantly Otd.Fdn. and, phase -iv: with F.O.A.P. & the control colony at the provisional feeding closed. In spite of the fact that the described with Otd.Fdn. station during the Lt.-ph. As in the case arrangement of the K-cages captures Obviously, the Lt.-ph. (during which of the formation of the I.G. of E.Fr. bees effectively the forager bees, the simultaneous the experienced foragers are confined)from the experimental colony (see above: presence of a person who traps with the can be inserted both at the end of the “The preparation period of the experiment”), handmade suction tube the bees which are preparation period correspondingly just the shallow dish-feeder was also gradually reluctant to pass the entrances, improves before the starting of the main period of taken away from the control colony, until further the reliability of the relevant data. the experiment as well as during the main it reached its final position at a distance In addition, fifty worker bees from the experiment but between phases -ii and -iii. of 15m from the control colony. This was experimental colony are confined in each Correspondingly, the release of the confined done along the country road that connected of the four K-cages, in an attempt to ensure bees occurs either between phase -i and the location of the two hives (control and roughly the same concentration of odorous phase-ii or between phase -iii and phase– experimental) with the final positioning of molecules in the environmental air around iv. However, it is required a reasonable time the experimental feeder station, i.e., at a both the experimental feeding station and after their release from the K-cage, until position above which there were the flight the control feeding station. This reasoning the moment the F.O.A.P-.resetting starts, paths of the E.Fr. bees of the experimental has been aptly expressed also by other i.e., until the time the E.Fr. bees of the bee colony. In this particular case, the researchers6. In total, about 200 confined experimental colony would reach the feeder transferred shallow dish-feeder (which was bees were used for this purpose at the control in B.-L.R.A.R. The assistance of a second already overcrowded with foragers from the feeding station. It must be noted here that person is needed urgently during this period control colony) was replaced with a second during the last and most informative phase of the experiment. shallow dish-feeder, which had been already of the experiment (phase-iv), there were The end of the experiment. When covered with a bee-tight lattice. Thus, while also needed about 200 or so E.Fr. bees also the Int.Fr. bees (belonging always to the foragers were deprived of the possibility from the experimental colony in order to the control colony) reached in B.-L.R.A.R. of reaching the food, the food odor molecules form an I.G., that was effective to create a at the distant experimental feeding station continued to be emitted abundantly into the functioning F.O.A.P. This was formed for there was a growing danger that they could environment around and over the covered the given distance of 150m (in 2006) or (even one) evade capture. In other words, shallow dish-feeder. correspondingly for the 210m (in 2007 there was then a possibility that Int.Fr. bees Guiding the outdoor stimulated bees and 2008) between the two hives and the might return home and convey information to the experimental feeding station. Just experimental feeding station. In addition, about the presence of food to their hive when the forager bees of the control colony the K-cage is also used to determine, when mates. For this reason, the shallow dish would have arrived under the flight line necessary, the precise number of bees per feeder was covered in time with a suitable of the experienced foragers, the confined minute arriving at or correspondingly funnel, so that no visitor bee could reach the bees of the I.G. in the K-cage are set free departing from the area3. The size of an honey in it. The covered feeder, however, by opening the cage exit. In this way the I.G. can, also be determined by another remained in position so as to locate the bees F.O.A.P. is gradually restored. The excited method15. in order to capture and record more Int.Fr. non-experienced forager bees of the control The interruption and restoration In this way, more information was obtained colony continued for a while trying (but of the F.O.A.P.-function at will. The about the effectiveness of the F.O.A.P. on not succeeding) to reach the food at the significant contribution of the K-cage in the rhythm of their arrivals. Those Int.Fr., provisional feeding station. Many of the carrying out the present experiment is which have not been caught after sealing the N.-E.Fr. bees of the control colony [among based on the possibility of interrupting the feeder, obviously did not affect the course of their experienced hive mates] had to hover foraging activity of the bees of the I.G. at the experiment, because by returning home over the feeder and were found inevitably the experimental feeding station at will they did not carry food and therefore could already within the flight path of the E.Fr. during the Lt.-ph. The K-cage was used not convey any relevant information to their bees of the experimental colony. In other for this purpose at the precise moment, companions. Likewise, they would not come words, they were already within a section of i.e., when the I.G. would have reached its automatically again to the experimental the gradually restored F.O.A.P. by the foreign effective size. At this point, without any feeding station, since they had not been E.Fr. bees and thus could be guided through delay the shallow-dish feeder is replaced by rewarded there before. it to the experimental feeding station as the ice cream bowl feeder which is put in Uses of the feeders. During the main intruders. the K-cage. Within a few minutes the E.Fr. period of the experiment, a shallow dish- The uses of the K-cage. At the bees of the experimental colony locate the feeder or an ice cream bowl-feeder were experimental feeding station, a single K-cage narrow entrance at the bottom of the Κ-cage. alternatively used at the experimental feeding was used at the appropriate time (see the Subsequently, following their experienced The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 55 HONEYBEE RESEARCH hive-mates, the N.