(f;A~AD~A~ A§§OC~AT~ON

1 j , J REPORT OF ANNUAL MEETING

OTTAWA/ONTAI~IO

DECEMBER 9,10,12 I96o.

1 ,- j l.

TABLE ~ CONTENTS

Page LIST OF MEMBERS ...... ~ . 1;2

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS ...... 3-6 Bee Research Association •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4 Canadian Bee Journal •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4 r. Next Year's Program ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 6

GRA.DING •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 7

BEE DISEASES ...... 8-16 [ Research American Foulbro·od ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 8 Nosa:rna ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 8 ~Effects of New Drugs ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 8,9 Recommendations for Feeding Drugs ••••••••••••••••••••••• 9 Reports from the Provinces •••.••••••.••••••••••••.••••••• 10-16 Sterilization of American Foulbrood Scale ••••••••••••••• 16

BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 17

RE9EARCH •.••.•.•••...... •.•..•..•...... ••...... •..• 18--24 Bee Diseases Pollination Bee Behaviour ...... 18 Queen Rearing and Stock Improvement ...... 18,19 Wintering ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 20-22 Miscellaneoua ...... 22..24

... j TRAINING OF INSPECTORS AND INSPECTION PROBLEMS ...... 25-27 British Columbia ...... 25 Saskatchewan ...... •.••.••.....•...... •...... 25-27 Ontario ..•.••...... ••...... •.•...... •...... 27 Quebec ...... •...... •...... 27 ,.J

. , EXTENSION ...... 28-33 Reports from Saskatchewan ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 28 Nova Scotia •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 29 Manitoba ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 29 British Columbia ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 30 Alberta •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 31 List of Bee Films ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 31-33 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)

Page POLLINATION •••••••••••••••••••••••••• ...... ~3 Seminar - E.A. Karmo •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 34-45 Research •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 46-50 Extension (Reports from Provinces) .••••••••••••••••••••• 50-53

BEE POISONING •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 54-57

'1 f J

--J 1 MEMBERS OF CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF APICULTURISTS

ALBERTA

Edmunds, JoW., Supervisor of Apiculture Apicultu:re Th:'l)a:nr~h, Frost, AoM o , Chief Apiary Inspector ~ Department of .A.gri.c')u

[ Corner, J 0' Provincial Apiarist - Aplcul..tuxe Bran.::~ll, Department of Agricu~ltu~r8~ Court House» [ Vernon! B.C o [ MANITOBA L'Arrivee, Dr. J oC.M., Apiculturist ~ Research Branch Department of Agricult~~e~ Experimen'tal Farm, C Brandon» Man.

Robertson, DoRo, Provincial Apiarist Extension Service, [ and ~ntomologlst - Department of~ Agrleulture & Smith, Do, Assistant Apiarist a~~ ConseM~atlorl, Entomologist 717 Norquay Building~ [ Winnipeg, Man. L NEW BRUNSWICK Ho:rt~ieultllJl:<)a1. u Pinnock, DoF 0 J Apiculture FieldIiJan - Bx al".el1, Department o.f llgr i~ uJ.tUl'lJ8 , [: FrederiDton, N.B. D NOVA SCOTIA Agrlx~u:lture& Karmo, EoA., Apiarist CC1 Departmerlt. of }IIark·~:::ti:ng.~ Nova Scotla P.bgli'Dlt~uJttrl1)al College" D Truro, NoS.

D ONTARIO rl Armstrong, r.R o , Supervisor, Honey & .. Frult & Veget,ab:L5 D5'tr.i.s tori, aJ Maple Products Producti.on aYld Ivlay)k9'~~~lng B22'anch, Department oi~ lig!\).l~~~ulttlre,

--i. at~awa , Ont. o I [ j [l 2 -

ONTARIO ~ (Continued)

Austin~ GoHo~ Apiculturist Apiculture Section, ,9 Boehl) Dr o Ro Apiculturist - Entomology Research InstituteJ FurgallaD Dr o Bo !) Apiculturist Research Branch, Department of Agri:(:ulture, Central Ex:peri.mental Farm:>

ottawa!) Ont 0

Townsendj) Professor G.F OJ Provincial - Apiculture Department, Apiarist and Head of Ontario Agricultural CollegeJ) Department Guelph!} Ontarioo Burke, Professor PoWo~ Assistant Provincial Apiarist Shuel, Dr 0 R., Professor Smith, Dr. MoV o, Professor

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAM>

Burns~ W.A. - Research Branch~ Department of Agricultures Experimental Farm~ Charlottetown, PoE.I •

Sterns, We, Provincial Apiarist & ..,., Department of Ag:rlcultureJ) Horticulturist Bax: 2000" Charlottetawn~ P.E.I.

QUEBEC

HoJo~ Division~ Plourde 9 Provincial Apiarist - Bee Department of Agriculture~ QuebecJ) Que o

Brasseur» ROj> Assistant Provincial Department of Agriculture, Apiarist Room 221~ 306 Craig Street, Eo, Montreal." Que 0

SASKATCHEWAN

Branch~ McCutcheon9 DoM o » Provincial Apiarist - Plant Industry Bland~ SoEo$ Assistant Provincial Apiary Divisionj) Apiarist Department of Agriculture, Administration BUilding~ Regina$) Sasko

Pankiwl' P• .9 Apicultur1st ~ Entomol.ogy Section, Research Branch, Research Station ... 1 J Canada Department of Agriculture, University Sub P.O o , Saskatoon, Sask. -, - 3 CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF APICULTURISTS

Annual Meeting 1960

- Board Room.9 Department of Agriculture, Confederation Building, ot·tawa.

Dec. 9~ PoM o &Dec. 10 ~ Board Room, Canadian Horticultural Council, II 219 Queen street~ ottawa. DecC) 12 Board Room$) K.W. Neatby BUildlng., Central Experimental Farm, ottawa.

Chairman - J. Corner, Vernon, B.C. Secretary - D.Mo MeCutcheon~ Reg.ina~ Sask.

... , Present wereg J 0 Corner, Vernon", B.C.; J.W0 Edmunds, Edmont on~ Al.ta. ~ DoM. McCutcheon, Regina, Sask.; Dr. J.C.Mo LVArrivee~ Brandon, Man.J D.R. Robertson, Winnipeg, Man.~ Professor G.F. Townsend, Guelph~ ant.; Professor P .W. Burks, Guelph, Ont.J F .R. Armstrong, ottawa, Ont.; G.R. Austin, ottawaj) Ont.; Dr. B. Furgalla, ottawa, Ont,o~ Dr. R. Bochj) ottawas Ont.; Ro Brasseur, Montreal, Que.~ D.F o Pinnock~ Fredericton, N.B o ; and E.A. Karmo, Truro, N.S.

Guests& Mr o Cameron - Production & Marketing Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture,

E.A. Eardley c:a Chief, Fruit & Vegetable DiVision, Production and Marketing Branch~ Canada Department of Agriculture, [ J .M. Gray - Head, Special Cropsj) Agriculture Division~ Dominion Bureau of Statistics9 Dr. H. Katznelson - Head$ Microbiology Research Institute9 Research Branch~ Canada Department of Agriculture,

V. Mesley c:a Presi.dent, Canadian Beekeepers' Counc il,7 [ Kemp:t;.vl11ss> Onto

R.M o McKay c:::a Secret.ary-Treasurerl' Canadian Beekeepers' C~c1.1, ottawa, ont 0 Dr. A.P. Arnason ~ Associate Director of Program, C Entomology & Plant Pathology, Research Branch., Canada Department of Agriculture, Dr o G. Holland .. Director, Entomology Research Institute, Research Branch»

Canada Department of Agriculturs 3 Dr o B.N o Smallman - Entomology Research Institute, Research Branch" Canada Department of Agriculture, E.K. Burnett - Chairman, Research Committee, Canadian Beekeepers' Counc iI, Roland,Man. R.M. Pugh - :Ex:ecutlve Member, Canadian Beekeepers' 1 Council, Tisdale, Bask. - 4

Moved by Edmunds~ Seconded by Townsendg

THAT Corner &McCutcheon remain as officers of the Association for the coming year. CARRIED.

It was noted that Mr. Methot has retired as Provincial Apiarist in Quebec and that Mr. H.J. Plourde has taken over.

It was pointed out that the report is confidential and the material contained therein is not for general publication, although an apiarist may use portions that would be of value in his ext,ension newsletters, etc. w9Confidential - Not for Publicationtl should be indicated on ·., the cover o l -~ Moved by Townsend:> Seconded by L'Arriveeg THAT a copy of the report of this meeting be sent to Dr. C.L. [ Farrar, and that we should continue to send copies to Vic Mesley and R. McKay0 CARRIED 0

Professor GoF 0 Townsend explained the present financial situation C with regard to the Bee Research Association. The Bee Research Associationnow receives $750 from the Canadian Government through the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux. This was brought about [ mainly through the efforts of Dr. B.N. Smallman. The Bee Research Association also receives $150 per year from the Canadian Beekeepc:. ara' Council. Canada's total contribution should be approximately [ $2500 0 There will be a drive for personal funds in March, 1961. Provincial Governments, Beekeepers' Associations~ Honey Co-ops. and other interested organizations should be prepared to make grants or [ take out membershipso Moved by TownsendJ) Seconded by Edmunds& [ THAT this Association send a letter to Dr. Smallman, recognizing the work done on our behalf in securing needed funds for the Bee Research Association. CARRIED.

C The Canadian Bee Journal was discussed. The new editor~ K. Madge, Port Hopej) Ontario was invited to attend but could not make ito PoW. Burke reported that the ci.rculation has increased some lately C and is now just over 2",000. Information must reach the editor's office by the 5th of the month to appear in that month t s issue. [ Issues will appear on the 15th or 16th of the month. Jack Edmunds was appointed to draw up a list of topics and authors for articles for the Canadian Bee Journal.

The action of Conneil on our recommendations to that organization was discussed. In most cases little or nothing had been done. The members of the Association especially required information on pref­ erential duty rates, farm loans and similar subjectso .,

- 5

The Pesticide Newsletter is available from the Pesticide Section, Entomology Research Institute, Research Branch, Canadian Depart­ ment of Agriculture, ottawa.

Moved by Robertson, Seconded by Burke~

THAT we acknowledge the gift of the gavel from the Canadian Beekeepers' Council. CARRIED.

Moved by LtArrivee", Seconded by Burkeg

THAT we recommend to Council that annual meetings be alternated between east and west. CARRIED.

Moved by Robertson, Seconded by Edmunds&

THAT WHEREAS the Association of Apiculturists has held meetings each year sinee 1952 and WHEREAS most aspects of beekeeping have been reasonab~ well studied and di.scussed at these meetings and WHEREAS all in attendance at these meetings have appreciated the value of them and similar such meetings and WHEREAS delegates to the annual conference are limited in travel and WHEREAS delegates would like to attend other conferences [ outside of Canada on occasion THEREFORE be it resolved that the Association of Apiculturists give consideration to holding its meetings every other year unless [ on occasion meetings are warranted on consecutive years. THE MOTION WAS TABLED.

[ Moved by Robertson, Seconded by L'Arrivaeg

THAT the secretary write Dr. H. Katznelson asking if it would be [ PQssible to .alB permanent mounts of disease-eausing and associ­ ated organisms for the use 'of those in charge of disease control administration. CARRIED.

C Suggested slides of EFB and associated organisms, Septieaemia~ Amoeba and Nosema. o -;;7 Moved by Robertson, Seconded by L'Arrivee~ THAT this organization favour the importation in the immature stages of new strains of honey bees to improve the stock of o honay bees in Canada. CARRIED.

(This resolution was forwarded to Dr. KoF. Wells, Veterinary J General,9 Departmel1t of Agriculture, ottawa at an early date) .. 6

Dr. R. Boch submitted the following with regard to the preceding resolutiong

"Testing of these strains and crosses should be oommenced as soon as possible. Preferably prior to releasing them to beekeepers. I have given suggestions as to how honey production can be unbiasedly assessed by observations provided by the beekeeper. Screening of these strains and crosses for characteristics other than honey production should be conducted at research stations."

In a discussion of next year's program, Dr. R. Boeh, Dr. B. Furgalla and J. Edmunds were named as a committee to formulate next year's program. Special emphasis is to be placed on Nosema.

Dr. B. Furgalla agreed to collect information on pollination recommendations for next year's meetings.

It was decided that the meeting should be three days in length.

[ [ [ ··' l.j [ c

11 - 7

GRADING

Moved by Robertson, Seconded by Townsend:

THAT this Association agree in principle that the moisture content of No.1 pasteurized granulated honey be not higher than 19%. CARRIIID 6-3 Armstrong and Austin opposed.

Moved by Townsend, Seconded by Karmo:

THAT condition as it pertains to granulated honey be defined.

CARRIED 0

[ Moved by Robertson, Seconded by Burke: THAT Townsend, Austin and Edmunds constitute a committee to study and define condition as it pertains to granulated honey. C CARRIED. The Canadian Association of Apiculturists agreed in principle:

[ THAT in labelling honey we oppose the making of negative statements So.g. marking of honey Ulfpastebrized on a label in B.C. (Honey may [ actually be pasteurized). [ Moved by Burke, Seconded by Edmunds: THAT this Association express its concern to the Canadian Beekeepers' Council over the impending retirement of Mr. F oR. Armstrong and bver the fact that as yet no one is in training to replace him, and that [ this Association recommend to the Canadian Beekeepers' Councll that they approach the Canada Department of Agriculture with regard to the appointment of a qualified assistant for Mr. Armstrong so that this assistant would be in a position to assume Mr. Armstrong's duties on C his retirement. CARRIED·. C o o

! .J - 8 ­

BEE DISEASES

RESEARCH \

'" American foulbroodz .. Brandon

A study on dosage-mortality responses in honey bee colonies inoculated with spores of Bacillus larvae W. (causal organism of American foulbrood) was carried out during 1960 at the Experimental Farm, Brandon. Twenty-four small colonies were subjected to six levels of spores fed in 50% sugar syrup. Results obtained indicate that a high dosage level of spores was neeess~ to create an epidemic. TheoreticallYJ these results suggest that a single spore of B. larvae cannot cause infection by itself but only when in large numbers.~ This principle is referred to as 'mass action ~.

The number of spores required to produce an infection appears to be dependent upon the innate resistance of that particular stock of bees o No study was made as to the nature of this resistance to infection which m~ be due to either the physiological~ behavioural or genetical makeup of the bee. Beyond a definite high concentration of the pathogen, all mechanisms of resistance seam to break-down. This effect is referred to as the Vthreshold point 9 of resistance. Apparently it 1s only when the ...j contamnation pas'sas the 'threshold point i that the disease develops in the bee larvae to the extent where it is recognized by the beekeeper.

Nosema ~ ottawa

Studies in the laboratory comparing "Fmu1di~..B~ Nosemack and Paro~ mo~cin were conducted using quantitative inoculations. Under the conditions of the experiments Fumidil~B was the only drug that gave satisfactory control. Over-wintering studies using the same drugs are presently being conducted.

EFFECTS OF NEW DRUGS

Paromomye~ ... ottawa

Brood Diseases. The effect of a new drug (Paromo~cin) was compared wIth that of TerralDJ'"cin in the control of the major brood diseases. Results were inconelusiv8o

Nosema 0 The same drug (Paromo~ein) was also tested in the field against Nosema:=- A measure of control 'was evident.

