From SYSAM@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDUMon May 22 07:18:59 1995 Date: Mon, 22 May 95 08:38:15 EDT From: Aaron Morris To: dicka@cuug.ab.ca ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1992 14:25:28 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Fernando Subject: Re: drifting foragers In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 31 Jul 1992 17:30:42 EDT from I was wondering whether drifting tendency of commercial honey bee lines would be different from that of feral populations (in Africanized bees, this might be more relevant) or whether european races breeded for so many years would drift less than africanized and other non-breeded races. Fernando. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1992 17:20:07 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dr. James H. Hunt" Subject: yellowjackets Bob Jeanne at U. Wisconsin mentioned in an e-mail to me that he is having trouble finding german yellowjacket nests around Madison and that yellowjacket foragers in general seem at low levels this year. Now that he has brought it to my attention, I've noticed that forager yellowjackets are downright scarce here in St. Louis at present. The season still has 6 weeks or so to go, but there should be more than there are at present. What about other U.S. localities? Do yellowjacket numbers seem different this year? Just curious, Jim Hunt C4926@UMSLVMA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1992 21:28:16 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bee Surgeon Subject: yellowjackets It seems that here at central Illinois we also have fewer than usual numbers of yellowjackets. It occurred to me that maybe this is due to the excess rain we had during the last month. Do these guys have their nests mostly underground ? if so they would have a hard time to their home dry. They usually peak, at least here, around september. but then again, maybe that is due the scare resource and they show more at bee hive entrances as well as at the picnic tables. ********************************************************************** * ZHI-YONG HUANG {Having a hard time? Think of the poor drone !} * * 320 MORRILL HALL PHONE: 217-333-6843 * * DEPT. OF ENTOMOLOGY FAX: 217-244-3499 * * UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS EMAIL: ZHIYONG@UIUCVMD.BITNET * * URBANA, IL 61801 ZHI-YONG_HUANG@QMS1.LIFE.UIUC.EDU * ********************************************************************** This NOTE is a reply to: ------------------------ >Received: from MIZZOU1 by VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU (Mailer R2.07) with BSMTP id 3573; > Mon, 03 Aug 92 17:25:47 CDT >Received: by MIZZOU1 (Mailer R2.08) id 0841; Mon, 03 Aug 92 17:24:13 CDT >Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1992 17:20:07 CDT >Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology >Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology >From: "Dr. James H. Hunt" >Subject: yellowjackets >To: GENE ROBINSON , > ZHIYONG HUANG > > Bob Jeanne at U. Wisconsin mentioned in an e-mail to me that he is >having trouble finding german yellowjacket nests around Madison and that >yellowjacket foragers in general seem at low levels this year. Now that >he has brought it to my attention, I've noticed that forager yellowjackets >are downright scarce here in St. Louis at present. The season still has >6 weeks or so to go, but there should be more than there are at present. >What about other U.S. localities? Do yellowjacket numbers seem different >this year? > >Just curious, >Jim Hunt >C4926@UMSLVMA ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1992 08:26:22 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stephen Bambara Subject: Re: yellowjackets In-Reply-To: <9208040421.AA08829@ncextc.ces.ncsu.edu>; from "Bee Surgeon" at Aug 3, 92 9:28 pm > > > > Bob Jeanne at U. Wisconsin mentioned in an e-mail to me that he is > >having trouble finding german yellowjacket nests around Madison and that > >yellowjacket foragers in general seem at low levels this year. Now that > >he has brought it to my attention, I've noticed that forager yellowjackets > >are downright scarce here in St. Louis at present. The season still has > >6 weeks or so to go, but there should be more than there are at present. > >What about other U.S. localities? Do yellowjacket numbers seem different > >this year? > > > >Just curious, > >Jim Hunt > >C4926@UMSLVMA > In North Carolina the yellowjacket population also seems to be a little lower than usual. Things have started to pick up, however, over the last two weeks so it is hard to say if the population is down or just delayed. We had a mild winter, but a wet Spring. We like to suggest that the wet weather has a negative impact on nest founding or survivorship. The truth is that we really don't know, but it gives us a good feeling to think we have an answer. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Stephen Bambara NCSU-Entomology, Box 7626, Raleigh NC 27695-7626 | |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=| | Voice: (919) 515-3140 | INTERNET: sbambara@ent.ncsu.edu | | FAX: (919) 515-7746 | | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1992 11:14:00 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: KIRK VISSCHER Subject: drifting african and european bees Rinderer et al presented data in a Science paper that DRONES drift more frequently from africanized to european colonies than the other way around. There is some question whether the colonies used were well controlled for strength, etc, so I take this evidence with a grain of salt, but this is as much as I know about the question of racial differences in drifting. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1992 15:55:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: JULY ISSUE OF APIS FILENAME: JULAPIS.92 Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter Apis--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764) Volume 10, Number 7, July 1992 ON VOLUNTEERISM The use of volunteers to provide short-term consulting in beekeeping appears to be on the rise. For some apiculturists, this represents a productive use of time. Although the volunteer gets no salary, expenses are paid and one gets a much better idea of daily life in a specific area of the world than is possible when traveling as a tourist. It is definitely not a holiday; living conditions can be tough, and the working hours are long. Overseas assignments are not for everyone; would-be volunteers face a strict screening process to determine suitability and one must be as ready to learn as teach. But once one is selected, consulting with beekeepers in another setting can open a world of opportunity and excitement. If this idea appeals to you, two agencies that I know of in the business of recruiting volunteers in beekeeping can be contacted. They are Florida Association of Voluntary Agencies for Caribbean Action (FAVA/CA), 1311 Executive Center Drive, Suite 202, Tallahassee, FL 32301, ph 904/877-4705 and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance, Suite 1075, 50 F St. N.W., Washington, DC 20001, ph 202/383-4961. FAVA/CA, called Florida's Peace Corps by many, works strictly in the Caribbean, but VOCA is now sending volunteers to many parts of the world, including Eastern Europe and those independent states that used to comprise the Soviet Union. IN THANKS Scott Yocom would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Tampa Bay Beekeepers Association and the Manasota Beekeepers Association for their recent gifts to the Varroa research program at the University of Florida. Donations such as these enable research to continue even with state cutbacks. These funds are being used to support research relating to the susceptibility of Varroa to fluvalinate and amitraz for future monitoring of pesticide resistance. Scott would like to also thank the Florida State Beekeepers Association for awarding him the honor of the Cal T. Albritton, Powers Honey Co., Researcher of the Year Award. Additional thanks go to Laurence and Eloise Cutts for their help and use of bees, Jerry Crews for his help in the Cocoa area, Bill Merritt and Jerry Latner of Dadant & Sons, Umatilla for equipment and bee donations, and Fred Rossman of Rossman Apiaries, Moultrie, Georgia for bee donations and equipment construction. This assistance materially helped to test new Apistan (R) strips in packages and hives, the use of one Apistan (R) strip for movement certification, and to test effect of brood comb type on Varroa reproduction. Finally, thanks are given to Dr. Bill Gladney of Zoecon Corporation for major financial support of Dr. Harvey Cromroy's and Scott Yocom's Varroa research program. Scott will be winding up his course work and exams in the next few months and soon after will be in the final stages of writing his dissertation. INSPECTOR FEEDBACK Recently, the Florida state bee inspectors were in Gainesville for a feedback session. Three major concerns were expressed: increase in the use of extender patties; potential safety hazards of formic acid; and lack of a detailed management plan in many operations. Here are my thoughts on these issues: Extender Patties: The idea behind extender patties is that the antibiotic used for controlling American foulbrood (AFB), Terramycin (R), retains (extends) its activity longer in vegetable fat than when administered as a dust or in syrup. It also takes the bees longer to consume these patties, thus one treatment can be applied in place of the several recommended on the EPA-approved TM 25 label for either dust or syrup. Finally, the chances of Terramycin (R) killing brood is minimized. Extender patty technology has not been fully employed in the past because a specific label for this use was not approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As is well known, it is a violation of the law to use any antibiotic on bee colonies without a label in hand. The basic research on antibiotic extender patty (AEP) technology was done by Dr. Bill Wilson, now at the Weslaco Bee Laboratory. It was published under the title "Antibiotic Treatments that Last Longer" in American Bee Journal, September 1970, pp 348-351. The recipe used by Dr. Wilson is as follows: 1/3 lb vegetable fat + 2/3 lb granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons TM 25. This made a one-pound patty good for one treatment; Dr. Wilson has verbally stated that half-pound patties are also effective. A prime advocate of the technology was the late P.F. (Roy) Thurber, who published his observations on the technology entitled "Medication and Comb Rotation for AFB" in The Speedy Bee, December, 1980 and January, 1981. Unfortunately, Mr. Thurber's recipe varies from that of Dr. Wilson, confusing the issue. Recently, there has been increased interest in extender patty technology because research indicates that administering vegetable shortening to bee colonies may reduce infestation levels of honey bee tracheal mites. Again, no specific label exists for this use. However, the possibility that AFB, as well as tracheal mites, can be controlled in one treatment is a powerful incentive to use AEPs. Into this fray comes Mr. Jack Thomas of Mann Lake Supply. Using his own resources, Mr. Thomas has received a label for a product called Terra-Patties (R). It is based on the fact that TM 25 is an effective control of AFB and that vegetable fat, specifically Crisco (R), is just another carrier similar to powdered sugar or sugar syrup. In developing his formulation, Mr. Thomas found it extremely difficult to adequately mix the antibiotic evenly throughout the Crisco (R)-sugar mixture. In order to do this, he uses a specific, proprietary process. The problem of adequate mixing may be one reason why different recipes and results in effectiveness have been reported in the past. Mr. Thomas reports good effectiveness in the field with his product, but to my knowledge, rigorous testing of the formulation backed up by published data is lacking. A strong argument for using Terra-Patties (R) is that they are processed far more uniformly than can be done by the beekeeper. Most importantly, however, the product has a label; it, therefore, becomes the only legal way I know to use this technology. For more information, contact Mann Lake Supply, County Rd. 40 & 1st St., Hackensack, MN 56452, ph 218/675-6688. Mention of the above product is for information only. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service does not recommend purchase of the product and takes no responsibility for either its use or effectiveness. If there are other formulations of antibiotic extender patties with approved labels, I would appreciate hearing about them. I will send a copy of Dr. Wilson's paper and a reprint of those by Mr. Thurber on request. Formic Acid: I published information on the possible dangers of this material exactly one year ago. It bears repeating: There's been a lot of information recently on use of formic acid for mite control. The material has several things going for it including the fact that it is a natural product, fairly inexpensive and is effective against both tracheal and Varroa mites. However, my colleague at the University of California in Davis, Eric Mussen, laments that some facts have been left out in all the folderol. First of all, the material doesn't have a label and so cannot be legally used. Second, it's potentially dangerous to users. Here's what he writes in his newsletter, From the UC Apiaries. Formic acid is the simplest carboxylic acid with a formula of H-C-OOH. It has a molecular weight of 46.03 and is described as a "colorless, fuming liquid with a pungent, penetrating odor." It boils at 216 degrees F, melts at 35 degrees F, has a specific gravity of 1.2, a vapor pressure of 23 mm Hg at 20 degrees C, mixes well with water, alcohol, ether and glycerol, and has an odor threshold at 21 ppm. Vapor-air mixtures of 18-57% are explosive, if the ambient temperature is at or above 122 degrees F and the mixture is ignited by a spark. The vapors are heavier than air and may travel a considerable distance to source of ignition and flashback. However, fire is not a major concern. 1. Organic acids are dangerous materials to handle. If you spill formic acid on your skin, expect severe pain, brown or yellowish stains, burns that usually penetrate the full thickness of the skin, have sharply defined edges, and heal slowly with scar tissue formation. If you spill it on your clothes and don't wash it out, chronic exposure can lead to dermatitis (rash), protein precipitation, and red blood cells in urine. 2. Splashed into eyes, formic acid causes pain, tears, blurred vision and photosensitization (lights are too bright). In severe cases, conjunctival edema (swelling around eyes) leads to destruction of corneas. 