-E.Fr. bees also enter the of an assistant was again needed. With small area around the feeders that contained K-cage. The bees, laden with the food leave this test it was possible to find out if the food of the same botanical origin 4. (See from the exit at the top of the K-cage. After a Int.Fr. bees had really departed from their “Types and uses of the feeders” in the section while, the number of arrivals and departures own hive (i.e., from the control colony.) or “Materials and Methods”). The assertion reaches a dynamic equilibrium13, when the from the experimental colony as “foreign” under discussion is confirmed second by the rhythms of the arrival rates becomes barrage- bees in it. The captured Int.Fr. -bees at the negative influence of strong wind conditions like, resulting to an exponential increase of experimental feeding station would return on the F.O.A.P16.(see further in details in the size of the I.G. This proves in addition to where they had started their foraging the section “F.O.A.P. vs the Odors Only that the K-cage does not constitute in any trip.(e) The last measure was the use of the Hypothesis”) sense a technical obstacle in the process Apiburg®-hive base equipment 6, 18. With this Data concerning specifically the of the collection of food. It is at this time equipment, robbery is also prevented, which visiting of the intruder foragers (Int.Fr.) that the exit of the K-cage must be closed, in turn could create unnecessary interference at the experimental feeding station. The whereas its entry, equipped with a valve, during the experimental procedure. information about the general experimental remains open. The valve stops the bees Statistical analysis. The method of conditions, separately for each repetition from returning to the entrance. In this way, frequency distributions Poisson E-test was of the experiment, as well as the raw data the E.Fr. , as well as the N.-E.Fr. bees, are used (37) concerning the visits of only the Int.Fr. progressively confined within the K-cage. bees (of the control colony) at the distant This results in the F.O.A.P. being fully Results and discussion experimental feeding stations during the interrupted. Just after the Lt.-ph., the exit of Confirmation for the existence of a four phases in all the three years (2006, 2007 the K-cage is opened again and the confined F.O.A.P. The F.O.A.P. as the procedure of and 2008) are presented in Table 1. bees are set free to return home. From then guiding in flight N.-E.Fr bees automatically, Specifically, the values of the arrival on, the K-cage is immediately replaced by safely, and in the shortest possible time (i.e. rates of the Int.Fr. bees for each of the four a shallow dish feeder. The size of the I.G. directly) to an unknown feeding site, has phases in Table 2 are obtained by dividing becomes again gradually effective, meaning been demonstrated several times in calm the number of the bees with the time in that a new F.O.A.P. is formed. weather or in mild-wind conditions 9, 13, minutes needed to capture them at the Safeguard and control of race purity. 15. In the present paper this assertion is experimental feeding station given in Table The race purity both of the experimental confirmed in the following two cases: Firstly, 1. Firstly, the absolute number of the Int. colony and the control colony is an by the fact that N.-E.Fr bees from both the Fr. bees (Table 1) and the corresponding indispensable prerequisite for the reliability experimental colony and control colony at values of their arrival rates in Table 2 are of the methodology, correspondingly for the very particular phase of the experiment not affected by the frequency of the visits the validity of the results obtained. For (i.e., during the phase-iv,) visited exclusively of the scout bees of feral colonies in the this reason the purity of the bees’ race had the experimental feeding station in B.- experimental area, because this frequency to be under constant strict control. This L. R.A.R. and never the control feeding was too low (about 1 bee/2 hours). On the was carried out with the application of station. On the contrary, throughout the other hand, it is apparent from Table 2, that the following measures: (a) The manner of entire experiment, the N.-E.Fr bees from the values of the arrival rates of the Int.Fr. the layout both of the experimental colony both colonies appeared at the control feeding bees at the experimental feeding station were and control colony in such a way so as to station always at rates resembling those on average greater than the unit (>1 ) only minimize disorientation (drifting). In 2006 of the scout bees of the feral bee colonies during phase-iv. At this phase the F.O.A.P. both colonies were installed on the same side in the experimental area. In other words, and the Odd-Fdn. act simultaneously on the of the country road, at the edge of acacia their rhythms of arrival rates at the control Int.Fr behavior (see “Material and methods grove (Fig.2 –right). In the two subsequent feeding station were always low, sporadic, -The main period of the experiment”). As has years (2007 and 2008) the bee colonies were and irregular. These characteristics of the already been noted, when the value of the placed one on each side of the road and at a arrival rates indicate that the N.-E.Fr bees ratio “number of bees / time in minutes» is distance of 20-25 m apart. (b) The colonies did not arrive at the feeders (in general) >1, the rhythms of the arrival rates (R.A.R.) were inspected from time to time, comb by and also specifically at the control feeding are conventionally characterized as “barrage- comb. The (in any case) few foreign bees have station directly, but by time-consuming like” (B.-L). and the B.