Comparison of Humatin and Fumidil-B in Nosema Control - Brandon

~1 In Nosema tests on naturally inoculated colonies with Nosema and I J artificially inoculated colonies (1,000$000 spores per bee) Humatin at 250 milligrams per colony did not have any effect on the reduction of the disease while Fumidilc:2B (fumagillin at 50 milligrams per colony) was 1 effeetiv80 J - 9 ­

~~namycin for EFB control - Beaverlodge

Further i.nvestigations with Kanamycin indicates it appears to be short~~lived and did not control :EFB effectively.

Tylosin

Preliminary investigations with Tylosin show some promise for this antibiotic.

RIDO:MMENDATIONS FOR FEEDING DRUGS

Package colonies (small colo~) 50 m.g. per col. Overwintered (full. size colo~) - 100 m.g. per col. Fall Feeding - 100 m.g o per col. , A 9t gram bottle of Fumidil-B will feed 240 colonies at 50 m.g. per colo~.

~-, Terramycin c= TM-25 Spring package t tap. per colony Full size c olo~ - 1 tsp. per c olo~

Sulpha t tap. per colony

strept0nvcin 1 tspo to five colonies.

J ... ,

- 10 BEE DISEASES

BRITISH COLUMBIA ~ J. Co:rner No. of Colonies 20,570 No. of Beekeepers 2,799 Col.onies Inspected 8,300 Apiaries Inspected 691

Diseases Destro,yed Under Treatment American foulbrood 185 82 European foulbrood 132

The presence of Nosema disease was very noticeable this yearo High incidence of infection was noted in the lower Fraser Valley area as well as in the Peace River Bloc. This could account for the unusual~ high perGentage of queen loss experienced in. both areas.

~uroEean f~ulbrood was located in the Okanagan Valley for the first time in several years o The proper use of the antibiotic TerraIt\rcin (TM 25) eonpled with good inspection has greatly reduced the incidence of European n i: foulbrood~ particular~ in the Peaoe River. I' i. L...J1 Sacbrood ~ as usual is widespread and may be a greater economic fact or thani.s generally realized.

It wi1l be noted that the incidence of American foulbrood shows an increase over the 1959 figures. The percentage of colonies infected with AFB

was 30 2% of colonies inspected. This increase is due to a more concentrated and detailed inspection in the lower Fraser Vall~ area which has always been an area of heavy infection. No doubt this is due in part to the unusually large concentration of small operators and the attendant difficulties of rapid c spread of any hot spot of infection.

[ ALBERTA ca Alan M.o Frost Following our plan to cover as thoroughly as possible all beekeepers in the Province~ inspection in the past year was concentrated in the North and C Central regions. In 1959 we concentrated on the Southern regions. In 1961 we w'lll again cover the SouthD tl1en work on a regular North-South pattern. One full time inspectorJ) one employed 3 months, and seven part-time, C comprised the inspection staff.

nI ~ Frequent calls and correct appl.ication of drugs, coupled with better U beekeeping~ have greatly reduced the incidence of American foulbrood in areas where it had been serious.

nif U Eight thousand four hundred and ninety-seven hives were inspected from an approximate total of 56,000 hives in the Province. This represents a percentage of 15% inspected. ,

, 11

Three hundred and seventy-one cases of !FB were discovered or reported. Apiaries owned by nine hundred and one beekeepers were inspected, showing that the greater majority were small beekeepers. In 1959 there were more than twice as many knawn cases of AFB in the Province. This shows that the AFB position has greatly improved and reached a figure which should allow, with th,e present staff, effective control of the disease. The actual perce'nt­ age~ as near as we can figure, of American foulbrood is appraximate~ .66% of the total number of hives in the Province.

European foulbrood showed up in two maj or outbreaks totalling one hundred and twenty~four cases. Good beekeeping practices and the use of TetTaD\Vcin cleaneq up these outbreaks effectively. Nosema was more serious in 1960 than recent years and is causing poncern among beemeno Queen losses are estimated to have averaged l2i%, in some cases 20%c9 and much of this we attribute to Nosema. It was previously thought that Nosema on~ reached serious proportions appraximate~ every six or seven years o Perhaps it was more serious than considered and perhaps queen losses attributed to poor mating, poor acceptanceS) etc., was caused by Nosema.

The proper feeding of the antibiotic fumagillin (trade name Fwnidil B) is known to bring about an effective control of Nosema. However, at the present time~ because of its cost~ it seems doubtful whether its application each year is a practical proposltion. Cost is about 25 cents per treatment and as two are necessary to give control, 50 cents per colony would be the [ total cost of treatment. If Fumidil-B is fed every year and only needed one year in stx~ this makes treatment of Nosema with Fumidil-B a doubtful proposi~ tion.

Office records have been brought up~to·c:*Ciate and are worth an extra man in the field. We do appreciate prompt registration of hives and correct [ addresses and locationso Where hives are heavily infected with American foulbrood, brood combs are destrqyedo ~ where colonies are strong and the infection light, [ are combs allowed to remain in the hive for drugs to clean up. Prompt notifica ea tion of disease in hives to the local inspector or to head office often results

in saving the beekeeper equipmentJ which today is costly. c It seems apparent that the use of drugs to combat AFB and EFB at times leads to careless beekeeping. Beekeepers are not as concerned about

disease as they should 'ba 6 Drugs will clean it up, they say 1 Why inspect c for disease, and even if present, why worry? Perhaps we inspectors are too lenient and should destroy more colonies by burning. When a beekeeper has had disease one year fJ and the follQiiing year there has been no noticeable reduction in the number of cases and amount of infection, badly infected hives o should be burned.

Our policy is to do less actual inspection as far as numbers are o concerned~ but to call on and inspect more beekeepers I hives. Regular calls on all beekeepers coupled with some inspectionj has shown that the number of cases of disease decreaseso When beekeepers become aware that the inspector is calling regularly and is likely to examine any of his colonies, the beekeeper c is more prone to carry out his own inspection and control program. n lJ :-1 .. 12 -.~

Education on the recognition and handling of foulbrood is equally important. Here again, the use of drugs permits the beekeeper to think that he does not even have to be able to recognize the disease.

It seems evident that sufficient staff to effectively cover all beekeepers in the province is necessary. Where inspection and education falls behind because of this the destruction of hives by burning probably costs the beekeepers less over a period of years.

In Victoria" Australia, where the use of drugs has not been permitted, and all diseased hives are burned, three full time inspectors with a regular ...J inspection program have reduced the incidence of disease to 100 cases in 100,000 hives. l!lOth of 1 percent. Victorian beekeepers move half this number of "'t hives on an average twice a year, so the spread of disease is more likely than in Alberta where hives are not moved.

At the present t~e because the disease rate in Alberta could be about 1% it would be too costly to beekeepers to burn all the hives. However, when the disease has been considerably lessened more burning and less. drugs may be better for all concerned.

Our experience has shown that where drugs and antibiotics are used to control disease they must be used for at least three years. After this period one sulphathiozole feed in the spring generally controls the disease. I With AFB as widespread as it is in Alberta one feed of sulpha in the spring lJ is good insurance, against disease outbreaks. Care must be taken that the drug is fed to the bees in syrup form so that it is then fed to the larvae [ and none of it is stored in the hive.

SASKATCHEWAN .. D.M. McCutcheon

Summar Inspections

Number of Colonies Colonies Colonies Number of %Active o Year Colonies Inspected AFB EFB Beekeepers Beekeepers AFB C 1960 33,200 9,059 no 141 2,400 2.42

31~200 10,607 125 63 2,500 2.04 rl 1959 LJ 50..59 Av. 29,180 12",878 184 100 * 2,788 2.14 * o * 5 year Average only 1955-59. Fall Inspections o Supers Combs of Co.bs AFB Year Inspected AFB per 100 supers o 1960 8,255 1 9 997 24.2 1959 5,405 508 3.·7 57..59 Av. 6,507 702 10.5 J --~_ .~------~._--_._-~~--_._.---_ ._------_._----_._--~------_._--_._-- ~_ ~- ~.~ .._.._--.._----.---_..__ .. __ .. ---_._-_. .-..- _.._... .._-_._--- .-... ' ..-"-.'- ._ ..• ....--- .., ...... ---- .._.- _......

-13­

In the spring of 1960 there was considerable queen supercedureJ per~ps the most ever in this province. Bema 'Qeekeepers placed the blane on Nosema. A few individuals who had planned to feed Fumidl1..B carried out their plans and felt that it was of valuee: There was no general collection of dead queens since the Apiculture Section was nat prepared to handle them this year. Our feeling is that a lot of poorly mated queans were used and also mal\V were reared under ve:r:y . poor conditions resulting in inferior queens. '-' Sacbrood is apparent in a large number of colonies, and in some colonies the losses in dead brood is of economic importanceo Perhaps more attention should be given to sacbrood and an attempt made to find a curative antiblot'ic.

In 1960 we employed 18 part-time inspectors. They have worked a total of 435 days. For the 1960 inspeotion season, $5»000.00 was allotted for inspector's salaries and $6,880.00 for inspector's expenses. This $11,880.00 is, of course, not the total cost. Many expenses incurred in inspection are paid from a general apiary assistance fund.. There are also office expenses, and salaries and travelling expenses of permanent staff. who spend a large part of their time in work connected with inspection.

When an inspector suspects a hive diseased with AFB, he takes a sample of dead brood and forwards it to the Apiary Division. The inspector treats the colony with an icing sugar and terraD\rcin mixture, dusting mix around brood and leaving some on the top bars. When diagnosis is confirmed, the inspector returns, and destroye.~: infected combs by burning, again treating the colol\V with terraR\Y'cin. Instruotions are left for feeding drugs and antibiotics.

The use of drug$ may have good or poor results, depending on the individ­ ual using them. GeneraJ)y speaking, chemotherapy has been beneficial to the industry. Most people using drugs have fed properly, cleaned up or prevented the disease and have kept their outfits clean. others have been lulled into a false sense of security. They feed drugs in the spring, but fail to cheek on the result. As a result some have encountered serious outbreaks and.re-occuranees o:f AFB. The use of chemotherapy has led to mora work on the part of the inspection staff. When burning was the control. the disease-infected eqUipment was destroyed. NCII much of it lurks about unused" and requires more supervision as to storage:,~"~·i·-;""~ approved sale. Also required is more direct supervision of problem beekeepers in the way of spring calls and fall checks.

MANITOBA - D.Re Robertson

During the 1960 inspection season, six apiary inspectors ware active in the province. These were: E1Jner Best, Dauphin; .John Mulaire, Ia BroquerieJ Fred Baerg, neefaldJ Karl Knopf, Gretna} A.G. Dailey, Brandon; and O.W. Findlay, J Shoal Lake. Mro Best, Mr. MuJ.aire and Mr. Baerg were employed -full time from the end of May to the end of September. Don Kreutzer, Charleswood, and Waldy Birkhan, Dauphin. worked as assistants during July and August. 1 J In 1960, 8,777 colonies in 599 apiaries were inspected. There were 275 colonies infect-ed with American foulbrood found in 50"ap1aries and 91 colonies -1 ~ infected with European foulbrood found in 29 apiaries. The apiary inspectors J made 293 additional calls to beekeepers during the season.

I J .. 14­

Once again American fou1brood has shown an increase in Manitoba apiaries. .j In 1959, .A:FB was found in 2.3% of the colonies inspected. In 1960, the incidence increased to 3.04% of colonies inspected. The incidence of European foulbrood remained approximately the same as in 1959, with approximately 1% of colonies

inspected being infected6 On a province wide basis, the percentage of AFB infection was 066% of the total number of colonies.

ONTARIO -P.W. Burke

COLONY INSPECTION 1960

APIARIES COLONIES _.oJ COUNTY Inspe Disc %Dis. Inspo Dis. %Dis.

Algoma 11 0 0 0 0 118 0 0.0 Brant 87 7 80 0 1,045 11 1.6 Bruc·e 17 0 0.0 177 0 0 0 0 Carleton 133 45 33.8 2,133 25h 110 9 Cochrane 19 1 502 220 1 0 0 4 Dufferin 37 2 5.4 325 5 1 0 5 Dundas 50 15 30 0 0 600 62 10 0 3 Durham liO 11 10..0 958 36 3.7 Elgin 75 3 4.0 969 5 0.5 Essex 98 15 1503 11'074 38 3.5 Frontenac 6 0 0.0 126 0 0 0 0 Glengarry­ ·60 10 16.6 IJ'995 51 2 0 5 Grenville 12 0 0 0 0 239 0 0.0 .. Gray 28 5 17.8 475 12 2 0 5 Ifaldimand 23 2 8.6 444 8 1.8 Haliburton 11 0 0 0 0 48 0 0 0 0 Halton 8 4 .50 0 0 103 44 42.7 o Hastings 90 5 5.5 1,321 7 0.5 Huron 83 4 4.8 1,566 11 0.7 Kenora No Inspection Kent 141 4 2.8 1,663 14 0.8 c Lambton 86 6 6.9 941 29 3.1 Lanark 23 2 8.6 281 4 1.4 Leeds 78 1 I e 2 llO 769 28 10 5 o Lennox and Addington No Inspection Lincoln 156 16 10.2 1,063 67 6.3 Manitoulin No Inspection o Middlesex 124 3 2 0 4 lJ)576 9 0 0 5 Muskoka 3 0 0 0 0 15 0 0.0 Nipissing No Inspection Norfolk 81 0 0 0 0 843 0 0 0 0 o Northumberland 72 4 505 '879 39 404 Ontario 70 5 70 1 11)530 24 1.5 1~025 OXford 93 3 30 2 4 0.3 o Parry Sound No Inspection Peel 44 1 2.2 738 6 0.8 o Perth 40 0 0.0 1,093 10 0.0 o - 15 .­

ONTARIO (Continued)

COLONY INSPECTION 1960

APIARIES COLONIES j COUNTY Insp. Dis. %DiSe Inspo Dis. %Diso '...

Peterboro 30 1 3.3 434 6 1.3 Prescott 38 1 20 6 Ij)134 2 0 0 1 PI'ince Fb'ard 64 15 23.4 556 62 11.1 Raiqy River 25 4 16.0 214 15 70 0 Renfr~ ',. 35 2 5.7 877 2 0 0 2 Russell 22 0 0 0 0 315 0 0.0 '1 S1Jncoe 142 3 2.1 2,,080 13 0.6 J Stormont 117 46 39•.3 2,302 154 6 0 6 Sudbury No Inspection Thunder Bay No Inspection T1Jniskaming 24 13 54.1 912 219 24 0 0 j Victoria 64 2 .301 491 . 1 0 02 Waterloo 87 13 14,.9 1,048 24 2 0 2 WeIland 125 8 60 4 11)092 36 30 2 j Wellington 101 1 0 0 9 1,544 1 0.06 Wentworth 110 10 900 1,,031 35 3.3 York 104 7 6.7 1.,024 19 10 8

J

..., 'l'aI'AlS 3,,057 JOO 9.8 42,406 1,,374 302

.J

1 QUEBEC.. Rene Brasseur J This year, 49,840 colonies were inspected in 2 9 224 apiaries by 50 1 inspectors, 14 year roundJ) 18 part time and 18 inspectors (paid by colonies inspected. ) Every colony in the Province was inspectedJ 889 were infected with American foulbrood and 152 with European foulbrood.