3. If someone accidentally drank formic acid, it would cause severe burning pain in the mouth, throat and abdomen; followed by vomiting, watery or bloody diarrhea, tenesmus (painful straining during urination), retching, hemolysis (ruptured blood cells), hematuria (blood cells in urine), anuria, liver and kidney damage with jaundice, hypotension (low blood pressure), collapse, convulsions, coma and paralysis. 4. The most subtle effects involve inhalation. Opening a container of formic acid in an enclosed space liberates fumes. At 100 ppm, the fumes are immediately dangerous to life and health. Inhalation at low concentrations causes tearing, rhinorrhea (runny nose), coughing, throat irritation, and headache. Higher concentrations may produce the previous symptoms, followed in six to eight hours by pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, dizziness, frothy expectoration and cyanosis (bluish or purplish skin discoloration due to lack of oxygen in the blood). Breathing only a little at a time over prolonged periods can lead to erosion of the teeth, local tissue death in the jaw, bronchial irritation with chronic cough, frequent attacks of bronchial pneumonia and gastrointestinal disturbances. If there is any good news in the story, it is that formic acid does not appear to be carcinogenic. It is a mutagen (causes mutations in genetic material). Use of proper protective equipment is a must when handling formic acid. The chemical container should be opened only in a room with powerful exhaust ventilation. The acid is strong enough to eat through some forms of plastics, rubber and coatings. Employees must wear appropriate protective clothing and equipment to prevent any possibility of skin contact with this substance, including appropriate gloves, splash-proof or dust-resistant safety goggles and faceshield. If a person is going to be in an atmosphere where there are 100 ppm (0.01%) formic acid, one of the following must be worn: A. Chemical cartridge respirator with an organic vapor cartridge and a full face mask. B. Dust, mist and fume respirator. C. Gas mask with an organic vapor canister (chin-style, front- or back-mounted canister). D. Supplied-air respirator with a full face piece, helmet or hood. E. Self-contained breathing apparatus with full facepiece. Each Florida state bee inspector has been issued a Material Data Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on formic acid for a reference. I will send a copy on request. An emergency telephone number for the manufacturer, Fisher Scientific, 1 Reagent Lane, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 is 201/796-7100. Management Plan: A detailed management plan is an absolute necessity for beekeeping operations. There can be no standard recipe for this as each enterprise has a unique set of needs. A guide to Florida beekeeping exists, however, which describes generalized conditions around which a management plan is built. It is Florida Cooperative Extension Circular 537, A Florida Beekeeping Almanac. Now out of print, this publication is in the process of being revised. For a xeroxed copy, send me a $3.00 check payable to Department of Entomology/Nematology. DISEASE BULLETIN AVAILABLE Perhaps the best honey bee disease bulletin I have ever seen has been published by the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA). It has recently been reprinted and U.S. distribution is through the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA). Its sixteen pages are jammed with text and colored pictures and the price is bargain basement. To receive a copy, send a $3.00 check payable to AAPA to M.T. Sanford, Secretary-Treasurer, AAPA, Bldg 970, Box 110620, Gainesville, FL 32611-0620. BEEKEEPERS INSTITUTE REMINDER The brochures describing this year's Florida Beekeepers Institute, August 21-23 at 4-H Camp Ocala, should have arrived in your mailbox before this newsletter. If you haven't received one, call Ms. Glinda Burnett 904/392-1801, Ext. 142 or the IFAS Offices of Conferences and Institutes, 904/392-5930. Sincerely, Malcolm T. Sanford Entomology-Nematology, Bldg 970 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611-0620 Phone (904) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: 904-392-0190 BITNET Address: MTS@IFASGNV INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 13:53:24 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "A.S. Chamove" Subject: Re: yellowjackets In-Reply-To: Your letter of Tue, 4 Aug 1992 08:26:22 EDT New Zealand has a problem with the German yellowjacket. They seem to have no natural enemies and have increased dramatically since their accidental introduction a few years ago. They are a serious problem to humans in the bush and they consume a lot of tree exudate that our native bird need. If there is some problem that has hit your population, we would love to know, particularly if it is exportable. If you discover it is some biological control, please let me know. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Arnold Chamove Massey University Psychology Palmerston North, New Zealand ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 03:26:00 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: DOUG 'SPEAKER-TO-INSECTS' YANEGA Subject: Re: yellowjackets > Now that > he has brought it to my attention, I've noticed that forager yellowjackets > are downright scarce here in St. Louis at present. The season still has > 6 weeks or so to go, but there should be more than there are at present. > What about other U.S. localities? Do yellowjacket numbers seem different > this year? Well, Lawrence isn't that different from St. Louis, on the whole - I've seen maybe four or five yellowjackets here all season, and only recently. I couldn't really say if that is highly unusual, but I suspect so, by this point in the year...first the amphibians, then the Monarchs, now this...;-) -------(please include "DY" in subj header of mail to this user)-------- Doug "Speaker-To-Insects" Yanega "UT!" Bitnet: KUENTO@UKANVAX My card: 0 The Fool (Snow Museum, Univ. of KS, Lawrence, KS 66045) "Ev-ry-bo-dy loves the Michigan RAAAAaaaaag!" - The Singing Frog ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 03:41:00 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: DOUG 'SPEAKER-TO-INSECTS' YANEGA Subject: New Bee Species in Kansas It just occurred to me to spread the word on this before it's too late. During the first two weeks of July, I collected two male Dolichostelis here in Lawrence - seeing as the genus had never been collected in Kansas, I pulled out the keys and found that they didn't quite match any of the six described species. They are essentially intermediate between the southern species, costalis, and the eastern species, louisae; louisae occurs in Missouri, so it's the best bet, and one of the two diagnostic characters for louisae is large, well-spaced genal punctation. However, the other character for louisae is enlarged ocelli, and these specimens had normal ocelli like costalis, and are colored more like costalis (reduced yellow markings). Basically, I'm hoping to encourage folks to keep their eyes peeled for either live or museum specimens that might fall into this category. My two specimens are presently in the hands of Terry Griswold, for confirmation or denial of their species-hood, and *any* other material from the general vicinity of the midwest would be *greatly* appreciated. They are presumably parasites of Megachile (Chelostomoides) species, but have only been collected over a portion of the range of the potential hosts. Two Chelostomoides are still flying here in Lawrence, campanulae and exilis, but their season is fast coming to an end. Happy Hunting, all! -Doug Yanega, Snow Museum University of Kansas ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 04:48:41 -0400 Reply-To: MunnPA@cardiff.ac.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dr P A Munn 92 Subject: Yellow jackets - wasps to us in UK In reply to the New Zealand comments on yellow jackets - Barry Donovan has written a review about German and common wasps in NZ for Bee World. It will be in the next issue (no. 3) due out in October, and talks a bit about biological control using parasitoids. Pam Munn _____________________________________________________________________________ | E-mail : MunnPA@Cardiff.AC.UK | Mail: IBRA, | | Phone : +44 222 372409 | 18, North Road, | | Fax : +44 222 665522 | Cardiff, | |---------------------------------------| South Glamorgan | | Please state if the message is for | CF1 3DY | | someone else within IBRA | United Kingdom | |_______________________________________|___________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 07:25:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: KOLMES@HWS.BITNET Subject: Re: drifting african and european bees Drone drifting differs between drones from gentle colonies and drones from highly defensive colonies. Drones from highly defensive colonies (in an experiment done at Cardiff, U.K., Echazarreta, Paxton, Kolmes, and Fergusson- Kolmes, Actes coll. Insectes Sociaux 5:153-159, 1989) drifted earlier, whether they entered a specific second colony or not was related to its defensive behavior. Both drones from highly defensive colonies and drones from gentle colonies preferentially drifted into gentle colonies. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 08:22:33 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Richard.Alan.Haver@DARTMOUTH.EDU Subject: Re: JULY ISSUE OF APIS Thank you for the fine newsletter. I always enjoy reading it and learn something from each issue. Rick Haver VA Medical Center White River Junction, Vermont ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 08:34:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: Re: JULY ISSUE OF APIS Several people sent me kudos for the last two issues of APIS..I appreciate any kind of feedback....thanks a bunch.... My aunt in Minnesota says its been the coolest spring and summer on record in the area...she says there's talk that it was caused by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines...could this be the cause of the drop in yellow jacket populations across the midwest and east? A pest control operator in south Florida is looking for information on how to exterminate a yellow jacket nest that is the size of a Volkswagen! He claims some of its paper covering is as hard a concrete; the only way to get to it is to drill a hole with a jackhammer then pump it full of pesticide--he is afraid of the all the "swarmers" that will emerge when he starts his hammer--this is no joke apparently a pickup truck ran into the nest by accident and got banged up...any ideas? ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 09:51:08 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stephen Bambara Subject: Re: JULY ISSUE OF APIS In-Reply-To: <9208051239.AA04502@ncextc.ces.ncsu.edu>; from "Malcolm" at Aug 5, 92 8:34 am > > Several people sent me kudos for the last two issues of APIS..I appreciate > any kind of feedback....thanks a bunch.... More kudos from North Carolina > > My aunt in Minnesota says its been the coolest spring and summer on > record in the area...she says there's talk that it was caused by > the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines...could this be the > cause of the drop in yellow jacket populations across the midwest and I have heard estimates from meteorologists that Pinatubo may be responsible for reducing the average temperatures 1 degree world-wide. > east? A pest control operator in south Florida is looking for information > on how to exterminate a yellow jacket nest that is the size of a > Volkswagen! He claims some of its paper covering is as hard a concrete; > the only way to get to it is to drill a hole with a jackhammer then pump > it full of pesticide--he is afraid of the all the "swarmers" that will > emerge when he starts his hammer--this is no joke apparently a pickup > truck ran into the nest by accident and got banged up...any ideas? > Tom, I used to believe everything you said until now. I have a picture of such a nest found in Charleston, SC on my bulletin board. I always figured it a hoax. How did the truck run into it in the first place? It must have been one of those Japanese pickup trucks. My suggestion is to drill a hole with a 357 magnum. He can use jacketed (pun intended) bullets. Hit it with resmethrin and come back in a day. It would be more effective if he could get Sigourney Weaver to do it. If you can't get her, at least, use a German mechanic. Sorry for poking fun at your expense, Tom. Please keep us posted so I can eat my words. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Stephen Bambara NCSU-Entomology, Box 7626, Raleigh NC 27695-7626 | |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=| | Voice: (919) 515-3140 | INTERNET: sbambara@ent.ncsu.edu | | FAX: (919) 515-7746 | | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 09:53:17 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Richard.Alan.Haver@DARTMOUTH.EDU Subject: Re: JULY ISSUE OF APIS there was a lengthy, well-written account of the recent weather in yesterday's (8/4/92) New York Times' science section. it appears that the global temperature has been lowered by approximately 1degree F in the past year. that much, i believe, can be attributed to the eruption of Pinatubo. however, local variations (shifts in the jet stream, el Nino, etc) can mask or heighten Pinatubo's effect. here in the northeast temperatures have been considerably below average since mid-March due to a southward dip in the jet stream but the Pacific northwest has suffered warmer than normal temperatures. i, too, have noticed a dearth of yellowjackets this summer. it would be interesting hear reports from the Pacific northwest. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 13:26:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: THOMAS RINDERER Subject: RE: drifting african and european bees Please see paragraph three of the paper mentioned to answer your questions concerning controls on colony size etc. I pass on an unrelated note from Reiner Krell: A little English boy sufering from a brain tumor hopes to recieve enough "get well" wishes to make it into the Guiness Book of Records before he dies. He is: Graig Shergold 36 Sherby Road Carshalton, Surrey SN8 1LD UK ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 13:43:26 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stephen Bambara Subject: RE: drifting african and european bees In-Reply-To: <9208051737.AA11712@ncextc.ces.ncsu.edu>; from "THOMAS RINDERER" at Aug 5, 92 1:26 pm > Tom R. & readers: To my knowledge this story is several years old. The boy has either died or recovered and cards have continued to come in. It was reported to have become an extreme annoyance and hardship to the hospital and the family to continue to receive cards. Can someone out there verify this story? > I pass on an unrelated note from Reiner Krell: > > A little English boy sufering from a brain tumor hopes to recieve enough "get > well" wishes to make it into the Guiness Book of Records before he dies. > He is: Graig Shergold > 36 Sherby Road > Carshalton, Surrey SN8 1LD > UK > -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Stephen Bambara NCSU-Entomology, Box 7626, Raleigh NC 27695-7626 | |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=| | Voice: (919) 515-3140 | INTERNET: sbambara@ent.ncsu.edu | | FAX: (919) 515-7746 | | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 14:06:29 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Peter Kevan Subject: Re: yellowjackets In-Reply-To: Message of Mon, 3 Aug 1992 17:20:07 CDT from Yellow jacket numbers seem very low around Guelph, Ontario, too. Cheers, Peter Kevan ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1992 11:41:00 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: Re: JULY ISSUE OF APIS The German wasp populations in NZ are, as stated, quite a problem to many people apart from beekeepers. Getting rid of most nests is not so difficult, given that you have first *found* it ('First, catch your rabbit...') For nests up to about 1 metre diameter, generally subeterranian, but also aerial, I have use d Carbyryl (Sevin) in powder form. I've never missed with nests of this size with about 1T placed (often flung in haste...) *near an/the entrance(s)* so that returning foragers track it into the next (oops nest). I've used other chemicals - DDT and even Derris dust (rotenone) with invariable success. I'd *love* to have a go at bigger nests!! Nick Wallingford Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Tauranga New Zealand Voice 64 7 544 0920 ext 6848 Home 64 7 578 1422 Fax 64 7 544 2386 AX25 ZL1BSN @ ZL1UX.NZL.OC TCP/IP 44.147.112.16 Internet NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1992 01:48:00 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: DOUG 'SPEAKER-TO-INSECTS' YANEGA Subject: Re: drifting african and european bees Let's nip this in the bud as swiftly as possible. > The boy has > either died or recovered and cards have continued to come in. It was > reported to have become an extreme annoyance and hardship to the > hospital and the family to continue to receive cards. > Can someone out there verify this story? I've been on the Net for years, and I can *heartily* verify that this episode is history. The proverbial "bad penny" posting, such as it is. Doug Yanega. Let's get back to bees, shall we? ;-) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1992 08:35:27 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stephen Bambara Subject: Re: JULY ISSUE OF APIS In-Reply-To: <9208060004.AA16287@ncextc.ces.ncsu.edu>; from "NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ" at Aug 6, 92 11:41 am > > The German wasp populations in NZ are, as stated, quite a problem to > many people apart from beekeepers. > Getting rid of most nests is not so difficult, given that you have first > *found* it ('First, catch your rabbit...') For nests up to about 1 metre > diameter, generally subeterranian, but also aerial, I have use d Carbyryl > (Sevin) in powder form. I've never missed with nests of this size with > about 1T placed (often flung in haste...) *near an/the entrance(s)* so that > returning foragers track it into the next (oops nest). I've used other > chemicals - DDT and even Derris dust (rotenone) with invariable success. > I'd *love* to have a go at bigger nests!! Okay, I apologize publicly. Maybe there are such huge nests. But the part about the truck and jackhammer are still a little hard to swallow. I would assume that this is only possible in warmer climates. Surely there are multiple queens in a population that large. (?) Why worry about Africanized bees when these things are around? I hope the auto insurance companies don't hear about this. My payments are already too high. :-) -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Stephen Bambara NCSU-Entomology, Box 7626, Raleigh NC 27695-7626 | |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=| | Voice: (919) 515-3140 | INTERNET: sbambara@ent.ncsu.edu | | FAX: (919) 515-7746 | | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1992 10:08:47 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rich Pelikan Subject: d Carbyryl(sevin) In-Reply-To: In reply to your message of WED 05 AUG 1992 18:41:00 CDT > The German wasp populations in NZ are, as stated, quite a problem to > many people apart from beekeepers. > Getting rid of most nests is not so difficult, given that you have first > *found* it ('First, catch your rabbit...') For nests up to about 1 metre > diameter, generally subeterranian, but also aerial, I have use d Carbyryl > (Sevin) in powder form. I've never missed with nests of this size with > about 1T placed (often flung in haste...) *near an/the entrance(s)* so that > returning foragers track it into the next (oops nest). r What is the time factor for immobility of d Cargyryl? If the intent is to kill the wasp, would a trap set to allow foragers to track through and return to the nest work? Killing the forager at least would be possible by taking a soda bottle and placing a piece of fruit in the bottom, turning it on it's side and placing d Carbyryl in the neck. Richard A. Pelikan, A275CCR Southeast Missouri State University BITNET: A275CCR@SEMOVM INTERNET: A275CCR@SEMOVM.SEMO.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1992 10:04:52 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Seal City (Liz Day)" Subject: sick boy Please let's keep postings as close to bees as possible. Liz Day ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1992 15:43:51 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bruce Bowen Subject: Foulbrood infected equipment. I've read from a number of sources that hives infected with American Foulbrood need to have their colonies and frames destroyed and the hive bodies scorched (one can't scorch comb of course since it melts.) I am wondering about the possibility of a much less destructive solution for the hardware. I've been reading about gamma irradiation in regards to food processing and am wondering whether the same technique could be used to nondestructively sterilize an infected hive. The bees would have to be replaced of course but the idea seems plausible. Perhaps "Gamma Guys on Wheels" could truck down to afflicted apiaries and perform sterilization services for a fee. -Bruce ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1992 13:53:45 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Kenna MacKenzie Subject: Re: d Carbyryl(sevin) In-Reply-To: Message of Thu, 6 Aug 1992 10:08:47 CDT from Okay, I couldn't resist any longer - wasp nests as big as cars sound like something out of the 'National Enquirer'. Have they been contacted? I'm sure that the tabloids could come up with some sort of excellent headline with this story. Getting back to the topic - the various suggestions for getting rid of these nests are interesting. But are they approved uses for carbaryl? (ie Is carbaryl dust registered for use of pest wasps?) The pop bottle suggestion sounds like a good idea - BUT it is a rule of pesticide safety that one never uses anything that could be mistaken as a food container for depensing or storing pesticides!!! Accidents do happen. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1992 16:01:10 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Seal City (Liz Day)" Subject: Bombus distribution Is there anyone, or any place, that is compiling records of where eastern U.S. bumblebees have been found? Or is each museum collection an island unto itself? I am trying to write a brief synopsis of their ranges.\ Thanks, Liz Day ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Aug 1992 19:20:00 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: AFB sterilisation I understand that gamma irradiation is used in Australia as a steriliser for AFB infected equipment. Mark Goodwin, MAF beekeeping scientist at Hamilton, NZ, has recently been doing quite a lot of work on AFB. NZ still has a destroy by fire for the most part method of dealing with AFB. We don't feed antibiotics for anything but nosema, and we don't yet have EFB. Equipment (lids, floors, boxes, excluders) can be 're-claimed' by *serious* (160 degrees C) dipping in hot paraffin wax (a milder method of such dipping is also quite common practice as woodware preservative technique). Some of Mark's recent work involved the use of surface sterilants - that is, what sort of stuff is suitable for washing gloves, hive tools, etc? He didn't do very extensive work, but tried out ozone and hypochlorite. Varied hypchlorite by time and concentration. Ozone had no apparent effect. Hypochlorite at greater than 0.1% caused significant AFB reduction. At 0.1%, 75% of colonies on the sample slides were still alive. At higher concentrations, virtually none survived. Using 0.1% again, there was a 28% reduction almost immediately on contact. After one hour, only 2.3% of colonies remained. After 2 hours, virtually none. None of this does the practical beekeeper an awful amount of good! The sodium hypochlorite for the time/concentrations used would probably eat the leather of the gloves! Nick Wallingford NICKW @ WAIKATO.AC.NZ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1992 12:14:00 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: KIRK VISSCHER Subject: Nuking AFB Sterilization of equipment by irradiation has been experimented with in New York State. Francis Ratnieks used this technique to sterilize some equipment for bait hive experiments (this work is published), and I believe it was also used for commercial-scale sterilization of equipment, but I am not sure. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1992 09:24:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: Re: Nuking AFB There is interest in this technology in Florida...a large facility in the central part of the state has been courting beekeepers to some extent--mostly it's a food irradiation facility for which there has been a good amount of resistance...so much so they were run out of Gainesville and had to locate elsewhere... T Tom Sanford ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1992 10:42:18 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dick Rawson Subject: Re: yellowjackets > What about other U.S. localities? Do yellowjacket numbers seem different > this year? Until this year, I never saw yellowjackets foraging around my home in the middle of urban Santa Clara, near San Jose California, but we sure have them this year. We've lived here 15 years. I wondered if our honey bee hive attracted them; it is new this year. Dick Rawson ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1992 11:59:06 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Richard Spear Subject: Re: yellowjackets here in southern california the yellowjacket pops seem larger than in previous years... ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1992 17:02:33 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Juli Subject: Craig Shergold and Business Cards I pass on a warning which was published in a local newspaper about collectors of business cards. The scam may be the use of the cards to solicit business of a less than legal kind. I can't remember the details except that the scam involved the use of legitimate business names and addresses by the card collectors for illegal purposes, or if not illegal, for obtaining mailing lists for other than the purposes stated by the collectors. I sent off a pack of business cards to Craig Shergold quite some time ago, and hope that I haven't caused a problem by doing so. I have had two or three similar sorts of business card requests, one by a chain letter. I don't know which are legitimate and which aren't. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1992 17:09:50 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Juli Subject: Re: yellowjackets In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 5 Aug 1992 14:06:29 EDT from I have heard that there are lots of yellow jackets this year in Colorado ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1992 17:12:07 EDT Reply-To: ENTOMO-L DISCUSSION LIST Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Resent-From: Juli Comments: Originally-From: WALKERVK@QUCDN.BITNET From: Juli Subject: bee cDNA library ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Subject: bee cDNA library I am looking for a honey bee cDNA library;adult, any vector will do. Many thanks,Virginia Walker ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1992 08:50:34 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Aaron Morris Subject: Missing yellow jackets, and monarchs? A few days back in the yellow jacket shortage discussions, mention was made of the absence of monarch butterflies as though some cataclysmic event had befallen them. I have noticed a decided absence of both this summer, and had written it off to the cool weather we have had in up- state N.Y. (the coolest July on record!). But, did I miss something? Was there a catastrophe in the monarchs' kingdom? :) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1992 21:28:42 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: bugman@BIOLOGY.WATSTAR.UWATERLOO.CA I am new to this list (as of today) so I apologize if I am repeating material that has already been covered in previous exchanges. I am not a bee researcher; rather, I study mating and aggregation behaviors in the horse- and deerflies (Diptera: Tabanidae), as well as energetics and thermoregulation in the males. I joined this list because there has been so much work on temperature regulation in bees and also because I am becoming convinced that the dynamics of the populations I study are driven by the availability of honeydew, produced largely in coniferous forests. I am posting this note to pose two questions: 1) Stabentheiner and Schmaranzer (e.g. Thermology, 1987, 2: 563) have published some wonderful real-time thermograms of bees, using sophisticated thermography. I'm still at the grab-and-stab stage but the proximity to which I can approach some of the hovering males I study makes thermography very attractive. Is anyone in North America familiar with this technique or does anyone know who might be using it? The equipment looks expensive and I'd like a chance to try it out before trying to purchase it, or at least carefully explore its benefits and pitfalls. 