From MAILER-DAEMON@luna.metalab.unc.edu Sun May 20 09:13:43 2001 Received: from listserv.albany.edu (listserv.albany.edu [169.226.1.24]) by luna.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.0/8.11.0) with ESMTP id f4KDDgs18763 for ; Sun, 20 May 2001 09:13:43 -0400 Received: from listserv.albany.edu (listserv.albany.edu [169.226.1.24]) by listserv.albany.edu (8.11.2/8.11.2) with ESMTP id f4KDDdJ12699 for ; Sun, 20 May 2001 09:13:39 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <200105201313.f4KDDdJ12699@listserv.albany.edu> Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 09:13:38 -0400 From: "L-Soft list server at University at Albany (1.8d)" Subject: File: "BEE-L LOG0102A" To: adamf@METALAB.UNC.EDU Content-Length: 99505 Lines: 2163 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 04:23:54 -0800 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Joe Edwards Subject: Work Opportunity in Canada MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I am cuurently looking to employ someone for the months of May-Sept. I = would like someone with experience but will train suitable person. = Wages will be based on experience. If anybody on the list is interested = or know someone that would be send me an e-mail. Joe Edwards ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 16:17:12 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Bob & Liz Subject: Re: Bee Foraging, Diffusion Theory MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello All, Because half this post was about foraging I thought I might add the opinion of a few researchers about bee learning ability & foraging. Almost all types of classical learning (adaptation,habituation,conditioned reflexes) are found in honey bees. Notably absent is the ability to learn by the intuitive,cognitive ,or creative thought process used by humans. In other words ,bees *apparently* have no imagination or foresight. Learning occurs only within the context of innate behavioral patterns. A bee cannot learn to do something completely new, something no other bee has ever done before, such as constructing honeycomb twice as large as normal(Bermant & Gary 1996). Observations on field bees at work *suggest* that a forager cannot sense the presence of nectar in a given blossom without inserting her proboscis. When flowers are open in structure,and the nectar exposed ,there is a possibility that bees can detect nectar by reflected ultraviolet light(Thorp 1975). Many theories abound in beekeeping. Its almost impossible to prove many foraging theories. Hence the words *apparently* and *suggest* are allways used. Hence the difference of opinion among researchers with other researchers and beekeepers with other beekeepers. Maybe at times between researchers and beekeepers! Sincerely, Bob Harrison Odessa,Missouri ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 23:17:26 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Computer Software Solutions Ltd Subject: Copper Comments: To: IrishBeekeeping@listbot.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hello All There has been considerable discussion on Copper Gluconate as a means of tackling varroa. If copper is found to have benefits in treating varroa why not put a sheet of copper on the landing board or indeed as a landing board? Maybe a crazy idea but I thought I would toss it out. Sincerely Tom Barrett ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 13:03:04 +1300 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Robert Mann Subject: copper in bees & humans Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" A presumably medical man wrote: > I am seriously concerned about the effects that these small (hormetic) >dosages will do to human beings (especially children and the elderly) who >consume honey with copper residues that may accrue in honey from such >"hormetic" treatments. > I believe that there is a real need to consider the risk involved at >least until accredited laboratory testing is conducted to ascertain that >there are no risks involved in consuming honey from colonies treated with >any form of copper salts. Are there any such studies? If so, the public >needs to know. My kind of Dr then treated us to an admirable mini-treatise on copper. As a former medical-school teacher of nutrition, I find it pleasing that everything they say is OK by me (and that, unlike myself, they haven't been personally attacked for sharing their knowledge). Perhaps the end-of-millenium raving has died down for another century or so. As Dr Jer says, copper is both essential for humans and also capable of poisoning us if excessive dosages are absorbed. It may be worth noting that copper deficiency is more prevalent than excess, overall, in many societies lately. In this context, while agreeing fully that the relevant assays should be performed as urged from Fla, I am not very worried about possible copper poisoning from honey. I would very much like to see studies on the copper gluconate approach to differential poisoning of bee mites, and such studies certainly should include assays of copper in resulting honey (and appraisals of the significance of the resulting figures). What bothers me most about all this is that what is on its face a promising idea for mite control gets what we call in some non-yank parts of the world 'bugger all' research funding, while some wild & dangerous notions (in which some members of this list may have vested interests) get huge funding. R - Robt Mann consultant ecologist P O Box 28878 Remuera, Auckland 1005, New Zealand (9) 524 2949 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 11:55:44 +0100 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Anthony Morgan Organization: =?iso-8859-1?Q?S=F8r=2DTr=F8ndelag?= University College Subject: Re: Bees and Areodynamics MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit A link that seems not to be live at present: http://www.newscientist.com/ns/971011/features.html Is a report that explains the implications of Reynolds number and the fact that bee/insect wing movements in flight create vortexes that create lift in excess of that predicted by "large size" aerodynamics. The failure to predict the lift when using "normal" aerodynamic analysis is not due to incorrectness but misapplication. That speed regime (sub-, trans- and super sonic) affects aerodynamics is well known to pretty much everybody these days, but the fact that size affects aerodynamics is much less well known. The aircraft modelling fraternity knows that model-size aerodynamics are not the same as full-size aerodynamics - and it turns out that insect-size aerodynamics are different again. Due to size - ie. due to wildly different range of Reynolds number. cheers Tony -- Anthony N Morgan, Førsteamanuensis Institutt for Elektroteknikk Høgskolen i Sør-Trøndelag N-7005 Trondheim, Norway anthony@iet.hist.no Tlf. 73 55 96 04 Fax. 73 55 95 81 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 20:31:25 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Kevin Kress Subject: Carcinogenic Creosote MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The following is a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services summary = of the dangers associated with creosote. Please read this before = exposing bees to this chemical.=20 Creosote There is no molecular representation since this substance is a mixture = of many compounds. HIGHLIGHTS: Creosote is a mixture of many chemicals. Eating food or = drinking water with high levels of creosote may cause burning in the = mouth, and throat, stomach pains, severe skin irritation, convulsions, = and kidney and liver problems. Creosote has been found in at least 33 of = the 1,430 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental = Protection Agency (EPA).=20 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry=20 This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions = (FAQs) about creosote. For more information, call the ATSDR Information = Center at 1-800-447-1544. This fact sheet is one in a series of = summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. It's = important you understand this information because this substance may = harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on = the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, = and whether other chemicals are present.=20 What is creosote?=20 Creosote is the name used for a variety of products: wood creosote, coal = tar creosote, coal tar, coal tar pitch, and coal tar pitch volatiles. = These products are mixtures of many chemicals created by = high-temperature treatment of beech and other woods, coal, or from the = resin of the creosote bush. Wood creosote is a colorless to yellowish = greasy liquid with a smoky odor and burned taste. Coal tar creosote is a = thick, oily liquid that is typically amber to black in color. Coal tar = and coal tar pitch are usually thick, black, or dark-brown liquids or = semisolids with a smoky odor.=20 Wood creosote has been used as a disinfectant, a laxative, and a cough = treatment, but is rarely used these ways today. Coal tar products are = used in medicines to treat skin diseases such as psoriasis, and are also = used as animal and bird repellents, insecticides, restricted pesticides, = animal dips, and fungicides. Coal tar creosote is the most widely used = wood preservative in the United States. Coal tar, coal tar pitch, and = coal tar pitch volatiles are used for roofing, road paving, aluminum = smelting, and coking.=20 What happens to creosote when it enters the environment? Coal tar creosote is released to water and soil mainly as a result of = its use in the wood preservation industry.=20 Coal tar creosote may dissolve in water and may move through the soil to = the groundwater.=20 Once it is in the groundwater, it may take many years for it to break = down.=20 Coal tar creosote can build up in plants and animals.=20 No information is available on what happens to wood creosote when it = enters the environment.