The Department of Agriculture supplies free of charge the Bulfae:. --, diazine for fall feeding and terramycin for summer treatment. In May and June t J !FB colonies with less than 7 combs of bees are destroyed and the material is disinfected by the Department of Agrloulture disinfection outfit.

1l J NOVA SCarIA .. E·oA. KarlJ10

Nos. of -colonies 3eOOO Nos o of beekeepers 360 Colonies inspected 11'800 AFB found 42 (320 apiaries) EFB 4 (1 apiary, first occurrence J.n 12 yearSe) - 16 ­

The number of e olonies affected with AFB is up this year largely due to two large seale operators having picked it up during the pollination service. EFB probably stems from an unauthorized importation of second hand bee equipment from outside the province.

The brood diseases cause less concern than Nosema. The latter can ., become very troublesome in some years (in 1960). 30-40% of the untreated over­ wintered colonies developed Nosema trouble in May and could not build, up into producing units for the exceptionally early main honey flow (end of June). Nosema trouble probably was the main reason for the heavy queen supercedures and outright queen losses in the package bee colonies - many as high as 50-=60% in some shipments.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND .. David MacLean

During 1959 AFB was known to exist in seven apiaries. These apiaries were treated with terramycin but no follow up was done to determine its effect on the disease. We have not been using drugs long enough to be able to give an opinion one" way or another.

The other bee diseases mentioned to date have not been a serious problemo

In 1960 there were 89 beekeepers with 889 colonieso

[ STERILIZATION OF AMERICAN FOULBROOD SCALE

J oW 0 Edmunds

[ My interest in this has been the possibility of using dry heat for the sterilization of bee eqUipment. I definite~ believe that there are possibili~ ties in this field and that it warrants further exploration. UnfortunatelyJ) we did [ not carry it as far as we should have or at high enough temperatures 0 Dr. JoB. Linnaboe, bacteriologist with our Dairy Branch, did some [ preliminary work which I will quote to you. At 100-110 degrees Centigrade.., there was growth at 15 minutes exposure [ and usually at 30 minutes exposure, but none after 45 minutes. At 120-130 degrees Centigrade there was growth at 15 minutes exposure but none at 30 minutes or higher.

C Unfortunate~ this is as far as we have gone. With oven controls we have available now, possibly we could construct a heat chamber in which the tempera­ ture could be controlled at considerably higher temperatures and we may be able to C get sterilization in a fair~ short period of time. I believe the average kitchen stove oven has temperature control up to 550 degrees F. This may stimuJa te a bit of action in this fieldo I believe we have perhaps been thiIlking in the past U most~ along the lines of using steam in which temperatures above 220 degrees F. are difficult to achievel but perhaps we should be thinking of dry heat. - 17 ­

BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT 1960

p.vv. Burke

Hutchinson Uncapper.

Many honey producers feel there is a need for improvement in honey handling equipment, particular~ in the matter of uncapping combs and handling the wax cappings. A partial anSW'er to the easier and faster uncapping ·a! '-combs may be provided by the Hutchinson uncapper developed recent~ in California. This machine can handle 3,000 to 4,000 combs per hour, and is suitable for the larger producers only, because of its cost (being approximately $2,000. The general style of this machine is quite similar to the Bogenschutz but instead of having small flailing, cutting blades it employs two steam heated knives,

" very much similar to the conventional hand knives. The film which was shown on this machine illustrated that it would handle a great variety of combs with .J efficiency, and also showed the conveyor belt for carrying the cappings awayo The conveyor moved very slowly and allowed some of the honey to drain away from the waxo

1 Electric Brand Malter j Thera was some discussion on an electric type of Brand Malter which is a conversion of the original steam type to electric heating. Heat lamps are mounted on a framework over the melter tank and also under the sloping part beneath the hopper which was original~ heated by hot water or steam. 'Those who have used this eqUipment feel that it works quite well, but say it is very slOW' to get started in the morning after having been idle through the night. HOfNeverj) it is possible J that some of these problems may be corrected by slight changes in the operation or in the arrangement of the sources of heat. 1 J Super Lifters

1 A film was shawn on the eqUipment and operations of Mr. Philip Bishop's j outfit at Sackville, N.B. Mr. Bishop has several pieces of ingenious homemade equipment. He operates colonies in his apiaries in groups of four, and had 1 developed a super lifter so that he may raise supers of honey to get to the brood J chamber or insert a bee escape board, etc. without having to actually lift off any of the heavy supers. Pictures were also shown of another type super lifter which was in use in 1960 at the O.A.C.s Guelph, and which proVed to be very ] satisfactory. For the medium and small size C ommereial operation there' is still some

f improvement required in the matter of equipment for uncapping combs and , handling ] cappingso

other than the Hutchinson uncapping machine and possib~ the modification of the Brand capping melter to use electricity, there has been virtually· nothing J new in the way of honeyhouse equipment in the last year or two. In fact, changes and improvensnts in beekeeping equipment seem to come about very slowly. This 1 may be due in part to the relatively small size of the industry and the fact that j the producers .are scattered over a wide area, but it is also due to the fact that there is no one in Canada devoting any great amount of time to the development of 1 new eqUipment. J - 18 ..

RESEARCH For research on Pollination see Pollination Report For research on Diseases and Drugs see Bee Diseases Report

BEE BEHAVIOUR

Effect of daylength on egg l~ing of queens and build-up of package bee colonies - Beaverlodge

Colonies with restricted daylength without restricting foraging, showed a trend of 10W'er egg laying and lower weight of bees at 4i and 9 weeks after hiving. These differences were not significant.

Honey Bee Behaviour SIt ottawa

Laboratory and field studies on the foraging preference of hon~ bees to certain sugar! solutions were continued. Results so far are very encouraging. Further studies are under way and plans for next summer are being formulated o

.~ Observations concerning the mating flights of queens and drones j were continued. Several factors which may affect this behaviour were studied. Bee Behaviour - Brandon

J Two inherent characteristics of bee behaviour were studied during the 1960 season at the :Experimental Farm, Brandon.

Pollen-eollecting behaviour of bee colonies were studied by two different methods: 1. Stored pollen measurements. 2. Percent of pollen carriers trapped at colo~ entrance. Results obtained by both of these methods are still being compiled.

Beeswax production was also studied during the 1960 season. The results are also in the process of being compiled. Preliminary indications are that different strains of honey bees possess varying ability to secrete beeswax. Present measurement procedures consist of melting all combs drawn from foundation which was placed in the test colony and weighing the wax.

QUEEN REARING AND STOCK IMPROVEMENT

Palee Island Queen Rearing Project - G.A.C. 1 Four hybrid crosses were again produced on Palee Island this year j and naturally mated to the M 1 drone l.lne. A total of 1~033 virgin queens were sent to Palee for mating, and 708 mated queens were shipped for test purposes. 1 No queens were sold to beekeepers this season. Incubator emergence of capped I J cells averaged 85 percent, and of the virgins sent to the Island 68.5 percent successfully matedo - 19 ­

Hybrid·.·breeder queens ware supplied to two Canadian queen producers, one in Ontario and one in British Columbia. Both these men were interested in producing hybrid virgins for sale. A modest start was made this season.

Queen Rearing and stock Improvement ~ Bra~don I Queen production at the Experimental Farm, Brandon, is limited to the Hasting Strain of Caucasian bees. It is believed that this strain and race of honey bees offer more advantages to Canadian beekeepers than other races.

In 1959, more than fifty queens were produced. These were mated with a pre-selected drone producing colony at an isolated mating yard in central Riding Mountain National Park.

To obtain greater variability of controlled crosses, artificial insemination of queen bees was emplqyed during 1960. Attempts at artificial insemination of virgin queens produced fourteen queens laying normal brood _J patterns. These queens are being over-wintered for further testing during 1961. It is proposed to expand queen facilities in order to produce a greater number of artificially mated queens for a study of inherited bee behavioural traits. It is also proposed that this stock be evaluated at other research centers in the near future.

Stock Importation Tests - O.AoC. Guelph

A small insulated shipping cage with a battery operated thermostatic­ ally controlled heating element was designed for the shipment of honey bee eggs and larvae. Trials carried out this past season were not too satisfacto~ due n to the failure of the several types of batteries tested to maintain the desired temperature for a full 48-hour period.

Several shipments were made between Guelph and Brandon, through the co~operation of Dr. JoCJMo LtArrivee. The greatest obstacle to successful [ shipments appeared to be rough handling of the container in transit. Least damage resulted when the larval container was packed in vermiculite in a large ' cardboard carton• [ ..1 Eggs did not stand up well under shipment. ~rvae I to 2 days old .~ placed in small dishes of royal jelly showed better survival. One shipment [ received on June 22nd from Brandon had been in transit only 24 hours. The J batteries were burned out~ so there was no ,auxiliary heat. Of 50 larvae sent, 35 were aliva on arrival. These were held over night in the incubator and grafted into queen cells the following day. The bees capped 19 cells from o this graft, and 14 normal appearing queens emerged. Tests to date have indicated that even under unfavourable conditions larvae will survive for up to 48 hours in transit. With careful handling o there is no doubt that foreign stock could be safely introduced in the larval o stageo [1 e .j - 20 ­ ., WINTERING Wintering Beaverlodge

Of 40 colonies wintered outside in Fiberglass and shavings pack, 39 survived in the spring, the best record of survival to date of 6 years. The weight loss in the colonies of 44 pounds was similar for both packs as was the spring adult bee strength and brood area.

It appears that the insulation value of the two types of pack, 2 inches of Fiberglass or 3 inches of shavings on the sides With 4 inches of .J Fiberglass and 6 inches of shavings are similar•

Winter Packing ~ Ottawa ", A cardboard wintering case especially treated to resist weathering has been developed and is being tested for the second year. Results from tests conducted last year showed that this case is as good as, or better than, any other packing we tested.

., Controlled Wintering of Honey Bee Colonies - GoA.C. Guelph The insulated temperature controlled building constructed for Wintering tests showed promise in its first year of operation. Some 100 nuclei and 15 single colonies were held over winter. The bees lived well until the first mild days of early spring, when it was found that the cooling unit had insufficient capacity to maintain a low enough temperature to keep the bees inactive. Our aim was to hold the bees inside until the danger of low outside temperatures was past. This was not entirely successful and bee losses were heavy during late March and early May. Thus the nuclei were weakened so they were slow in recovering once they were set out ~ the first ones on April 20th and the balance April 25th.

A new cooling unit has been installed, and tests are again under way with 140 nuclei and 70 single colonies this fall.

Controlled Cellar Wintering - Brandon

The new, custom designed~ 1 ton air conditioner for the bee cellar at the Experimental Farm began operations in the fall of 1959. This unit was deaiped ~o maintain a prec:.set temperature and humidity and to allow a constant 1 air exchange. For the 1959-60 winter season, 46 colonies were placed in the J cellar in early November~ 1959. The controls were set at 40 degrees F. and 60% R.H. ~ the end of April, 1960, two colonies were dead. ] For the 1960-61 season the controls have been set at 40 degrees F. and 50% R.H. J It» 21 ­

Outside Wintering ~ Brandon

During the 1959-60 winter season, 19 different methods and insulating materials were evaluated for outside wintering of bee colonies at the Experi­ mental Farm~ Brandon. Five of these materials were judged unsatisfacto~ and they were removed from further evaluation tests. Prelimina~ indications are that the shelter of colony entrance from direct winds, as well as top ventilation, are much more important than the amount or type of insulation. To further test this hypothesis of the beneficial effect of colony entrance protection, a group of eight colonies are presently being over-wintered with their entrances as close as possible to a busho These eight colonies are in the shade on the north side of the bush. As a check~ eight colonies in similar insulating materials were placed in an exposed sunny position on the south side of the bush.

Po~ethylene was estimated to be the most efficient and least expensive material for weatherproofing colonies. All colonies wintered outside, regardless of the type of insulating material employedJ) are presently covered with po~­ ethylene. As a check on the importance of insulating material" eight colonies were also packed in polyethylene only.

From observations~ it appears that the least expensive Wintering pack consists of two layers of waxed DoWo corrugated cardboard covered with poly­ ethylene. The second less expensive pack consists of Cell-.,U-Mat, a polyethylene covered balsam wool insulating mat.

Multiple Wintering Case - Saskatchewan

The case was constructed to hold 4'8 medium size colonies in single brood chambers. The dimensions were 9 ft. long., 4 ft. high and 4 ft. wi?e. 1 2" of Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) were used as insulation on all sildes~ top and bottom. A flight hole was provided for each colony which faced east , or west. Ventilation was provided on top and at ends o

J The colonies appeared too warm and active during the Winter. The insulation seems unnecessa~o Forty-two colonies survived but only thirty were of sufficient strength to gather a crop of honey. The average weight loss in the 42 surviving hives was 25.6 lbs. per colony. In the 42 colonies there was .J an average of 3.3 combs of bees per colony and 74.2 square inches of brood per colony on spring count. j Further tests are planned along this line after alterations are made to the case. 1 j Use of Styrofoam as an Insulating Material for Outside Wintering Saskatchewan Forty colonies were used. Top insulation in all cases was 21:1 of 1 follows~ j styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) 0 Insulation on sides were as A - 2n all around 1 B-1" all around J C Iff sides and back OU front D .. ott all around (dead air space). 1 i f Black polyethy.J.&ne..··was used as a wrap in all cases and Itt of bottom J

1 J j - 22 ­

insulation was used on 5 of each groupo Seven colonies packed in standard tar paper and shavings were used as a check.

Since some unsuitable colonies were used, winter losses were 10%. The amount of insulation used appears unimportant. The low brood count in those wrapped in shavings would indicate that too much insulation may be undesirable.

Generally speaking, colonies with bottom insulation showed larger brood areas in the spring and used less stores. Further tests are being carried out 0

Insulation Average Weight Loss Average Brood Area per Colony in Spring

It A 2 Styrofoam 44 0 6 Ibs. 201 sq. ino B lit U 41.6 Ibs. 234 0 6 ·sq. in. C 1" " (3 sides) 47.9 Ibs. 232 sq. in. D - Polyethylene only 41.7 Ibs. 180.5 sq. in. J Tarpaper & Shavings 53.8 lbs. 158 0 4 sq. in.

1 Average of packs with J bottom insulation 41.17 lbs. 244.2 sq. in. Average of packs with­ 1 out bottom insulation j 47.2 Ibs. 189•.3 sq. in.

1 MISCELLANEOUS , Nectar Secretion - RoWo Shuel~ OoAoC o Guelph i J Studies of the relationship of nectar secretion to other aspects of floral physiology in Straptosolen jamesonii have been continued. Results suggest the existence of an hormonal mechanism co~ordinating nectar secretion 1 and maturation of the reproductive organs. Removal of the immature anthers j usually increased nectar secretion and always reduced secretion from the stigma of the exudate on which pollen germinates. Removal of the stigma always 1 reduced secretion of nectaro Replacing the excised stigma on the style, or j substituting for the excised stigma either an acidic ether extract of stigmas, or a ~thetic growth regulator~ restored secretion of nectar to the normal ] level. Tests in Which nectar in the corolla tube was replaced with a C14 labelled sucrose solution showed that nectar sucrose can be re~absorbed Qy the nectaries of young" mature or senescent flowers o Apparently rea::rabsor·ption is ] concurrent with secretion. Part of the re-absorbed sugar is transported to the stigma, and secreted in the stigma exudate as glucose and fructose o Similarly, sugar secreted by the stigma can be re-absorbed and secreted in ] nectar.

