Bees Nd Protection

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Bees Nd Protection UNDERSTANDING, CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCES - BEES Authored by: Cynthia Li, B.A., M.A. Research Fellow Lenox Institute of Water Technology P.O. Box 405, Newtonville, NY 12128-0405, USA Tel: (651) 321-8442 Email: [email protected] Mailing Address: 1568 Quail Ridge Road, St. Paul, MN 55125, USA Li, Cynthia (2019). Understanding, conservation and protection of precious natural resources -- bees. In: "Evolutionary Progress in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM)", Wang, Lawrence K. and Tsao, Hung- ping (editors). Volume 1, Number 10, October 2019; 65 pages. Lenox Institute Press, Newtonville, NY, 12128-0405, USA. No. STEAM-VOL1-NUM10-OCT2019; ISBN 978-0-9890870-3-2. US Department of Commerce, National Technical Information Service, 5301 Shawnee Road, Alexandria, VA 22312, USA. Form Approved REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202- 4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 2. REPORT TYPE TECHNICAL REPORT 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) JAN 15-10-2019 2015-OCT2019 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER N/A UNDERSTANDING, CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF 5b. GRANT NUMBER N/A PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCES - BEES 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER N/A 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER STEAM-VOL1-NUM10-OCT2019 Cynthia Li 5e. TASK NUMBER N/A 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER N/A 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER STEAM-VOL1-NUM10-OCT2019 LENOX INSTITUTE PRESS OF THE LENOX INSTITUTE OF WATER TECHNOLOGY, Newtonville, NY 12128-0405, USA [email protected] 9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) LENOX Wang, Lawrence K. and Tsao, Hung-ping (editors). "Evolutionary Progress in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM)", Volume 1, Number 10, October 2019; Lenox Institute 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT Press, Newtonville, NY, 12128-0405, USA; 160 Pine Street, Suite 19, Auburndale, MA 02466, USA NUMBER(S) STEAM-VOL1-NUM10-OCT2019 12. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT NO RESTRICTION 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES REGISTRATION ISBN 978-0-9890870-3-2 14. ABSTRACT This publication concerns the role of pollinators, especially bees, in relation to our agriculture and economy. Besides being a critical participant in the reproductive process of most flowering plants, the bees' pollination services increase flowering crop yields, improve nutritional quality, and contribute significantly to the global economy. However, beekeepers that manage the domesticated European honey bee had noticed that huge numbers of their bees were dying in recent years, and apiculture is closely wedded to agriculture. Honey bees suffer from a variety of maladies attributed to pesticides, climate change, parasites, and disease, all of which contribute to increased bee mortality and catastrophic hive death such as Colony Collapse Disorder. A number of these issues appear to affect wild pollinators as well. In order to conserve and protect our pollinator resources, this chapter describes a number of major stressors that lead to bee mortality and offers suggestions to improve bee and ultimately general pollinator survival. Recommended actions for beekeepers include adoption of honey bee strains that are bred for specific climates and survival traits as well as maintaining diverse forage around the apiary. Farmers are recommended to maintain areas of wild plants for diverse foraging sources, where a healthy bee diet also aids in crop pollination. In order to protect food availability, control prices, and support agricultural sustainability, governments can review ongoing research concerning known bee and pollinator stressors and implement legislation and guidelines to control human-created stressors such as pesticides while encouraging pollinator-friendly land management. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Pollinators, Pollination, Wild bees, Honey bees, Agriculture, Crops, Bee conservation and protection. 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: UNCLASSIFIED UNLIMITED 17. LIMITATION 18. NUMBER 19a NAME OF RESPONSIBLE (UU) OF ABSTRACT UU OF PAGES 65 PERSON Wang, Lawrence K. a. REPORT UU b. ABSTRACT c. THIS PAGE 19a. TELEPHONE NUMBER (include area UU UU code) (518) 250-0012 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39. 3 UNDERSTANDING, CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCES - BEES Cynthia Li, B.A., M.A. Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Key Words ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Acronyms .................................................................................................................................................. 6 1. Introduction of Pollinators and Pollination ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.1. Wild Bees ......................................................................................................................................... 10 1.2. Honey Bees ...................................................................................................................................... 