=20 How might I be exposed to creosote? Eating herbal remedies containing the leaves from the creosote bush = (chaparral) which are sold as dietary supplements=20 Working in the wood preservative, coke-producing, or asphalt industries=20 Using creosote-treated wood in building fences, bridges, or railroad = tracks, or installing telephone poles=20 Living in treated-wood houses that may result in air or skin contact = with creosote=20 Drinking water contaminated by a hazardous waste site=20 How can creosote affect my health?=20 Animal testing is sometimes necessary to find out how toxic substances = might harm people or to treat those who have been exposed. Laws today = protect the welfare of research animals and scientists must follow = strict guidelines. Breathing vapors of the creosotes, coal tar, coal tar pitch, or coal tar = pitch volatiles can cause irritation of the respiratory tract. Eating = large amounts of creosote (any form) may cause a burning in the mouth = and throat and stomach pains. Eating large amounts of herbal remedies = containing creosote bush leaves may cause liver damage, while large = amounts of coal tar creosote may result in severe skin irritation, eye = burns, convulsions, unconsciousness, and even death.=20 Long-term (365 days or longer) exposure to lower levels of coal tar = creosote, coal tar, coal tar pitch, or coal tar pitch volatiles by skin = or air contact can cause skin damage such as blistering or peeling.=20 Animals fed large amounts of wood creosote had convulsions and died, = while those fed lower levels had liver and kidney problems. Animals = studies have shown that when pregnant animals breathe creosote, it may = cause harmful effects to the baby.=20 How likely is creosote to cause cancer?=20 Long-term exposure, especially direct contact with skin during wood = treatment or manufacture of coal tar creosote-treated products, to low = levels of creosote has resulted in skin cancer and cancer of the = scrotum. Cancer of the scrotum in chimney sweeps has been associated = with long-term skin exposure to soot and coal tar creosotes. Animal = studies have also shown skin cancer from skin exposure to coal tar = products. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined = that coal tar creosote is probably carcinogenic to humans. The EPA has = also determined that coal tar creosote is a probable human carcinogen.=20 Is there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to creosote?=20 There is no medical test to determine if you have been exposed to = creosote. However, some chemicals found in coal tar products can be = found measured in body tissues. Urine tests are commonly done for = employees in industries that work with coal tar creosote, coal tar, and = coal tar pitch.=20 This test isn't available at most doctors' offices, but can be done at = special laboratories that have the right equipment. These tests can = confirm that you have been exposed to chemicals found in coal tar = creosote and other coal tar products, but cannot predict whether you = will experience any health effects.=20 Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? The EPA requires that spills or accidental releases into the environment = of 1 pound or more of creosote be reported to the EPA. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set an = exposure limit of 0.2 milligrams of coal tar pitch volatiles per cubic = meter of air (0.2 mg/m3) in the workplace during an 8-hour workday, = 40-hour workweek. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial = Hygienists (ACGIH) recommends the same level for coal tar pitch = volatiles. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health = (NIOSH) recommends a maximum level of 0.1 mg/m3 of coal tar pitch = volatiles for a 10-hour workday, 40-hour workweek. Glossary Carcinogenic:=20 Ability to cause cancer=20 CAS:=20 Chemical Abstracts Service=20 Insecticide:=20 A substance that kills insects=20 Pesticide:=20 A substance that kills pests=20 Volatile:=20 To easily change into a vapor or a gas=20 Source of Information ToxFAQs information is taken from the 1996 = Toxicological Profile for Creosote produced by the Agency for Toxic = Substances and Disease Registry, Public Health Service, U.S. Department = of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service in Atlanta, GA.=20 Animal testing is sometimes necessary to find out how toxic substances = might harm people and how to treat people who have been exposed. Laws = today protect the welfare of research animals and scientists must follow = strict guidelines.=20 Where can I get more information? ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health = clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses = resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact = your community or state health or environmental quality department if = you have any more questions or concerns.=20 For more information, contact:=20 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry=20 Division of Toxicology=20 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29=20 Atlanta, GA 30333=20 Phone: 1-800-447-1544=20 Fax: 404-639-6359=20 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services=20 Public Health Service=20 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Register Kevin Kress Southwestern Ohio Beekeepers Association Cincinnati ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 01:50:08 +0000 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Carol Malcolm Subject: Re: Bee Foraging, Diffusion Theory Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Diffusion theory would predict that bee fly from areas of high bee density to areas of low bee density. Bees forage in a patchy environment; the modeler would have to have consider the distribution of pollen and nectar over space and time. Carol >Hi: A mathematical modeler contends that bee foraging flights can be >modeled by diffusion theory. Comments? > >Thanks > >Jerry > Carol K. Malcolm dewsnap@worldnet.att.net ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 07:41:52 -0500 Reply-To: Peter Borst Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Comments: RFC822 error: DATE field duplicated. Last occurrence was retained. From: Peter Borst Subject: To moderators I see my comments on diffusion are virtually identical to James's in "Bee Foraging, Diffusion Theory **NOT**" you can deep six my version if you want Peter ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 10:19:36 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Ted Hancock Subject: Tracking honey A better example of diffusion is the movement of honey into the market place. A producer sells his/her honey to two or three packers in one or two countries. The packers blend the honey from a variety of producers and send it to retail stores and bakeries all over the place. With the increasing risk of contaminated honey reaching the market, it is in everyones' interest to have a system that can quickly track the product back to the primary producer. The beef industry in Canada is in the process of implementing a system where each producer is required to attach a bar code to the ear of each animal at birth. If an animal should test positive for mad cow disease(KJ) at slaughter,the bar code will allow government officials to immediatly identify the herd from which it originated. This not only helps protect the consumer, but may prevent financial catastrophe in the beef industry. I would be interested to know what procedures various countries have in place to track honey to its origin. If a bakery had customers falling ill, and it was determined that the cause was the honey used in their muffins, how long would it take to pinpoint the source, assuming their honey supplier packs ten million pounds per year from a variety of sources? Producer-packers in Canada are encouraged to put lot numbers on each barrel packed but I don't know anyone who does so. Is there an inexpensive machine that will apply permanant codes to glass and plastic? This would be much more convient than making up seperate labels. Ted ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 08:55:09 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Jerry J Bromenshenk Subject: Re: Copper In-Reply-To: <200102011200.HAA15526@listserv.albany.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 11:17 PM 1/31/01 GMT, you wrote: put a sheet of copper on the landing board or indeed as a landing board? In dry climates, don't be surprised if they don't like the landing sheet. Bees develop electrostatic on their bodies. We have been measuring the charge at the hive entrance - it varies with time of year, weather conditions, etc. We use a rather pricey instrument to accurately measure charge on returning bees. But earlier investigators measured this as a function of voltage changes as bees entering the hive stepped on a copper strip. So what happens when lots of charged bees land and take off from a common sheet of copper? I don't know, but its interesting to speculate. Jerry J. Bromenshenk jjbmail@selway.umt.edu http://www.umt.edu/biology/bees ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 11:02:29 -0500 Reply-To: Peter Borst Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Comments: RFC822 error: DATE field duplicated. Last occurrence was retained. From: Peter Borst Subject: Copper gluconate Antonio Nanetti (AN) at Istituto Nazionale di Apicoltura in Bologna, Italy reported from a large number of trials on use of formic acid, oxalic acid (both spraying and trickling) and aerosol use of oxalic acid (with poor results). Also tested has been Apilife VAR where specific attention has been given to the variability in amount of active ingredient in the product, which calls for better standadization of the treatment. Copper gluconate has also been tested against Varroa without good results, nor has aerosol use of thyme (1%) and sage (0.5%) given satisfactory effects on the mite in field tests. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 11:07:53 -0500 Reply-To: Peter Borst Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Comments: RFC822 error: DATE field duplicated. Last occurrence was retained. From: Peter Borst Subject: copper gluconate 2 d-Gluconic acid, copper(II)salt **** SECTION 3 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION **** EMERGENCY OVERVIEW Appearance: blue. Caution! The toxicological properties of this material have not been fully investigated. May cause eye and skin irritation. May cause respiratory and digestive tract irritation. Target Organs: None known. Potential Health Effects Eye: May cause eye irritation. Skin: May cause skin irritation. Ingestion: May cause irritation of the digestive tract. The toxicological properties of this substance have not been fully investigated. Inhalation: May cause respiratory tract irritation. The toxicological properties of this substance have not been fully investigated. Chronic: No information found. Individuals with Wilson's disease are unable to metabolize copper. Thus, copper accumulates in various tissues and may result in liver, kidney, and brain damage. Chronic copper poisoning in man is recognized in the form of Wilson's disease. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 09:39:52 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Jerry J Bromenshenk Subject: Re: copper in bees & humans In-Reply-To: <200102011206.HAA15712@listserv.albany.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Robert Mann from New Zealand wrote: ...gets what we call in some non-yank parts of the world 'bugger all' research funding, while some wild & dangerous notions (in which some members of this list may have vested interests) get huge funding. I'm not sure who Robert is attacking by this comment, and I'm going to assume he wasn't referring to us as "wild and dangerous". However, I'd like to respond to the issue of "huge funding". Funding for bee research in the U.S. is not easy to come by, and often in small amounts. The USDA labs probably get the bulk of the funding, and as this list has noted, the Tucson lab is on the chopping block. Most of these labs have barely enough funding to stay open after they pay salaries, rent, heating, etc. Most universities have to fund applied bee research via small grants from groups such as the Almond Growers, some of the bee associations, and even donations of the use of bees, hives, etc. from individual beekeepers. In general, the pesticide companies don't fund bee research - there's not enough profit for them to aggressively pursue development of bee specific products such as mite controls, and label registration testing for assessing the hazards of pesticides has been moved from universities and agriculture extension/experiment labs to "private labs", where it is difficult to get the final reports. Dan Mayer in Washington is one of the few university associated investigators who still gets some work to test for pesticide hazards and presents his findings to bee groups, publishes, etc. I spent a week with him last February in Guatemala looking at some bee problems, and he certainly isn't getting big funding - my impression, he's lucky to keep his agricultural experiment station work going. Many of us who conduct bee research have to find round-about ways. You might be able to study some aspect of neurophysiology by applying to the National Science Foundation (where bees just happen to be a test animal of choice). Note also that NSF focuses its funding on basic research, rather than applied, and generally likes work with native bees over that with honey bees. A bit of good news for those of you not in the U.S., NSF research may be conducted in other countries. Thus, Dr. Kukuk from UM often conducts research on bees in Australia, tackling questions such as competition among different species of bees. My own work is funded by agencies interested in having a sentinel animal to rapidly survey large areas for hazardous materials that may injure bees AND other organisms within the ecosystems in which they reside, that may alter eocsystem functioning (such as reduced pollination, where bees act as the "canary" for other pollinators - and we know that that not all pollinators respond the same as honey and bumble bees, but its a start), or that may identify materials or areas that have the potential for harming human health. However, my sponsors are looking for quick and economical ways of getting a snapshot of conditions in a given area. They are not interested in the bee itself. If a moth did a better job, they'd fund moths (and if fact they are funding moths as a night flying sensor). But, that doesn't mean that our work has no relevance to beekeepers. The overview on copper is mainly a result of our work. Some of our recent trials resulted in the the first documentation of some success in the mating of honey bee queens in free flight in an enclosure. We are soon going to publish a more refined model of how bees thermoregulate hives. We are modeling electrostatic charges on the surfaces of bees and the role these charges play in the uptake of particulate materials (from dust to spores to pollen and even microcapsules). And we hope that our electronic hives can be made affordable for use by commercial beekeepers in the U.S. and other countries where large numbers of hives are spread out over large areas. The idea is that a system of monitor hives would report back to the beekeeper via some form of wireless communications, so that the day's work could be planned on knowledge of what's going on at distant (hundred mile away) apiaries. Remember, our commercial folks often have bees spread out over more than one state for pollination and it cost money to drive a crew to each beeyard, so you want to go to where the crew is needed. And finally Bob, we trained a New Zealand graduate student, who worked as a member of our research team for two years and sent her back home, where she's employed as part of the New Zealand varroa investigation team. Her name is Michelle Anne Taylor, and we are delighted that she is working on honey bees in your country. Cheers Jerry >Robt Mann >consultant ecologist >P O Box 28878 Remuera, Auckland 1005, New Zealand > (9) 524 2949 > > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 14:48:22 EST Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: GImasterBK@AOL.COM Subject: Re: copper in bees & humans MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jerry, I think you have done an excellent job in replying to Robt. Mann of New Zealand. You have done a fine job at describing to the Bee-L readers the atrocious dilemma of scientists in trying to get money to pursue basic research on honey bee problems. This is one of the few things that makes me feel satisfied that I am a RETIRED scientist, who no longer has to skimp and scratch plus SEARCHING for money in order to do basic research. As you know, the existing beekeepers here in the states are literally "crying" for help to control the mites, the small hive beetle, and now resistant American Foul Brood, and the universities, extension services, and federal government are taking away money for research rather than appropriating more. This is being done because our legislators are responding to the majority vote of URBAN people who have seen too many "killer bee" movies and would like to "zone out" honey bees from their town or state, or maybe even the entire U.S. to lessen the chance of being stung. From my yearly work in county fairs, I know that the great majority of Americans have NO IDEA of amount of normal grocery store items we would do WITHOUT if it were not for POLLINATION by HONEY BEES; and high of this list of UNinformed people are our legislators, notably in the U. S. Congress where party politics is far more important than the health of American citizens. My home is just 15 miles from the WHITE HOUSE and I see the congressmen and senators often, and most don't know the difference between a honey bee and a mosquito. I say "it" like it is and care not where the chips fall. By the way, you did a fine job at the ABF meeting, and it was a good meeting overall. Before I forget, I vote "NOT" on the diffusion theory; and suggest you have the mathematicians take a short course about apis mellifera. George Imirie - entering my 69th year of beekeeping in Maryland ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 15:29:17 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "Bozard, Charles Emmett (Mick)" Subject: Buckwheat Anyone ? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hello everybody, Let's say that a crop of buckwheat is at its best this year. What would bee the ratio of colonies per acre ? Thanks ! Dreams of beeing a Buckwheat Honeybee, cya Mick ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 14:10:52 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "Dr. Pedro P Rodriguez" Subject: Re: Bee Foraging, Diffusion Theory MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello fellow beekeepers. It is difficult for me to see anything written on this forum and skip it without reading. Some of the topics discussed are very interesting and worth the time and effort. Others are questionable if they should be allowed to be included because they simply do not contribute to the well-being of beekeeping. Anyone who advocates that foraging honey bees will fly into areas where there is a smaller or lesser number of bees, is that person saying that bees avoid visiting areas where honey bees concentrate? If that is the case, that person/s need a lesson in bee behavior. All that person has to do to test that theory is to spill a just a little bit of honey especially during times of lack of flowers. Or observe how honey bees behave around certain types of inflorence. I have seen honey bees behave as if they were swarming when visiting certain types of tropical plants. In essence, certain criteria might be judged according to mathematics and statistics but I very seriously doubt that people who have worked with and around honey bees would lend very much credence to such a theory. My 60 plus years working with honey bees tell me that the so much discussed "diffusion theory" does