] Physiology - RoW o Shuel and S.E. Dixon" Department of Entomology and Zoology$ O.A.C o Guelph

1 Respiratory studies of young honey bee larvae on various diets have J been continued o A watera:rsoluble acidic fraction extracted from royal jelly and added to royal jelly (so that its concentration was about 50 percent higher 1 than normal) reduced the net carbon dioxide evolution by the larvae. This j - 23 ­

alteration in respiratory pattern was in the direction of the normal worker pattern. There appeared to be a reduction in gain in wet weight on this artificially modified diet.

Preliminary chemical analyses of the water~soluble acid indicate that it is composed of a number of acids which are also polypeptides and have eqUivalent weights of the order of several hundred. Minute quantities of crystals of 2 of these acids have been obtained. Work is proceeding on the is,olation, purification~ chemical and physiological characterization of these substances 0

Laboratory Rearing and Queen Differentiation - M.V. Smith9 O.A.C. Guelph

An attempt was made to determine the effect of the ether~soluble fraction of royal jelly on nutrition and development. Larvae were reared on ether~xtracted royal jelly in the incubator. Growth was good - often more rapid than on whole royal jelly. Larvae on this diet appeared somewhat more yellowish in body colour~ voided a bri~ht orange feces and frequently failed to spin silk. Mortality at pupation was high o One queen, several intermediates and a number of workers have been reared on this diet. Further histological studies are in progress to assess the effect of ether-extracted royal jelly on ~ larval development.

Rgyal Jelly Production - O.A.C o Guelph j Royal jelly production was carried out on a curtailed schedule this year with collections being made on a 3~day~a-week schedule. Some 15 lbs o of jelly was produced, and additional supplies were purchased o All the royal jelly was lyophilized as soon as possible after collection and is now in deep freeze storage in powdered formo 1

.J Indoor Flight Room CI GoA.C o Guelph

1 An indoor flight room has been constructed. This is primarily being used to maintain colonies in an active brood rearing condition during the winter months so eggs and larvae will be available for other experimental work. It will also provide facilities for controlled pollination of potted greenhouse 1 material, and for behaviour and pollen substitute nutritional studies.

1 Use of Cyanogas ~ ottawa J Because of the health hazard involved we cannot recommend the use of ., dust guns for the application of Cyanogas 0 We have tested honey from colonies ! so treated and the Department of National Health and Welfare is prepared to j continue such tes'ts for possible honey contamination. 1 Biological Control of Wax Moths ottawa ~ j Preliminary trials to control wax moths with Bacillus thuringiensis "1 gave negative resnlts o Improved preparations may be available for further j testing.

Honey House and Bee EqUipment Brandon j The new addition to the bee house at the Experimental Farm, Brandon, - 24 ­

now contains a 7' x 10' hot room. Heated air from a natural gas-fired furnace is blown along two wall conduits which contain 9 individually-controlled air registers (2 It X IOn). Stacks of honey supers on pallets are wheeled into the hot room and placed in front of these registers. Thermostatically-controlled hot air is then blown over the pallets and into the supers which are stacked about 5 supers high. It is be.lieved that this hot room speeds the extraction of honey and results in a product having a lower moisture content and hence a higher grade. This hot room was the final item in the complete re-organization and modernization of honey processing facilities at th~s Institution.

An Incidence of Mites on ~ Pollen J • Corner» B.C.

Early in Ma:;r of 1960 some comb was being examined by one of our inspectors. These combs were stored in a dry basenent at Abbotsford, B.C. Many of these combs were old brood combs containing pollen. Conditions were "1 dry.

While these combs were being moved it was observed that pollen was .., falling from the cells in the form of a dry powder. Large masses of the pollen were also noted on the floor beneath the stacked supers.

The colour of the pollen in mass appeared to differ in the piles from one set of combs to another. On closer examination it was found that the darker colour was the result of pollen containing black spores of what appeared to be a mould or fungi. This had been growing on the surface of the stored pollen prior to its remtival from the cells. On closer examination the presence of mites was noted. Both immature and adult mites were present.

Samples of the mites were sent to C.VoG. Morgan~ mite specialist at the Res~arch Station, Summerland, B.C o for identification. Two species of mites .J were present in approximately equal numbers. One, a large predacious mite, and the other a stored product mite upon which the predacious mites were feeding. 1 Detailed identification will be available soon, as samples have been forwarded ". to fPG.sJ.alists in the respective groups for identification.

Samples of the mites were collected and some tests and observations were carried out on samples of pollen exposed to the activities of this arthropod.

It was found that when th~ were given fresh pollen stored in a piece 1 of comb taken from the bees, they refused to migrate onto the exposed pollen. j When placed directly onto this pollen supply they refused to remain in contact with it. A second group of mites were given some hard dry pollen in comb. Some of the pollen was so dry it could even be rattled in th6Cells when the comb was 1 shaken. On such media the mites migrated over all the surfaces of the pollen. j Commencement of pollen break-up was noticeable in two weeks time.

~1 It was found that these mites prefer to live in a dark environment~ j showing greatest multiplication when the pollen supply was dry and stored in a warm, dark, dry place. 1 I Combs containing these lII1Us s.JIII!P .q~rekl-V eleaJled out by the bees when J given to strong colonies. The cell walls showing no signs of damage o These mites do not appear to damage honey bee colonies, and may even be of use by their utili-­ zation of clearing stored pollen clogged combs. Investigational work is continu-­ ing and further information on these mites will be published as available. .. 25 ­

TRAINING OF INSPECTORS AND INSPECTION PROBLEMS

Due to comprehensive coverage of this topic in the 1959 meeting by A.M. Frost of Alberta$) most provincial apiarists did not have much to add to this topic in 1960. However" D. McCutcheon", Saskatchewan and J. Corner, B.C. gave excellent reports.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - J o Corner~ Vernon

In answer to your request for comments or suggestions on the topic of training of inspectors and inspection problems" I have the followingg

1. I think that we should discuss the training of inspectors from the point of view of our advanced short courses on beekeeping. I understand that the course in Alberta was very successful. My awn experience in British Columbia has shown that our beemasters' courses at U.B.C., if properly organized, provide an ideal training ground for inspectors.

2. One of the projects which we are planning for this winter is the preparation and distribution of an inspectorUs handbook similar to the one put out by the Department of Saskatchewano I think this is an excellent idea and it ", might be well to write to Doug McCutcheon and obtain a copy or copies of this handbook for use in the discussion at the meetingo

3. One other suggestion~ I would offer and that is to have either Guelph or ottawa prepare for us stained slides on some of the diseases which are j not too often encoUntered in our work. Those I have in mind areg (a) Septicaemia; (b) Para-foulbrood; (c) Amoeba disease o Some of these diseases are not too often encountered and recognized, although I believe Septicaemia is more widespread than is common~ known, and of course it is possible that some of the other diseases~ both of adults and brood" are with us and not being recognized. This, of course, 1 brings out the importance of a very concentrated and detailed course of instruction j on disease recognition~ not just the common diseases but also a~ other diseases or pests which are of economic or uneconomic importance. -, 4. One thing that I feel could be impressed on inspectors is the ,J necessity of co~operating with the Provincial Apiarist and in turn with the research people by bringing to the attention of ourselves any unusual condition in colonies or bees. For example~ we discovered a new mite this year in pollen which I had not

J known existed. A report of this is being sent to Don Robertson for discussion in our bee disease programo This is the sort of thing that should be reported irnmedi.. ately and such information might well be included in the inspectorVs handbook. By this, I mean bringing to the attention of the inspector the importance of reporting anything which on one hand might seem commonplace but if reported and followed

through, would prove to be of great value to the industry0 1 I I j I believe that Alan Frost's report on training of inspectors and inspector ~ s problems contained in our 1959 report is an excellent guide and perhaps we could spend some valuable time just briefly going over this report ] and refreshing our memories on some of the information contained therein.

] SASKATCHEWAN - DoMo McCutcheon, Regina 1. Inspection Manual

] In the spring of 1960 we made an attempt to assemble an inspector's - 26 ­

manual. Previously we provided our inspectors with several mimeographed sheets containing all information needed. This manual then, was an attempt to improve the situation by assembling the material in some order in a booklet form. Further refinements are needed.

2. Inspector's School

We have been carrying out the practice of bringing our complete inspec­ tion staff into Regina for a two to three day meeting each spring. This has proven to be rather costly 'since we usually have between 17 ...20 inspeotors. We are now considering only bringing in the new and relatively inexperienced person­ nel. We plan to visit the others, discussing with them any new aspects of the inspection program. 3. SuperVision of Inspectors How far to go in supervising inspectors is a problem. Should a super­ visor make an effort to call on each of his inspectors during the active season, [ and if at all possible work with the inspector for a while in the field as well as discuss with him inspection problems. The question of supervision from the office also is important. I feel that permanent staff spend far too much time [ driving about with no plan when much of the business of supervision could be conducted by using the telephone and correspondenoe. [ 4. Regulations We are oonsidering writing regulations to assist in the enforoing of the Act. Up until the present the Apiaries Aet has been our on~ guide in oarrying [ out a disease control program. The Act is of necessity rather general in its terms and limits authority to the Minister of Agriculture. An Aet can on~ be changed by the Legislature. Regulations can be changed by an Order-in-Counoil and [ can therefore be changed each season as the need arises. Regulations would spell out to the beekeeper and the inspector what action 1s to be taken in controlling disease. [ 5. Unidentified samples ofDlseaeed Brood When the apiarist is unable to identify the spores in dead brood with [ the aid of a microscope, where should he forward the sample for qaiCk identifica­ tion? In 1960, dead brood resembling European foulbrood was foun. The colour, however, was a lighter brawn and pinkish. On checking samples under the micro­ [ scope, spores were observed, similar in shape to Bacillus larvae but 3-4 times larger. Samples were forwarded to ottawa for identifioationJ the disease was identified as European foulbr-'ood, but the organism was not identified. Further samples were sent to the a.A.e. Where should such 8amplss be sent for quick c identifioation? 6. Permanent Mounts

o Permanent mounts of d1s88se-eau81ng organisms would be de81rable. Also mounts of other organisms 8880c1ated with diseases and honey beee in general. This would entail preparing and staining mounts of both vegetative and spore 8tages. c e.g. mounts similar to diagram shown in U.S.D.'!. Bulletin 810 by o.F. White 1920. [ L PeI'haps most of us should kncyw how to stain material and make permanent mounts. I have forgotten. Gould someone supply this information to ApiculturistsJ) Also$ could someone supply us with permanent mounts?

70 Degree Course Apiculture OoAoC.

Students study common disease-causing organisms and some seconda~ however~ invaderS e There areD many other organisms associated with these diseases and with honey bees in general. These, generally speaking, are not eoveredo (Perhaps mf memo~ is poor). More instruction in Apicultural Bacteriology might be helpful to future students.

ONTARIO - PoWo Burke, Guelph

We have no new developments in this field in Ontario aver those that have been discussed previouslyo As has been the case in the past, the most difficult job is to get people who have knowledge~ aptitude~ and time to look after the inspec­ tione However ~ we have seen this year that one way to assist in finding people who can make time for such work is to pay them enough to be attractive to them. We have not been able to complete our totals on the amount of inspection done this year, but it appears to me t11at it was much easier to get the assistance of other people to help appointed inspectors and also to get our appointed men to do extra work simply because their rate of pay was increased in 1960. Even as it is, the pay is not overly high for the responsibUity these men have to take o Their pay was raised from ten to twelve dollars~ and from nine to ten for assistantso However, mileage rates have not been altered from ten cents per mile in southern Ontario and eleven cents in northern Ontario.

QUEBEC - Rene Brasseur, Montreal j We have three groups of bee inspectors in Quebec o

The District Beekeeper, who works the year around~ is in charge of a ,J certain district which includes& Part Time inspectors (for 100 days) and the (Paid qy Hive) inspectors o

The District Beekeeper is responsible for the disease control~ instruc­ .1 tions to beginners:> the Apiculture and Maple Sugar development within his district o -, The Part Time inspector (for 100 days) has to inspect avery colony of J bees in a district and has to give instructions to beekeepers, those inspectors can be transferred from a~ district to where neededo ! j The (Paid qy Hive) inspector is for a small district~ 800 to 1J)000 colonies including his awn bees, he has to inspect every colony for disease control "1 onJ.J"s and he makes only one v isit a yeare j

'1 j

1 ! .J .. 28 ­

EXTENSION

saskatchewan .. D.M. McCutcheon

The beekeeping extension worker should not be entirely devoted to extending information to the beekeepere The extension worker must also be in close touch with Bee Research workers. Also ve~ important and often over­ looked is the importance of contacts with other professional agrioultural specialists e.g. Farm Economists, Agricultural Representatives~ Entomologists» as well as forage, soilj) weed control and conservation specialists. By knowing these people, often one gets advance information which may be helpful to the beekeeper. By knowing these agricultural specialists we can extend to them the importance of beekeeping and pollination and therefore more easily gain their support when necessary.

In Saskatchewan we find the Agricultural Representatives ve~ co-operative in arranging and helping with field days and meetingso Here, again, it helps to know the Agricultural Representative personallyo When in an areaS) it is wise to calIon the Agricultural Representative and get to know him.

We have found Agricultural Representatives very helpful in distributing pamphlets such as "Old Favourite Honey Recipes" and our 'tPollination" pamphlet. In seed growing areas we provided a large placard on Pollination. Agricultural Representatives were sincerely pleased that we had considered them helping to extend pollination information.

Displays are an important means of extending general information on bees and honey to the general public. We have felt that the.re could be more exchange of ideas on displays, and even perhaps, an exchange of displayso We have endeavoured to collect information from apiarists on displays that have . been builto If sufficient information could be collected, it co~ld be pas~ed from province to province and should help to generate ideas for new display~o

Perhaps Council should have displays which the provinces could use. Council funds might be better spent this way than by giVing outright grants piecemeal. Perhaps the Royal could have a display competition with Council w 0 r""l buying the inning display each year I LJ Something which bothers us 1s the extension of information on disease recognition. We have been thankful for the slides on disease prepared for us by M.V. Smith. The use of slides, however» is limited to meetings. We would like to have something similar to a spray calendar or potato disease chart with coloured pictures of diseases and information on control with drugs. These charls could be tacked in a conspicuous placeo Pictures should be taken show­ ing disease as beekeepers would see it. If such an idea was deemed ~orthwhile it would see:m"necessary for all provinces to cOtdoperate. If the GoA.C. for example could prepare such informations they would no doubt need the assurance that other provinces would buy a supply. Since we would all be interested in what pictures were selected" a committee should be appointed to approve pictures before they were used. - 29 ­

Nova Scotla - E.A. Karmo

It is rather difficult to describe extension methods in beekeeping without actually demonstrating the particular techniques. Hence I presume that it would be best to explain the techniques at the meetingo

-1 Besides the radio broadcasts and TV;; I have used monthly radio releases and also spot announcements.