2) I mentioned above the importance of honeydew. There seems to be a rich European (particularly eastern European) and New Zealand literature on honeydew production in forests and its utilization by both bees and wasps. Is anyone in North America measuring honeydew production in forests? I'd be interested to be put in touch with anyone with such an interest. Thanks, ...steve smith *----------------------------------------------------------------------------* | Dr Stephen M. Smith | Voice: 519-885-1211, ext. 2665 (work) | | Dept of Biology | or: 519-885-0555 (home) | | University of Waterloo | FAX: 519-746-0614 < Eastern time zone> | | WATERLOO, ON | E-mail: | | Canada | or: | | N2L 3G1 | CompuServe: 76056,765 | *--------------------------*-------------------------------------------------* ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 20:19:00 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: Honey bee breeding paper... THIS IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF A TALK GIVEN AS PART OF THE NATIONAL BEEKEEPERS ASSN OF NZ SEMINAR IN HASTINGS, JULY 1992. ITS ONE OF THE MOST UNDERSTANDABLE TALKS I'VE HEARD ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES OF BEE BREEDING (I'M NOT A GENETICIST!), GIVEN BY A PRACTICAL, COMMERCIAL QUEEN BREEDER/PRODUCER... PRESENTED BY DAVID YANKE IMPROVING OUR BEE STOCKS: WHY IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO DO IT NATURALLY The ground I hope to cover with this talk is that mountainous, probably impassable stuff which stands between us and the ever- elusive super- bee. As elusive, was a concise way in which to put together this talk so please bear with me. The mechanics of heredity are the same whether it be bees or buffalo. In organisms that reproduce sexually, their progeny are not exact duplicates of their parents, but instead usually vary in many traits. This variation is the spice of life. It is what allows a species to adapt and evolve, and it is this natural variation, which plant and animals breeders exploit in the domestication of that species. Before we go on, we should have a quick basic look at the mechanics of heredity, so that some of the concepts later on, are easier to understand. First some basic genetics: DNA is the carrier of the genetic message which is coded into its molecular structure. Genes are the actual base units of inheritance, in structure they are a length of DNA, and they are responsible for a given physical trait. Variations of the same gene are called alleles. Every sexually reproducing species inherits 2 alleles, one from each parent. These pairs of alleles we inherit, interact with varying degrees of dominance of one allele over the other. There may be several different alleles for any given gene. Chromosomes are cellular bodies found in the nucleus of cells which carry the genes. So talking in human terms, we all have in each and every one of our cells the complete genetic blueprint of our being held in two complete sets of genes - one set from our mother, and one from our father. These 2 sets of genes are carried on a given number of chromosomes characteristic of each species - humans have 40, potatoes 48, and honey bees 32. This number is known as the diploid number of chromosomes. The sex cells have half this number and are said to be haploid. Honey bee drones, because they develop, amazingly, from unfertilised eggs have the haploid number of chromosomes which is 16. Something very important happens in the formation of our sex cells, be they eggs or sperm. Early on in this process known as meiosis, the chromosomes pairs stretch out and are lying close to each other. While they are in this intimate state they exchange sections of their DNA, with each section consisting of one or more genes. This process is known as crossing over. Crossing over is responsible for most of the variation we see in progeny. Back to this very important word variation, and back to what I am supposed to be talking about and that is Bee stock improvement. The mechanics of inheritance, and the unique reproductive biology of the honey bee promote genetic diversity. So when we apply selection pressure to a bee population in an effort to make the stock more useful, we are bucking the system. We are trying to modify the frequencies of the genes within that population - increasing the frequency of the genes responsible for desirable traits, but in doing so we affect other gene frequencies as well, and there can be great peril in that. So the trick is to be able to effectively apply selection pressure to a breeding population over many generations, gently modifying gene frequencies, but maintaining sufficient genetic diversity to be able to avoid the many pitfalls and perils along the way. These are what I see to be the main barriers to bee stock improvement. 1. MATING BEHAVIOUR When the virgin queen is about 6 days old, and the weather conditions are fine, with light winds and temperatures of at least 20 degrees C, she flies out a considerable distance from her hive to mate. Research has shown the average distance between apiary and mating place is 2km. She has been shown to fly out as far as 5km. Mating flights last between 5 and 30 minutes. She will make between 1 and 3 flights. The number of flights she makes depends on the concentration of spermatozoa in her spermatheca. Once it reaches a certain concentration she will not fly again. To achieve this concentration she must mate with several drones - at least 7, maybe many more. The virgin does not fly haphazardly about hoping by sheer chance to encounter the drones she hopes to mate with. The virgin flies directly to drone congregation areas. These areas are as the name suggests places where drones congregate. Exactly why drone congregation areas originate where they do is not fully understood but the same areas are used year after year. The drones within any congregation area come from many different colonies, and probably several different apiaries. Drones have a flight range of up to 6km with flights of 5km common. Thus drones can range over an area of roughly 78 square km. It has been shown using genetically marked drones that virgins very rarely mate with related drones. Even from my scarcely detailed description, we can see that the mating behaviour of the honey bee is very complex and for it to have evolved it must be a significant factor in colony survival. It appears that the benefit it brings, results from the reduced chances of inbreeding. Bringing this back to stock improvement, the effect of this mating behaviour is that if we allow virgins to mate naturally, we have no control over which drones the virgin mates with. Even with isolated mating yards, control is not absolute. What other plant or animal breeder has to make an attempt at genetic improvement with only control over 1/2 of the genetic equation? To compound this, is multiple matings. With each virgin mating with 7 or more drones, it means that the population of each colony is made up of 7 or more sub-families. 2. SEX ALLELES Honey bee drones develop from unfertilised eggs, with the result that the drone carries only one set of genes, and as we said before is said to be haploid in chromosome number. Honey bees also determine sex in a more conventional fashion which results in the formation of diploid drones. I said it was more conventional only because it results in diploid males, but it is still unique. In most sexually reproducing organisms, sex determination is governed by a sex chromosome. Bees have to be different though, and instead of sex chromosomes, sex is determined by a single gene. This gene has many variants or alleles, maybe as many as 18, but you should feel lucky if you can maintain 10 or or so in a breeding population. It works like this, if 2 different alleles come together at fertilisation, a female results- either a worker or a Queen. If 2 of the same allele come together then a diploid male will result. We never see diploid drones in the hive because when the diploid drone larvae are only a few hours old, they are cannibalised by the workers, but what we do see is a hole in the slab of newly capped worker brood and as the % of diploid drones produced increases so does the spottyness of the brood. So, as number of sex alleles decreases, the more likely it is that 2 of the same allele will come together, and therefore the % of diploid drones increases. There is an obvious impact on productivity when the meddling of some well-intention bee breeder reduces the number of sex alleles in the population of bees he is trying to improve, down to lets say 7. Then even if the queens he raises are of high physiological quality and of high genetic potential, then those queens are handicapped in that 15% of the eggs she lays result in non-viable brood. Faced with that handicap those queens would struggle to be competitive with any old mongrel queen. The mechanics of heredity and the mating behaviour of the honey bee are geared to genetic diversity, so the mechanism of sex determination in honey bees using sex alleles is allied to this end in that it penalises any narrowing of this natural diversity. The other side of the same coin is the effect of - 3. INBREEDING DEPRESSION We have all heard of hybrid vigour. It results when 2 unrelated members of a species are crossed. The vigour of the progeny exceeds that of either of the parents. This extraordinary vigour is also known as heterosis- a mostly unexplained lifeforce. The crossing of unrelated parents, results at a gene level in many more of the pairs of genes carrying 2 different alleles. When a pair of genes consists of to different alleles that gene is said to be heterozygous. This increase in heterozygosity is responsible for triggering heterosis. The opposite state is when an allelic pair carries 2 of the same allele, and it is said to be homozygous. The opposite of heterosis occurs as the degree of inbreeding passes down through a critical level - it is called inbreeding depression and is triggered when the % of homozygous genes increases to a certain level. It results in an unexpected loss of vigour-- sluggish build-up, loss of disease resistance, decreased production, and higher winter loss. This can be all in spite of selections over generations for the best gene combinations by again a well meaning bee breeder. Fact is it is not in spite of, but because of the actions of the bee breeder. A couple generations back he probably thought that he was really getting somewhere, but his downfall was that he was ruthlessly applying selection pressure to too small a population. He may not have thought so - because he was selecting his breeders from perhaps hundreds of colonies. Unfortunately, it is not the size of the test population but instead the number of breeders used, which determines how quickly you get into trouble with both inbreeding depression and sex alleles. 4. QUANTITATIVE TRAITS The characteristics we are trying to improve in honey bees are complex physical and behavioural traits each involving many genes, and each contributing only small effect. This type of trait is called a Quantitative trait. Compounding their complexity, is the fact that with honey bees, these are not the characteristics of a single breeding individual but, instead the characteristics of an entire colony with many sub-families. When trying to improve these traits, it has to be understood that once selections cease any improvement which has been achieved is lost very quickly as gene frequencies return to pre-selection balances. To get anywhere in the first place, you have to do things right with great attention to detail. Your selections have to be done with great care, environmental variation minimised, and you must have absolute control over matings. Besides this you have to keep the number of characteristics you are trying top improve to a minimum - one or two. On an encouraging note, the important economic traits such as honey production and winter hardiness, even though they are hugely complex, and controlled by a depressing number of genes, do show good response to selections. So, if we do things right, we will get somewhere. One of those things we have to do right is --- 5. MINIMISING ENVIRONMENTAL VARIATION Even if we have a breeding program structure which will allow us to apply selection pressure successfully over many generations, we still go nowhere unless our evaluations can reliably identify the genetically superior individuals in the test population. With honey bees, we are evaluating colony performance in the field so it is hard to control the level of environmental influence which is very considerable, but we can do a lot to minimise environmental variation by doing such things as: carefully equalising colonies before evaluations begin; minimising drift; not carrying out evaluations between apiaries; and because a queens physiological quality can have a major effect on some aspects of colony performance we should, to the best of our ability, ensure that the queens undergoing evaluation are physiologically uniform. Even if we take heed of this, and put into our evaluations the care and effort required, it is all for naught, if the genetic superiority we identified with our evaluations is not heritable. Heterosis is not heritable, and leads us on to -- 6. RACIAL HYBRIDS We have 2 races of honey bee in New Zealand, and unfortunately one of them is the Dark European honey bee, but that is besides the point. Even though most of our bee breeding effort goes into maintaining our commercial bee stocks as Italian type, the reality is that most of our colonies are to varying degrees racial hybrids. Racial hybrids can be great, and through hybrid- vigour can be very productive, but they are of no breeding value, and provide only red-herrings to someone carrying out colony evaluations. To get anywhere, we have to breed true to race -- what ever that race is. The Dark European honey bee drones, like the All Blacks in the rucks recently, must be very aggressive in the drone congregation areas, because they appear to have a mating advantage of almost Africanised-bee like proportions. So the only way to keep our test population true to race, without colour becoming the major selection criteria, and having the fear of what those dark drones are doing to our yellow virgins drive us blindly into the jaws of sex alleles and inbreeding depression, - is to have absolute control over the mating using Insrumental Inseminations. 