10 1.2.1. Honey Bee Colony Social Structure ........................................................................................... 11 1.2.2. Honey Bee Reproduction .......................................................................................................... 12 1.2.3. Honey Bee Communication ...................................................................................................... 13 1.2.4. European Honey Bees ............................................................................................................... 15 1.2.5. Africanized Honey Bee .............................................................................................................. 16 2. Pollinator Contributions to Agriculture................................................................................................... 20 3. Pollinator Decline: Bees .......................................................................................................................... 22 3.1. History, Statistics .............................................................................................................................. 22 3.2. Causes .............................................................................................................................................. 23 3.2.1. Colony Collapse Disorder: Honey Bee ....................................................................................... 23 3.2.2. Insecticides ................................................................................................................................ 26 3.2.3. Fungicides ................................................................................................................................. 28 3.2.4. Herbicides ................................................................................................................................. 28 3.2.5. Habitat Loss ............................................................................................................................... 29 3.2.6. Parasites .................................................................................................................................... 30 3.2.7. Disease ...................................................................................................................................... 31 3.2.8. Climate change .......................................................................................................................... 32 3.3. Effects of Pollinator Decline (Bee Loss)............................................................................................ 33 3.3.1. Direct Crop Yield Reduction ...................................................................................................... 34 3.3.2. Economic Impacts ..................................................................................................................... 35 3.3.3. Human Health Impacts ............................................................................................................. 35 4 4. Conservation and Protection of Bees ..................................................................................................... 37 4.1. Beekeepers....................................................................................................................................... 37
Recommended publications
  • A Saliva Protein of Varroa Mites Contributes to the Toxicity Toward Apis Cerana and the DWV Elevation Received: 10 August 2017 Accepted: 9 February 2018 in A
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN A Saliva Protein of Varroa Mites Contributes to the Toxicity toward Apis cerana and the DWV Elevation Received: 10 August 2017 Accepted: 9 February 2018 in A. mellifera Published: xx xx xxxx Yi Zhang & Richou Han Varroa destructor mites express strong avoidance of the Apis cerana worker brood in the feld. The molecular mechanism for this phenomenon remains unknown. We identifed a Varroa toxic protein (VTP), which exhibited toxic activity toward A. cerana worker larvae, in the saliva of these mites, and expressed VTP in an Escherichia coli system. We further demonstrated that recombinant VTP killed A. cerana worker larvae and pupae in the absence of deformed-wing virus (DWV) but was not toxic to A. cerana worker adults and drones. The recombinant VTP was safe for A. mellifera individuals, but resulted in elevated DWV titers and the subsequent development of deformed-wing adults. RNAi- mediated suppression of vtp gene expression in the mites partially protected A. cerana larvae. We propose a modifed mechanism for Varroa mite avoidance of worker brood, due to mutual destruction stress, including the worker larvae blocking Varroa mite reproduction and Varroa mites killing worker larvae by the saliva toxin. The discovery of VTP should provide a better understanding of Varroa pathogenesis, facilitate host-parasite mechanism research and allow the development of efective methods to control these harmful mites. Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Acari: Varroidae) was originally identifed as an ectoparasite of the Asian honeybee Apis cerana. Before the year 2000, V. destructor was miscalled V. jacobsoni. In fact, these two species are diferent in body shape, cytochrome oxidase (CO-I) gene sequence, and virulence to honey bees1.