Re the printed material» we, issue "Beekeeping Notes" (we have a regularly~ mailing list) and instruction sheets when they become available o

In meetings~ the flipsheets~ flannel board and the magnetic board are of invaluable helpo These» combined with the! scale hive models and slides are our main tools when conducting meetings indoorso

The above is rather shortD but probably will give an idea of what I have been using in 'recent yearso I shall be glad to elaborate the tech~ niqu8s during the discussion on Extensiono ,.., lj Apiculture Extension Techniques in Manitoba eo DoRa Robertson

DIRECT ~ Beekeeping Short Course ~ The University of Manitoba ~ [ One week designed for beginner beekeepers o

.. Picni.cs and field days ~ sponsored by local and Provincial [ Associations ~ partly social ~ of value in larger meetings and covering wider areas G

- Local meetings ~ arranged through local Associations~ Apiary ~ pictures~ [: InspectorsD Agricultural Representatives use of demonstrations» group discussionso

~ Personal contact ~ appears a satisfactory method at commerc­ [ ial level but .is limited in scope.

- Newsletters'" regular and seasonal ~ Bent direct to beekeep"= [ ers. [ :E9a Journals l-imited vaIue o - Conventions - annual events eo important to general welfare of industry. Have limited value in extending information C to beekeepers. Social implications of merito - Apiary Inspectors - personal contact form of extension. Is a valuable technique C o - Bulletins and circulars - a necessityo n Honey competitions and shows co of value to one aspect of u the industryo

.. Tours ca bus and cars c;:. good technique for a limited number of peopleo - 30 ­ INDIRECT - Radio, T.V., Press - most important in getting information to general public re pollination, honey, etc.

University - in Manitoba, Agricultural Diploma Course students take a part·-term course in Apiculture. Agricult. ural degree students take full term course.

Farm short courses - pollination, honey uses, bee poisoning, etc.

- Lectures to clubs and organizations.

- Publications - sections on Apiculture in publications, such as Agronomy, 4-H, Cooking, etc. - Fairs and Exhibitions.

British Columbia - J. Corner

Following are some of the extension techniques which have proven to be very useful in teaching beekeeping and all its phases.

1. Planned short courses in outlying districts have been most enthusiastically received. These courses are designed to cover four consecutive evenings of .J lecture and demonstration. Careful program planning and publicity are essentials of success.· Such courses have been of real value in teaching beekeeping tech~ niques as well as gaining the confidence and interest of the beekeeper in our work. Such courses have been conducted in all parts of the province and for the past six years we have not had a course fail through lack of interest or attend­ ance.

2. We must exchange exhibits and ideas. This gives a fresh approach and is extremely vital to a healthy and successful extension program.•

3. Group discussions have proven to be very interesting and instructive. Such a program should not be held with any one group more than once a year.

4. It is very important, I think, to have an annual get-together of all full­ time and part-time inspectors. We do this and discuss our extension problems with the object of standardizing our advice and instructions to beekeepers. Advice which differs from inspector to inspector results in beekeepers losing confidence in the department.

5. One type of program which has proven to be very interesting and helpful to all including the department is known as a gadget show. Beekeepers bring any gadget or idea on the subject of beekeeping. It IS amazing what comes out of an evening such as this• .J 6. Although our beekeeping conditions va~ across Canada, actual beekeeping knowledge is s~il~f. I believe we should consider an up-to-date list of 35mm slide~series, films and a~ other extension or teaching aids which would J be of benefit to s.U. I:n purchasing films, would it be possible to establish . a central libra~ and shar.s the cost of purchase? Would this be an advantage? J ,

- 31 ­

7. Alberta's Master Bee Farmer" award was, I thought, an excellent extension project. Jack Edmunds should be heard from on this one. Each Co-op. or plant could sponsor such an event aided by the Department of Agriculture and Bee­ keepers' Association.

Alberta - J. Edmunds

There is a definite possibility that a correspondence course in ~'. beekeeping will be set up in Alberta.

Also being considered is the preparation of a brochure which would be presented to a beginner on taking up beekeeping. The information contained [<' would acquaint the beginner with what the beekeeping industry expects of a beekeeper.

L FIlMS The National Film Board will supply the film on "Pollination". (They [ have several). The Shell Oil Company has put out a film catalogue which may be of [ interest to apiculturists; especially the section on Insect Behaviour. LIST OF BEE FIlMS

[ Alberta - J.W. Edmunds [ Title Description Source 1. The Story of the Bee Blk. & Wht., 20 Mins. Extension Service Department of Agriculture [ Edmonton, Alberta L 2. Apiculture Colour, 20 Mins. As above 3. Beekeeping Elk. & Wht., 40 Mins. As above [ Silent 4. Honey Bees & Pollination Colour, 20 Mina. As above and National Film Board f1 LJ S. Pollination of Alfalfa Colour, 20 Mins. As above and Dr. G.A. Hobbs, Canada Research Station, C Lethbridge, Alberta

6. Wings Over the Prairie Blk. & Wht., 30 Mins. Calgary Beekeepers' U Association, c/o R. Beard, C Indus, Alberta. 7. Bees for Hire Colour, 30 Mina. Extension Service, Department of L ~~~~~l~~~,_~~~1!t_O?~ [ [ Saskatchewan - D.M. McCutcheon ­ (r~~ft(A-4 ~~_. ~.F~ [ Title Description So·Urea 1. Bees for Hire Colour, 30 Mins.

[ ~h~ .. f~) ~O~ 1. -r--t r~ ~ ~ 6.u - IU~- r Nova Scotia - E.A. Karmo 1. Bees for Hire 16mm. Sound & Colour McColl-Frontenac Oil Co. r: 30 Mins. - Free

' 2. The Honey Bee 16mm. Silent, Elk. & John Buchanan, Wht., 16 Mins. - Free A.I. Root CompaDy', [.j Medina, Ohio.

3. Miracle of the Bee l6mm.. Sound & Colour Carling Conservation Club, [ Free Box: 1817, Cleveland, 6, Ohio.

4. Modern Bee Breeding 16mm. Sound, Elk. & Dr. Howard Cmejla, c Wht •, 15 Mins. - Free Parasitology Department, Research Department, [ Abbott Laboratories. 5. When Bee Meets Bee As above - Free As above. [ 6. Legume Seed Through l6mm.. Sound & Colour Visual Aids Production, Insect Management 15 Mins. - Rent or Alice Norton House~ (Pollination) Purchase State College, c Ames, Iowa. 7• The Honey Bea 16mm. Sound & Colour Allen-Moore Productions, 15 Mina. - For sale 7936 Santa Monica Blvd., [ only Hollywood 46, California.

8. Apiculture Same as above - For As Above. c sale only 9. Bees & Honey l6mm. Sound & Colour Film Library, 30 Mins. - Free N.Y. State College of u Agriculture, Cornell University, o Ithaca, New York. 10. Story of the Bee 16mm. Sound, 22 Mine. As above. $2.50 Rental

o ll. Realm .of the Bee 16mm. Silent, 36 Mins. As above. $1.50 Rental

o 12. The Honey Bee, A 16mm. Colour, 10 Mins. Coronet Fi1ms, Soc ial Insect Sale or Ren.t Coronet Building, c Chicago 1, Illinois. This list of films arrived too late to be included in the report.

APICULTURE D:EPARTMENT, ONTARIO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, GUELPH.

Copies of all films listed below are owned by the Ontario Agricultural College. ontario

Title Description Cost Source

City of Wax B.&W. Sound ? National Film Society 10 Mins. 16mm. 172 Wellington Street ottawa, Ontario.

The Honey Bee B.&W. Sound ? General FilmsLim!ted .\ 10 Mins. 16mm. 156 King Street W., Toronto, Ontario.

Honeyland B.&W. & Colour $110.00 Canadian Film Institute Sound. 10 Mins. 112 Wellington Street, Cartoon ottawa, Ontario.

The ~fe of the Bees B.&W. Sound ? United World Films Inc. 20 Mina.. 16:mm. l445 Park Avenue, . New York 29, N.Y., U.S.A.

The Realm of the B.&W. Silent Castl~ Films, Honeybee 40 Mins. 16mm. Div. of United World Films 445 Park Avenue, New York 22, N.Y., U.S.A.

The Miracle of the Colour. Sound. $153.00 Northern Motion Picture Bees 20 Mins. l6mm. laboratories Limited 10 Dell' Park Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. In the Clover with Colour. Sound. O.A.C. Production. the Honeybee 10 Mins. 16mm.

Tanganyika Beeswax Colour. Silent. $155.00 'Colour Film Services Ltd. 25 Mins. 16mm. 22-25 Portman Close Baker Street, London, W.l, England.

'When Bee Meets Bee 2 Reels. Sound. $ 65.00 C.P. Abbott, Southall, B.&W. 16mm. Middlesex, England, (Iron Bridge, Service Depot)

Dance of the Bees B.&W. Silent. $ 18.00 United Film &Slides 20 to 25 Mins. P.O. Box 231, l6mm. Cathedral Station, New York 25, N.Y., U.S.A. Ontario list of films continued. -Title Description Cost Source Rearing and Colour. Sound. ? Through Dr. e.G. Butler, Instrumental 25 Mins. 16mm. Rothamsted Experimental Insemination of Station, Harpenden, Queen Bees Herts, England.

Dissection for B.&W. Sound. $ 45.00 J. Arthur Rank Films Acarina 10 Mins. 16mm. (Canada) Distributors 277 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario. - 33 ­

L j Nova Scotia (Continued)

Title Des,eription Source

13. Honey Bees and l6mm. Colour, 30 Mins. National Film Board, Pollination Canada. l~ Ontario [~ 1. City of Wax 10 Mins. National Film Society 172 Wellington St., [ ottawa. 2. The Honey Bee Elk. & WIlt., 10 Mins. 'General Films Ltd., Cartoon 156 King Street W., [ Toronto. 3. Honeyland BIk. & Wht., 10 Mins. National Film Society, Cartoon 172 Wellington Street, D ottawa. 4. Life of the Bee Distribution Department, a.A.C., [ Guelph, Ontario. o British Columbia 1. Harmo~ of the Bees Colour, 40 Mins. C.R. Bacon, 2720 Asquith Street, c Victoria, B.C. 2. Baes t Workshop BIk. &Wht., 40 Mins. Mr. J. Allin, Supervising Agriculturist, [ Douglas Building, Victoria, B.C.

3. Benefieient ~ee Colour, 20 Mins. Apiary Office, o Court House, Vernon, B.C.

o 40 Bees for Hire Colour, 30 Mins. McColl-Frontenac Oil Co. 5. Mirac le of the Bees Colour, 30 Mins. Apiary Office, [1 Vernon, B.G. 6. Honey land Colour, 10 Mins. University of B.C., FiJ.1n Library. 70 Seed Setting of Colour, 20 Mins. Canada Agriculture, Alfalfa Research Station, Lethbridge, Alta.

rl 8. The Story of the Bee Blk. &Wht., 20 Mins. Apiary Office, Vernon, B.C. - 34 ­

POLLINATION

The topic is not new: Charles Darwin, a century ago, showed the inter­ dependenc, of the entomophilous plants and insects. Recent pollination conferences both in the New and Old Worlds demonstrate the eXisting interest in pollination.

In some quarters there is a growing conern about the aspects of the present and future pollination. Why?

Because: A. Production costs set the price; the yields of most legmae seed and fruit crops are direct~ linked with the flower 'set t , i.e. pollination.

B. Disruption of habitat of the wild insects (consequences of modern agrotechniques) tends to decrease the native pollina­ to~ force. >.' [ j Practically eve~here there is a call for increased beekeeping - not for honey production but for improved pollination. The following is an excerpt from an aI'ticle by Roy A. Grout in the Report of the Iowa State Apiarist for [ 1948 (pg. 93-94):

"Honeybee has become the only pollinating insect that can be produced in large numbers and be cultivated and moved from one spot to another for that C purpose. In a total lack of adequate numbers of wild pollinating insects the beekeeping industry, therefore, is faced with the great problem of readjusting its purpoae of honey production to ·that of pollination. And the country as a [ whole fac~s even a greater challenge in recognizing the importance of honeybees to their qgricultural econo~ and prOViding a means whereQy the production of o fruit and seed crops may be made possible. nOne of two things, or perhaps both, must be accomplished to assure our agricl.l1tural economy and consequently the standard of living of our Nation. Either hOlley plants must 'Qe available to attract the keeping of more honeybees c thus mak!Ilg beekeeping profitable, or communities, states, or our National Government must prOVide ·'a means to pay for the keeping of bees reqUired for pollinatiQn. As yet, however, no agency, whether community, state or Federal, [ has ass~d the responsibility of conserving our wild pollinating insects or of prOViding a means for honeybees to replace them in the pollination of our fruit and seed arops.

o 'tWhat the answer or solution will be, no one can say. One thing, however, is certains that more bees will be kept for the primary purpose of pollinatiQll, and seeond~ for the production of honey. A challenging problem D that must in turn be made profitable for all concerned of whom one is the beekeeper.It

Dr. Sonllen 1s calling this challenge the IJGreat Awakening" and points o out that in his State (Oregon) the value of honey and wax production is about $270,000, whereas the value of the horticultural and field crops dependent on o insect pollination is valued at 100 million dollars. o c - 35 ..

GREAT AWAKENING~ HOW MUCH IN CANADA?

Statistical data show a peak at' the close of World War II both in numbers of beekeepers and bee colonies operated. Substantial reduction has taken place since. It now has levelled off at around l3J OOO beekeepers operating 330,000 r colonies. This means - there are now rough~ 1/3 as ma~ beekeepers operating and of the peak number of colonies. We are due for a shock if we our L .• about 2/3 compare present figures with these before the War:

At no time since 1928 have we had fewer colonies than at present.

Back in 1924 we had 1.7 times more beekeepers than now-. l~ To put mora meaning into these figures we must also recall that the Canadian population has just about doubled since 1924; furthermore~ there was hard~ any beekeeping practised then on the Prairies. l The cause of this decline is obvious and needs no elaboration. We are also aware of the regional changes - some areas show severe decline (areas where bee pasturage has been deteriorating without compensation by other sources of [ income, e.g. pollination fees); some areas are holding their awn or record increases (such as the Peace River Count~, B.C.). [ This decline is also mirrored in the new set-up of the Canada Department of Agriculture Research Branch. As things look now ~ east of ottawa there shortly will be just one entomologist (With no apicultural background or training) to [' conduct research on federal level on pollination (research on all insects affecting the low-bush blueber~)J at the same time there are in one Research Station alone (Kentville, N.S.) 12 entomologists and 4 technicians doing research on insects [ other than pollinating insects. Great Awakening, indeed 1 [ The aforementioned logically leads to one of the following conclusions8 a. Either the beekeepers all along have been sadly mistaken in [ believing that the honeybee is essential in pollination, or b. There is a serious unbalance in the planning of the present and future research in pollination and the part the honey­ [ bee plays in it. This Association and the Canadian Beekeepers' Council probably should consider the situation; any decision made now (either way) will bear little if C a~ fruit in the immediate future but will have a cumulative effect in years to com.e.