not work with honey bees. Hence this subject should be considered by the moderators as one worth omitting from the list. Sincerely. Dr. Pedro Pablo Rodriguez Virginia Beach, Virginia and Madrid, Spain ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 18:37:33 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Tim Townsend Organization: TPLR Honey Farms Subject: Re: Tracking honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Producer-packers in Canada are encouraged to put lot numbers on each barrel > packed but I don't know anyone who does so. Is there an inexpensive machine > that will apply permanant codes to glass and plastic? This would be much > more convient than making up seperate labels. > Ted; It isn't that difficult to mark different lot #'s on your barrels. Provide a spot on your label for lot #'s, just writing the numbers on the lid won't work anymore. Something else we do, and alot of other commercial honey producers do, is to mark each lot of drums we fill each day with a sequential number followed by a letter. The letter is for tracking the honey back to the yards we pulled the honey from. So there is a corresponding letter in the daily diary for that grouping of yards. It would be quite difficult to track back to each individual yard, but it is quite easy to track on a daily basis. Lot numbers are load numbers, letters are for yard tracking. We also mark our barrels with 1,2,3,or 4 as a lead number for which pull they came from. Example 1-247H, would be 1st pull, barrel #247, extracted from the supers we brought in on day H. Hope this helps clear up marking honey drums for you. Tim P.S. We don't always start each year at number 001, we normally carry on from where we left off the year before. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 16:12:26 +1300 Reply-To: peter@airborne.co.nz Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Peter Bray Organization: Airborne Honey Ltd. Subject: Re: Tracking honey In-Reply-To: <200102011532.KAA21163@listserv.albany.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT > I would be interested to know what procedures various countries have in > place to track honey to its origin. > Producer-packers in Canada are encouraged to put lot numbers on each > barrel packed but I don't know anyone who does so. Our company has a system for tracking a product from a retail batch code back to the producer and from there to their individual apiary site. It has to start with the producer using a standardised batching system with record keeping of apiary sites supplying each batch. We developed such as system and have a copy of it on our website under - Technical, -Research Literature, -Airborne's Standard Sampling System. Also a PDF version. It makes a lot of sense to take samples at the point of filling the drums than trying to dig them out of the drums at a later stage. It also provides a more representative sample as the honey does not have the same chance to stratify as it does in the drum. We use the representative sample created by this system as the basis of a barcode to then identify and track every drum. Marking each retail unit with a unique (to each batch) code is not cheap. Overprinters for labels are one way of doing it without a lot of capital outlay, but unit cost is higher than high production (300 per min) type technologies. Regards Peter Bray _________________________________________________________ Airborne Honey Ltd., Pennington St, PO Box 28, Leeston, New Zealand Fax 64-3-324-3236, Phone 64-3-324-3569 http://www.airborne.co.nz peter@airborne.co.nz ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 12:48:45 +1300 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Robert Mann Subject: Funding for bee research Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Jerry J wrote: > Funding for bee research in >the U.S. is not easy to come by, and often in small amounts. The funding I was alluding to was of course not for the types of bee research which J J outlines so ably, but for GM of bees (of which I have posted some evidence), and more widely the billions for GM on other organisms which could - as I have tried to warn - impinge on bees even tho' not direct bee-GM. R ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 22:47:54 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Ted Hancock Subject: Re: Tracking honey Thanks Tim, That sounds like a good system. However, I did not word my previous message clearly. What I am trying to track is the 500g and 1kg containers I use those barrels of honey to fill. Basically I need to transfer the code you have described onto the individual containers I sell to stores. All I really need to do is stamp a lot number on each bottle packed. Rather than stamp it on the label I was wondering if there is a way to mark it on the bottom of the container. Since I pack in both glass and plastic it has to adhere to both. Ted ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 22:59:11 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Bob & Liz Subject: Re: Tracking honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Tim Townsend To: Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2001 7:37 PM Subject: Re: Tracking honey Producer-packers in Canada are encouraged to put lot numbers on each barrel packed but I don't know anyone who does so. Is there an inexpensive machine that will apply permanant codes to glass and plastic? This would be much more convient than making up seperate labels. Hello all, I don't mark the glass or plastic jars with a code but can narrow the source to one or possibly two yards. When the supers are brought in from each yard they are stacked together in the honey house and the yard they come from noted. Then I wait to make sure the moisture is 18.5% or less before extraction. We fill drums from the large tank with only honey from each yard. We put a strip of duck tape on the drum top with the yard name,location, a number for for order the drum was filled and we start with the number 1 each year and then the date. The lower numbers are the lightest honey and the higher numbers are the darker honey. We write the information on the duck tape with a majic marker and have never had a problem with the system. Each batch of jars bottled for stores the drums are noted so we can trace quickly back to the yard the honey came from if there is a problem(which there never has been). We pull the tape after the drum is MT. I called two of my commercial beekeeper friends and all they do is weigh the drum and mark the MT drum weight and the full drum weight. They say the have a general idea of the location from records they keep on drum lots but nothing is marked on the drum itself. They do mark which state the honey is produced in on the drums. They have never had a problem or have heard of a problem comming from contamination from a yard. Hope I have helped. Sincerely, Bob Harrison Odessa,Missouri PS. For those thinking about commercial beekeeping you should read the article by Dr. Roger Hoopingarner "Economic Plight of the American Beekeeper" on page 9 of the January 2001 American Bee Journal. The survey was done of commercial beekeepers in 1988 ,1996 and last in 1999. 1988 1996 1999 % return on investment -3.7% 1.2% -22.9% net income -$16,647 7500 -$163,467 1996 was when honey prices went through the roof in the U.S. because of a world shortage. First time I ever saw prices for honey in barrels go so high and don't believe I will ever see those prices again. even with prices around $.90 per pound in drums you can see the commercial beekeeper only had a 1.2 % return on investment. Hmmm. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 10:38:32 +0100 Reply-To: Jorn_Johanesson@apimo.dk Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Jorn Johanesson Subject: Copper gluconate MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > -----Oprindelig meddelelse----- > Fra: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology > [mailto:BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu]På vegne af Peter Borst > Sendt: 1. februar 2001 17:02 > Til: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu > Emne: Copper gluconate > > > Antonio Nanetti (AN) at Istituto Nazionale di Apicoltura in > Bologna, Italy reported from a large number of trials on use of > formic acid, oxalic acid (both spraying and trickling) and > aerosol use of oxalic acid (with poor results). In Denmark, and other Nordic countries nothing else is allowed and used! And we have still bees. for interested take a peek at the Varroa report at muy site. Best regards Jorn Johanesson Multilingual software for beekeeping since 1987 hive note- queen breeding and handheld computer beekeeping software 18-01-2001 added grouping and coloring of hives. home page = HTTP://apimo.dk e-mail Jorn_Johanesson@apimo.dk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 12:03:40 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "john f. mesinger" Subject: Re: [Fwd: Hormesis] In-Reply-To: <200101311404.JAA08781@listserv.albany.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" There is a disorder in Humans caused by an accumulation of copper : called Wilson's disease. One can suspect it by seeing flecks of bright Cu rings in the corneas [pupils?] of the eye. My suspicion was confirmed in a neurological exam. It is relatively rare. However, it does point up the fact that too much of an important mineral can be as bad as an insufficiency, if not worse. At this point I can only say that IF CU becomes part of the honey & wax ingested by some people on a steady basis, it could poison them. John F. Mesinger jfm6f@unix.mail.virginia.