From LISTSERV@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDU Sun Oct 2 14:46:19 1994 Date: Sun, 2 Oct 1994 16:46:20 -0400 From: BITNET list server at ALBNYVM1 To: Allen Dick Subject: File: "BEE-L LOG9303" ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1993 19:20:58 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: e penryn flemyngx Subject: Bee bio list Please add me to the Bee Bioilogy list. Thanks. Penryn flemyng@hydra.unm.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1993 15:34:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: BCG0311@VAX2.QUEENS-BELFAST.AC.UK Subject: Pheromone lures Hi.. In Januarys Am. B. J. vol 133 pg 58 an article by Winston, Slessor, Rubink and Villa describes Enhanced Pheromone Lures to attract honey bee swarms using nerolic acid. I have tried to find a source for nerolic acid but can only find nerol in the usual catalogs. Nerolic acid is not listed in the Merek Index so can any one tell me what exactly is nerolic acid? Perhaps it has an alternative name.... I'm not a chemist so all help would be welcome Philip Earle BCG0311@V2.QUB.AC.UK ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1993 14:26:03 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: Forwarded from Entomo-L From: IN%"ENTOMO-L@UOGUELPH.BITNET" "ENTOMO-L DISCUSSION LIST" 3-MAR-1993 13 :15:15.34 To: IN%"MABA@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu" "Manuel A. Balcazar", IN%"MTS@gnv.ifas.ufl.e du" "Tom Sanford", IN%"RFM@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu" "Russ Mizell", IN%"VGUPTA@gnv. ifas.ufl.edu" "V. Gupta" CC: Subj: chloramines and honeybees Return-path: Return-path: ENTOMO-L <@NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU:ENTOMO-L@UOGUELPH.BITNET> Received: from Jnet-DAEMON by gnv.ifas.ufl.edu (PMDF #3240 ) id <01GVCD3GN8R48WVYQ2@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu>; Wed, 3 Mar 1993 13:14:42 EST Received: From NERVM(MAILER) by IFASGNV with Jnet id 3814 for MTS@IFASGNV; Wed, 3 Mar 93 13:14 EDT Received: from NERVM.BITNET (NJE origin LISTSERV@NERVM) by NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU (LMail V1.1d/1.7f) with BSMTP id 7158; Wed, 3 Mar 1993 13:14:16 -0500 Date: 03 Mar 1993 13:05:56 -0500 From: GILLESPIE@BCRSAG.AGR.CA Subject: chloramines and honeybees Sender: ENTOMO-L DISCUSSION LIST To: "Manuel A. Balcazar" , Tom Sanford , Russ Mizell , "V. Gupta" Reply-to: ENTOMO-L DISCUSSION LIST Message-id: <01GVDFJMKRWY8WVYQ2@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu> Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-To: entomo-l Help! I am trying to track down some information on the effects of chloramine (NH-2Cl) on the biology of honeybees. One of the local water districts has had an enquiry (complaint?) from a beekeeper. The beekeeper is concerned about the use of chloramine for treatment of domestic water supplies. He uses domestic water to make up sugar solutions, and, I suppose, as a water supply for the bees. The chloramine is added to the domestice water supply at 1.0 mg/l. The people I have contacted are not aware of any data on the subject. Any thoughts/information out there?? Many thanks for anything you can provide. Dave Gillespie Agriculture Canada Research Station Agassiz, B.C. gillespie@bcrsag.agr.ca ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 00:28:30 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Michael Moroney Subject: Re: Chloramines and Bees >I am trying to track down some information on the effects of >chloramine (NH-2Cl) on the biology of honeybees. One of the >local water districts has had an enquiry (complaint?) from a >beekeeper. The beekeeper is concerned about the use of chloramine >for treatment of domestic water supplies. He uses domestic water >to make up sugar solutions, and, I suppose, as a water supply for >the bees. The chloramine is added to the domestice water >supply at 1.0 mg/l. The people I have contacted are not aware >of any data on the subject. I don't know of chloramine and bees, but chloramine and chlorine are also toxic to aquarium fish. There are various "chlorine removers" available for fish at pet supply shops to remove chlorine/chloramine from tap water. The solution may be as simple as using this for the bees, unless it is also toxic to them. I believe the active ingredient in chlorine removers is sodium thiosulfate. -Mike ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 00:55:37 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: Re: Forwarded from Entomo-L There are products that either remove or neutralize chloramines in water so that it can be used in fish tanks; are avail at petshops. however I don't know if it would then be OK for bees to drink. Liz Day University of Illinois at Chicago day@eecs.uic.