    [Show full text]
  • Life Cycles: Egg to Bee Free
    FREE LIFE CYCLES: EGG TO BEE PDF Camilla de La Bedoyere | 24 pages | 01 Mar 2012 | QED PUBLISHING | 9781848355859 | English | London, United Kingdom Tracking the Life Cycle of a Honey Bee - dummies As we remove the frames, glance over the thousands of busy bees, check for brood, check for capped honey, maybe spot the queen… then the frames go back in their slots and the hive is sealed up again. But in the hours spent away from our hives, thousands of tiny miracles are happening everyday. Within the hexagonal wax cells little lives are hatching out and joining the hive family. The whole process from egg to adult worker bee takes around 18 days. During the laying season late spring to summer the Queen bee is capable of laying over eggs per day. Her worker bees help direct her to the best prepared comb and she lays a single egg in each hexagon shaped cell. The size of the cell prepared determines the type of egg she lays. If the worker bees have prepared a worker size cell, she Life Cycles: Egg to Bee lay a fertilized egg. This egg will produce a female worker bee. If the worker bees have prepared a slightly larger cell, the queen will recognize this as a drone cell and lay an unfertilized egg. This will produce a male drone bee. It is the workers and not the queen that determine the ratio of workers to drones within the hive. In three days the egg hatches and a larva emerges. It looks very similar to a small maggot.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluations of the Removal of Varroa Destructor in Russian Honey Bee Colonies That Display Different Levels of Varroa Sensitive Hygienic Activities
    J Insect Behav https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-018-9672-2 Evaluations of the Removal of Varroa destructor in Russian Honey Bee Colonies that Display Different Levels of Varroa Sensitive Hygienic Activities Maria J. Kirrane1,2 & Lilia I. de Guzman3 & Pádraig M. Whelan1,2 & Amanda M. Frake3 & Thomas E. Rinderer3 Revised: 2 March 2018 /Accepted: 6 March 2018 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract The removal of Varroa destructor was assessed in Russian honey bee (RHB) colonies with known levels of Varroa Sensitive Hygienic (VSH) and brood removal activities. The expression of grooming behaviour using individual bees was also measured using three groups of RHB displaying different VSH levels: low hygiene (RHB-LH, < 35% VSH), medium hygiene (RHB-MH, 35–70%) and high hygiene (RHB-HH, > 70%). Italian colonies (5.43–71.62% VSH) served as control. Our results demonstrated, for the first time, significant relationships between two hygienic re- sponses (VSH activity measured as percent change in infestation and the actual brood removal of Varroa-infested donor comb) and two measurements of mite fall (trapped old mites/trapped mites or O/T and trapped young mites/trapped mites or Y/T). However, these relationships were only observed in RHB colonies. In addition, the RHB colonies that displayed the highest levels of hygiene (RHB-HH) also groomed longer in response to the presence of a V. destructor mite based on individual bee assays. The positive regressions between the two hygienic measurements and O/T and their negative regressions with Y/T suggest that the removal of infested brood prevented successful mite reproduction, ultimately suppressing V.
    [Show full text]
  • What Kind of Queen?
    WWhathat KKindind OOff QQueen?ueen? Italian, Carniolan, Caucasian, or Russian? Jennifer Berry A Little Background syrup. In the past the Italians were Honey bees were fi rst introduced the reigning monarch in the U.S. but into this country in the early 1600s in recent decades they’ve been chal- by settlers from Europe. The race lenged. The Carniolans along with the of bees that traveled by boat to the Russians are gaining in popularity. Americas was Apis mellifera mellifera, Carniolans, Apis mellifera car- commonly known as the Dark, Ger- nica, are a dark, grey bee that man, or Black bee. The German bee originated in Slovenia. The Carnio- was predominant for decades but lan gained popularity because of its cooler temperatures frames, lids, later lost ground to the imported Ital- gentle disposition and resistance to and inner covers cemented together. ian honey bee because of certain, un- brood diseases. The other advantage Caucasians are also inclined to drift, desirable characteristics. Beekeepers they have over the Italian is their and robbing behavior can be bother- were annoyed with the temperament ability to “flow with the flow.” In some. You won’t fi nd them very often of the German bee. It was defensive, other words they build up quickly in anymore for these reasons. nervous on the comb and would boil the late Winter in time for the Spring The newest arrivals on the scene out of the colony when disturbed. It fl ow then shut down brood produc- are the Russian bees which have was also very susceptible to Euro- tion when nectar and pollen become been growing in popularity over the pean Foul Brood, which swept the scarce.
    [Show full text]
  • Identification of Africanized Honey Bees Through Wing Morphometrics
    Apidologie 39 (2008) 488–494 Available online at: c INRA/DIB-AGIB/ EDP Sciences, 2008 www.apidologie.org DOI: 10.1051/apido:2008028 Original article Identification of Africanized honey bees through wing morphometrics: two fast and efficient procedures* Tiago Mauricio Francoy1, Dieter Wittmann2,MartinDrauschke3,Stefan Muller¨ 3,VolkerSteinhage3, Marcela A. F. Bezerra-Laure1,DavidDe Jong1, Lionel Segui Goncalves¸ 4 1 Depto. de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil 2 Institut für Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften und Ressourcenschutz, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany 3 Institut für Informatik III, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany 4 Depto. de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil Received 28 December 2007 – Revised 10 March 2008 – Accepted 19 March 2008 Abstract – Currently available morphometric and genetic techniques that can accurately identify African- ized honey bees are both costly and time consuming. We tested two new morphometric techniques (ABIS – Automatic Bee Identification System and geometric morphometrics analysis) on samples consisting of digital images of five worker forewings per colony. These were collected from 394 colonies of Africanized bees from all over Brazil and from colonies of African bees, Apis mellifera scutellata (n = 14), and Euro- pean bees, A. m. ligustica (n = 10), A. m. mellifera (n = 15), and A. m. carnica (n=15) from the Ruttner collection in Oberursel, Germany (preserved specimens). Both methods required less than five minutes per sample, giving more than 99% correct identifications. There was just one misidentification (based on ge- ometric morphometrics analysis) of Africanized bees compared with European subspecies, which would be the principal concern in newly-colonized areas, such as the southern USA.