-L. R.A.R. show that been removed. (c) The temporary removal of flights in random directions15, 40. This very the bees fly in the shortest time, i.e. “directly” 15 the control colony from the experimental area obvious distinction between the two types from the hive to the feeder for several days. During that time the arrivals of feeding stations was clearly the inevitable Finally, Table 3 shows that phase-i, (i.e., of possible foreign foragers (belonging to the consequence of the existence of a large without F.O.A.P. & without Otd. Fdn., already removed colony) were monitored at I.G. of trained bees from the experimental arrival rate frequency 6/307, 95%, C.I. the experimental feeding station. (d) During colony. These foragers collected food only 0.007-0.04) differs significantly (p <0.001) the phase-iv of the experiment, the Int.Fr. at the experimental feeding station, leading from phase-ii (i.e., with F.O.A.P. & without bees at the experimental feeding station were, during the phase-iv to the formation Otd. Fdn., arrival rates frequency 31/330, exceptionally in this case, not killed. They and function of a F.O.A.P. in the space 95%, C.I. 0.06-0.1). The very low rates of were painted, just as they were collecting on between the pair of the colonies used in this arrivals during phase-i indicate that the Int. the shallow dish-feeder, and were confined. experiment and the experimental feeding Fr.bees, arrived at the experimental feeding At the end of phase-iv, the confined Int.Fr. station. This was never the case with the station as scouts, with time-consuming bees were released to return home. A little control feeding station. Interestingly this flights in random directions, as is foreseen 40 before setting them free, the entrances of occurred, despite the experimental design by the O.O.H. . Moreover, during phase- both the experimental and control hives of the two feeding stations having a possibly ii, in which the F.O.A.P. already functions, were closed off for a while. Here the help equal concentration of odor molecules in the the N.-E.Fr bees from the control-colony 56 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 HONEYBEE RESEARCH reached at the experimental feeding station regarded as having occurred with the aid bees of the second race with dances, since more frequently than during phase-i, of the symbolic movements of the waggle the observer could not distinguish the because they came in the F.O.A.P. at different dance of the experienced forager bee of the morphology of the bees of the same race (of points along its route, nevertheless again control colony, simply because these foragers the experimental colony). Nevertheless, it by searching around with time-consuming carrying the same food odor (pine honey) has been shown that a single forager as well flights in random directions. Until that perform round dances, when they return as small groups of experienced foraging bees moment each one of them separately spent home from the close standing provisional cannot recruit non-experienced companions different durations of searching time. In this feeding station (only15m) as shown in in a food place unknown to them 10, 11, 12. way the value of the frequency of their arrival Figure 1. However, the round dance gives no Therefore, even if the preventive measures rates again remained enough lower than information about distance and direction5. (see Fig 2. right) could not nullify drifting, the frequency 1/1. In other words, neither Consequently, it can be reasonably suggested the few foreign bees in the control colony in phase-ii the Int.Fr.fly from their hive that the only factor which remains in action could not cause the B.-L.R.A.R. of directly to the experimental feeding station. during phase-iv and which is responsible indigenous workers at the experimental Furthermore, phase-i, differs significantly (p for the direct flights of Int.Fr. bees to the feeding station. <0.001) also from phase-iii (i.e., without experimental feeding station, is the F.O.A.P., However, the results of the two tests FOAP & with Otd. Fdn., arrival rate since the Otd. Fdn. itself obviously does which are adequately described in the section frequency 38/334, 95%, C.I. 0.08-0.2). not give information about distance and “Material and Methods” (“Safeguarding However, in phase-iii too, the arrival rates direction for the food place. and controlling of the race-purity of the two were still well below the level of the value colonies” ) showed that the case of bees from of 1/1, showing again that the Int.Fr. bees F.O.A.P. vs the Dance Language the two races co-existing in one and the same arrived at the experimental feeding station Hypothesis hive did not exist: In one of these tests all of by searching around with time-consuming The importance of the F.O.A.P. as the the painted and only provisionally confined 40 flights in random directions and not way the N-E.Fr. bees are guided to a new (exceptionally in this case not killed!) flying there directly from their hive. The food source was examined in the present intruder forager bees at the end of phase statistically significant higher rates of arrivals study on the basis of the arrival rates to iv, after their release, were observed trying during phase-iii in relation to phase-i, are the experimental beehive specifically only to enter the temporarily closed entrance now attributed to the influence only of the of the intruder forager bees, because only to the control colony’s hive. Nor were any factor Otd. Fdn. since in phase-iii F.O.A.P. in the control colony (from which the found at the entrance of the experimental factor was absent. Now, in phase-iii the more intruders originated) was it possible to colony, which had likewise been temporarily frequent visits in comparison with phase-i isolate the effect of the waggle dance from closed. The painted intruder-bees obviously resulted from the application of Otd. Fdn., the effect of the F.O.A.P. Now the following returned from where they had started their simply due to the increased number of objection can be raised against the previous unique foraging trip, i.e., to the control flying stimulated non-experienced foragers argumentation:The possibility perhaps has colony. In the second test the control- (N.-E.Fr.) of the control-colony in the air. not been excluded with the methodology colony was temporarily removed from the The statistical analysis indicates also that of the present study, that bees of the two acacia grove. Thereafter it was found that phase-ii is not significantly different (p = races ultimately co-existed (to some extend) the incidence of intruder bees (i.e. from the 0.5) from phase-iii. This means that the in the same hive; In such a case it could be native dark-greyish A. mel. macedonica.) at two experimental factors [i.e., the F.O.A.P, reasonably supported that the information the experimental feeding station was of the and the Otd. Fdn.], when acting separately to Int.Fr. bees was conveyed with the waggle same size as it was prior to the installation on the N.