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 00:57:30 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: Re: Chloramines and Bees Chlorine removers do not remove chloramines, at least simple sodium thiosulfate doesn't, I don't believe. One could always buy water in bottles, too ..... Liz Day ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 09:44:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: March issue of APIS FILENAME: MARAPIS.93 Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter Apis--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764) Volume 11, Number 3, March 1993 VARROA MITES-A COMMUNITY PROBLEM? Many beekeepers are individualists. Experience trying to get beekeepers to act in unison reveals at best a laissez faire attitude about cooperating together on certain projects. In fact, the history of associations and other groups dedicated to beekeeping issues more often than not shows that beekeepers actively work against each other. Evidence from seminars and other educational events also supports the thesis that beekeepers are content to go about their business independent of their neighbors. To non beekeepers, the individuality of many beekeepers seems strange, for honey bees are just the opposite. They are the most social of creatures. A single individual in a beehive, be it queen, drone or worker, means nothing. Survival depends on working together for the common good. If this is a good strategy for bees, then why do beekeepers not subscribe to it? In the past, the rugged individualistic beekeeper could function well enough. In fact, the craft demanded one be a self- starter and an innovator. Times were simpler (or seemed so) and there were fewer non beekeepers with whick to interact. Advances in transportation and increases in growth and development have affected rural and urban areas. This has resulted in problems often associated with activities of other people. For the beekeeper, this has meant everything from death of colonies because of pesticide application to permanent loss of beehive locations. In 1987, Varroa mites were detected in the United States, forever changing the face of beekeeping. Fortunately for U.S. beekeepers, a technology was in place to deal with the Varroa mite, a parasite that effectively kills most honey bee colonies it invades. Certain chemical control methods were legal and labelled; they reduce mite populations in beehives by over 95%. It is important to understand, however, that although chemicals control the mite population, the threat is not eliminated and populations can resurge dramatically. In all probability, the beekeeping community will have to deal with Varroa mites from now on. Although chemical control has blunted the effects of the mites in individual bee colonies, it also allowed a myth to perpetuate itself. This is the belief that Varroa could be handled just like other problems in beekeeping by the individual beekeeper whenever and wherever it was deemed convenient and appropriate. The dynamics of Varroa-bee interactions, however, suggest something different. It is now recognized that Varroa mites are not only a honey bee community problem, they are a beekeeper community problem. This idea was brought into focus by Marion Ellis, Nebraska State Apiarist at the American Beekeeping Federation meeting in Kansas City. In his presentation, he referred to an article in the December, 1991 issue of American Bee Journal entitled "How Varroa Mites Spread," by Dr. Eva Rademacher (pp. 763-765). Through a series of experiments, Dr. Rademacher found that Varroa mites rapidly spread among colonies in a beeyard. The main cause of growth of mite infestation is drifting parasitized bees, not natural increase of mites within individual colonies. The conclusion: It is not the infestation of a single colony, but rather the general rate of infestation for the entire yard that should be monitored. Comparing two locations where infested apiaries were within two kilometers (1.2 miles), Dr. Rademacher also showed re- infestation rates to be dramatically different based on infestation rates of nearby apiaries. If the rate was 900 mites/colony or less (low invasion pressure), re-infestation in apiaries in close proximity was three times more than normally expected; if 900 mites/colony or more (high invasion pressure) were present, the figure rose to 11 times normal. Thus, according to Dr. Rademacher, "...it is not 'hive mites' which endanger the colony, but rather the 'immigrants.'" Given this evidence, she suggests: 1. Nuclei or natural swarms which have been treated for Varroa, should be placed at locations where a low mite fluctuation from the surroundings (low invasion pressure) can be expected. 