    [Show full text]
  • Uncapping Activity of Apis Mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Towards
    May-June 2006 299 ECOLOGY, BEHAVIOR AND BIONOMICS Uncapping Activity of Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) towards Worker Brood Cells Infested with the Mite Varroa destructor Anderson & Treuman (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) GERALDO MORETTO1, JOSÉ C.V. GUERRA JR.1 AND CAROLINA V. B ITTENCOURT2 1Depto. Ciências Naturais; 2Depto. Engenharia Ambiental. Universidade Regional de Blumenau, 89010-971 Blumenau, SC Neotropical Entomology 35(3):299-301 (2006) Atividade de Desoperculação de Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) em Células de Crias de Operárias Infestadas com o Ácaro Varroa destructor Anderson & Treuman (Meostigmata: Varroidae) RESUMO - A varroosis, doença causada pelo ácaro Varroa destructor Anderson & Treuman, é responsável pela mortalidade de milhares de colônias de Apis mellifera L. em várias partes do mundo. Contudo, o dano causado por esse ácaro varia com a raça de abelhas e condições climáticas. A varroa causa poucos danos nas colônias de abelhas africanizadas no Brasil, os níveis de infestação são relativamente baixos e estáveis. Foi avaliado o comportamento higiênico (desoperculação e remoção de crias mortas ou parasitadas) em colônias de abelhas africanizadas altamente higiênicas usando favos infestados naturalmente com o ácaro V. destructor. A taxa diária de células desoperculadas, medida em oito colônias durante seis dias, foi 3,5 vezes maior em favos infestados com varroa comparados quando com favos não infestados. Os resultados mostram que as abelhas africanizadas reconhecem e removem crias parasitadas naturalmente com o ácaro V. destructor o qual é um mecanismo de tolerância da praga varroosis. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Comportamento higiênico, varroosis, infestação natural, abelha africanizada ABSTRACT - Varroosis, a disease caused by the mite Varroa destructor Anderson and Treuman has killed hundreds of thousands of Apis mellifera L.
    [Show full text]
  • Honey Bee from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
    Honey bee From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A honey bee (or honeybee) is any member of the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the Honey bees construction of perennial, colonial nests from wax. Currently, only seven Temporal range: Oligocene–Recent species of honey bee are recognized, with a total of 44 subspecies,[1] PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N though historically six to eleven species are recognized. The best known honey bee is the Western honey bee which has been domesticated for honey production and crop pollination. Honey bees represent only a small fraction of the roughly 20,000 known species of bees.[2] Some other types of related bees produce and store honey, including the stingless honey bees, but only members of the genus Apis are true honey bees. The study of bees, which includes the study of honey bees, is known as melittology. Western honey bee carrying pollen Contents back to the hive Scientific classification 1 Etymology and name Kingdom: Animalia 2 Origin, systematics and distribution 2.1 Genetics Phylum: Arthropoda 2.2 Micrapis 2.3 Megapis Class: Insecta 2.4 Apis Order: Hymenoptera 2.5 Africanized bee 3 Life cycle Family: Apidae 3.1 Life cycle 3.2 Winter survival Subfamily: Apinae 4 Pollination Tribe: Apini 5 Nutrition Latreille, 1802 6 Beekeeping 6.1 Colony collapse disorder Genus: Apis 7 Bee products Linnaeus, 1758 7.1 Honey 7.2 Nectar Species 7.3 Beeswax 7.4 Pollen 7.5 Bee bread †Apis lithohermaea 7.6 Propolis †Apis nearctica 8 Sexes and castes Subgenus Micrapis: 8.1 Drones 8.2 Workers 8.3 Queens Apis andreniformis 9 Defense Apis florea 10 Competition 11 Communication Subgenus Megapis: 12 Symbolism 13 Gallery Apis dorsata 14 See also 15 References 16 Further reading Subgenus Apis: 17 External links Apis cerana Apis koschevnikovi Etymology and name Apis mellifera Apis nigrocincta The genus name Apis is Latin for "bee".[3] Although modern dictionaries may refer to Apis as either honey bee or honeybee, entomologist Robert Snodgrass asserts that correct usage requires two words, i.e.