-E.Fr. bees of the control-colony dance and not with the aid of the F.O.A.P. of the two colonies of both bee races at the did not influence their rhythms of arrival Anyway, the supposed cohabitation could acacia grove. In other words, the intruder rates at the experimental feeding station. happen in two cases: Firstly, a significantly forager bees no longer came at B.-L.R.A.R. In other words, the Int.Fr.bees localized large number of bees of the control colony to the experimental feeding station. Their under this condition the food according would have intruded in the experimental B.-L.R.A.R. could be observed there only 40 to the principles of the O.O.-H , i.e., by colony, for example, by a wrong bee-keeping if the experimental colony (which had been flying in random directions and not directly manipulation or for any other reason. In temporarily left alone in the acacia grove) from their hive to the experimental feeding this case, the hosted foreign bees could be hosted several forager bees from the control- station. The situation changes substantially driven to the experimental feeding station colony. But the first of the two tests showed only during phase-iv, i.e., when the FOAP with dances performed by the experienced that such a case did not occur. and Otd. Fdn. are acting simultaneously on foragers of the experimental colony. In the From what has been discussed the Int.Fr.bees, (see “Material and methods second case for the possibility of bees from until now, it follows that the bees - The main period of the experiment”). the two races co-existing in one and the from the control colony visited the Indeed, phase-iv (i.e., with F.O.A.P. & same hive, even a few foreign bees from one distant experimental feeding station in with Old. Fdn., arrival rate frequency 175 / beehive could sneak into the second one, B.-L.R.A.R using the F.O.A.P. and not 160, 95%, C.I. O.9-1.3) varies significantly for example, due to drifting. In this case the the symbolic movements of the waggle (p <0.001) from the other three phases. issue could have been raised whether the dance. Now the Int.Fr. bees visit the feeder at B.- foreign bees would intrude in the control The above conclusion is confirmed L.R.A.R., i.e., by flying there directly from colony. Then, the few foreign bees belonging additionally by the following “anomaly,” their hive, in accordance with the principles to the experimental colony would come and which was observed before starting the 5 of D.L-H . But their direct flights to the go undisturbed between the control colony present experiment: On the occasion of distant experimental feeding station (150m and the experimental feeding station and the known phenomenon of the “proboscis 24,30 and 210m correspondingly) cannot be thus would inform the non-experienced extension” we had started to apply an The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 57 HONEYBEE RESEARCH experimental design, that was based on so that the validity of the D.L.-H5 will not erste Hilfe, die die Unsicherheit der Rekturen the assumption6 that through aging the be ruled out. The indispensable prerequisite darüber einengt, in welchem Gebiet sie yet non-experienced forager worker bees for the validity of the D.L.-H5 is that the die anderen notwendigen, nun tatsächlich of A. mellifera might be able to improve information, which presumably is conveyed zielführenden Bausteine erwarten können. their genetically determined ability not through the symbolic movements of the bee Das ist für die Neulinge ein enormer Gewinn, only to “follow” successful forager bees, but performing the waggle dance, must be very aber ohne diese andere Bausteine im Field also to “decode” effectively the symbolic accurate. führt der Tanz ins Leere. (:75, rihgt column, movements of the waggle dance. For this However, it has been recently last paragraph), d). In spite of this strong reason an isolated pure A. mel. ligustica demonstrated that such accuracy does not criticism, the author of the same scientific colony was used to conduct the experiment exist at all in the symbolic movements of the work36 supports the reliability of the in an area where A. mel. macedonica dancing honey bees 2, 20. Therefore, the data D.L.-H5, even likening the recruitment prevails. Nevertheless, during the procedure of the hitherto publications (see Wenner’s & process of non-experienced forager bees to of forming the large I.G. of experienced Well’s comprehensive book40) on which the the procedure of a swarm guidance in a new forager bees of the ligustica colony at a correctness of DL-H15 has been based, could shelter: “...man könne sie (die Rekrutierung) (gradually translocated) honey-containing reasonably be questioned. This evidently al ein Mini-Schwarmverhalten deuten” (page feeder, (see “Material and methods” section also refers to most recent experiments, in 75 left column:25-26). “The preparation period of the experiment”), which high tech methodology was applied The common point of the authors of intruder forager bees from an unknown A. 23, 25. The authors of these two specific the referred publications 23, 25,36, as well as of mel. macedonica bee colony suddenly started publications 23, 25 also claim that the D.L.-H5 the publications in general of the fans of the visiting the feeder. Despite the immediate is absolutely valid, and therefore the matter D.L-H.5, is possibly the effort to keep alive and systematic capture and possibly has been closed. However, the question [within the notion of the “PARADIGM extermination of every intruder forager bee, indeed still remains open, according HOLD”19] the really attractive aspect, new ones continued to arrive at the feeder also to the assumption of a subsequent namely, that the bee A. mellifera [as an in B.