7. RIGHT PLACE - WRONG RACE I left this to last because I wanted to give a bit of a stir, and because it only a barrier if we choose the wrong option. Italian type bees, although they have good production potential, can be a very costly bee to overwinter. Carniolans are at least as gentle and as productive, and are beyond doubt a more cost effective bee to overwinter besides other little things like tending to rob and drift less than Italians. What I am trying to say is that we have to keep an open mind. It may be a lot cheaper to import a silk purse, then to try and make one out of a sows ear. Taking advantage of different races and breeding work done overseas by importing genetic material could save time and money and be a dramatic shortcut to better bees. Times have changed, importations of genetic material can be done safely, whether they be semen or breeder queens. It is a dream of mine to see a participant-funded breeding program maintaining and improving, in parallel, both Italian-type and Carniolan bees. I know there are many areas in N.Z. where the Carniolan would become the preferred bee, and as those of us who already export queens and packages know ther would be a big demand for them in our markets overseas. BEATING THE BARRIERS It is possible to beat the barriers and breed better bees. Results of 23 years of selections in Germany with Carniolan's can demonstrate this. The progress was slow but it was progressive, and it was done without the aid of knowledge and technique gained from recent research into closed population bee breeding. The results can be a lot more impressive - the Western Australian Department of Ag. bee breeding program which ran from the mid- 80's up until this year realised a 10% increase in honey production per year. There is a similar program up and running in N.Z.. It is totally self-funded by its participants, and it has a legal structure of a limited liability company, and goes by the name of N.Z.B.G.I.G.. There are 25 participants and each is an equal shareholder in the company. For their investment, they receive improved breeding stock. The program works like this. The aim of the program is to improve an Italian-type bee in a closed population, maintaining 25 lines - one for each participant. Matings are absolutely controlled using I.I.. The semen is collected in equal volumes from each line, then pooled together and homogenised. The structure of the program may seem simple enough, but it has all the necessary ingredients to beat the barriers to better bees. The foundation stock was contributed from all over the country to maximise genetic diversity, and once the population is closed off, maintaining 25 lines with mother daughter replacements each generation means that the program can run for more than 25 generations without the introduction of any stock from outside the program and still maintain sufficient diversity to avoid any ill-effects from either sex alleles or inbreeding depression. The use of pooled and homogenised semen has been a most important breakthrough in bee breeding. It maximises genetic diversity and selection pressure. The semen dose each queen receives represents all 25 lines being maintained in the program. Also because the semen, although amazingly diverse, is homogeneous - each queen receives an equal genetic dose. Therefore, any genetic variation uncovered by the evaluations, is maternal in origin. Giving the selections more punch, and meaning an increased rate of improvement. Also I.I. makes maintaining racial purity a piece of cake, you just don't collect semen from darkish drones. The selections are carried out in two parts, looking at winter hardiness and honey production. The first part is done by the participants, and is more broadly based. Each participant receives the daughters of one line in mid--Feb. each year. They are introduced into equalised units and equalised again in April. The queens are evaluated for their overwintering ability using the criteria of colony weight loss between May and Sept.. They are also scored on brood viability, temperment, hygenic behaviour, and colour. In late Sept., the participants send the 2 best Queens, based on those evaluations, up to me where they are introduce into hives in one large dispersed apiary. They are equalised and in Dec. they are evaluated for honey production potential using short-term colony weight gain. An initial and a final weight are taken 10 days apart. The queen which performed best for each line is chosen and they become the breeders for the next generation. 10 daughters are reared from each breeder and these are inseminated with pooled semen. It is these daughters which form the test population for next seasons evaluations. It is a lot of work and it is made possible only because it is a co-operative effort, but that is what it takes to beat the barriers and breed better bees. 7. RIGHT PLACE WRONG RACE . I left this to last because it is only a barrier if we choose the wrong option. Italian type bees, although they have good production potential, are a very costly bee to overwinter. Carniolans are at least as gentle and as productive, and beyond doubt a more cost effective bee to overwinter. What I am trying to say is that we have to keep an open mind. It may be a lot cheaper to import a silk purse, then to try and make one out of a sows ear. Taking advantage of breeding work done overseas by importing genetic material could save time and money and be a dramatic shortcut to better bees. Times have changed, importations can be done safely whether they be semen or breeder queens. It is a dream of mine to see a self- funded centralised breeding program maintaining and improving both Italian-type and Carniolan's. I know there are many areas in N.Z. where the carniolan would become the preferred bee, and as those of us who already export queens and packages know there would be big demand for them in our markets overseas. I think I'll stop there. You may contact the author of this paper directly by post at: MR DWJ YANKE DAYKEL APIARIES PARANUI RD3, KAITAIA NEW ZEALAND or I will convey any messages to him if directed to me: Nick Wallingford Voice 64 7 544 0920 ext 6848 Home 64 7 578 1422 Fax 64 7 544 2386 Internet NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 08:36:21 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Richard Spear Subject: Re: Honey bee breeding paper... while it is true that variation is the result of sexual reproduction and the resulting chromosomal exchange, _evolution_ requires a modification of the sex cell chromosomal material to allow production of an entirely _different_ individual (in some respect)...this is possible only through mutation, a process left out of the discussion in the paper (it would have little to do with breeding better bees, anyway and is only mentioned for accuracy) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 11:55:17 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Edward E Southwick Subject: thermography To answer the query about thermography, I have utilized the technique on groups and individual (including flying) bees. It is a pretty easy to use system with a video camera sensitive to infra red radiation. The recorde images are then processed via desk top computer. This includes color renditon of temperatures. Agema is a U.S. manufacturer. The units are steep costing about $90k. Smaller capacity point infra red instruments are available for under $1000. These are nice for reading single or a few temps on surfaces. The advantage of the AGgema type is that one can obtain hundreds of temps on the surface of even a single bee. I can provide more information if anyone is interested. ================================================================== º Edward E. Southwick Department of Biology º º Phone 716-395-5743 State University of New York º º FAX 716-395-2416 Brockport, New York 14420 º º BITNET SOUTHWIK@BROCK1P U.S.A. º ================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 08:37:41 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Seal City (Liz Day)" Subject: arthritis and stings One often hears that stings can prevent or help arthritis. Does anyone have any experience with this? Or know it to be untrue? L. Day ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 09:55:25 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Kenna MacKenzie Subject: Re: Foulbrood infected equipment. In-Reply-To: Message of Thu, 6 Aug 1992 15:43:51 PDT from Gamma-irradiation of AFB infected equipment is being used successfully in Massachusetts. While the bees are lost, all equipment (frames included) is done. The key to this treatment is being near an irradiation facility that is willing to treat bee equipment. I believe that hive bodies are placed in plastic bags of some sort to prevent honey leakage. But it definately works. While it sounds like a great idea to come up with a portable irradiator, I'm not sure how the regulatory people would like the idea of a 'hot' truck travelling the country! Kenna MacKenzie Dept. Entomology, Comstock Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853-0999 (607) 255-2096 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 08:49:50 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Aaron Morris Subject: It works, but is it sanctioned? Having had a bout with AFB, and having been sited as a nuisance to the State of New York, and given two weeks to abate the nuisance, by fire, subject to $200 fines per piece of equipment per day!!!, I am quite interesterd in the irradiation discussion. Two questions: The closest location to me mentioned so far is Massachusetts. Where in Mass? Second, is the irratiation treatment acceptable in N.Y.? The law in 1990 was, "YOU VILL BURN ZE HIVES!". Has this changed with the new technology? ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 08:53:00 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: tdahms@SLEDGE-PO.WEEG.UIOWA.EDU Subject: arthritis and stings I had heard that bee stings were theraputic for arthritis sufferers, but had dismissed it as being an 'old wives tale'. However, I happened to mention it to an older (late 60's) member of our beekeeper's club. He replied that he did indeed sting his wife when her arthritis was especially painful. She usually attended meetings with him so I had an opportunity to verify first hand the effectiveness of bee stings. She said that "Yes, Merlynn does get some bees and sting me when my arthritis gets bad." As I recall, her arthritis is in her shoulders and Merlynn stings her 2 or 3 times per shoulder. She says it helps so I guess there may be some truth to that old wives tale. Isn't it nice to know that arthritis is one thing we bee keepers won't suffer from because of all the stings we get just tending the bees. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 13:44:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: Re: arthritis and stings The New Hive and the Honey Bee from Dadant & Sons, Inc. puts some per spective on this issue... ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 14:02:59 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bee Surgeon Subject: arthritis and stings Yes, indeed arthritis can be cured by bee stings, they even purified the active component, so it wont be so painful (i.e. taking out the pain-causing stuff in the venom). there is a guy good at this in China with APITHERAPY. This NOTE is a reply to: ------------------------ >Received: from MIZZOU1 by VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU (Mailer R2.07) with BSMTP id 4181; > Mon, 17 Aug 92 09:56:21 CDT >Received: by MIZZOU1 (Mailer R2.08) id 9518; Mon, 17 Aug 92 09:54:37 CDT >Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 08:53:00 CST >Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology >Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology >From: tdahms@SLEDGE-PO.WEEG.UIOWA.EDU >Subject: arthritis and stings >X-To: Discussion of Bee Biology > >To: GENE ROBINSON , > ZHIYONG HUANG > > I had heard that bee stings were theraputic for arthritis > sufferers, but had dismissed it as being an 'old wives > tale'. However, I happened to mention it to an older (late > 60's) member of our beekeeper's club. He replied that he > did indeed sting his wife when her arthritis was especially > painful. She usually attended meetings with him so I had an > opportunity to verify first hand the effectiveness of bee > stings. She said that "Yes, Merlynn does get some bees and > sting me when my arthritis gets bad." As I recall, her > arthritis is in her shoulders and Merlynn stings her 2 or 3 > times per shoulder. She says it helps so I guess there may > be some truth to that old wives tale. > Isn't it nice to know that arthritis is one thing we bee > keepers won't suffer from because of all the stings we get > just tending the bees. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 15:08:56 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Richard.Alan.Haver@DARTMOUTH.EDU Subject: Re: arthritis and stings i did a quick MEDLINE search on the topic of BEE VENOMS and ARTHRITIS back to 1986 and came up with four articles. i do not have this journal at hnd so I cannot comment on the articles other than to say its a reputable journal: UI - 89157496 AU - Somerfield SD ; Brandwein S TI - Bee venom and adjuvant arthritis [letter] SO - J Rheumatol 1988 Dec;15(12):1878 UI - 89081249 AU - Panush RS TI - Honeybees and arthritis: sharpening perspective on a sticky issue [editorial] SO - J Rheumatol 1988 Oct;15(10):1461-2 UI - 86204491 AU - Somerfield SD TI - Bee venom and arthritis: magic, myth or medicine? SO - N Z Med J 1986 Apr 23;99(800):281-3 UI - 86254156 AU - Somerfield SD TI - Bee venom and arthritis [letter] SO - J Rheumatol 1986 Apr;13(2):477 Rick Haver VA Medical Center White RIver Junction, VT Haver.richard@forum.va.gov Richard.haver@dartmouth.