    [Show full text]
  • Geographical Distribution and Selection of European Honey Bees Resistant to Varroa Destructor
    insects Review Geographical Distribution and Selection of European Honey Bees Resistant to Varroa destructor Yves Le Conte 1,* , Marina D. Meixner 2, Annely Brandt 2, Norman L. Carreck 3,4 , Cecilia Costa 5, Fanny Mondet 1 and Ralph Büchler 2 1 INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, 84914 Avignon, France; [email protected] 2 Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen, Bee Institute, Erlenstrasse 9, 35274 Kirchhain, Germany; [email protected] (M.D.M.); [email protected] (A.B.); [email protected] (R.B.) 3 Carreck Consultancy Ltd., Woodside Cottage, Dragons Lane, Shipley RH13 8GD, West Sussex, UK; [email protected] 4 Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, East Sussex, UK 5 CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 15 October 2020; Accepted: 3 December 2020; Published: 8 December 2020 Simple Summary: The parasitic mite Varroa destructor is a major challenge to honey bee populations worldwide. Some honey bee populations are resistant to the mite, but most of the commercially used stocks are not and rely on chemical treatment. In this article, we describe known varroa-resistant populations and the mechanisms which have been identified as responsible for survival of colonies without beekeeper intervention to control the mite. We review traits that have potential in breeding programs, discuss the role played by V. destructor as a vector for virus infections, and the changes in mite and virus virulence which could play a role in colony resistance.
    [Show full text]
  • Hawai`I Apiary Program October 2012 Volume 1, Issue 4 Hawai`Ihawai`I Beebee
    Hawai`i Apiary Program October 2012 Volume 1, Issue 4 Hawai`iHawai`i BeeBee Harvest time! Swarm calls are up and moving forward with co- pollinators, and we are Thanks to our operators. On Big Island, working on one for Ha- supporters: honey production is good! Even on Big Island, where HDOA is working with waii! See the guides cur- feral bee losses are high, we UH Professor Dr. Lorna rently available here. Tsutsumi to evaluate the are getting calls and reports Small Hive Beetle, discov- Varroa resistant stock, of swarming. Make sure ered May 2011 on Molo- VSH bees, and see how you register here to get on kai, is reported to be slow they fare side by side with our swarm list! and steady on the East end other Hawaiian stock. On Its time again for the of the island, and is slowly Kauai, KCC and KBEE are USDA National Honey being detected in locations planning to census Small Bee Health Survey. We more westward. Hive Beetle and compare collect and submit 24 sam- trap types. On Maui, MCC The National Organic Pro- ples from Hawaii, used to and HDOA will be doing gram has added formic acid track bee health in the na- the same, and establishing treatment for Varroa mites tion. Participating beekeep- sentinel hives for pest sur- in honey bee hives to the ers get their bees sampled vey and detection. If you list of substances that can for Varroa, nosema and want to participate, call us! be used in organic han- viruses. If you have at least dling.
    [Show full text]
  • Crop Profile for Honey Bees in New Jersey
    Crop Profile for Honey Bees in New Jersey General Production Information • In 2002, there were approximately 2.5 million managed honey bee colonies in the United States. Of these, 10,000 bee colonies were located New Jersey, ranking the State 32nd and accounting for 0.4% of the total number of registered colonies in the country. • Approximately 171.1 million pounds of honey were produced in the United States in 2002. National sales of honey totaled more than $221 million. • In 2002, New Jersey produced 350,000 pounds of honey, ranking the State 44th and accounting for 0.2% of the total honey produced in the United States. Based on the 2002 national average of $1.29 per pound, the market value of New Jersey honey was $451,500. New Jersey ranked 41st in total value of honey production in the country. • In 2000, the value of honey bee pollination to commercial crop production was estimated at $14.6 billion in the United States. The value of honey bee pollination to crop production in New Jersey was estimated at $83.6 million in 2002 (see Appendix I), where “value” refers to increased yield, seed set, and/or fruit quality. • The standing value of New Jersey’s 10,000 managed bee colonies (as livestock and beehives) was estimated at $1.92 million, based on a 2002 establishment value of $192 per colony. • Production costs (colony maintenance) were estimated at $25 per colony per year in 2002. New Jersey beekeepers spend approximately $250,000 each year on colony maintenance, which is a reinvestment of 55% of their honey sales revenue back into bee management.