[ MORE POLLINATORS NEEDED? [ The question we should seek answer to is thisg Is chance ollination the wild insects adequate or is planned po inatian needed?

Each insect pollinated crop should be considered separate]y0 It would be pointless to discuss the crop on a~ other than a regional basis. E.g. alfalfa [,

" .. 36 ... [ produces fair yields of seed on the Prairies but very little in the Maritimes o

We should always keep the economics i-n mind o Can alfalfa seed be r produced in Saskatchewan at competitive prices when California producers can get yields of 1500 lbo/A?

[ Regional differences in fruit growing are less prounounced because the areas of profitable production are pretty well delineated. Here the problem 1s essentially one of lowering production costs, of which one way is to increas'e poll~ation [: yields by improved pollinationo I propose to use the term planned when the in-situ wild pollinator force is supplemented with other insects to achieve better pollen transfer. [''"' J Planned pollination often will increase yields very substantially (witness seed yields in Kern Co., Califo ) 0 still, pollination should be eonsidc;. erad as just one of the many factors that influence the cropo It would be a [ mistake to advocate planned pollination before we know that other limiting factors in crop production also will be dealt with (the law of the limiting factor)o [ DEFINITION The definition - pollination is the transfer of pollen from the stamen to the pistil .. is clear cu.t and definite. When it comes to discussing the c fertilization phase, the application of the known terminology becomes less definite since our concept regarding the self-fruitfulness, compatibility, etco of specifie varieties occasional~ needs revisiono For instance, the law~bush blueberry until [ recently was considered self--sterile and hence dependent on cross~pollinationo We now know that some clones show considerable self-fertility. However, all clones are incapable of automatic self-pollination1) ioeo will not bear fruit without the insects having shaken pollen from anthers onto stigmae McIntosh apple is considered c as needing cross-pollination. In recent N.S~ experiments with the trees enclosed in large tents, a fair set of fruit developed when honeybees., without any outside pollen, were providedo These McIntosh apples developed seeds!, so it was not a case c of parthenocarpy. ­ The degree to which legume flowers depend on insects is determilled largely by their self-fertility and their ability for automatic self-pollinationS' with or c without tripping. Red clover is self-sterile and obviously requires insectso Partially self-sterile and partially self..pollinating (autogamous) plants, such as some strains of alfalf~ under certain conditions can set a small crop of seed with= U out insects. Most of our legwne crops are large~ self-=asterile and hence need cross-pollination. Some crops may be eomple~e~ self-fertile and -capable of self­ pollination (e.g. Persian clover) J nevertheless,P insect visits even there will D result in higher seed yields. The term pollination often is used in a broader context than ~hat given above, to include not only the pollen transfer but plso the second phase - that D of the pollen germination and growth of the pollen tUbe down through the style into the embryo sac, and the third phase - that of the fusion of the sex gametes (fertilization) 0 The process occurning between pollen transfer to the formation of the embryo is a lengthy one, Bubject to ma~ influences such -as the tempera­ U ture (the growth of pollen tube may be slowed down at low temperature to the point when the energy 1s spent before the ovule is reached) , compatibility, pollen flower~ D vigor, Vigor and food reserves of the etco - any one of which may retard [ .. 37 -­ [ or prevent completion of the cycle. Some plants are dependable ('easy to pollin­ ate" is the expression W'ide~ used), others are rather capricious. Suitable pollen grains must land on .the stigma of the blueberry within 72 hours after the [ blossom opens, because the stigma is ..receptive only during this period. The apple is known to become receptive before the flower opens .. but how long does the . receptivity last under various conditions? J .B.• Free found that honeybees contine­ c ued to visit plum and sweet cherry flowers from which the petals had fallen. The Delicious apple is inclined to abortion and hence the conditions must be reasonably favourable for a successful t setI • Further detailed studfes on the varietal level are needed to fully understand the interplay which takes place during and after c anthesis. [ POOR 'SErt - POOR POLLINATION? The grower, on having a poor fruit set or seed crop, '-8 qUick to blame poor pollination whereas in reality the pollen transfer may have been excellent [ but the SUbsequent fertilization could not taka place for various reasons, some of which already have been mentioned. [ Broadly speaking, improved results arise from repeated insect visits (repeated offerings of pollen seem to stimulate the stigma; there may be a peak of the stigma receptivity; repeated visits will bring pollen from different plants with different sterility alleles - illprove cross-pollination). E.g. the pollen c tube of a Rome Beauty pollen grain on its own stigma took 120 hours to reach the avary, as against only 24 hours for a pollen tube of Jonathan,

As a rule-of-thumb, we should aim at having in favourable weather one [ or more pollinating insects per sq. yd. of bloom in legume seed production. In orcharding, 15-20 bees per tree in 15 minutes seem adequate for a commercial crop in Nova Scotia (there are varietal differences); however, bee counts in r: Washington State indicate higher populations prevail there. It is incomparably easier to raiE?e, through the use of supplementary bees, the population from near zero to a moderate level than it is to boost it r from a .high level to near the saturation pointl bees tend to spill over into areas of lesser competition. [ A high concentration of bees may also render the honey production unprofitable, hence compensation must come from increased crop yield. [: IS PLANNE:[T· POLLINATION NEEDED? The grower must decide before the bloom whether he needs additional bees ' or will rely on the eXisting wild bees. The problem is - there is no reliable way r,.JI of predicting the native population level. In N.B. many growers make the pollina.­ tion arrangements in the winter previous to bloom. [ How to Assess the Probable Wild Pollinators? - Past experience provides the only guidance. This has to be supplemented by close observation or studies to ascertain the trend of the pollinator force over a period of years: Have the pcpulations been adequate - in most years, only when conditions were favourable, [ rarely, hardly ever?

The wild pollinating insects prOVide most of the pollination in Canada. [ Of the total insect pollination, probably no more than 2 or 3 percent will be performed by various flies (syrphid and Blow flies mostly). The rest is divided up amongst the various solit~ bees, bumble bees and honeybees with a sprinkling [ of wasps, moths and butterflies thrown in. The wild pollinating insects constitute part of our natural resources. It behooves us to safeguard and conserve this source. The land owner, but also [ the general public, should be. made aware of their beneficial role. In land cultivation, a succession of bloom should be contemplated to provide for continu~ ous forage because any extended gap in the food supply may render the area un­ [ suitable for wild bees. Their nesting sites should be conserved. The wide-spread use of insecticides have almost depleted the wild bees in some places. Several years ago ma~ fruit growers in Nova Scotia abandoned the indiscriminate use of insecticides and adopted the biological insect control: evidence now points [ towards a gradual build up of the formerly-depleted solitary bee population.

If the gr~er has established that due to the scarcity of wild pollina~ C tors he must aid Nature, he then must decide upon the most suitable means of aid. In most cases it will mean additional insects; however, in some cases hand­ pollination, bouquets, ete. are used instead (in oreharding).

D While we naturally favour honeybees for obvious reasons, we should readily admit that the pollination of certain crops can be performed best by some specially adopted Hymenoptera, such as Nomia, Megachile, Melitta for U alfalfa; certain bumble bees are superior pollinators of red clover, etc. .. 39 ..

At present, only the honeybee can be reared in any quantity and moved around at will. Nevertheless, attempts to increase other pollinating insects Qy providing artificial domiciles of various kinds, also the moving of insects and habitated nests to new locations, have met with some success. It appears prudent we should give this our encouragement and support since such attempts will empha-=o size the need for supplementa~ pollination; let the economics then settle the question which insect can provide the service at the least cost.

The hon~bee at the present time constitutes the only insect that can bag (a) procured in a~ numbers, (b) moved around repeatedly, and (0) used for

distribution of administered pollen and other substances o Its capabilities, peculiarities and limitations merits close study in order to avoid mistakes and to improve its value..

COmponents Affecti~g the Pollination Performance of the Honeybee

Field Force The foraging bees constitute the pollinating force although the house bees provide the reserve o Probably upwards to 25,000 field bees are available in a ve~ strong colony but only a few hundred in a weak colo~. The ratio house bees~ field bees is fluid within a certain range. The usual ratio likely is 5:1 to 3g1. How valid is the claim that the small colonies send out disproc:» n portionally fewer field bees? l. The brood8 adult bee ratio appears to be a reliable yard stick for evaluating the available field force o A package bee colony in this light rates high for a few days after being hived on [ drawn combs but falls back rapidly and must be rated quite low during the third through fifth weeks. The ve~ early ~ lb. packages in Nova Scotia have performed surprisingly well in [ orchard and blueber~ pollination (probably because such expandaa ing colonies have a disproportionally high need of pollen) e [ Foraging The foraging range at times may well exceed the customa~ econ~ Range amical range of l! miles. The regression of number of bees per unit area on distance is particularly noticeable at a distance of 4oo~oo feet from the hive. The dances of the bee communicate [ distance and direction as well as the value of the food source determined by distance, quantity and quality of nectar relative to other souroes. The greatest number of bees will be recruited [ Qy foraging bees communi9ating the greatest value in thei.r dances. A given area will always be of greatest value to the nearest colo~o ' ~ Moving colonies will upset the foraging equilibrium for a few dayso Cj Foraging area is limited; the size fluctuates considerably and is determined Qy n of an indiv- the number, quality and spread of the blossoms that the bee has lJ idual bee to visit to obtain a load of nectar or pollenJ) or both. This is important when making provisions for cross-pollination (planting pollinizing trees; in hybrid seed production).

Individual fixation areas overlap - which helps in redistribution of pollen. .,

- 40 ­ ., Varietal preferences exist (more bees on Wagener blossoms than on McIntosh), hOTilever, this does not prevent the bees from changing from one variety to another if the differences are moderate and the trees are close by: bees work readily- along the raw of trees but are reluctant to bridge a wide space between rows. -, Difficulties in the use of honeybees

" A. Plant Co;mpetitioD The most valuable source attracts the most bees. A forager in evaluating a nectar (resp. pollen) source will be influenced by a number of factors, such as:

concentration of nectar (and composition) J quantity; accessibility (structure of the blossom); distance from the hive.

What is the actual order of the above factors?

...J What can be done to improve the attractiveness of a pJant~

Components of the climate - temperature, moisture, solar radiation ­ influence the nectar flow. There are more hours of sunshine in sunnner in the north than further south, and less water in the air at higher altitudes and farther inland than in coastal areas.

The fertility level of soil exerts some influence (the law of the limiting factor). By bringing it to near optimum condition, nectar secretion will improve but the big increase, actually, will show up in the total numbers of blossoms developing per unit area.

The inherited varietal differences show a greater amplitude in nectar secretion than these brought forth by cultural practices (fertility, spacing, etco)o w B. Area Competition

This may lure most of the foragers away from the designated crop if other fields of the same crop plant within foraging distance are found more attractive, be it because of:

better varieties : ",.' more nectar produced due to soil conditions, slope, etc.

Area competition also can interfere in some seed growing;' in which case the regulations re the isolation distances as laid dawn for each species must be observed. 1 c. Weather J ~ A blossom, if not fertilized}, stays in bloom several days but ~he stigma of it will be receptive only a relatively short period. Pollen trans.f¥,Lby insect visits must be made during this period of receptiVity to init,iate rert·~iza;tien. Foraging bees hence must be able to visit blossoms eontirmousJ.:y throu_but the bloom period. :':,:,':~ ~.: ~', -""'~. -1 ' '.' ." ~ - 41 ­

Bad weatheit;' impedes the activity of insects and might cut it down to a fraction of normal. To compensate for this, enough bees should be provided to do the job even under unfavourable conditions.

In exposed places more bees are needed than in sheltered fields o In cool weather, bees make only short flights, often visiting to the leeward of trees (Daniels - Heinecke 1929 cited Free (Bee World 41) (7), 170 (1960). At S4~S9 degrees bees did not visit cherry trees more than 400 feet from their hive (ibid).

Ways of Improving Pollination~by the Honeybee

General:

A high number of insect visits will enhance cross-pollination ­ compatible pollen from different plants will land (accidentally) on stigmas [: more often. The present food requirement of the colony determines which kind of food will be gathered in preference of others. E.g. In dire need of water, l the usual threshold for initiating flights is lowered considerablyg in Lindauer vs experiments (1954) the water carriers worked valiantly at 48 degrees F. after 2 days of near freezing weather in April when no flights could be made; [ two days later when the colony water need was fully met, the water carriers did not show up at the watering places until the temperature had risen above the usual flight threshold of about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. [ The pollen gatherers are superior pollinators. The percentage of pollen gatherers can be increased somewhat qy "' 1) decreasing the amount of pollen available to the colony& [-~

a) Trap part of the pollen at the hive entrance; [ b) Take away combs with pollen and replace with empty ones; c) Keep colony confined to hive prior to use; d) Provide comb space beneath the brood area;

[ 2) increasing the need for pollen:

a) Add young brood.J b) Increase egg ~ing (e.g. feed sugar syrup); L c) Selection of bees: Some strains are superior pollen gatherers.

A colony in a new location starts out with a restricted foraging range. [ Area competition thus can be circumvented for a limited period.

The diurnal cycle of the threshold of acceptance is lowest at the [ commencement of flights (in the morning) but undergoes constant upvrard revision during the daily period of foraging activity. A released colony after confine­ ment will start field work in unbalanced condition and with a lowered threshold of acceptance (conditioned reflexes). The stimulative effect on colony qy the l dances of the foragers returning from the first trip is greater when the colony is released in late forenoon than in early morning: the external conditions at the moment of release if the d~ is chosen properly will be much better than the l (continuously lowered) threshold of acceptance. [ ,

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Moving a colony within its flight range in open field does not result in any serious loss of bees. The practice of rotating colonies can be undertaken with practically no loss of field bees.

Orchard Pollination

On~ a fraction of the full bloom ls needed to produce a commercial crop of pome fruit. The first blossom of the flowering spur to open ('king blossomu) is the most vigorous.

-j Pollination can be completed within a few hours when conditions are right; this necessitates a higher concentration of bees~ eog o 2 colonies/A.

An over-set obtained during the phase of increasing bloom, if it is followed shortly by severe culling (thinning sprays)~ will large~ forestall the customary June drop and will give the developing fruit a good chance to grow to maturity since the poorly set' and otherwise less vigorous fruit will be eliminated before it starts competing for food.

"1 A moved-in colony works a designated orchard more exclusive~ than a ..J colony placed permanently. It is imperative that both the bloom and the weather be suitable to bees when moving the colony ing choose the proper stage of bloomJ) and the right day and hour for releasing the beeso

~rup Scent training is of doubtful value9 but feeding sugar in the hive .....,. and simultaneously in the orchard is beneficial•

Elimination of the competing plants is helpful but is less essential than the proper timing of the colony releaseo

Provision of pollen for cross-pollination must be made (interplanting suitable varieties, etc.). Occasions arise due to the weather and varietal differences when suitable pollen from pollinizing trees is unavailable. Deficiencies in the supply of suitable pollen can be corrected by using pollen from out'side~

a) processed pollen in inserts; b) pollen applied by hand to a limited number of blossoms for redistribution by insects; c) processed pollen applied by air currents (aeroplane$) spray­ J rigss dust guns" shot-gun shells) and in water solutions (sprayed on); d) bouquets.