-L.P.A.R. Interestingly enough, in the publication, resulting naturally and in the exception in comparison to all insect species] case of the described «anomaly», the feral most official manner from the following has supposedly mental properties.However macedonica colony was detected thereafter quotation (in German)36 :Der Bienentanz on the base of the data of the present underneath the floor of one of the buildings - noch immer eine Herausforderung für die paper the way for non-experienced forager at the east side of an adjacent military camp, Bienenforschung“(:page 58) = The bee dance honey bees to be guided in flight directly abandoned years before, about 150m away – still a challenge for bee research. Obviously, to an unknown feeding station is only the from the experimental ligustica colony. the authors of the referred papers 23, 25 F.O.A.P. Thus, it is not necessary to accord Consequently, particularly in this case there commit the classic error from the science properties of intelligence to the A. mellifera could be no suspicion as to the coexistence of of mathematics, i.e. they take for granted worker bee32 An interesting argumentation foragers from the two honeybee races in the something which is yet to be proved. on the same matter has been made earlier same hive. In other words, no information Nevertheless, remarks about the 26,27,28, i.e. that only Homo sapiens as a species could have been conveyed through dances inaccuracy of the information which is has mental capabilities. It is only man [as in the feral A. mel. macedonica bees, which supposed to be conveyed through the waggle observer of the honeybees] who is able, nonetheless visited the feeder ceaselessly. dance to N.-E.Fr. A. mellifera bees have been simply, to interpret the symbolic movements Since it was not possible for the intruder made by von Frisch. The most characteristic of an experienced bee, when this insect has bees of the still unknown feral colony to remark is shown in the following quotation discovered a feeding place or a new refuge for have been stimulated by artificial feeding (in German): “Wie kann ein ungenauer Input a swarm32. There is really no more room for with the same smell of the food, the (der Tanz) zu einem exakten Output (dem anthropomorphic explanations33 concerning following question could be raised; How Eintreffen der Rekturen am Zielpunkt) simply “idiothetic” movements of dancing could this case of “anomaly” be explained? führen? “?”36 (:59, left column, lines 3-5). bees. Relevant explanations for “waggle It is very likely that the forager bees of the Furthermore, in the same scientific work36 dance” in A. mellifera could very well be unknown macedonica bee colony performed the modern author himself highlights based on the principles of the scientific their daily routine flights, searching for food weaknesses of the D.L.-H5. The following branches of the Behavioral-Physiology of more frequently away from the densely- are examples of this (in German). (a)“Eine insects6. built area of the old camp and towards the Entfernungsangabe wird also auch in dieser nearest eastern borders, i.e. the area which Hinsicht immer ungenauer, was fatal ist, wo F.O.A.P. vs the Odors Only Hypothesis was covered in vegetation. So, when the doch gerade für Futterplätze weit entfernt vom The first time the D.L.-H5 was challenged gradually-displaced feeder carrying ligustica Stock eine genaue Angabe immer wichtiger was when another “crucial” experiment foragers on it arrived within the flight paths wäre, um das Ziel anzufliegen.” (:61, left had been carried out40. However, the data of the macedonica bees, they were attracted column, lines 18-24. (b) “Draußen im Field from the present experiment does not verify by the odorous molecules of the F.O.A.P., gehen die Suchflüge der Rekturen (2) ohne the validity of the O.O.-H40 either. More which had been created by the foragers of die Hilfen der erfahrenen Sammelbienen(1) specifically, the B.-L.R.A.R. at the distant the ligustica colony. In other words, what ins Leere....Düftet ein Ziel sehr stark, können experimental feeding station of the N.-E. happened was an (unplanned) crossing-over Neulinge auch alleine dort ankommen, aber Fr. bees indicating their direct flight15 of the flight-lines of two different bee races, dann benötigen sie die Tanzinformationen cannot be explained by the O.O.-H40; as was also done by (planning and) carrying nicht.” (:73) (c) “Für die rekrutierten Neulinge whose founders have rejected outright the out the experiments of the present paper. steht beim ersten Aufbruch vom Stock der idea of N.-E.Fr. bees taking a direct flight On the other hand, it is now necessary Himmel weit offen, das heißt alle Richrungen to the feeding site. This firmly held aspect to also investigate if the prerequisites existed sind möglich. Die Tanzinformation ist eine against this property of A. mellifera recruits 58 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 HONEYBEE RESEARCH would have become the “Achille’s heel” of The odorous molecules are under such refuted because the recruitment of non- the O.O.-H40. As it was shown previously 13, conditions quickly replaced by new ones.. experienced forager bees of the control the N.-E.Fr. bees did fly directly to a feeding Nevertheless, relative higher values of wind colony to the distant experimental feeding station at a distance of only 65 m from the intensity is a very decisive factor also for a station was achieved without the mediation hive. Even at a Lilliputian distance of just F.O.A.P either to be formed correspondingly of the symbolic movements of the waggle 1.75 m from the hive, recruited N.-E.Fr. to be maintained or not, as it occurred in dance. Second, the odors only hypothesis40, bees flew directly to the feeder9. This time two concrete cases16. These are reproduced can no longer be considered valid on the in opposition to the O.O.-H40 the F.O.A.P. here in summary: grounds that recruited foragers can reach the very simply explains the direct flight of the In the first of these two cases, during the food source by flyingdirectly from the hive N.-E.Fr. bees to a feeding site, as clarified preparation period of the main experiment to the feeder even under conditions of calm above. However, nor do these examples for a (aiming always to form rapidly an as weather. This is not only at a distant site but direct flight of recruited N.-E.Fr. bees at such large as possible I.G.), there was a sudden also when the feeder is located only at a short short distances advocate the D.L.-H.5, since and relatively strong wind (a little over 3 distance of a few meters from the hive. Third according to this hypothesis, the successful Beaufort) which had the effect of stopping a theory formulated about a century ago21, E.Fr. bees at short distances perform the the visits of N.