2. It is not helpful to treat just one or several of the colonies in a beeyard because of the danger presented by other infested colonies. 3. Beekeepers with beeyards rather close to each other should make arrangements to medicate their entire stock at the same time, because of the invasion pressure which leads to a rapid increase of mite population within only several weeks. 4. Invasion pressure also plays an important role when colonies are moved to other areas. Not only will a beekeeper want to determine the level of infestation in the new foraging area, but the keeper in that area should also be concerned about the level of infestation of incoming colonies. 5. Natural swarms should be medicated before being incorporated in the beeyard. 6. It is also important to prevent robbing. It has always been accepted that the robbed colony suffers. Now the robbing colony itself can be the victim from by invading mites. The message is clear. Effective Varroa control should be undertaken as a beekeeper community effort. If not, then presence of nearby infested colonies will quickly undermine the money and effort any beekeeper expends to control mite populations. WHERE ARE THE BEES? A colleague who works in the Master Gardener Program asked me the other day about the feasibility of establishing beehives in urban areas. Many home gardeners, it seems, are observing declines in honey bee populations leading to reduced yields. They are asking where the bees are. I'm not sure why there might be fewer honey bees than before, but in Florida, the Varroa mite is a good possibility. It has now been about five years since introduction of this parasite, more than enough time to seriously weaken, if not kill outright, a majority of unmanaged colonies. Feral or wild bees no doubt contributed greatly to home gardens as pollinators in the past. However, these insects can no longer be taken for granted. It appears that a more "pro-active" pollination program is in order, the purposeful placement of honey bee colonies in areas where pollination appears to be limited. In educational parlance, another "teachable moment" is at hand. This concept arises from the idea that you can only educate when you have a person's attention. Now is the time, therefore, to ensure that every home gardener knows how valuable and from where his/her pollination comes from. There are potential liability problems in locating honey bee colonies in urban areas, but the risks are minimal if certain precautions are taken. An added advantage over pollination potential is the fact that actively managed colonies will provide competition for wild African bees when they arrive. Those associated with beekeeping should take advantage of this opportunity, one borne out of the adversity of Varroa mite predation. There has never a better time to put honey bees and beekeepers in their rightful place as valuable contributors to the food supply. CADA NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED I am in receipt of the second issue of the newsletter published by the Caribbean Apicultural Development Association (CADA). At the recent meeting of the 5th International Conference on Beekeeping in Tropical Countries, the first Board of Directors was elected. The President is Mr. Mohammed Hallim (Trinidad and Tobago) and the Secretary is Dr. Daniel Pesante (Puerto Rico). This issue of CADA newsletter contains an account of how the Association helped re-establish honey trading between St. Lucia and Martinique, and articles about Dr. Eva Crane, understanding swarming in the subtropics, and why the Africanized honey bee is an unwanted guest in the Caribbean. Now that CADA is getting off the ground, the Association is in need of more members. Anyone in the region, from Florida, the Caribbean or the Latin American mainland (two mainlanders [Venezuela; Surinam] are officers) should contact Dr. Pesante, Animal Science Dept., P.O. Box 5000, College Station, Mayaguez, PR 00681, ph 809/265-3854, fax 809/265-0860. The Association is also soliciting memberships from those interested in participating in CADA activities. Dues of $15.00 per year should be sent to the Treasurer: Jorge Murillo Yepes, P.O. Box 612, St. Georges, Grenada. FACT SHEETS UPDATED Recently, I have been able to update and reprint some fact sheets. This series was previously known as "Hints for the Hive," but that concept has been abandoned in an effort to standardize information developed in the Department of Entomology and Nematology. All fact sheets will now bear the