The first method rates highest, being the most successful and least costly. Close adherence to details is essentialg e.go the release of bassD replacements of pollen in insertso

There is evidence of some pollen transfer taking place amongst the bees in the hive. The placement of colonies needs lass consideration when they are kept on permanent sites within the orchard than when they are temporarily moved ino l Dispersing colonies will also distribute the foragerso Small groups of 4~6 J colonies placed in checkerc.board pattern will almost achieve the same resulto

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Microclimate is influenced by many elements such as the contour of the land, soll drainage and texture, plant growth, slope - which all influence the insect actiyity. We can aid the honeybees by making use of these stimulative elements, e.g.

- set the hives in full sunshine (bees start out earlier in the morning); - give consideration to the colour of the hive; - provide good air d~ainage, shelter from ~ind, and use a southerly slope. Pollination other than Orchard

The bloom period usually extends over several weeks. Each flower must be visited by insects, preferably repeatedly, during the period when the stigma ,." is receptive.

-.j Colonies moved into the bloom and placed in checker-board pattern can be expected to work the source better than in ~ny other way.

Rotation of colonies should be applied whenever the colonies are aband­ oning the designated cr~ (this, extra manipulation subject to cost profit calcu­ l!'", lations).

Bee actiVity can be directed to a certain degree by:

a) Timing the bloom: bring the field into bloom when there are few competing bl~ssoms present~ E.g. in the Maritimes there is a gap of bloom of about 3-4 weeks between the main and the fall honey flows in late July and mid-August. If the double-eut variety of red clover is cut in mid-June, the aftermath will be in bloom 6 weeks later.

b) Scent training: There is considerable variance of opinion regard~ ing this. Persistent reports fro~ U.S.S.R. indicate some substance in this met~od. c) Of doubtful value are the Russian methods of establishing bait trips around the field, which will be in bloom earlier but must be moved at the commencement of the bloom of the designated crop; and of using the scent training in reverse (i.e. feeding sugar syrup with flowers from the competing ~ecies seeped in it, with an addition of CaC12, to make the source repulsive). Reflectors? ~ Spraying the crop in bloom with sugar syrup has not improved pollination.

Pollination, Special Crops. i ! d Pollination of crops grown in greenhouses presents different problems than in the open. Bee colonies must be handled differently; the uee of honey­ bees can be very rewarding.

Research and Extension

Beekeeping in Eastern Canada has d~clined alarmingly. Will it show further decline due to diminishing profits from honey production? Every effort should be made for a wider use of bees for pollination. - 44 ­

Research in most fields of agriculture is considered to be about 10 years ahead of actual application. This does not seem to be the case in pollination. What basic research in this has been conducted lately by the Research Branch and what is planned? There has been considerable applied research conducted in legume pollination; but pollination problems arising from fruit production have been largely left to other institutions and extension workers to grapple with. To cite one instance: the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association has passed resolutions requesting research in pollination; the Research Station in Kentville, N.S. is well staffed and well equipped, yet there has been no pollination research con~ ducted in the last quarter cent~; finally, the circumstances forced the HortIculture and Biology Services, N.S. Department of Agriculture - whose primary duty is extension - to conduct experiments and demonstrations in orchard and small fruit pollination.

In recent years, the Apiculture Department, O.A.C. has been very promin~ ant in prOViding the much-needed leadership both in pollination and in general beekeeping. This was to serve Ontario primarily but the impact has been felt throughout Canada and abroad.

Is this situation satisfactory, or should we expect the Canada Depart~ ment of Agriculture to show more active participation and provide leadership in both basic and applied research?

:Extension in pollination is easy in some, but rather difficult in many more, cases. It is easy in cases when the grower has a substantial investment at ..J stake which he cannot change into other lines of production without a great financial loss, e.g. a low-bush blueberry barren cannot be broken up to grow other crops; likewise it is costly to uproot an orchard in order to shift into something else. Planned pollination is hard to 'selll in areas where moderate to satisfact~ ory crops can be produced by relying on chance pollination. We should emphasize that pollination is just qne of the many links of the chain of producing a crop, and the use of bees hence is just another production tool - much like fertilizers, pest control, and special harvesting methods, etc.

Extension should be approached from the angle of economics. First, we ,,J should give the grower a productiop goal - e.g o the maximum yields obtained in his area. Secondly, show the probable gains expressed in dollars per acre ~ always giving the range of expected profits as compared with the actual cost of renting bees. Probably the same kind of cost and profit calculations can be made for most crops: they do not need to be quite accurate since they are merely to .... ., show the grower how he should use these figures to make his own calculations•

Demonstrations help to win most arguments. Possibly the results of contrasting screen tents - one group with bees added, other group with insects excluded - placed in the crop, will convince the grower (and the whole community) of the need for additional bees.

Extension does not end by 'selling' the grower the idea of using bees. Help should be extended to both the beekeeper and the grower in contacting each other, drawing up a contract if it is deemed necessary. Beekeepers must be advised re the type of colo~ that will be expected, also in the matter of colo~ management since it will show variation from management for honey production, etc. The grower may need advice on correction of other weak links of the production chain.

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Planned Pollination can sucoeed on~ if both the beekeeper and the grower find the service mutually beneficial.

Is planned pollination making any ~eadway? ~ Very little fertilizer was used in crop production 50 years ago. Now the amount used is about doubling every ten years. Is it possible that in the use of honeybees for pollination we may be behind the ti~s~ California is a big beekeeping state. It will interest you to hear that according to Frank Eo Todd, one-third of the income of California beekeepers now comes from pollina­ tion services.

More than ona~half of the colonies of Nova Scotia are used in pollina~ tion service and half of them again are rented by growers (i.e. non~beekeepers)o Is N.S o indicating the future trend or is it merely an exception?

In concluding, I am quoting Dr. Dyce of Cornell University to remind us thatg ''We could do without honey and beeswax, but it is doubtful if we will ever be able to get along without honeybees for pollination services. The beekeeping industry must therefore be maintained at any cost for this necessary work 0 t1 Prepared by E.A. Karmo, Provincial Apiarist, Department of Agriculture and Marketing, Nova Scotia Agricultural College.. Truro, Nova Scotia. J

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POLLINATION RESEARCH

Pollination and Bee Behaviour on Legumes - Beaverlodge - p. Pankiw

Investigations in 1960 were centred on a correlation of honey bee numbers ­ visitation rates - count of florets (those available for visitation). Data have not all been processed but indications are that the preference ratio of sweet clover, alfalfa and alsika clover and possibly trefoil appear to be similar. The red clovers' ratio is much lower with Altaswede Ulva (a tetraploid) and I.a Salle being in descend­ ing order. It is of interest to note that the tetraploid' had a higher honey bee population than' La Salle, which was at a disadvantage due to earlier blooming when .eOJfJllttition was more aeute. Corresponding seed yield data will not be available as thes'e were destroyed by fire of unknown origin.

Pollen Insert Tests - O.A.C. Guelph

Tests were again carried out on a 16-aere pear orchard in the Collingwood area. An effort was made to use the inserts as dispensers for both pollen and strepto~cin, to see whether this might offer a practical means of controlling blossom bl~st on pears.

When the orchard was 1/3 in bloom, 16 colonies were moved in and operated with strepto~cin. At full bloom 16 more colonies were moved in and operated with pollen. The following l~ days streptonwcin was again dispensed. While results were difficult to positively assess, our Botany Department estimated that this control measure was 80 percent effective in reducing the incidence of blossom blast, in comparison with other orchards in the area.

Pollination of McIntosh Apples - Nova Scotia

In compliance with the resolution passed by the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association, the Horticulture and Biology Branch, N.B. Department of Agriculture and Marketing, 'again in 1960 carried out a pollination experiment with the honey bees, similar to that conducted in 1959• .J

Six large (15.' x 12 1) hexagonal tents were erected around McIntosh trees, 10-12 years old, before the bloom. The experimental design was to test:

a) Selfing ability of McIntosh variety b) Determine if and haw much pollen transfer is taking place within the hive e) The above measured against assured pollination i.e. pro­ ce~sed pollen offered in pollen inserts.

The project was executed as follows:

a) Two colonies of bees were moved into two tents from out­ side the fruit growing area - to provide insects for selfing b) TWo colonies were moved in from an orchard with mixed varieties during the peak of foraging actiVity, (at noon) c) Two colonies were moved in and were provided with pollen inserts.

d) Flowering limbs were bagged to exclude insects. - 47 ..

ReBul~s:

No. of fruit per %Lopsided 100 flowering spurs fruit Bees brought in from outside 17.4 49 9.3 20 Pollen transfer 15.9 35 13.1 18 Pollen inserts 26 .• 7 J1 23.2 10 Bagged limbs o

Effect of Honey Bees on Polish Type Rapeseed Yields - Saskatchewan

During the summer of 1960 a test was carried out to determine the effect of bees on rapeseed yields. The Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Representative Branch, Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture and the Saskatchewan Apiary Division co--operated. A field of Arlo Rape (Polish Type) was selected in the Prince Albert area. A local beekeeper placed a normal honey gathering force of bees in the field. Cages were set up, one cage excluded baes from a 6t x 6' area, the other approximately 12' x 20' enclosed a small hive of bees. Comparative yields were,

No Bees Open Field Concentrated Bees

Yield 713 lb/scre 1,057 Ib/acre 1,003 Ib/acre Seeds/Pods 9-10 15 IS

Recent literature from Europe indicates that there is a considerable amount of wind pollination occuring in both Argentine and Polish types of rape~ seed. The above results would indicate that this is so in that 713 Ibs/acre was obtained where insects were excluded.

It appeared that the presence of bees had a definite advantage in obtaining more uniform maturity. Where bees were excluded the bloom remained on the plants four days longer.

Where cages are used it is well to remove them as soon as the bloom is over since an aphid build-up may be experienced. Also the removal of the cages will give conditions as cl08,e as possible to those in the surrounding field.

We do not have professional information on wild pollinators. However" bumble bees and small flies were observed in number in one location.

For the information of those who may be interested in constructing a cage for tests in their own areas I submit the following .informations

For the screening material Lumite saran screen was recommended because of its low shade factor. It was Qbtained in 1-100 foot roll from Chieopie Manufacturing Corporation, New Brunswick, N.J., UoS.A. Our cage was a 6' cuba and so theoretically required 180 sq. ft. The framework was constructed of thin wall electrical conduit and connecting sleeves (With set screws). The corners were rounded and braced. The anchor screws were purchased from a junk company - 48 ­

and of a type used to hold down aircraft on landing fields. The total cost was appraximate~ $120.00.

Red Clover Pollination Trial - (Dauphin, Man.) 1960. - D.R. Robertson

During the summer a red clover pollination trial was carried out in the Dauphin area. The purpose of the trial was to demonstrate what effect hon~ bees have on the seed yield of red clover.

The trial was conducted by comparing seed yields of plants protected from pollinating insects by cages to the seed production of uncaged plants. The red clover field selected for the trial was situated approximately 3/4 mile from an apiary. The cages were placed in the field on July 12 just as the clover came into full bloom and removed on August 25 after the clover had begun to ripen. The clover in the 3 1 x 6' area under two cages was harvested along with two 3: x 6 1 plots of pollinated clover. The seed yield of the various plots is as followsg

" Trial 1 Trial 2

Caged Not Caged Caged Not Caged

1.7 grams 10.4 grams 1.4 grams 3.9 grams or or or or 9 lbs./Acra 55.5 Ibs./Acre 7.7 Ibs/Acre 20.6 lbs./Acre

A DEMONSTRATION OF AISIKE CLOVER POLLINATION BY HONEY BEES IN THE PEACE RIVER DISTRICT OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA

J. Corner, Provincial Apiarist and JoG. Arrand, Assistant Provincial Entomologist

Introduction

Research in the United States and Canada has shown conclusively that the flowers of alsik~ and other clovers must be cross-pollinated or very little seed will set. For example, at Ohio State University alsike yielded nearly 1,000 Ibs. per acre where maximum numbers of pollinators were present and only 15 Ibs. per acre where pollinators were excluded (Beard at al). Similar results have been obtained in field studies in the seed producing areas of Canada (PankiW and EIU..-t 2.).

Research has shown that adequate pollination, in addition to increasing 1 the amount of seed, causes early and even ripening. This is of great importance ~ J in the northern seed growing areas of Canada where early frosts are an annual danger. The research work indicates that one half to one colony of honey bees should be used for every acre of alsike gr~n for seed. 1 J Although there is a large amount of soientific information on the importance of cross pollination, many grOW'ers in the Peace River district of northeastern British Colqmbia still plant large acreages of clover without pro­ viding pollinators. As ~ result, seed yields are consi~erably below the potential for the area.

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[ In recent years the authors have been appr98ching the extension problem of brlnging research information on pollination to the growers in several waysg

Information on pol.llnat:ion has been included in the short courses in r beekeeping that have been conducted annuallys meetings have been held where the seed grower and the beekeeper have been eneouraged to work together3 the problem [ has been presented in several formal addresses to the BoC o Seed Growerso and to the Honey Producers' Associations~ individual seed growers and beekeepers through¢ out the area have been visited~ an exhibit having pollination as a theme was pre~ pared and shown at Fall Fairs o The pollination demonstratIon described in trtls [ report is a part of the general programo

ThE? Peace River District is part of the Interior Plain which stretches northwest into B.C o from Alberta o The present demonstration was bonducted on a r recently developed seed farm 24 miles northwest from Dawson Creek along the Alaska Highway 0 The soil is classifi~d grey wooded and is extremely low in fertilityo The owner!> Mr. C. e Browop is interested i.n becomlng a pedigree seed proclucer0 He [ co~operattve was very and did all the seedi.ngD cultivation and harvesting of the c]uover.

[ In 1959 D a total of 62 acres in three fields running east and west and approximatel~y 50 yards apart were cleared£) br.loken and seeded to alslkeo ~rlle south fiel.d contained 20 acres~ the centre field 28 ac:res!' and th~-11Rfthern field ac~res. lOgs~ 11 SlashD stumps£) etc. were not burned but were 'piled an(;l 1e.ft for [ wild bee nesting sites.

The fields were seeded w.ith a co:mmer~ial grade of al.sike at the rate of [ 5 Ibs o per acre. Moisture conditions-were good and a heavy stand was obtainedo The crop overwintered well and came into full bloom during the middle and JLattler part of June 1.960. There was 1.ittla competing bloom in the area ~cept for a l~' [ acre field c.r rambler alfalfa .3/4 mile northp a planting of alsike clover at least 3 mil.as northf) and scattered wild bloomD mainly f1reweed and .,aspberry9 throughout the area.