-E.Fr bees to the feeder, is also questioned because the guidance of round dance, which nevertheless does not whereas their experienced hive-mates the non-experienced forager bees in flight is indicate the direction and distance of the continued their foraging activity unabated. accomplished (a) by the aid of the food odor feeding site.. The most likely explanation for this is that molecules and not by pheromone (geraniol) The fact that the guidance in general of the relatively strong wind destroyed the molecules of the successful experienced N.-E.Fr. bees does not take place on the basis previously functioning F.O.A.P. Up until foragers, (b) it is achieved not by a single of the principals of the O.O.-H 40 but with then the size of the I.G. had been steadily bee but by an adequately great number of the help again of the F.O.A.P. is evidenced by increasing with the incorporation of the members of an information group of bees, the results of the present paper as well as of a new comers (the N.-E.Fr. bees), which were and finally (c) it is made during the home- previous publication13, however in both cases arriving at the feeder in B.-L.R.A.R. return of the experienced forager bees of now from a completely different perspective: In the second case, so long as the strong the information group and not during their As mentioned, the recruited forager bees wind existed at the feeding site, only E.Fr. flight to the feeding station9. Forth all of the did not visit in B.-L.R.A.R. the control bees [that had been painted the previous proposed in the meantime theoretical hybrid feeding station that was positioned in both day] arrived at the feeder at the beginning of models3, 6,36, are not valid because all of them cases almost in the opposite direction to the the experiment, while there were absolutely are characterized by the (albeit unsuccessful) experimental feeding station in spite of the no arrivals of N.-E.Fr (unpainted) bees. In attempt to bring together elements of the fact that the mild local wind should have this case the already present strong wind dance language5 and of the odors only facilitated the initially passive transportation probably did not allow the formation of a hypothesis40 as well as elements of the most of recruited bees to the control feeding F.O.A.P. So, as soon as the wind intensity earlier theories21, 22. station as claimed by the O.O.-H40. Instead gradually subsided and eventually stopped, Acknowledgements. I would like they went systematically in B.L.R A.R. due N.-E.Fr bees again started visiting the to express my very sincere thanks to to the formed and functioning F.O.A.P. feeder in B-.L.R.A.R., which is of course the beekeeper N. Papadopoulos for his there. The requirement of O.O.-H40 for an indicative of a functioning F.O.A.P.16.These invaluable participation in the experiments. I even a very mild wind in order for it to be two examples of “anomalies” 27,54 cannot be would like to express my very sincere thanks valid, that is, in order for the N.-E.Fr bees explained through the principles of either to K. Moisidis for his essential contribution to be recruited, is not a necessity. Indeed, as the D.L-H5 or the O.O.-H40 hypotheses. in the constructing of the “K”-cage. I’m it is evident from Table 1, many of the data F.O.A.P vs. Lineburg’s theory. After thankful also to Dr. E. Diamandopoulos for were recorded under absolutely calm weather the publication of the groundbreaking paper the statistical analysis of the data conditions. However this presupposition of of Maeterlnick (1919) 22 on the matter the O.O.-H40 is correct as far as the non- under discussion, the earliest among the References experienced recruits is concerned, when they best known theories or hypotheses about the 1. Biesmajer, J. C. 2003. appear scattered at the feeder, since they way foragers of an A. mellifera bee colony Ethology 109(12):1009-1020, behave then exactly as do all the solitary communicate between each other is the 2. De Marco, R. J., Gurevitz, J. M., Menzel, Journal of Experimental Biology insect species In contrast this condition theory proposed by Lineburg21, although the R. 2008. , 211:1635-1644, of the O.O.-H40. is not a prerequisite in author 21 possibly inspired his theory based 22 3. Donovan, B. 2000. Bee World, 81: 5-10, the case of the mass recruitment of N.-E. on the referred paper . The reader is referred 4. Friesen I. J. 1973. Biological Bulletin 16 Fr bees, i.e., when they are arriving in the to another publication in order to compare 144:107-131, 21 feeder in B.-L. R.A.R., something which is the F.O.A.P. notion with Lineburg’s theory , 5. Frisch K. von:1946. Zeitschrift Österreichischer achieved always with the aid of a F.O.A.P. which shows weak points, mentioned briefly Zoologie 1:148), In this case of the mass recruitment the just bellow. 6. Ifantidis M.D. 2005. The modern Beekeeping direction of the mild wind plays at best a as science and praxis. Ed. N. Pappas, Mesimeri secondary -if not a totally insignificant role, Conclusions Thessaloniki, pp. 68, 7. Ifantidis M.D. 2009. Melissokomiki Epitheorisi because the F.O.A.P. would still be formed Based on the experimental verification of or be maintained between the hive and the 23(5):339-345, the F.O.A.P., the present paper questions the Melissokomiki feeding site due to the intensive foraging 8. Ifantidis M. D, 2010a. validity all of the known hypotheses or models Epitheorisi 24(5):334-337, activity of the continuously increasing concerning the mode of communication 9. Ifantidis M. D, 2010b. Melissokomiki number of experienced foragers of the I.G. between A. mellifera L. forager honeybees: Epipheorisi, 24(4):413-418, 25(1):40-43, [as long as the food is found in abundance]. First, the dance language hypothesis5, is (3):176-178, The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 59 HONEYBEE RESEARCH