designation ENY. The new ones are: ENY 101 Sources of Beekeeping Information ENY 105 Florida Bears and Beekeeping ENY 112 Extension Apicultural Visual Aids ENY 114 Information on the African Honey Bee ENY 115 Good Neighbor Guidelines and Ordinances ENY 116 Chalkbrood Recommendations ENY 120 Upward Ventilation ENY 121 Wax Moth Control ENY 125 Preserving Woodenware in Beekeeping Operations ENY 126 The Value of Pollination by Honey Bees ENY 127 The Varroa Bee Mite Of particular interest are numbers 114 and 127. Now that the African bee is getting some press and is about to enter New Mexico, there is sure to be more demand for information on this controversial insect. The Varroa sheet now has pictures of Varroa which compares its size to honey bees and also shows the organism most likely to be confused with the mite, the bee louse (Braula coeca). All these are available in printed form from me, and are slated to be on CD-ROM disks in county offices soon. Beyond the new numbers, of course, I continue to have on hand a limited supply of the hint series. These include: HINT 102 Honey and Its Uses HINT 103 Honey Adulteration HINT 104 Florida Bee Inspection HINT 106 Honey House Sanitation and the Florida Food Law HINT 107 Florida Honey Labelling Regulations HINT 108 Producing Section (Comb) Honey HINT 109 How to Exhibit Honey HINT 110 Sample Pollination Agreement HINT 111 Solar Beeswax Rendering and Hints for Exhibiting Wax Blocks HINT 113 Using Honey In Large-Quantity Recipes HINT 117 Honey Marketing Survey HINT 118 Producing Pollen HINT 119 Financial Management for the Beekeeper HINT 122 Bee Stings and Reactions HINT 123 Extension Apiculture in Florida HINT 124 Financial Statements and Ratios for Beekeeping Operations HINT 128 Infant Botulism and Honey HINT 129 Honey Judging and Standards HINT 130 Moisture in Honey MITE MEETING I am in receipt of a report generated by the Bee Mite Informal Meeting held at the Entomological Society of America convention in Baltimore, December 7, 1992. It contains some interesting tidbits that all may not be aware of. Surveys in Bee Culture indicated that tracheal mites were reported in 30% of states in 1984, and this rose to 80% by 1987 and 100% by 1992. Large losses were reported in northern areas where bees were confined for long periods. Treatments reported by bee inspectors in 1992 were: 51% of beekeepers not treating; 37% treating with menthol crystals; 21% using grease patties and the rest using illegal treatments. Tracheal mites did not appear to affect honey production, but did result in decline in number of beekeepers. Although tracheal mites have been known for 100 years, there is no information on what they are actually doing to colonies. Major suspicions are they pass on viruses and bacteria which do the actual damage to colonies. Varroa has been found to be involved with organisms called spiroplasms. These can be found in nectar and have been implicated in large-scale dieoffs. In bees infected with spiroplasms, all Varroa associated with them also have spiroplasms. A good many experiments are being carried on with oils and other substances to control populations of both mites. These include hot corn oil, garlic oil, thymol, cinnamon oil, Listerine (R), which contains menthol, and even salad dressing (oil plus vinegar). Questions that need to be addressed continue to be: finding resistance mechanisms, determining sampling technology, developing life tables for mites, and figuring out what bees are doing with oil and grease placed in colonies. TAKING PRIDE The National Honey Board's PRIDE program is off and running. You can now get a two-color decal for your truck, van, shop or production facility. It's free when you send for the PRIDE education kit. The purpose of this program is to support safe beekeeping and honey handling. This will add to honey's already sound reputation as a pure and natural product. For more information, contact the Board, 421 21st Ave., Longmont, CO 80501- 1421, ph 303/776-2337. Sincerely, Malcolm T. Sanford Bldg 970, Box 110620 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: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 12:43:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: JOHN STELZER Subject: RE: Pheromone lures March 4, 1993 Nerolic and geranic acid are geometric isomers of 3,7-Dimethyl-2,6- octadienoic acid. The most common synthesis produces a mixture of both isomers, and in fact, the nerolic acid in the Winston et al. paper also contained geranic. Nerolic acid is more active as an orientation pheromone, but having geranic acid with it does not reduce efficacy. Nerolic/geranic acid are not readily available. They have been