[ A superficial exaIpination indicated that the main species of wil.d 'bees are !2..C?mb~ ter£ico~ KirleYll .~. V!J:gEi~, &nOll and 1.12i!~hil,e f.:t~ SIno

[ On June 18D forty (;olonies of honey bees were placed ,out around the perimeter of the centre field at approximately 100 yard intervals o During the remainder of the season there was very l,lttle management practiced beyond keeping C the colonies superedo The surplus honey was ~xtracte~ during the first part of Septembero Approxtmately 60 pounds was left with tlhe more vigorous colonles with a "iew to D ~rerwintering them. The als1ke was mowed and loosely 'windrowed dur1ng early September and D approxilnately two weeks late:r It was combined o Results and D1.scussion v.~·-~~~~-""¥r,_•• IB" ~I.••_!~~.. " 1P' !·! ~ U It was Gles:r-ly evident by early August that there was a heavy seed set~ on all three alsike fields. The set was outstandingly even over the fields dua Q doubt~ oolo~ no at least in partD to the placement. The vegetative growth was D heavy especlally in the low areas whl,ch made harvesting di.ffl(~ult and resu.l't,ed L -_ .. __ .~~-~_._------_.~.------~------...,.. _-..._--,~ ...----_...... ---~---_ ...... "--_.-.--_.•._._ ...... ----'"-_.__ .. -_.....~--_._'""--~_._'-_._ .....~._-_.~--~--_.~.---_ .....__ ._----_.~--_._._----

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in a loss of seed estimated at 75 Ibs. per acre o Howeverj) in spite of this an average of 450 lbs o of seed per acre with only 7% dockage was harvested. Exact figures have not yet been obtained but the yield ~or the district has been estimated at 250 lbs. per ae~eo

An average of 100 Ibs o of honey per colony was extractedo Counting the 60 Ibs e that was left on the more vlgorous colonies, the average yield of honey was probably about 160 Ibs.j) which is a good district average e During the season it was evident that many growers in the area were watching the opera'~ tion with interesto The fact that an average honey crop and a better than aver­ 1 age seed crop was obtained should assist the general extension program great~o The work will be continued in 1961.

It is evident that honey and clover seed production are two comple"". mentary agriculture indnstries How these two enterprises are worked together -j o is an important practical prob1emo An ideal situation is where the seed grower is also a beekeeper. How8verD this does not liappen very often and usually some other arrangement has to be worked oute ·· In California and oregon a share {1rOp agreement where the beekeeper receives one~third to one~half of the seed- increase above a certain agreed on basic figure is a popular approach to the problemo One side result of the demonstration described in this report was that the authors became more .aware of the practical problems facing the seed grower and the beekeepero u References [ I. Beard, D.F op DunhamJ) WOE OD Reese» CoA e - Honeybees Increase Clover Seed Productiono Extensi.on Bull. Ohio State University~ Distributed by· AoIo Root Co., Medina, Ohio.

Elliott~ [ 2 0 Pankiw$' P. and CoR. - Alsike. Clover Pollination by Honey Bees in the Peace River Region.o Cana·dian Journal of Plant Science 390 505 ~

511, October 1959...... : ... 4 C POLLINATION EXTENSION [ BRITISH COLUMBIA Pollination was the beekeeping theme in British Columbia during 1960 a A practical demonstration on ths:'·'u;s.e' ur' 'honey baas in alsike clover seed prodc::. U uction was carried out in the Bo'C'o Peace R·ive~. .;a~aa·,~~,;;:The~~ ....CanaSi·1atl-.Bftetteepers· douncll.provlded. th~~.s~;j_~.Q~i.o-~b~.:t..

Three interviews on pollination were taped and sent out to ,radio stations in Dawson Creek, Vernon~ Mission and Vancouver.

Blueberry and cranberry pollination by honey bees is b'eing received. very seriously by growers in the lower Fraser Valley areao The success of some -1 - 51 ­

growers 'who are using honey bees to increase their berry yield l'B suddenly being appreci.ated by other growers. A survey has been made on the use of honey bees by blueber~ and cranberry grawers e

POLLINATION TABLE - B~Co _. Av. Total~

Area No.Colonies Charge Total No.Colonies Colonies Crop ~-:~ Rented Pe~ Colony Charge No Charge Used ., Okanagan 60 20 @ $6,.00 $320 10 70 Red Delicious South 40 @ $5.00 Cherries Pears

"J' Pentict.on 30 30 @ $8.00 $240 - 30 Red Delicious Cherries

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Okanagan 40 40 @ $6 0 00 $240 - 40 Red Delicious North Cherries .,...-- 1 Kootenays 7 3 @ $6 0 00 $ 30 ~ 7 Red Delicious 4 @ $3 e OO Cherries

Lower Nil Nil Nil 113 113 Blueberries Mainland C.ranberries Strawberries

Vancouver Nil Nil Nil 42 42 Greertllouss Island Cucwnbers Tomatoes Bit~ter Melons

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Totals 137 $6 e 05 $830 :165 302

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NO'VA se arIA More than ope-half of all colonies operated in Nova Scotia in 1960 were

used in pollination of tree fruit, small fruit4 .1) and greenhouse cropso This is probably the highest percentage in any part of this continent o

The folloWing information appeared in the UNova Scotia Low~bush Blue~

~l berries New-slettertt • Information on the use of honey bees as pollinators appears j J regularly in this newsletter.

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Boosting Pollinationg Yes or No?

~tural Is pollination adequate? Yes - in some years in some fields o Inadequate in most years in most fields. Average fruit set in Nova Scotia is 20-30%0

What chances for improvement? Plants are capable of maturing mora than, 80 percent of the fruit which has Vset t properly~ By doubling the fruit Uset v» the yield will double 0

Consider EconomieS8 OUtput (production revenue) - Input (costs) • Net revenue or profit

~lOOO#/A oO, 500#/A $60 0 00 $120.00 2000#/A $240.00 4000#/A $480 0 00 r.. .i Input 60.00 80.00 200 0 00

[ Profitg o $ 40.00 $120 0 00

Fixed costs (taxeSD burning, maggot dusts, etc.) are the same on small and big crops. Small crops will eat up all the profits no matter how you try to pare cost?SO C You will be making money if through increased input (costs) the output !~ises faster than the added costs.

[ Using honey bees; cost per acre? A colony will cost between 6 and 10 dollars and will supplement native insects on two or three acres.. 2~4 C Per acre cost about dollarS e Of total inputj) this cost will represent C 500#/A lOOO#/A 2000#JA 4000#/A [ 5% 4% 1.5% Expected profits (loss) from the use of bees in the lcw~bush blueberry pollination D 500#/A looo#/A 2000#!A 4000#/A

No Increase -($3 0 00) -($3 0 00) -($3 0 00) e-a($3 0 00) 10% Increase 1 0 00 56 00 13 0 00 29.00 D 25% Increase 7.00 17.00 37 0 00 77 e OO 50% Increase 17.00 37 0 00 77.00 157 0 00 100% Increase 37.00 77.00 1570 00 317 eOO (1 ~) o The above calculations are made on the following basisg At 500#/A costs 'balance profitss the price of berries - 12¢ lb., picking and transportation costs CII 4¢ Ib o We suggest that you substitute your awn figures and calculate what you might gain o by Remem.ber -- bees using the bees o the most that you could lose if the did not help a~, is the cost 'of bees (about $3/A)o Consider what you will gain if yields are increased 25~ 50 or 100 percent. .. 53­

The following is the summary of work done in Blueberry SUb-station!) Tower Hill, New Brunswick, published in the Canadian Horticulture Council Report on Researchl

~ueberEY Pollinators

In further investigations in New Brunswick to assess -the importance of honey bees in the pollination of low-bush blueberry, percentage fruit set was determined in ten randomly selected fields, five of which had honey bees at the [ rate of approximately one eolo~ per acre and five which had the service of native bees only. In the latter fields, set ranged from 19 to 30 percent while fields with honey bees had sets ranging from 46 to 61. percent o (G.W. Wood, Research [': Station» Fredericton, N.B.). [: SASKATCHEliAN U A pamphlet entitled uPollination was preparedo It was designed so that a beekeeper could easily carry them in his truck or in a clothing pocket o [ Beekeepers and Agricultural Representatives have distributed over 3,000 of these pamphlets. C News releases and radio broadcasts were made regarding the value of pollination. [ The rapeseed pollination test covered earlier was conducted beside a busy highway. An appropriate sign indicating a "Pollination Test 'J was erected., The local TV station gave the test considerable publicity with the shooting of considerable film which they used on a program devoted to Pollinationo A local C beekeeper and the Agricultural Representative took parto Talks have been given at seed growers n meetings and at Horticultural [ Societies regarding the value of Hon~ Bees in Pollinationo

U Information is included in the uGuide to Farm Practice on pollinationc [ This publication is a general guide to Saskatchewan Farmers~ published by the University. C o o o - 54 ­

BEE POISONING British Columbia

The 1961 spray calendar lIControl of Tree-Fruit Pests and Diseases n will now be published in a booklet form. Included in it will be the following warning concerning bee poisoning,

Bee Poisoning

"Pollination is important in the production of fruit. Therefore care should be taken to avoid insecticide poisoning of either domestic or wild bees. Do not spray while the fruit blossoms are open. This is the period of greatest danger. n

. j UDieldrin, Sevin and most organic Phosphorus insecticides including

--, Guthion and Malathion are especially toxic to bees. Warn beekeepers if these materials are to be used."

There were no reports of serious bee poisoning in B.C. during 1960. " There was, however, some evidence that insecticides were at least partly responsible for the dwindling that occurred with some colonies in the Okanagan Valley.

"1 i The recommended rates of some of the insecticides will be reduced in j 1961, which indicates a favourable trend.

Sevin, the insecticide which caused so much trouble in 1959 and was subsequently removed from the recommendations as a .blossom spray is being recommended as a late thinning spray in 1961. Although, this recommendation l is being viewed with some misgivings, it is probably not as dangerous as might 1 first appear. It will only be used where the blossom thinning sprays have ...1 failed and only after the bloom period is over•

A Timely Warning on The Use of Insecticides ..J on Rape. *Seed Crops

In 1960 there were 550,000 acres of rape in Saskatchewan which was the largest acreage of this crop ever grown in the province. There was also an increase in acreage of rape in Alberta. Only a small amount was grown in the

" Peace River district of B.C. but following the trend in the other two provinces a large increase is expected in 1961.

The varieties of rape are grouped into two types. The Argentine types are fairly tall growing and are relatively susceptible to spring frost damage, whereas the Polish types are shorter, mature approximately three weeks earlier and are fairly frost resistant. In the Peace River district the Polish types will be grown almost exclusively.

1j The -~~~Qt~~t?:!i~ __types of rape is used for the production of a light oil. ~l : ~- J The yellow flowered, high-nectar producing rape flowers are ve~ attractive to honey bees. A field of rape in full bloom will draw bees away from most other crops. It has been proven, by the way, that adequate pollina­ - 55 ­ tion increases the yield of rape seed considerably. Therefore, seed growers should be anxious to protect the bees from insecticides.

Most beekeepers are aware of the problems of handling the qUick­ granulating honey produced from rape. The possible problems from insecticides are probably less well known.

In 1960 in Saskatchewan over 100,000 acres of rape were sprayed with insecticides to control the diamond back moth and the beet webworm. In spite of the large acreages treated there was very little mortality to honey bees, mainly because most of the rape was in pod when it was sprayed. It is possible, however, that in future years under different conditions it will be necessary to spray when the crop is in full bloom. This would, of course, be a more serious threat to beekeepers.

The larvae of the diamond back moth and the beet webworm are slim green worms that consume the foliage. If abundant they eat the flower and young pods, or chew holes in older pods. In Saskatchewan and Alberta the diamond back moth has been by far the more serious pest.

DDT which has successfully controlled all ages of the diamond back moth larvae, at 10 ounces of toxicant per acre, can be used with relative safety. If the field is in bloom, DDT may be applied in the late evening when the bees are not foraging and very little bee mortality will result. Toxaphene has given control and is less toxic even than DlJr. It can be applied when the bees are foraging. Unfortunately, the late stage larvae of the beet webworm are not always controlled with DDT so if a grower suspects that he has both pests he may be tempted to use one of the more potent materials such as Dieldrin or Endrin. These chemicals are extremely dangerous and treated fields remain toxic to bees for several days. Beekeepers must keep in touch with the situation in their area so they can help persuade seed growers to use the least dangerous material and to spray when bees are not foraging. If aircraft are used the pilot should know where the colonies are located. Where it is impossible to avoid spraying the baes they must be moved or covered with plastic sheets.

It is important to note that in other areas nearly all damage to bees by insecticides has occurred where these few simple precautions have been ignored.

*Written Qy Mr. J.C. Arrand, Assistant Provincial Entomologist, B.C. Published in "Bee Wise" February, 1961.

Alberta B.eported no serious problem with bee poisoning. - 56 ­

Saskatchewan

The dangers of bee poisoning through insecticides was brought home sharply to Saskatchewan beekeepers in the 1960 season. Rapeseed production is an important crop in the major beekeeping areas of the province. A large build­ up of digmond back moth larvae and beet webworm larvae in late summer seriously , threatened the rapeseed crop. When it was apparent that disaster threatened, insecticide spraying by aircraft and ground units was employed. Dieldrin, recommended by the entomologist as effective against the beet webworm was supplied at cost to the municipalities concerned by the Saskatchewan Department of Agric­ ulture from stocks being held in readiness for a threatening grasshopper build-up. Beekeepers were very fortunate in that most rape fields were past the bloom stage and insects were feeding on the green seed pods. Nevertheless, several beekeepers reported a high mortality among field bees particularly when aircraft applied the insecticide. The brood did not appear to have been effected. Since the season was well advanced when spraying took place there was no serious loss in honey production. The subject of spray poisoning received considerable attention at the fall meeting of the Saskatchewan Beekeepers' Association in December.

Manitoba

J Very little to report. Some suspected poisoning with M.C.P. not con­ firmed. A panel discussion on insecticides was held at the annual meeting of the Manitoba Beekeepers' Association• .J

Ontario A panel discussion was also held in co-operation with the entomologists. 1 It was felt that there is a possibility of the faster-acting poison sprays being . helpful in as much as th~ quickly kill off the field bees and thereby prevent them from communicating with the remaining foragers of the colony.

With regard to the insecticide, tlSevin n it was pointed out that recent j research work carried out at Cornell University has shown that Sevin can be brought into the hive on pollen.

Quebec Little to report. It was mentioned that untimely application of J insecticides on apple orchards had resulted in a $25,000 damage suit being filed and won by a beekeeper. This action occurred five years ago.

New Brunswick The use of aerial sprays to control forest insects is giving some cause for concern. This could result in loss of colonies.

Nova Scotia

1 Little damage to report thi~ year. No colonies were wiped out by

j poisoning. However, qUite a few were seriously affected by Guthion spray in the - 57 ­

orchards. By the end of the fruit bloom and shortly afterwards there were a number (probably upward to a hundred) colonies showing poisoned bees in front of the hives. The origin of the insecticide causing the poisoning could not be ascertained. Arsenic sprays applied in mid-summer to control the apple­ maggot infestation, this year caused no noticeable damage to colonies. The,heavy application of DDT to small fruits - both strawberries and low-bush blackberries - appeared to have set the colonies in the field back somewhat although no excessive mortality (in front of the hives) could be observed.

Bob McKay, secret~ of The Canadian Beekeepers' Council, has provided information to the lfSeed ScoopfJ urging the seed grower to notify the beekeeper whenever insecticides are to be used in crops located near apiaries.

General Discussion Plans for a trap for catching dead bees, queens and debris appeared in the November-December 1960 issue of the Journal of Economic Entomology: The trap apparently does not interfere with normal flight. Biological insect control has the effect of increasing wild insect pollinators•

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