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 19:17:00 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: Buzzwords August issue This is the August issue of Buzzwords, the monthly newsletter of the National Beekeepers Assn of NZ. As I'm a member of the executive and co-editor, I'll be happy to try to provide any further information about issues contained in the newsletter... FROM THE PRESIDENT The 1992 NBA Conference is now behind us, and what a conference it's been. Your association has taken a number of important decisions and I look forward to a positive approach from our industry in the coming year. The marketing levy adopted by conference will I am sure give new heart to the honey production part of our industry. Honey is not just a breakfast spread and I have no doubt the marketing programme will improve the sales of our most important product. MP Jeff Whittaker gave us some encouragement in our campaign to stop the import of Australian honey. Our belief is that undeclared, unheated Australian honey poses a significant risk to our industry. Your executive will do everything in its power to see that our politicians are made aware of that fact. We can also take pride in the research work being carried out for our industry, which makes such a positive contribution to all beekeeping. In particular I would like to mention Dr. Peter Molan's considerable work on manuka honey. Clinical trials are ready to begin, subject to the availability of Honey Industry Trust funds. And speaking of trust funds, I am sure beekeepers were pleased to see all the trustees attending conference. These people are responsible for the care of funds which are vital to the future development of our industry. Many members were rightly concerned at the small amount of time allocated for the 33 remits at conference. The fact that we managed to discuss all remits and still make major decisions on marketing and disease control says a lot for the professional approach taken by conference delegates. I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone at conference for helping our association achieve so much in such a short period of time. Dudley Ward, president THE MOST POSITIVE IN YEARS Only a few weeks ago, beekeepers around the country were predicting that this year's conference would be one of the least productive ever. After all, there were 33 remits, several rule changes, and a 21 point proposal to restructure the association. There was also a long-standing and contentious proposal to fund the disease control programme and imports of Australian honey were looming on the horizon. The industry itself was faced with another big honey crop and retail prices were beginning to soften. W ith all that to be discussed in little more than one and a half days of scheduled conference debate, even people from outside the industry could have been excused for suggesting that the Hastings conference would be little more than a flop. As it turned out, such predictions couldn't have been further from the truth. The seminar was one of the most informative and timely in recent years, with excellent presentations on bee breeding, marketing, AFB testing, and the antibiotic properties of honey. Conference itself worked its way through all the remits, and the debate was for the most part reasoned and constructive. Another unanimous call was made for executive to set in place an effective (10% of apiaries) AFB inspection programme using the services of MAF. And against all odds, delegates also voted unanimously to fund a $150,000 per year marketing programme for New Zealand honey. The New Zealand beekeeping industry has had its share of trials and tribulations in recent years, much of it brought on by changes in government policy. We have lost tax payer support of our endemic disease control programme while at the same time being denied an equitable funding system using the government's own Commodity Levies Act. CER marches on, undeterred by the fact that beekeepers on both sides of the Tasman don't want to see the opening up of the honey trade. And the failure of the Animal Healt h Board to incorporate oxalic acid into 1080 possum baits means government funds continue to be used to poison our bees. But in the face of all this, our industry has decided at this conference to take a more positive control of its own affairs. The road ahead may continue to be rough, but if we now get behind our association with our financial, as well as our moral support, we can say in the future that beekeepers will at least be in the driver's seat. MARKETING LEVY GETS NOD It shouldn't be any surprise to readers of Buzzwords that your executive has been contemplating for some time the need for a marketing programme for New Zealand honey. Following the presentation by Bill Floyd at last year's Blenheim conference, a honey promotions fund was established with donations from beekeepers and industry suppliers. The fund was used to finance the highly successful manuka honey publicity. The long-established Marketing Committee also formed a focus group to work directly with Bill Floyd to determine a cost-effective marketing programme for our industry. As we mentioned in Buzzwords 41, the programme incorporates the excellent work being carried out at Waikato University on the medicinal uses of honey, and also concentrates on the use of honey as an ingredient in the food manufacturing industry. The idea is to increase honey consumption in areas outside the traditional use of honey as a tab le spread. Bill Floyd gave several presentations at conference, and in particular was asked by executive to speak on Remit 5, the remit supporting funding proposals for a marketing programme. As Bill sees it, with the problems now facing our industry (and in particular the likelihood of imports of Australian honey), we can either look to the government for protection (a highly unlikely prospect!), or look at our market, find the opportunities that exist, and realise that although the free market is here, it doesn't n ecessarily have to lead to market collapse. The problem, according to Bill, is that honey is a very unsophisticated product, almost the same today as it was when it was first used as a food. While all around us food products are being created at a truly phenomenal rate, honey struggles to keep up with the competition. But all is not lost, because as Bill says, "the essence of good marketing is to turn faults into features." What honey has got going for it, first and foremost, is that it is a pure and natural food, unadulterated by chemicals and industrial processes. And New Zealand honeys have several distinct advantages in this regard. In the 1990's, according to market analysts, the trend will be towards "functional foods"; that is, foods which provide a positive, health-giving affect to the consumer. Such foods ar e already making news in Japan, and have a big future around the world. The unique medicinal properties of native honeys such as manuka, kanuka, and rewarewa make them ideal candidates for incorporation into functional foods. We also have the opportunity to capitalise on the developments being made in honey marketing in the U.S. There the Honey Board has increased honey consumption by 10% by concentrating on the food service (restaurants, etc.) and food ingredient industries. Here again the "pure and natural" image of honey has a great appeal. By incorporating honey into their products, the manufactured food giants can help to counteract the growing negative perception of their processed foods. The Americans have licensed a honey logo for use on such products, and now find that manufacturers are actually willing to pay a fee for its inclusion on their product packaging. Bill Floyd presented a draft programme for honey marketing in New Zealand, at a cost of $150,000 per year. The plan is based on the "absorbtion" of an additional 1500 tonnes of New Zealand honey on the local and overseas market, with increases in prices for some honeys, and an overall increase in demand for others. For this year the programme will include the design and licensing of a product logo, a folder to hold promotional material, research into public perception of honey, general advertising and pub licity, and a major (2 days per week) effort by Floyd Marketing on behalf of the industry. His work will involve publicity, product development, market research, and developing and implementing the marketing plan. The programme will be for a one year contract with supervision by the Marketing Committee. FROM THE MARKETING COMMITTEE The Marketing Committee is pleased to announce one of the most positive decisions in the history of the New Zealand beekeeping industry. At the 1992 Hastings Conference, branch delegates voted 13-0 to "give (conference's) full support to the efforts of the Marketing Committee, and support the funding proposal of 50 cents per hive increase on the 1993 hive levy recommended by the Executive, to be reviewed in 12 months time." The Marketing Committee looked at various ways of raising funds for the marketing of New Zealand honey. Our conclusion was that the easiest, fairest, and cheapest way was to use the hive levy system already in place. The 50 cent increase on the levy is based on a cost-effective budget determined by the committee. To determine whether this levy was in line with other marketing levies overseas, we decided to calculate the levy on a per kg figure based on the average New Zealand honey crop of 29 kg per hive. The 50 cent levy corresponds to 1.8 cents per kg, substantially less than either the American (4.3 cent) or Australian (3.8 cent) honey industry levies. We believe the New Zealand programme represents excellent value for money. The 50 cent levy will establish a marketing fund which will be used to put into affect the marketing programme Bill Floyd presented at conference. The Marketing Committee looks forward to implementing this programme on behalf of the industry. Sue Jenkins, Marketing Committee AFB CONTRACT APPROVED With a resounding (13-0) 'yes' to the Bay of Plenty's remit on industry funding for disease control, and the defeat of Auckland's remit on branch organisation of disease inspections, conference once again gave executive a clear mandate to set in place an effective AFB control programme for this coming season. The decision comes just in time, because according to Murray Reid, MAF's National Manager (Apiculture), the reduction in inspection last year (from 9.4% of apiaries to 3%) led to the detection of only 336 AFB hives. Since the average over the previous four years of fuller inspection was approximately 1000 per year, Murray speculates that there could be as many as 600 more, undetected AFB hives spread throughout New Zealand this year. Executive members met throughout conference to discuss the $120,000 proposal and the contract with MAF Quality Management is now in its final negotiation stage. Since the industry's current target is 10% of the nation's 25,000 apiaries inspected each year, the contract to inspect 1050 apiaries will mean that MAF personnel will be responsible for 42% of the total. Branches, through diseaseathons, will be responsible for the other 58% (1450 apiaries). The contract also specifies a range of other MAF servic es which will be performed, including supervision of temporary inspectors, diseaseathon services, disease control education, and beekeeper counselling. The contract will be funded by a 41 cent per hive increase on the 1993 hive levy. Executive will also be drawing up a plan for future disease control services, based on submissions to the position paper prepared by Executive Officer Ted Roberts which was circulated to all levy payers in April. The plan will likely include provisions for the use of the more cost-effective adult bee AFB test developed by Dr. Mark Goodwin and his team at Ruakura. The plan will form the basis for subsequent contracts with MAF Quality Management after the 1992-93 production year. HEARD AT CONFERENCE "There must be a limit to how much you can increase queen weights; otherwise we'll produce queens the size of rats." (From the audience) "Oh well, there goes the bee space!" "I'd suggest through the president that you tell the meeting what you're telling the meeting." "If you're sitting on the fence you have to be careful what type of fence you're sitting on." "Mr. President, can I say any more? Mind you, I don't think I know any more." AFB TEST MAY REDUCE COSTS We mentioned in Buzzwords 43 that a lab course will soon be offered around the country showing beekeepers how they can carry out AFB tests on adult bees. The test is a major breakthrough in AFB control because it allows beekeepers for the first time to detect potential AFB infections in their hives before there are any visual signs of the disease. Dr. Mark Goodwin, who has used the test extensively, gave an excellent presentation on his work at conference. Mark and his team tested samples of bees for the presence of AFB spores from a number of sources, including hives from hobbyist and commercial beekeepers, feral hives, and retail honey packs. Interestingly, retail packs taken at random from supermarket shelves had the highest rate of positive spore tests, at 25%. This would tend to indicate, according to Mark, that in at least some cases honey i s being extracted from AFB colonies before they are destroyed. Hobbyist hives were second highest at 11%, while feral colonies, often blamed for AFB outbreaks, were the lowest at 6%. The positive testing feral colonies also had the lowest levels of spores of the four groups. Mark is quick to point out, however, that the high rate of positive spore tests doesn't necessarily mean that beekeepers are simply failing to find all those brown, ropy objects in their hives. To date, inspections have revealed visual signs of the disease in only 26% of the hives testing positive for B. larvae spores. The possible reasons for this discrepancy are many, according to Mark, and include drifting bees, hygienic behaviour, and perhaps even a physiological resistance in some bee stocks. There is no doubt that nurse bees can detect AFB infected larvae before they show any visual signs of the disease, and they can clean out infected cells so well that over 80% of the cells will rear heathy brood in the next brood cycle. The power of the adult bee test, according to Mark, is that it gives us a chance to use a tool in our war with AFB which is more cost-effective and efficient than simply carrying out inspections alone. For the same cost, samples can be analyzed from a larger number of New Zealand's hives than are inspected currently. The tests can then be used to more effectively target follow-up visual inspections by inspectors and diseaseathon teams. Beekeepers could also use the tests to determine "at risk" hiv es earl y in the season. If the hives are then quarantined, there is much less chance of transferring undetected infections during normal beekeeping management. A manual and lab course teaching the adult bee test has been developed jointly between Dr. Goodwin and Cliff Van Eaton, MAF Quality Management, Tauranga. The course has been given a test run with two branches and a number of conference delegates were keen to ensure that their branches had a chance to take the course before the beginning of this season. All branch secretaries should soon receive a letter from Mark and Cliff giving their branch members the opportunity to book in for the course. In case you're wondering, MAF Quality Management's official policy is that only colonies showing clinical (visual) signs of American foulbrood will be considered to be infected for the purposes of the Apiaries Act, 1969. Colonies will not