obtained from custom chemists, and might become commercially available soon. Call Justin Schmdit - USDA, ARS at (602) 670-6380 for the latest information. Jose Villa ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 17:53:00 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: tdahms@SLEDGE-PO.WEEG.UIOWA.EDU Subject: March 93 - The Buzz (Iowa) File item: BUZZ0393.TXT 3/4/93 5:49PM 19809 Submitted by: Terry Dahms President-East Central Iowa Beekeepers ----------------------------------------------------------------- THE BUZZ MARCH, 1993 ----------------------------------------------------------------- A newsletter published monthly as a cooperative effort by The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and The Iowa Honey Producers Association, an affiliate member of the Iowa Horticultural Society. Copy deadline is the 20th of each month. Your ideas, comments and letters are welcomed and encouraged. EDITOR: Bob Cox, State Apiarist, Iowa Dept. of Agriculture, Wallace Building, Des Monies, IA. 50319 (515) 281-5736 IHPA MEMBERSHIP: Membership dues in the Iowa Honey Producers Assn. are $5.00/year. ----------------------------------------------------------------- STATE APIARISTS REPORT I hope by the time this newsletter is printed and you receive it that we have some warmer weather. Bob Wells and I are starting to teach the beekeeping workshops around the state and it makes me anxious for springtime in the beeyard. Do look at your bees this month to check them for honey stores. This is the time of year when more colonies perish than in the dead of winter. If you have not ordered queens or packages yet, it's imperative that you do so soon. IHPA Past President, Paul Goossen, experienced quite a loss in February. His honey house and indoor beehive wintering building near Wayland were gutted by fire. Paul did have part of his bees wintered in outyards. The bill to revise the bee law (House File 147) has been introduced to the house and assigned to a subcommittee. If you have any questions or comments concerning the changes contact the bill's sponsor, Representative Richard Vande Hoef or myself. There will be an Administrative Rules Committee meeting to consider the amendments to the Apiary rules recently filed in the capitol building at 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 9th. If you have any comments to make to the committee you should attend. Take a close look at the beekeeping workshop schedule and if there is one scheduled in your area, consider attending one or both nights. Bring a friend, especially a youth. We need to get younger people interested in beekeeping or when we're gone, there will be no one to carry on the industry. USDA ANNUAL HONEY CROP REPORT The USDA Agricultural Statistics Service's February 19th report shows the 1992 honey crop average in Iowa to be 62 pounds per beehive. This average was based on 69,000 colonies of bees in Iowa. Only beekeepers with 5 or more colonies are included in the survey which is conducted each December and January for the February report. This compares to a 59 pound per colony average in the 1991 crop year. HONEY OF A VERSE "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways...I would have fed you with the finest of wheat and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you." (Psalm 81:13,16) UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BEEKEEPING SHORT COURSES The University of Minnesota will be offering a beekeeping short course on the St. Paul campus March 12-13. Dr. Marla Spivak who spoke at the annual meeting in November last year will be teaching the two-day course. Topics will include: basic biology of bees; equipment; hiving packages, spring, summer, and winter management; disease and mite control; and producing, bottling and selling honey. April 23-24 a short course on Queen rearing will be offered. Dr. Spivak says "With experience and care, quality queens often can be produced in your own yard." There will be an opportunity to get hands-on experience grafting (transferring worker larvae into queen cups). A correspondence course in beekeeping is also being offered by the Continuing Education Department. For more information contact: Dr. Marla Spivak Dept. of Entomology 219 Hodson Hall OR call (612) 624-4798 or 1980 Folwell Ave. (612) 624-3636 University of Minnesota St. Paul, MN 55108 IN THE BEEYARD Certain procedures of beekeeping are necessary each year and they seem to be repetitious. Feeding of bees is one of these procedures. March in Iowa is a time when the weather maybe warm enough for you to check the feed stores of your hives. From now on the bees will consume a great deal of pollen and honey in