10. Ifantidis M. D, 2011a.The Beekeepers Weather conditions Quarterly 103:37-43, Number of intruder bees per time (in min) 11. Ifantidis M. D, 2011b Melissokomiki Date Distance Wind o Epitheorisi 25 (5):320- 321, (m) C Directio Intensit Phase-i Phase-ii Phase- Phase-iv 12. Ifantidis M. D, 2012a. The Beekeepers n y iii Quarterly 110: 34-38, 13. Ifantidis M. D, 2012b. Melissokomiki 27/10/200 150 16.0- - calm 1/59 2/60 3/60 24/20 Epitheorisi 26(1):11-15, 6 17.5 14. Ifantidis M. D, 2013. Melissokomiki 01/11/200 150 14.5- W-E light 1/40 19/85 20/65 49/33 Epitheorisi 29 (1):48-52, 6 15.5 15. Ifantidis M. D, 2014a. The Beekeepers 24/10/200 210 17.0- - calm 1/60 4/60 2/38 20/32 Quarterly 115: 42-46 & 116(2):53-55, 7 19.0 16. Ifantidis M. D, 2014 b. The Beekeepers Quarterly 118: 49-55, 26/10/200 210 15.5- - calm 2/60 4/45 6/70 19/15 17. Ifantidis M. D. 2015a. Melissokomiko Vima 7 17.5 Vol. 13, Issue 72 : 40-43, 30/10/200 210 15.0- - calm 1/88 2/80 2/25 24/30 18. Ifantidis, M. D. 2015b. “Melissokomiko Vima” 7 17.0 Vol. 13, Issue 73:38-42, 19/09/200 210 14.5- W-E light - - 5/76 39/30 19. Kuhn, T. 1970. The structure of Scientific 8 16.5 Revolutions.2nd edition, enlarged. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 20. Landgraf, T., Rojas R., Nguyen, H., Kriegel, Table 1. Experimental conditions and the raw data concerning visits of intruder forager bees of the control colony at the experimental feeding station. Table 1. Experimental conditions and the raw data F., Stettin, K. 2011. PLos ONE, 6, 1-10: concerning visits of intruder forager bees of the control colony at the experimental feeding station. e21354. doi: 10:1371/journal. pone. 0021354, 21. Lineburg, B. 1924. The American Society of Naturalist, 58:530-537, Table 2. Values of the arrival A.R. during each of the four experimental phases rates (A.R.) per time unit 22. Maeterlnick, M. 1919. La Vie des Abeiles., Date Paris, Phase-i Phase-ii Phase-iii Phase-iv (minute) of the intruder forages of the control colony 23. Menzel, R., Greggers, U. 2013. Journal of 27/10/2006 0.017 0.033 0.050 1.200 at the experimental feeding Comparative Physiology-A, 199 (10):867-873, station based on the raw data 24. Naoko, I. 2003. Honeybee Science, 24(3):119- 01/11/ “ 0.025 0.224* 0.308* 1.480* of Table 1. 128, 37. Riley, J. R. 1996. Nature 379, 29-32, 25. Riley, J. R., Greggers, U., Smith, A. D., 24/10/ 2007 0.017 0.067 0.053 0.625 * The relatively high values of the arrival rates on Reynolds, D. R., Menzel, R. 2005. Nature 26/10/ “ 0.033 0.089 0.086 1.267 Vol. 435: 205-207, the 01/11/2006 could be attributed to the increased 26. Rosin, R. 1980a. Journal of Theoretical Biology 30/10/ “ 0.011 0.025 0.080 0.800 number of scout bees due (84): 775-800, 19/09/2008 - - 0.066 1.300 to a) the early termination 27. Rosin, R. 1980b. Journal of Theoretical Biology of the flowering period of (87):457-481, Total 0.103 0.438 0.643 6.672 Polygonum sp. because of 28. Rosin, R. 1984. Journal of Theoretical Biology the deteriorating ambient temperature between the (107):417-442, Mean 0.021 0.088 0.107 1.112 (n) (5) (5) (6) (6) 27/10/2006 and the 01 29. Schneider, S. S. 1984. Ph.D.thesis University /11/2006 and b) the of California, Davis California, persistent stimulation of the 30. Schneider, R., Barnert, M., Erber, J. 2003. bees of the colony-control during this time. Apidologie, 34:67-72, 31. Seeley, T. D. 1992. Behavioral Ecology and Table 3.Frequencies of arrival F.O.A.P.) Sociobiology. 31:375-383, rates 95% of the intruder 32. Seeley, T. D. 1995. The wisdom of the hive:…. without with forager bees of the control Cambridge, USA, Harward University Press, colony and confidence 6/307 31/330 33. Seeley, T. D. 2013. Bienendemokratie… without C.I. 0.007-0.04 C.I. 0.06-01 intervals (C.I.) during the S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main. Od. Ar. Stm. (phase-i) (phase-i1) four phases (-i, -ii,- iii, και 34. Steinbeck, K. (1941) 1962. The Log from the -iv) of the main period of the crucial experiment under Sea of Cortez. New York: Viking, with 38/334 175/160 35. Tautz, J. 1996. Journal of Experimental Biology, C.I. 0.08-0.2 C.I. 0.9-1.3 the influence of different combinations of the F.O.A.P. 199:1375-1381, (phase- iii) (phase –iv) the outdoors feeding 36. Tautz, J. 2014.Die Erforschung der Bienenwelt (Otd. Fdn). Neue Daten -neues Wissen. Hobos, Audi Stiftung für Umwelt, 37 Thomson, J, 2004. Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference, 119:23-25 38. Tselios, D. 2012. Melissokomiki Epitheorisi 26 (1): 11-15, 39. Wenner, A. M.1961. Bee World 42(1):8-11, 40. Wenner A. M, Wells P. H. (1990). Anatomy of a controversy – The question of a “language” Figure 3. The experimental among bees. Columbia University Press New feeding station, (right) the York. layout of the pair of the bee colonies 60 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 THE GREAT WAR – ITS EFFECT ON BEEKEEPING - as seen through the pages of the British Bee Journal April to May 1916 Stuart Ching, BA, BA (Hons). MEd

April in the interest of themselves and all other bee- honorary secretary, is still doing duty for King Honey Imports keepers. and country. Mr Thos. Gordon, honorary The value of honey imported into the United Mr. Hood mentioned cases of bees sent treasurer, has joined the forces since the last Kingdom during the month of April, 1916, from the Whitby district which were the only annual meeting, and many other members was £65,771 ones alive when all other bees were dead, thus of our association have also enlisted. We wish giving hope that Whitby bees may be to some them all a safe return. Lt. Stanley Webb,Truro. extent more virile and better able to resist the In the Roll of Honour of the British Bee Dvr J. Jackson, Malton - 39th Reserve disease. Journal, Northumberland is well represented. Park, ASC The death of a member with the Forces in The committee wish to express their sympathy Pte. G. Cox, Truro, killed in action, France was reported – Mr TA Carr, of Scalby. with the vice presidents and members who February 23, 1916. He was an enthusiastic beekeeper, and a keen have lost loved ones during the past year in Pte. S. Carveth, Truro - DCLI supporter of the Association, having been the war. present at many of its meetings. The Secretary BBKA was instructed to write to his relatives, Leicestershire BKA The Chairman then said the next item on the conveying the sympathy of the Association. The Council deeply regretted having to record agenda was a vote of thanks to the retiring the death of Colonel the Hon. Evans-Freke, councillors and officers. “I would like to say Daily Graphic Bisbrook Hall, who was killed whilst fighting I am very much indebted to the Council; on Lord Buckmaster’s Larceny Bill, the humorist for his King and country. many occasions they have undertaken duties who is not a lawyer will rejoice to learn, for me, but my excuse must be that I have provides that