be ordered to be destroyed based on a positive adult bee test. BEEKEEPER MP SAYS WE'RE RIGHT Our association has been fortunate in recent years to be addressed by leading members of the government cabinet. And while their attendance hasn't usually translated into supportive government action for our industry, we can at least say that we've been able to make our views heard. This year's conference was to be addressed by Mr. Denis Marshall, Associate Minister of Agriculture, and the cabinet member directly involved in the on-again, off-again negotiations over disease control funding and the Commodity Levies Act. Unfortunately, however, Mr. Marshall contracted an ear infection in Australia (I told you Bondi was polluted - ed.) and was unable to fly home to make his speech. His place was taken by Mr. Jeff Whittaker, local government MP, and a man not unfamiliar with the beekeepi ng industry. Mr. Whittaker, it turns out, was for many years a hobbyist and then part-time commercial beekeeper in Hawkes Bay. For over ten years he owned 100 hives and dabbled in queen rearing, pollen production, and export marketing of comb honey. He was even asked to be an observer for Percy Berry in 1978 when Arataki shipped barrels of crushed ling heather honey comb overseas. So with a history like that, there was no point trying to say that this politician was out of touch! Watched over carefully by the Minister's secretary, Mr. Whittaker began his talk following along closely the notes prepared for Mr. Marshall. Yes, the government was going ahead with Australian honey imports, because "we can't have quarantines which are really trade barriers." And no, the government wouldn't pay loss-of-earnings compensation to beekeepers caught up in the Nelson EFB scare, because there was no statutory provision and "the government couldn't be seen to set a precedent when every two weeks or so there's a suspect case of animal disease investigated somewhere in New Zealand." The notes also included some interesting, if unintentionally embarrassing, comments about how many of our industry's problems (AFB control programmes, Commodity Levy, export certification) are inter-related. What was obvious, but not stated, was that they were all problems caused, rather than solved, by government. The fun began, however, during question time. With the speech notes put away, Mr. Whittaker was able to speak more as the fairly independent National Party MP that he really is. First he was asked, in light of the Minister of Agriculture's decision not to allow an NBA levy using the Commodity Levies Act (unless, of course, we get a 75% response rate from a ballot and a 60% majority of ballot recipients in favour of the levy), whether the government would be applying those same requirements in deciding whether to collect its own income tax! That question brought the house down, and with the mood definitely lighter, someone asked Mr. Whittaker what his opinion was concerning honey imports from Australia. According to Mr. Whittaker, "I personally don't think that honey with the potential of spreading disease should be allowed into New Zealand. The question is, can the minister be convinced?" He suggested that the decision wasn't yet set in concrete and that if the industry was serious about its disease concerns then it should provide every me mber of Parliament with the factual information necessary to force a change. The same thing should be done with the oxalic acid in 1080 issue, since it was obvious that parliamentarians didn't know that the issue was of concern. These comments were a bit of a revelation to many in the audience, and especially to your executive. They have been lobbying hard on both issues, but in this case with the Associate Minister. But before readers begin to imagine that Mr. Whittaker's comments mark some great shift in government policy relating to beekeeping, think again. Remember, Mr. Whittaker is a back-bencher, and we all know how much influence back-benchers have. HEARD AT CONFERENCE (II) "The old boy network in MAF doesn't work any more because most of the old boys aren't there any more." "My business is not in trouble because I was on executive. There must be some other reason!" "I'm going to speak against your remit, but not in a nasty way." "Where's Gisborne?" - the question that plagued Steve Olds of TecPak Plastics all during conference. It seems he must have slept through the school geography lesson long ago where he would have learned the fundamental difference between flying to Gisborne and flying to Hastings for the 1992 NBA conference. "There's a lot of meat in these remits." (From the audience) "And a fair amount of grizzle, too!" MANUKA CLINICAL TRIALS SOON Another very interesting presentation at this year's conference seminar was made by Dr. Peter Molan of Waikato University. All our readers probably already know about Dr. Molan and his team and the fantastic work they are doing investigating the antibiotic properties of manuka and other honeys (see Buzzwords 38). The seminar gave Dr. Molan the opportunity to summarize both his work and the substantial scientific literature on the medicinal properties of honey. Honey has long been used as a wound dressing, and according to Dr. Molan, it is probably the perfect substance for such a use. Not only is it antibiotic (killing almost all bacteria), it also keeps the wound from dehydrating. Almost all other wound dressings either keep the wound dry (avoiding infection, but leading to scarring), or moist (avoiding the severe effects of dehydration, but making a great medium for bacteria to grow). Honey is also better than man-made antibiotics because such antibiotics actually slow down the rate of cell growth. The moisture-attracting nature of honey, on the other hand, actually pulls body fluids and nutrients to the wound surface where they help speed skin growth and healing. According to Dr. Molan, honey has got everything going for it except the acceptance of the medical fraternity. But the recent discoveries about a second antibiotic substance in manuka may help to change all that. All honey gives off hydrogen peroxide, a known antibiotic. The hydrogen peroxide is produced when the glucose in honey reacts with oxygen. The problem with hydrogen peroxide as an antibiotic, however, is that in large concentrations it breaks down in the presence of a common enzyme (catalase), producing the characteristic fizz we see when we put it on a cut. Honey, because it produces hydrogen peroxide slowly, at a low level, doesn't loose it's effectiveness. Provided honey is kept away from light, the enzyme which breaks down the hydrogen peroxide won't even activate. Dr. Molan and his students tested the hydrogen peroxide in honey on a range of bacteria and as a control removed the hydrogen peroxide with catalase. That's when they discovered the second antibacterial property in manuka. While not present in all samples of manuka, some samples showed a high level of non-peroxide inhibition over a whole range of bacteria, even at honey dilutions of as low as 1.8%. The exciting thing about the manuka discovery is that this non-peroxide antibiotic substance works against even highly resistant bacteria such as the MSRA bacteria which is gaining a reputation for closing down hospital wards. According to Dr. Molan, doctors may soon be looking back at the last 20 years as the golden age of antibiotics. In the near future we may have a host of bacteria resistant to synthetic antibiotics, and the need for naturally occurring antibiotics like the one found in bioactive manu ka will be all that more important. Manuka has been shown to be effective against Helicobater pylori, which is now thought to be the major cause of stomach ulcers. And this is where the honey is finally to be tested in a clinical trial. A large number of patients will be given 1 tablespoon of bioactive manuka or another honey before meal times, five times a day. The patients will then be examined for the reduction in H. pylori bacteria. The trials are set to begin around New Zealand once the Otago University Hospital ethics committee appr oves the trial. The trial will hopefully be funded by a grant from the Honey Industry Trust Fund. BUGLOSS SAMPLES SOUGHT Dr. Molan mentioned that the one honey other than manuka that might have the non-peroxide bioactive ingredient is vipers bugloss, also known blue borage (Echium vulgare). The plant grows in many parts of the country, and is an important honey producer in parts of Central Otago and the MacKenzie Country. The only problem is that Dr. Molan has only ever tested one sample (it was positive), and despite all his efforts has been unable to get any more. Now there's bound to be more samples of borage honey kicking around the South Island, especially after this year's big honey crop, so if you can supply Dr. Molan with a sample, please help him out. Send a 50 gm sample, together with as much information as possible on where the honey was produced, to Dr. Peter Molan, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, HAMILTON, ph (07) 856 2889 And by the way, a lot of people don't know that Dr. Molan's real job actually involves teaching, supervising graduate students, and working with the dairy industry. Believe it or not, his work on manuka honey is just a side-line interest, and he hasn't received any government research funds to carry out the work. Our whole industry should be thankful for the interest and enthusiasm he has shown toward our main beekeeping product. Good on ya, Peter! Keep up the good work! MoU NEEDED ON CERTIFICATION The problems facing the industry over export certification were highlighted in the passing of Remit 13 (Waikato). The remit seeks changes to the proposed export certification procedures for honey products, a draft copy of which has been prepared and circulated to beekeepers by MAF Quality Management. Many beekeepers see the requirements for conformity certification, especially for those markets requiring AFB freedom in areas surrounding the production area, as both unworkable and overly costly to achieve. While the AFB requirement is only stipulated by a handful of generally insignificant honey importing countries (eg. France, Cyprus, Spain), the requirement is also causing concern for exporters of live bees. Canada, our largest market, requires AFB freedom within 8 km of all production apiaries for b oth queens and package bees. Just as disconcerting for exporters, however, is the fact that MAF Policy, the real government decision maker in this matter, hasn't provided MAF Quality Management with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for carrying out export certification for either bee products or live bees. MAF Quality Management no longer carries out country-to-country negotiations in relation to export certification. It instead only works under contract to MAF Policy to conduct export certification. MAF Policy sets the standards and specifications for certification, so without MoU's for live bees and bee products, MAF Quality Management does not have authority to certify exports. The New Zealand Queen Bee Producers Association is urgently seeking clarification of the situation from MAF Policy. At the same time, MAF Quality Management will be seeking a directive from the DirectorGeneral of Agriculture regarding export certification for the coming season. There is no time to lose, since queen exports are set to get under way again sometime in September. 1080 ACTION ANNOUNCED With 1080 possum bait poisoning continuing to plague beekeepers (see Buzzwords 43), conference once again discussed the 1991 remits on 1080 and possum control. Conference unanimously passed a remit calling for effective action on the problem. At the same time, Mr. John Bassett of Te Kuiti, mover of the original remits, announced to conference that he was beginning proceedings for a court order to stop 1080 use in the King Country. The Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council recently informed Mr. Bassett and other beekeepers that it would this year carry out poisoning operations not just in the winter period, but from August to February. Mr. Bassett contends that this renders much of the King Country unfit for beekeeping and honey production. Ted Roberts, the NBA Executive Officer, is set to head a delegation of concerned beekeepers in talks with the Regional Council during the last week of July. According to NBA president Dudley Ward, "this is a serious problem for both parties and we look forward to a reasonable compromise being reached. Possums must be controlled and beekeepers are not opposed to that." What's needed, of course, is for the Animal Health Board to sooner, rather than later, instruct Pest Control Officers to use oxalic acid a s a bee repellant in the 1080 baits. FROM THE BRANCHES The Auckland branch will be holding a seminar/field day on Sunday, August 9, at 24 Andromeda Crescent, East Tamaki (next to Ceracell), beginning with a barbecue lunch at 12 noon. The programme includes Trevor Cullen of Ceracell on wax processing, Dr. Mark Goodwin on adult bee testing for AFB, and Mr. Brian Sherriff (of bee gear fame) with one of his very entertaining talks on international beekeeping. This is a chance for both hobbyist and commercial beekeepers to hear some very interesting and informativ e speakers, so make sure you attend. The next Auckland branch meeting will be on August 20, at 7.30 pm at the Anglican Church Hall, Coles Crescent, Papakura. Topic will be the conference report. The Marlborough branch will be having a St. Bartholomews (patron saint of beekeeping - ed.) and post-conference get together at the Jenkin's residence, Old Renwick Rd., Blenheim, on Saturday, August 22, beginning at 7.30 pm. Bring a plate and some mead (BYOG will do!) The Waikato branch will be holding its post-conference meeting on Friday, August 7, at 10 am, at the Homestead's Green Room, Ruakura Agriculture Centre, Hamilton. ON THE MOVE The head office of the National Beekeepers Association has now moved to Walsh Wrightson Tower, 94-96 Dixon Street, Wellington. Their new numbers are 04-385-4229 (phone) and 04-385-8522 (fax). The Post Office box (4048) remains unchanged. Stephen Ogden, MAF's South Island Apiculture Services Manager, has changed premises at MAF Lincoln. He can now be found across the street in the Animal Health Lab. As from 1 August his new numbers will be: phone (03) 325-3900 fax (03) 325-3919 The mailing address remains the same - PO Box 24, Lincoln. Nick Wallingford Voice 64 7 544 0920 ext 6848 Home 64 7 578 1422 Fax 64 7 544 2386 Internet NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 14:24:56 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bee Surgeon Subject: help needed for wintering bees! Hi Beeliners! I have a colony of bees sitting in a cold room (temp 4-6 C) for two weeks now, they have been there with no incident till today. They were really excited today and about 2000 bees came out from the hole in inner cover and died in the cold. I wonder what cause this problem ? could it be CO2 build up ? there is no ventilation inthe cold room so only cold air inside is recycled through the radiator for cooling. another thing it might be the honey they had is not 'mature' so plenty moisture exist. I noticed most bees died with a big tummy and the feces are watery Anybody there having experience using indoor wintering cells might have a clue about what I am seeing ? thanks for any helpful hints. Have a good day ********************************************************************** * ZHI-YONG HUANG {Having a hard time? Think of the poor drone !