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 15:35:16 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Midnitebee Subject: update MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings! Ok..so I am bored and needed to not think about the snow. So,I have added more interesting(?) pages. Topics: How to Extract Wax from Combs How to Care for Nuclei Articles written:1920 Sometimes,we(Norma/Herb) believe the old way is just as good as the "new" way of beekeeping. http://www.cybertours.com/~midnitebee/contentpages/tips.html Enjoy! Norma ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 21:19:45 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Dave and Judy Subject: Fermenting honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello friends. I have a question. (I searched the archives using about 6 different words and didn't find the answer to this one) We have had 2 of our beekeepers experience the fermenting of honey, we think. Specifically, there is no mold growing or anything. The smell, in both instances, was one very similar to kerosene. In the first instance, the beekeeper borrowed our extracting room and used our refractometer. Around 17 (we just have the cheapie model). But the jar that we kept on our shelf of samples from all our newbie member beekeepers, ended up with the most horrid smell. (The honey containers were kept in a window with no direct sun, but sunlight reflecting. This window looks onto the front covered porch.) Well, this honey container was a regular mason jar with a canning lid. The lid would pop in when the light was shining and then about an hour after the sun went down the dimple would pop back up. All the other jars would show no action like this. The guy only got about 6 quarts from his hive that first year so ours was the only jar that was not eaten immediately. The percentage of capped cells was about 98% or better. The second instance was not from our extracting room. These guys had no refractometer. But their capped cells were about 100%. This honey also smelled just like kerosene and this happened in only about 3 weeks time. Well, this beekeeper didn't care what it smelled like, he was gonna eat it. Ate it for breakfast on his toast for at least 2 weeks. He said it tasted fine, just didn't smell very good. His wife said it did not taste fine. After about the 2 weeks he realized he had to run to the bathroom just about 1 1/2 hours after eating his toast. Finally put it together that it was probably the honey. Neither of the beekeepers let the frames sit for days, they pulled the frames and then extracted the same day. I did see some posts in my searches about honeydew and perhaps it could cause the spoiling. Was this ever looked into? Does anyone know if this may be the cause. I guess that's 2 questions. Does spoiled honey smell similar to kerosene. Could there be something that the bees work that would cause this spoilage. Help? Judy in Kentucky, USA ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 00:05:39 EST Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: GImasterBK@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Fermenting honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hello Judy, you do come up with the damnedest problems that I have ever heard. Must be that coal mining in Kentucky, or something that old Daniel Boone left behind, maybe it was that bair he killed with nothing but his knife. I don't KNOW the answers to your questions, but I have a strong hunch. I could do better if I saw the honey, smelled the honey, and tasted the honey; but I am going to give some things to think about. 1) ALL UNprocessed honey contains yeasts, and yeast only chemically act when in a high moisture situation. 2) Honey OVER 17% moisture MAY ferment or may not; but honey OVER 19% moisture WILL ferment 3) Temperature plays a role in fermenting. Very little fermentation will occur at temperature lower than 50°, and not too much fermentation will occur at temperatures over 100° because high temperature destroy yeasts. 4) What exactly is fermented honey? Fermentation of honey is caused by the action of sugar-tolerant yeasts on the glucose and fructose sugars in honey which produce alcohol and the gas, carbon dioxide. When the alcohol is exposed to the oxygen in air, the alcohol is converted to acetic acid, which of course, smells like vinegar. Generally, fermentation becomes more active if the honey has begun to crystallize because the glucose in the honey has become solid and hence made the remaining solution more watery which elevates the action of the yeasts to act on the fructose to break it down faster. 5) Mold is a bacteria that comes from yeasts just as cheese molds as it ages. 6) I have smelled some weird odors in my time, but nothing emanating from honey that smells like kerosene. 7) Your description of the Mason Jar lids really has me confused. Fermentation produces the gas, carbon dioxide, which is the fiss in a coke or ginger ale. When the jar is heated by the sun during the day, the canning lid should be forced upward by gas pressure, not dimpled in. 8) Become a scientist: clean ALL the foam off of the surface of the honey, let stand for several days, and if foam re-appears, then you know that fermentation is happening. BUT WHAT KIND OF FERMENTATION? See note #9 9) I think the bees have collected HONEYDEW in your area that has a lot of deciduous trees around, like oak, poplar, ask, elm, willow, basswood, and fruit trees. Honeydew is a sweet glutinous liquid excreted in large quantities on the foliage of trees and shrubs by certain insects, namely plant lice and scale insects. This honeydew contains a smaller quantity of glucose and fructose then the amount in regular honey, but it also contains about 8% Maltose and 2% Melezitose which are not found in regular honey PLUS honeydew is less acid than regular honey and has a mineral content, particularly potassium, not found in regular honey. Honeydew is considered a delicacy in some European countries (but so is bird's nest soup in Asia), but that doesn't that I want it. Bees usually will only collect honeydew when there is a dearth of nectar. I have no exact idea of what you have down there, but I hope that I have provided you with some info that is helpful. I just got back from two weeks of thinking and talking at the annual meeting of the American Beekeeping Federation in San Diego. I am worn out, and now writing my February Pink Pages. I could not have made it without my bee partner, Ann Harman, helping me, getting food for me out of buffet lines, buttoning my shirt because I have gained weight from lack of exercise in this weather, and driving our rented van with an electric ramp for my electric scooter. In March, she is off to Uganda in Africa again to teach beekeeping, and then to more trips later to other countries. Back to my PINK PAGES George ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 10:39:14 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Al Lipscomb Subject: Re: Fermenting honey In-Reply-To: <200102040231.VAA28356@listserv.albany.edu>; from dublgully@FUSE.NET on Sat, Feb 03, 2001 at 09:19:45PM -0500 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Does spoiled honey smell similar to kerosene. Could there be something > that the bees work that would cause this spoilage. > I have never heard of honey tasting like kerosene. After reading George's comments I would like to suggest that you may have a contamination problem. Some form of petroleum product has gotten into the equipment (maybe from the first batch?). This would also explain the laxative effect! I am not sure how to detect kerosene or gasoline in the honey. Maybe disolve a few spoonfulls in a cup of water and see if you get a slick on the top of the water? -- | Public schools are just another form of welfare. Keep your kids out of the welfare system! AA4YU http://www.beekeeper.org http://www.q7.net ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 20:14:38 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Musashi Subject: pollen trap comparison Now that I own one each of the Stauffer and Sundance pollen traps, I find them to be almost identical in all respects except one. That is that the cone bee escapes at the entrance of the trap which allow the bees to exit the hive without having to go back through the pollen collection grid are of different materials. The bee escapes in the Stauffer trap are made of plastic while those of the Sundance trap are made of relatively heavy gauge stainless steel screen wire. The wire bee escapes are more heavy duty (less fragile) than the plastic ones and should last longer. Because they are screen, they should also provide slightly more ventilation. The differences are not big, but I now have to agree that the Sundance trap seems to be the most ruggedly built of the best materials. Besides the bee escapes, all the other materials seemed to me to be almost identical, as is the design. I would think that excellent results should be obtained using either trap. I look forward to using both of them this season. If you want "the best" then the Sundance trap (to me) has a slight edge and I would therefore consider it marginally the better of the two. I guess I may find out through time whether or not I am right. Layne Westover, College Station, Texas, U.S.A. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 07:54:59 -0000 Reply-To: Ruary Rudd Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Ruary Rudd Organization: Westgate, waterville Subject: copper gluconate MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Regarding Copper gluconate I have watched this list with interest and have not seen any message regarding the efficacy of this chemical as a treatment for Varroa. Am I to take it that no one uses it? Or that they want to keep the treatment quiet? I understand that it is / was used in France, would any list members there care to give us the benefits of their experience. Ruary Rudd ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 13:16:21 +0200 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Rimantas Zujus Subject: Re: copper gluconate MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-4" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ruary Rudd writes > Regarding Copper gluconate I have watched this list with interest and have > not seen any message regarding the efficacy of this chemical as a treatment > for Varroa. This question is very interesting to me also. I've got a pack of "Happy Hive Salts" from Bickerstaffes Honey LTD recently and I gave the salt to Dr. Amsiejus. His undergraduate student will start the efficiency investigations this spring. I have read an article on the Cupric gluconate efficiency and found that the efficiency was only some 75 %. A mind stroke to my head. The efficiency of accaricides is much higher but the survived mites get used to it in a few years. What about a new line of mites got used to Cupric salts? Any suggestions? Rimantas e-mail : zujus@isag.lei.lt ICQ# : 4201422 http://rizujus.lei.lt/ 55 North, 24 East ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 09:05:07 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Bill Truesdell Subject: Re: Fermenting honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The taste of honey is in the buds of the beholder. There are gourmet honeys that I think taste terrible, but others love them. I have had honeydew honey and it is a bit off for my taste. My experience has been that it also ferments quickly. So it may be the honey you are talking about. Fermented honey will have bubbles or foam on the top. It looks like honey that has been bottled too early and not been allowed to get all the air out. It will be off tasting and should not be fed back to the bees since it will cause dysentery. Seems like it will do the same with people. Bill Truesdell Bath, ME ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 17:25:03 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Computer Software Solutions Ltd Subject: Copper Gluconate Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hello All Ruary Rudd asks about Copper Gluconate. I have obtained a list of beekeeper users from the UK supplier Copper Gluconate (not Copper Sulphate) is supplied by "Bickerstaffes Honey Ltd" I have a good report on this product from a beekeeper in Lyme Regis in Dorset and I am presently following up other beekeepers in the UK whose names I have been given by Bickerstaffes. Some posts to the Irish Beekeeping List cast doubts on the efficacy of the product, so I suppose the motto should be 'use with a low mite count to begin with, and with continuous monitoring, and be prepared to nuke the mites with an acaricide if the mite count gets too high' Sincerely Tom Barrett ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 20:36:30 +0200 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Robert Post Subject: Re: SMR Bees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nick Wallingford wrote: > Destructor is significantly larger body size than jacobsoni, and not so round. The two cannot interbreed. snip >Male mates with his sisters then dies. One wonders at the significance of the first statement then. Robert Post ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 20:11:47 +0100 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: massimiliano Subject: R: Re: copper gluconate MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit About five years ago in italy, copper gluconate mixed with candy was investigate and it has a very low efficiency. Nowadays anibody use copper gluconate. Best Regards , Massimiliano. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 15:53:00 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Bob & Liz Subject: Re: SMR Bees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello All, Nick Wallingford wrote: Destructor is significantly larger body size than jacobsoni, and not so round. The two cannot interbreed. Although Varroa Destructor and varroa jacobsoni can't interbreed I am told the Korean/Russian haplotype and the Japan/Thailand haplotype of varroa destructor can breed so one has to wonder what type of offspring might be produced. I guess we will found out. I am also told that since varroa destructor jumped from cerana to meliferia when put back with cerana again varroa destructor can't reproduce. Could this be a clue to unlocking a weakness in varroa destructor reproduction? Sincerely, Bob Harrison Odessa,Missouri ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 19:01:36 EST Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: CSlade777@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Fermenting Honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I wonder whether the problem is not fermentation but honey from an unpalatable source. Rhododendron, ragwort and privet are examples that are said to be poor tasting but I have no direct experience. Chris ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 18:51:56 -0500 Reply-To: bees@oldmoose.com Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Glen Glater Subject: locating a hive where it will be watered Comments: To: bee@oldmoose.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I would like to place a hive in a garden, but it will, in all likelyhood, get watered by an oscillating sprinkler (the kind that shoots multiple streams up in the air and swings to the left and right) in the evenings. What is the conventional wisdom to placing a hive in a location where it will get watered in the evening? Thanks. --glen ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 02:11:18 -0500 Reply-To: Peter Borst Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Comments: RFC822 error: DATE field duplicated. Last occurrence was retained. From: Peter Borst I have looked over the scanty materials on copper salts and make the following observations. It seems that Bounias, Andre, Nectoux, and Popeskovic applied for a US patent on the copper salt treatment back in 1990, received a patent in 1991 and then let it expire in 1999. The study by Bounias, Andre, Nectoux, and Popeskovic is the sole support for the efficacy of this treatment. A close look at Bounias paper shows a reference to cupric salts being tested on 1500 hives but the charts refer to very small numbers (6 to 10 hives). The authors have continued to publish their ideas in various trade journals but this treatment is not mentioned in any of the mainstream summaries of varroa treatments. I can't find any corroboration of it by other researchers. Antonio Nanetti at Istituto Nazionale di Apicoltura in Bologna, Italy tested copper gluconate against Varroa without good results. Anecdotal information from France indicates a lack of success there. Peter Borst Ithaca NY U S A ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 20:42:12 EST Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Richard Spiekhout Subject: Re: R: Re:vendor? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Last year I bought pierco frames from a vendor in Wisc. I need to find him again but have lost the invoice and cannot find him in the zines. Help please? Richard Spiekhout Ky. USA ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 09:05:21 EST Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: BeeCrofter@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Fermenting Honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/6/01 2:13:23 AM Eastern Standard Time, CSlade777@AOL.COM writes: > Rhododendron, ragwort and privet are examples that are > said to be poor tasting Best description I can give for privet is bitter. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 11:50:18 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "Dr. Pedro P Rodriguez" Subject: Re: copper salts saga MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hurray for you Peter! Exactly what I have suspected all along. I spend six months or more per year performing varroa honey bee research in the mediterranean area and have not heard of any one who uses this system. Sincerely. Dr. Pedro Pablo Rodriguez ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 16:46:01 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Robert Brenchley Subject: Mason Bees Does anyone have experience of mason bees (Osmia spp)? I'm aware that trap nests are commercially available, and that they can be used for pollination. I'm interested in using them at an urban site in the UK, and I'd be grateful for any pointers. Regards, Robert Brenchley RSBrenchley@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 20:56:41 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Becky boehm Subject: spring progress Hello All Spring is on its way. Here in the carolinas the maples are fat and ready to bloom, in a couple a more 60 degree days. I open hives yesterday (sunday) and found fresh queen cells on the bottom bars of some hives, swarming planned? maybe, but ill split in a week or so- probably a couple weeks because the colonies are not boiling over yet. Last year first swarms came on the first of march. First supers for extra room to go on this week. Ill post as the weather progresses,seems as the new england area just got a blast of last minute winter. On the subject of bottom screens, last year i made 9 of them, just took 1x2 and made a frame then stapled the screen on and trimmed then put a 3/4 x 3/4 around the rim on theframe. I havnt lost any colonies yet and usually have lost 2 or 3 out of the 15 to 20 i keep. Ill just have to make more screen bottoms for the rest of them. I have a question--- Has anyone who uses the menthol and oil towels used them in the spring? It seems maybe a waste of time with the trachial mites life cycle. Any comments welcome. Al Boehm Columbus NC at the nc sc border ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 16:31:52 -0800 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "Jaquie Bunse." Subject: Re: Fermenting honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Could one of you master mead-makers tell me how wise it is to use fermented honey to make mead? I have one pail of honey that I extracted late summer even tho' the bees hadn't finished capping it, and it was pretty high in H2O, but the brood nests were plugged with honey and it was time to treat for mites. It would be great if it could be used up making mead. Jaquie Bunse bunsebee@telus.net ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 19:20:41 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Nick Wallingford Subject: Re: SMR Bees >> Destructor is significantly larger body size than jacobsoni, and not so round. The two cannot interbreed. >snip >>Male mates with his sisters then dies. >One wonders at the significance of the first statement then. Destructor and jacobsoni are not able to interbreed. The second statement was describing the activities of destructor males and females - which can and do breed... ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 18:19:17 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "Dick Wm. Waskey" Subject: Re: Mason Bees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I did a few Internet searches and found plans to build a mason bee hive. The plans were divided into two methods. Small holes drilled in a block of wood and paper soda straws tied up in a bundle. I made the block out of a 5x5x12 in piece of wood, Put an old Paterson bluebird house roof on it and set it in my apple orchard. The idea was to have a source of pollination for when the honey bees were not flying and when the neighbors clover field was more enticing... The first year I had around 25 holes filled and then last year nothing... I will continue trying this year since you need to build up the population and continue to add move nest holes each year. Dick Wm. Waskey Scandia Minnesota ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 15:51:17 -0800 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "Jaquie Bunse." Subject: Re: Mason Bees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Robert, > Does anyone have experience of mason bees (Osmia spp)? I'm aware that trap > nests are commercially available, and that they can be used for > pollination. I'm interested in using them at an urban site in the UK You could check the website www.beediverse.com for much information regarding mason bees as well as nests and other product information. Jaquie Bunse bunsebee@telus.net ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 22:04:27 -0500 Reply-To: Peter Borst Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Comments: RFC822 error: DATE field duplicated. Last occurrence was retained. From: Peter Borst Subject: Paper on copper salts question: Can you please give me the reference of the paper of Bounias (the one about efficacy of copper salt treatments) ? It may have been given before but I have overlooked it. The paper on copper salts may be found at: http://www.imkerei.com/_menus_us/articles.htm Varroa jacobsoni control by feeding honey bees with organic cupric salts M. Bounias, J.F. André & M. Nectoux (PDF file 249 Kb) It is a poorly made pdf file, full of numerous typographic errors. Peter Ithaca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 21:37:55 -0800 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Ellen Anglin Subject: Re: Fermenting honey Comments: cc: bunsebee@TELUS.NET In-Reply-To: <200102070253.VAA09562@listserv.albany.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I have made mead, but I make no claims to being a master. Don't bother trying to use bad honey to make mead- the off flavors will give you off flavored mead. (Whether from fermenting, overheating, or bad tasting floral source, if you don't like the taste of the honey, you probably won't like the taste of the mead.) If you had immediately frozen the high water content honey, or used it immediately for making mead, then a little extra moisture wouldn't have caused much of a problem. Now you have off flavors, and wild yeasts to deal with- not a good beginning. When making mead, or any wine, you have to be careful what types of yeasts you use. Different yeasts give different flavors and ageing qualities to the mead. The yeasts causing the fermentation in your honey are sure to be the wrong kind. Start with good ingredients if you want to get good mead. Ellen Mt. Clemens MI "Jaquie Bunse." wrote: Could one of you master mead-makers tell me how wise it is to use fermented honey to make mead? I have one pail of honey that I extracted late summer even tho' the bees hadn't finished capping it, and it was pretty high in H2O, but the brood nests were plugged with honey and it was time to treat for mites. It would be great if it could be used up making mead. Jaquie Bunse bunsebee@telus.net ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 20:28:16 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Ken Haller Subject: Re: Mason Bees Comments: cc: RSBrenchley@AOL.COM MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Experience no. But, I can point to a resource and add a few notes. I recently read a book on the Orchard Mason Bee (The Orchard Mason Bee) by Brian L. Griffin and was totally fascinated. The book is excellent. This solitary yet gregarious bee (Osmia lignaria) can be "easily" propagated by either purchasing hibernating bees from a supplier or you can set-up a habitat and hope for the locals (if you have any). Recently, I purchased a few nesting tubes (containing hibernating bees), drilled a few wood blocks (for habitat) and would be happy to report on activities this April through June (the bee's active period). Brian's company is Knox Cellars and his website is www.knoxcellars.com Ken Haller apism@home.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Brenchley" To: Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 3:46 PM Subject: Mason Bees > Does anyone have experience of mason bees (Osmia spp)? I'm aware that trap > nests are commercially available, and that they can be used for > pollination. I'm interested in using them at an urban site in the UK, and > I'd be grateful for any pointers. > > Regards, > > Robert Brenchley > > RSBrenchley@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 21:30:55 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Bob & Liz Subject: Re: Mason Bees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello All, I raise Osmia lignaria (Blue orchard bee or the orchard mason bee) and would be glad to answer specific questions. Please search the University of Idaho site for the basics and I will help with specific questions. http://www.uidaho.edu Sincerely, Bob Harrison Odessa,Missouri Does anyone have experience of mason bees (Osmia spp)? I'm aware that trap nests are commercially available, and that they can be used for pollination. I'm interested in using them at an urban site in the UK, and I'd be grateful for any pointers. RSBrenchley@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 21:57:21 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Bob & Liz Subject: Re: spring progress MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello Al & All, I use the menthol/oil towels spring and fall. They are cheap and easier for me than crisco patties. Less than .50 per hive. My recipe is in the archives. One roll of blue shop towels will treat 56 hives two times. Sincerely, Bob Harrison Odessa,Missouri Al wrote: I have a question--- Has anyone who uses the menthol and oil towels used them in the spring? It seems maybe a waste of time with the trachial mites life cycle. Any comments welcome. > Columbus NC > at the nc sc border ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 18:37:50 EST Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "David L. Green" Subject: Re: Mason Bees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/6/01 2:17:04 PM Pacific Standard Time, RSBrenchley@AOL.COM writes: << Does anyone have experience of mason bees (Osmia spp)? I'm aware that trap nests are commercially available, and that they can be used for pollination. I'm interested in using them at an urban site in the UK, and I'd be grateful for any pointers. >> There's lots of resources at: http://pollinator.com/alt_pollinators.htm Dave Green The Pollination Home Page: http://pollinator.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 18:14:38 -0800 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Dave Pehling Subject: Re: Mason Bees In-Reply-To: <200102062216.RAA03159@listserv.albany.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Tue, 6 Feb 2001, Robert Brenchley wrote: > Does anyone have experience of mason bees (Osmia spp)? I'm aware that trap > nests are commercially available, and that they can be used for > pollination. I'm interested in using them at an urban site in the UK, and > I'd be grateful for any pointers. =========================== You might want to have a look at our page at http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/inse006/inse006.htm Contains general info on Osmia as well as useful links. cheers, Dave Pehling ============================================ | W.S.U. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION-SNOHOMISH CO. | | 600 128TH ST. S.E. | | EVERETT, WA. 98208 U.S.A. | | PHONE - (425)338-2400 | | FAX - (425)338-3994 | | EMAIL pehling@wsu.edu | ============================================ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 21:56:55 EST Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Tim Morris Subject: Beekeepers in the area? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Are there any list members Near Douglasville Ga. Tim Morris ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 00:55:39 -0800 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: dan hendricks Subject: Mason bees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi, Bob. One thing you might not hear is that they have many pests, too. If one does the arithmetic, he would expect to be innundated next year. Not so. Very small increase has been my experience. Considerable attention to detail is required. That said, they are excellent pollinators which stay relatively close to home. In Seattle, WA, with climate similar to UK, they emerge in March and are all dead (except for eggs in cells, of course) by early June. This duplicates the period needed for all pollination except late berries and many ornamentals. They are lots of fun to watch, like to bask on sunny surface and won't sting without receiving a request in writing. Dan __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 06:45:34 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: michael Bassett Subject: Re: spring progress On Tue, 6 Feb 2001 20:56:41 -0500, Becky boehm wrote: >Spring is on its way. I'm not sure when it will show up but I snow shoed into two apiaries yesterday to remove the snow from the entrance, it's not that easy when you have to lay on the snow because your arm isn't long enough. the snow was half way up on the third deep chamber. figured I would clean them out as they haven't been out since early Dec and it may get up to 50 the end of this week. Mike Bassett central Mass and Conn. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 07:24:48 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "john f. mesinger" Subject: Re: Mason Bees In-Reply-To: <200102062222.RAA03269@listserv.albany.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I got a 6in block of 4X4in wood with a square pattern of many holes drilled 2+in deep and a chicken wire anti bird screen over the face several inches out fromm a class project in a rural HS in SW VA two years ago; put it on a 4 ft post, it was filled and plugged with mud by Mason beed queen or queens. They hatched. I cleaned the holes last winter and there were no repeats last year. John F. Mesinger jfm6f@unix.mail.virginia.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 08:27:49 EST Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "David L. Green" Subject: Re: spring progress MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/7/01 7:23:58 AM Eastern Standard Time, basset@NEESNET.COM writes: << I'm not sure when it will show up but I snow shoed into two apiaries yesterday to remove the snow from the entrance, it's not that easy when you have to lay on the snow because your arm isn't long enough. >> {{Shiver}} I'm glad to be in South Carolina and not New England. We've had the coldest winter in years, but no snow, not even any serious rain and wind storms. But I think it will be good, as it was sustained cold, not yo-yo temperatures which make the buds tender too early. I am expecting one of the best springs we've had in years. Only problem is low moisture throughout the region, so am also expecting a hot, dry summer. Yesterday it was in the 60's with brilliant sunshine and the bees were carrying pollen. Still no maple pollen nor nectar, but the trees are reddening, so it is close. In recent years maple bloom has often come in January during warm spells, then be over from following cold, too soon. I hope this year is slow and steady.... I understand that warm winters favor the West Nile virus, so am hoping the severity of the winter in the East this year will knock that out. Sigh! Dave Green coastal South Carolina, USA The Pollination Home Page: http://pollinator.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 07:18:30 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Aaron Morris Subject: Re: Making Mead with Fermenting honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > Could one of you master mead-makers tell me how wise it is to > use fermented honey to make mead? If you boil your must (honey and water is called must) you will kill the yeast culture already active in your fermenting honey. Hence you will not have to worry about foreign yeast cultures when you pitch the yeast of your choice. However you WILL have the residual effects and tastes (whatever they are) of the wild yeasts that have been active in your honey so far. This may or may not be a bad thing. Best advice I can give is, taste the fermenting honey before you use it. If it tastes good now you can probably use it. On the other hand, if it has a sour taste don't bother, cut your losses and throw it away. Making mead with moist honey is a good use of the moist honey, but it's better to make the mead before the honey starts to ferment on its own. Aaron Morris - thinking for the best mead use the best honey! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 13:03:44 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: reno Subject: Re: spring progress MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Here in North Florida, 17 miles south of the Georgia line and about 45 miles west of Jacksonville, the Maple is blooming and the bees are hard at work..40 degree nights and 60 plus degrees during the day. My bees have been bring in pollen, except for a brief period before Christmas, all winter..Ole timers around here call it "fence post" honey. Most of my hives are full to over flowing with bees. Will make splits sometime the last of the month. Last year the wild cherry was blooming last of February..got supers ready. Good luck to the keepers that are still snow bound..I think I would trade the small hive beetle for some snow..Will Lewis.. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 08:21:30 -0800 Reply-To: mdshepherd@xerces.org Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Matthew Shepherd Subject: Re: Mason Bees In-Reply-To: <200102062225.RAA03299@listserv.albany.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Dear Robert (and other BEE-Lers), I've been reading the various postings in response to your initial request. One thing you might have a problem with is that all the suggested resources for supplying bees and blocks are in the US, and you are wanting to use bee at a site in the UK. Many, if not all, of the sites and resources will be for Osmia lignaria. I know there are many Osmia species in the UK, but I'm not sure if O. lignaria is a native species in the UK. There is an on-going debate about the impacts of non-native bees on native species, particularly as it relates to foraging competition, and I believe you should consider which species is most appropriate. The biology and life cycles of Osmia are similar, though some species will prefer different substrates for nesting in. I think that nesting blocks and similar provision constructed to the same specification as given in US guides will work. You also need to ensure there is a supply of mud for the bees to seal their nests with. There are a lot of links to websites, and lists of books and other resources on the Xerces Society's website at www.xerces.org. Click on Projects from the homepage, then Pollinator Conservation Program from the next page, and then at the bottom the third page there is access to loads of information (immediately under the title on that page there is a link that takes you to the bottom). I hope you find this useful. Good luck! Matthew *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** On 2/6/01 at 4:46 PM Robert Brenchley wrote: >Does anyone have experience of mason bees (Osmia spp)? I'm aware that trap >nests are commercially available, and that they can be used for >pollination. I'm interested in using them at an urban site in the UK, and >I'd be grateful for any pointers. > >Regards, > >Robert Brenchley > >RSBrenchley@aol.com ______________________________________ Matthew Shepherd Director, Pollinator Program and Publications The Xerces Society 4828 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215 Tel: 503-232 6639 Fax: 503-233 6794 Email: mdshepherd@xerces.org Website: www.xerces.org ______________________________________ The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of invertebrates. For membership information go to: http://www.xerces.org/mbrshp.htm ______________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 15:58:07 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Bob Harrison Subject: Spring Brood Rearing Hello All, I just came in from checking hives. The weather today was 55F. with no wind. Very little brood and many hives with no brood yet. Very different than the last few warm winters. We had the coldest November & December in many years and close to a record. My fellow beekeepers which returned from South Texas report very little brood being raised in South Texas. Ice storms have broken down many trees in the area of the bees. A large Texas Beekeeper with the AHPA said many beekeepers were not finding enough brood to ship bees to California for Almonds. Several Texas beekeepers have cancelled queen orders for lack of brood. I would be interested in hearing what other beekeepers are seeing in areas they have been able to actually look into hives and look at frames for brood. I am not interested in hearing from armchair beekeepers which have only lifted the lid and seen bees covering 4 or 5 frames. In my opinion the bees in the Midwest are about three weeks behind the place they were last year at this time. Sincerely, Bob Harrison Odessa,Missouri ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 16:28:14 -0500 Reply-To: Peter Borst Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Comments: RFC822 error: DATE field duplicated. Last occurrence was retained. From: Peter Borst Subject: varroa resistant to coumaphos from: Apidologie 32 (2001) 49–55 49 © INRA/DIB-AGIB/EDP Sciences, 2001 First detection of strains of Varroa destructor resistant to coumaphos. Results of laboratory tests and field trials by Massimo SPREAFICO*, Francesca Romana EÖRDEGH, Iris BERNARDINELLI, Mario COLOMBO Istituto di Entomologia agraria, Milano University, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy Abstract – The susceptibility of four populations of Varroa destructor to the organophosphorous acaricide coumaphos was studied. The mites were taken from apiaries kept in Lombardy (northern Italy) and tested with a laboratory assay on paraffin wax with known concentrations of coumaphos. The susceptibility of two populations to coumaphos was close to that of susceptible populations, indicated in the literature (LC 50 at 24 hours: 12.6 mg/g); a third population showed a significant, but slight increase in tolerance (LC 50 at 24 hours: 29 mg/g) while the fourth population had a much higher LC 50 (>200 mg/g at 24 hours). In subsequent field trials carried out in the apiary in which the latter population had been sampled, the total average efficacy of two treatments with Perizin ® (the commercial formulation of coumaphos) in colonies without capped brood was 46% (28–88%). submitted by Peter Borst Ithaca NY U S A