    [Show full text]
  • Connecticut African Honey Bee Action Plan 2009
    1 Connecticut African Honey Bee Action Plan Connecticut, 2009 Prepared by: Kirby C. Stafford III Vice Director, Chief Entomologist, State Entomologist Department of Entomology The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station 123 Huntington Street – Box 1106 New Haven, CT 06504 Phone: (203) 974-8485 Fax: (203) 974-8502 [email protected] This document is based, in part, on a working draft of an African Bee Action Plan prepared by Dennis vanEngeldorp (Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA) and modified by Dewey M. Caron (Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE) as approved by the Mid Atlantic Research and Extension Consortium (MAAREC), March 2006. The MAAREC regional plan was developed to act as a guide for the development of individual state and/or regional action plans. Much of the AHB background material in this document was taken from the MAAREC approved regional plan. The Connecticut African Bee Action Plan was also based on information from plans/reports from several other states, particularly North Carolina and Florida with consultation and input from members of the Connecticut beekeeper associations. Other material was taken from the National Research Council’s recent report on the Status of Pollinators in North America. This document is meant to provide an active plan in preparation for and the discovery, occurrence, or presence of African or Africanized bees in Connecticut specific to the needs of Connecticut and its beekeepers within the scope permitted by Connecticut Statute. TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword……………………………………………………………………………… 2 Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………… 3 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 4 Characteristics of AHB………………………………………………………………. 5 Beekeeping Nationally and Locally………………………………………………….. 6 Risks…………………………………………………………………………………… 8 Anticipated Impact…………………………………………………………………… 10 Response …………………..………………………………………………………….
    [Show full text]
  • Commercial Beekeeping & Russian Bees
    Commercial Beekeeping & Russian Bees Steven Coy Coy Bee Company www.coybeecompany.com Commercial beekeeping has changed Almond Pollination derives Commercial Beekeeping in the US Commercial Beekeeping takes advantage of the landscape and agriculture production Fewer but larger beekeeping operations now The value of pollination is greater than the value of honey production From a news series Bees on the Brink, “Natures’s Dying Migrant Worker,” by Josephine Marcotty, June 2014, www.startribune.com Honey bees are affected by many stressors. Fungicides Monocultures Miticides Antibiotics Insecticides Pathogens Honey Bee Diseases and Pests Virus Nosema a gut parasite Parasitic Varroa mites American foulbrood disease Russian Honey Bees are NOT the perfect bee Russian Bees ARE resistant to mites Mechanisms of Resistance to Varroa Mites by Russian Honey Bees • Low proportions of brood infested • Extended phoretic period of Varroa mites • A strong expression of hygiene • Higher proportion of damaged mites • Fewer multiply in infested cells in both worker and drone brood • Higher proportion of non-reproductive mites • Decreased number of progeny and number of viable female offspring • Combs built by RHB contribute to decreased reproductive success Weekly Growth rate of Varroa Mites in Russian and Italian Colonies DE GUZMAN ET AL.: V. destructor POPULATIONS IN RUSSIAN HONEY BEE COLONIES (2007) 2001 Italian 2002 Italian 2003 Italian 3000 2001 Russian 2002 Russian 2003 Russian 2500 2000 1500 Total Mites Total 1000 500 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 There is more to successful beekeeping than controlling mites • Good Weather • Good Locations • Good Bees • Good Beekeeper • Good Business Sometimes Simple is very effective Will you have to treat for mites? Maybe • I currently use Apivar in the spring • ½ thymol gel treatment when I pull honey in June • 1 full treatment in October • CHF after almonds hives get ½ treatment in spring, ½ treatment in summer after 1st crop, 1 treatment in fall.
    [Show full text]