} * * 320 MORRILL HALL PHONE: 217-333-6843 * * DEPT. OF ENTOMOLOGY FAX: 217-244-3499 * * UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS EMAIL: ZHIYONG@UIUCVMD.BITNET * * URBANA, IL 61801 ZHI-YONG_HUANG@QMS1.LIFE.UIUC.EDU * ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 11:31:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: BCG0311@VAX2.QUEENS-BELFAST.AC.UK Subject: biology Hi, Im trying to contact BEE-L @ ALBNYVM1 ,Have I been successful? phil. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 08:02:59 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Richard Spear Subject: Re: biology yes phil...you got there ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 09:35:08 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bruce Bowen Subject: Direction finding. From what I've read, I understand that bees orient themselves with respect to the asimuth of the sun. This brought up the question of what do bees do on the equinoxes at local noon on the equator? I don't see how there could be any light polarization effect in this situation either. -Bruce ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 13:46:39 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rich Pelikan Subject: Direction finding. In-Reply-To: In reply to your message of THU 20 AUG 1992 11:35:08 CDT > From what I've read, I understand that bees orient themselves with > respect to the asimuth of the sun. This brought up the question of what > do bees do on the equinoxes at local noon on the equator? I don't see > how there could be any light polarization effect in this situation > either. > > -Bruce The sun travels from east to west, and shadow can be measures at any time of the day. The sun azimuth plus a time will provide a direction. Richard A. Pelikan, A275CCR Southeast Missouri State University BITNET: A275CCR@SEMOVM INTERNET: A275CCR@SEMOVM.SEMO.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 15:30:26 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Edward E Southwick Subject: Bee orientation The bees don't use ONLY the sun! They also orient to odor, landmarks and perhaps other things... ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 17:32:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: ILSREF@HULAW1.BITNET Subject: Extractors Has anyone had any experience with the plastic 2-frame extractors? It seems perfect for me as I only have 3 hives. Stephen Wiles ILSREF@HULAW1.HARVARD.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 15:42:44 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bruce Bowen Subject: Re: Direction finding. . > From what I've read, I understand that bees orient themselves with . > respect to the asimuth of the sun. This brought up the question of what . > do bees do on the equinoxes at local noon on the equator? I don't see . > how there could be any light polarization effect in this situation . > either. . . . The sun travels from east to west, and shadow can be measures at any . time of the day. The sun azimuth plus a time will provide a direction. It's not quit clear to me that you understood the question. Under the condition I mentioned the sun has no azimuth. It's like asking what the longitude of the north pole is? Is the north pole east or west of Greenwhich? Also, there are no shadows, except directly under overhanging objects. The sun is directly overhead, 90 degrees up. -Bruce ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 21:09:00 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: RE: Direction finding. Cam Jay did some work related to this by taking southern hemisphere bees to the northern hemisphere. With the (apparent) change from sun moving right to left to sun moving left to right, one would expect complete disorientation. As I remember there was to some extent initially with a learned re-orientation. Wasn't this in Journal of Apic Res or somewhere? ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 08:21:58 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rok Vidmar Subject: RE: Direction finding. =.> From what I've read, I understand that bees orient themselves with =.> respect to the asimuth of the sun. This brought up the question of what =.> do bees do on the equinoxes at local noon on the equator? I don't see =.> how there could be any light polarization effect in this situation =.> either. =. =. =. The sun travels from east to west, and shadow can be measures at any =. time of the day. The sun azimuth plus a time will provide a direction. = = It's not quit clear to me that you understood the question. Under = the condition I mentioned the sun has no azimuth. It's like asking = what the longitude of the north pole is? Is the north pole east or = west of Greenwhich? Also, there are no shadows, except directly under = overhanging objects. The sun is directly overhead, 90 degrees up. Interesting question but: - How long does noon last? - What percentage the equinox noons take out of one year's noons? - What percentage of Earth's land lies on the equator? - Does "no polarization" represent no information at all? Regards, Rok Vidmar x.400: S=vidmar;G=rok;O=uni-lj;P=ac;A=mail;C=yu UCC, University of Ljubljana inet: rok.vidmar@uni-lj.ac.mail.yu Kardeljeva pl. 17 phone: +38 61 183579 61000 Ljubljana fax: +38 61 183534 Slovenia ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 00:16:42 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: DOUG 'SPEAKER-TO-INSECTS' YANEGA Subject: Bush and Beekeeping subsidies I heard some comments from a Senator recently which suggests that one of the "246 programs" Bush has sworn to cut from the Federal Budget in order to trim the deficit is the subsidy to the Beekeeping industry; the figure I recall hearing was $90,000. Somehow, it has all the ring of truth, especially considering that 90g is an absolutely negligible amount relative to the present budget - a program that could be killed easily, with essentially no one to complain, cost very few jobs, and still sound good on paper (as long as it adds one to the tally of 246, I guess). I would urge those of you who have better connections to check into this matter, and keep the list informed if anything more substantial turns up. At this rate, the National Science Foundation itself doesn't seem likely to outlast the end of the century. - Doug Yanega, trying his hand as a rumor-monger - ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 18:58:00 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: RE: Bush and Beekeeping subsidies Well, at least the American beekeeping industry is making a great leap forward in understanding how it relates to the rest of the world when you can now at last actually call it a subsidy. What was once promoted as a stabilisation scheme is now being called by its proper name! ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1992 13:45:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: Request for information on Certan I have a request concerning the the now defunct product, Certan (R). I have been asked what specific strain of Bacillus t was actually in the product and whether there might be any still around. My guess is that some research establishments might have some they could donate for a research project or a beekeeper might have some stashed away. If anyone can tell me the strain of bacterium used or whereabouts of any of the product, I certainly would appreciate it. Thanks. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tom Sanford Extension Apiculturist University of Florida Mailing Address: Bldg 970, Hull Rd., Gainesville, FL 32611-0620 Voice phone 904/392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX 904/392-0190 INTERNET: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU BITNET: MTS@IFASGNV +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 10:48:09 -0400 Reply-To: MunnPA@cardiff.ac.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dr P A Munn 92 Subject: IBRA To multiple users of BEE-L >From Andrew Matheson, Director, IBRA, Cardiff, UK 25 August 1992 Nuking AFB Using gamma radiation to sterilize hive equipment contaminated with Bacillus larvae was tried a long time ago (see, for example, AA982/71), and it has been used on an industry-wide basis in Australia for ten years (AA602/84). There is also an account of Australian practice in AA607L/91). The reference numbers are for entries in the IBRA journal Apicultural Abtracts. Their use enables you to quickly find the full and exact citation, and a summary if needed. Almost all publications cited in AA can be obtained from IBRA's library. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 04:27:00 -0400 Reply-To: MunnPA@cardiff.ac.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dr P A Munn 92 Subject: IBRA To: multiple recipients of From: Andrew Matheson, IBRA, Cardiff, UK Date: Friday 28 August 1992 I've recently come back from some time away to pick up on the end of the discussion about German wasps in New Zealand. Nests the size of Volkswagens are certainly encountered. Many of these monster nests are aerial. In a 1960 review of the introduction of the species to New Zealand (by C R Thomas, and in the IBRA library), the largest nest reported was on the outside of a tree trunk, and measured 4.5m high x 1.5m wide x 0.6m thick, or about 4m3 in volume. There is a photo of a huge aerial nest in a recent review of New Zealand beekeeping in Bee World (AA136/92, the whole article reprinted as AA850/92). Overwintering nests get a good start on annual ones. I have a photo of a nest excavated in September (early spring in New Zealand), which contained 7019 workers, 650 drones, and an amazing 2475 queens. No wonder they reach such sizes the next year. Destroying these nests does pose a few problems. Stephen Bambara suggests chucking some carbaryl in the entrance of underground nests: this is the simplest and most effective method in my experience. AA249L/85 is an extension leaflet detailing a number of other methods. Some of the monster nests have been destroyed by dynamite; one mine worker I heard of used a whole case of gelignite he "borrowed" from work. It destroyed the nest, and also most of the windows in a house 100m away. I once recommended explosives to some desparate landowners with a large nest under an overhanging river bank. However, I don't know if it worked, as I never heard back from them! Flamethrowers can also be useful...I kid you not. Using biological control to reduce wasp numbers is the subject of an interesting article in the next issue of Bee World. Footnote: AA numbers refer to entries in IBRA's journal Apicultural Abstracts, for instance 850/92 is entry 850 in the 1992 volume. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 14:24:04 NZST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Barry Donovan Subject: Wasps in New Zealand Some nests of German wasps certainly do grow to huge dimensions in New Zealand (and in Tasmania and parts of the Australian mainland), but the majority of nests are annual-ie they die with the approach of winter or during the winter. The largest overwintering nest I have seen had a volume of about 3 cubic metres. It is nests of this size that can send out fleets of foragers all winter long to attack honey bee hives within a kilometre or so which can be of considerable economic detriment to honey bee keepers. The existence of nests which have survived at least one winter suggests that nests could survive many winters, but unfortunately whenever such nests are discovered, the discoverer (who is frequently a beekeeper) destroys the nest, or has it destroyed. As far as I am aware, no nest is known for certain to have survived more than a first summer, the following winter, and a second summer. With the advent of the Common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, throughout the country, and the displacement of the German wasp from much of our beech forest, the opportunity to study the overwintering phenomenon seems to be decreasing. However, the Common wasp is itself showing something of the same overwintering ability, so perhaps not all is lost. One beneficial aspect of this displacement as far as beekeepers are concerned, is that Common wasps do not display the same hive attacking propensity as German wasps . On the other hand, however, Common wasps are far more numerous in beech forsts that produce honey dew than German wasps ever were, so greater volumes of honey dew are being removed now. We are hoping that our biological control effort will begin to have some localised beneficial results in a few years. Bee World in a month or so will outline the problems caused by wasps in New Zealand, and the progress of our biocontrol effort to date. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 13:14:03 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "A.S. Chamove" Subject: Re: Wasps in New Zealand In-Reply-To: Your letter of Mon, 31 Aug 1992 14:24:04 NZST How about a brief description of biological methods to control wasps, for those of us without access to journals? -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Arnold Chamove Massey University Psychology Palmerston North, New Zealand ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 21:53:05 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Edward E Southwick Subject: Humor A colleague is looking for humor in the bee area. We ought to be able to comply. Please send on BEE-L any short pieces that bring a smile, and I will forward them on... thanx ed.southwick ================================================================== º Edward E. Southwick Department of Biology º º Phone 716-395-5743 State University of New York º º FAX 716-395-2416 Brockport, New York 14420 º º BITNET SOUTHWIK@BROCK1P U.S.A. º º Internet: e.southwick@ACSpr1.ACS.Brockport.edu º ==================================================================