hawks, falcons and bees shall Adverts often been called away at a moment’s notice be “capable of being stolen.” The two first- Mr RT Pullen begs to thank his many on urgent war business. We all know that Mr. named will be well able, no doubt, to look customers for their past favours, and begs to Herrod-Hempsall’s soul is in the work, and after themselves and at the same time keep at a announce that owing to his having to serve how well he does it for us.” respectful distance from their human enemies, with the colours his business will be suspended but a free pardon should certainly be allowed, through the duration of the war. Eamsbury, Letter in the interest of sport, to the individual who Hungerford. The readers of the British Bee Journal will can purloin a swarm of bees without receiving Elderly Man, expert, competent to take perhaps accept my apology for failure to write a stinging rejoinder! charge of any apiary, poultryman, open to upon our hobby at present, as I am entirely engagement. Box 12, “ British Bee Journal “ unable to make or spare the time to do so, Adverts Wanted, Canaries, in exchange for three much though I may wish it. Ever since the For immediate disposal, complete apiary WBC hives, perfect condition; what offers? outbreak of war I have been fully engaged (Birmingham), 25 stocks in new hives, 25 H. Pegrum, Sudbury, Suffolk. upon war work, not only the production of old empty hives, observation hive, extractors, much-needed munitions, but the training of bottles, and all appliances, all new last season; Funerals in France men, and the notes which I have been able owner going abroad on military duties. List Another touching episode, which ought to to contribute to this column have only been on application to “ B’HAM,” c/o “ British Bee go far to cement continual friendship with produced with difficulty. Journal,” our nation, was a small procession of English Such time as I can spare for bee-work has Owner enlisted. Will someone with and French soldiers’ funerals, the guards of to be divided between my own bees and those thorough knowledge of work take charge honour of the former were French and the of some others who have already gone into of twenty stock apiary on fruit farm in latter British. active service. So with reluctance and regret I Worcestershire; salary by arrangement. Box S., H Hamshar make this apology, and look forward with the “ British Bee Journal “ brethren of our craft to happier and perhaps Answer (question can be surmised) more leisured times. LS Crawshaw Northumberland BKA Anxious (Notts). Queen Not Mated. A queen The committee regret that owing to the that was reared but not mated last year will not Whitby BKA present crises, unfavourable season of 1915, mate now. The longest time we have known to A resolution was passed urging all bee-keepers and prevalence of the “Isle of Wight” disease, lapse between a queen emerging from the cell to promptly notify the Association on the first the interests of beekeepers have been and and mating is six weeks and this only twice. appearance of disease, or suspicion of disease, are heavily handicapped. Major Sitwell, our The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 123 • February 2016 61

May purchased wholesale, and sold to members the murderous and ravenous enemy - “Isle of Honey Imports. at approximately cost price. To assist in the Wight” disease. I do not know how things The registered value of honey imported into production of a suitable design, members are are looking in England just now, for I have the United Kingdom during the month of invited to submit sample labels, or preferably, not been there for several months; but here May, 1916, was £4,977 original designs for consideration. Such help - in Flanders - the trees and hedges are now Gnr Thomas Thompson, Stonehouse, would be greatly appreciated. GW Judge, quite green, garden crops are well out of the Lanarkshire - 49th Coy. RGA Honorary Secretary. ground, fruit and other trees in full bloom. To see the fruit trees clothed in their snow- Adverts Somewhere in France. white mantles, blushing under the rays of Wanted, good geared extractor, Cowan It is now several months since I wrote my the springtime sun, makes the beekeeper preferred; state price; exchange Springer last notes to our old paper, the British Bee once again begin to think of his little friends Spaniel puppy, 9 months. Lang, Bollingham, Journal; several months have also elapsed - les abeilles. Eardisley, Hereford. since I saw a copy of this interesting and I cannot say anything of interest about Wanted man over military age for light instructive little journal. But apres la guerre bee-keeping out here, for there are but very duties; 10s. per week with board, lodging finis - as everyone says out here - when I few hives around the district, and during my and washing.—W. E. M., “ B.B.J.” Office get back, it will mean many pleasant hours twelve months out here, most of the time for me, reading up all that has taken place despatch carrying, I have come across very Bee Show during my absence; also studying the new few hives. I have not, as yet, had the honour June 27th to July 1st, at Manchester. Royal ideas and improvements that have been of the opportunity of meeting a French bee Agricultural Society’s Show, Bee and Honey brought to light for the benefit of all those enthusiast with whom to have a few words. Section, under the direction of the BBKA. concerned in the apicultural world. Prizes arranged in groups of counties for I hope to find, when I get back to L.Cpl. JL Tickell, RE Associations affiliated to the BBKA. England to make a fresh start, that a cure Entries close May 29th. has been found for the “protozoal parasite” Expert Help Wanted better known perhaps as the “Isle of Wight” Could any expert in the neighbourhood of Lt. GB Ash, Bushey Heath - RAMC disease, which has been emptying the hives Shaftesbury undertake to remove a colony Crayford BKA of England north, south, east and west for of bees from the roof of a cottage about The Council have decided to issue an many years past. one mile from Shaftesbury? For further Association Honey Label for the exclusive We must all live and hope that Dr. Porter information write to Capt. Edgar Lees, use of members. The labels will bewill finally achieve a triumphant victory over R.N., White Cross, Wyke Regis, Dorset.