raising their brood. If you find the bees are nearly out of food, emergency feeding can be done by placing dry sugar directly on the inner cover, just under the lid. This is not the best method of feeding, but it will help the colony survive. During this time of year, the best way to feed colonies is with a feeder pail, bucket or jar placed on top of the hive. You can feed liquid honey, sugar syrup (made with one part granulated sugar and one part warm water) or high fructose corn syrup. In conclusion, check your bees' food supply. Make sure each colony has a surplus of feed stores and if necessary, provide supplemental feed. - Robert L. Wells, Asst. State Apiarist DRAPERS SUPER BEE We offer fast and courteous service to all beekeepers. We sell all the supplies for beekeeping, plus bees, queens, and honey for those who run short. Order is shipped the same day as received in most cases. Free catalog available on request. Business hours: Mon-Fri. 8-5; Sat. and evenings by appointment. Phone:(402) 274-3725 Address: DRAPERS SUPER BEE, Rt. 3 Box 87, Auburn, NE 68305. APRIL 1ST DEADLINE TO REGISTER APIARIES Please fill out the apiary registration form on page 9 of THE BUZZ and return it to the state apiarist's office as soon as possible. Send to: Bob Cox, State Apiarist, Iowa Department of Agriculture, Wallace Building, Des Moines, IA 50319. Registration deadline is April 1, 1993. By registering your beeyard (apiary) locations, pesticide sprayers will have access to the information used in contacting you. Remember, they will only contact you if they are applying a pesticide that is toxic to bees within a two-mile radius of your apiary. The information will also assist the apiary bureau carry out inspections. Do not turn the forms in at the county ASCS or Extension office. If you keep bees in more than one county, please make photocopies of the original and fill out a separate sheet for each county. You should keep a photocopy each year to make it easier to register the next year. BEEKEEPING WORKSHOPS The Apiary Bureau in cooperation with ISU Extension Service will be presenting a series of beekeeping workshops around Iowa this Spring. All workshops will begin with registration at 6:30 p.m. and program lasting until 9:00 p.m. A small registration fee may be charged at some locations. More information may be obtained from the local extension office or the State Apiarist's Office at (515) 281-5736. The workshops will be held on the following dates and at the following locations: MARCH 1 & 8 Pottawattamie County Extension Office, 2719 E. Highway 6, Council Bluffs MARCH 15 & 22 Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Road S., Cedar Rapids APRIL 5 & 12 Putnam Museum, 1717 West 12th, Davenport CALENDAR OF EVENTS MARCH 6 IHPA Board Meeting 1:00 P.M. at the Royal Cafe in Huxley 12 Southwestern Iowa Honey Producers Association Meeting at the Heritage Inn at 305 W. Elm Street in Avoca. 6:00 P.M. Social Hour and 7:00 P.M. Meal & Program. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FOR SALE: "Honey Bee Diseases and Pests" booklet by Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA). Good color photos on the subject. 17 pages - $1.75 @ Contact Bob Cox at (515) 281-5736. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FOR SALE: Package bees. Pick up at Aurora (near Manchester) April 12th. Shipped with Apistan strips. 2-lb. package $23.50 Contact: Douglas Child in Aurora, IA (319) 634-3682. FOR SALE: Treated bottoms $2.00 @, Telescoping lids $2.00 @, Inner covers $1.00 @, 200 division board feeders $0.50 @, 10-frame 6 5/8 supers $7.50 @, Pallet jack on wheels with 24 - 20" x 32" pallets $100.00 and Deep 10-frame supers $10.00 @. CONTACT: Dick Blake, Rt. 2, Box 112-B, Shenandoah, IA 51601 phone (712) 246-3412. WANTED: SPLITS. Need early season cash? Want to buy 25+ healthy, 3-frame/brood starters in mid-April. My equipment/queens, your bees. Will pick up from you, provide new frame exchange and pay top dollar. Walter Clark (515) 253-0525. ***************************************************************** DADANT BEE SUPPLY DEALER specializing in providing supplies for the hobbyist and small sideline beekeeper. AUTUMN APIARIES, INC. - GORDON & BEVERLY POWELL 4012 - 54TH STREET DES MOINES, IA. 50310 PHONE (515) 278-1762 ***************************************************************** PUBLIC AUCTION 11:00 A.M. SATURDAY MARCH 27TH, 1993 705 ANN STREET, WILLIAMS, IOWA (Go approximately 63 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa on I-35. Take Exit 144 east to Williams.) 10-Frame Beehive Equipment Inventory 1850 deep hive bodies,excellent 300 blue Dow inner covers condition! All boxes are clean, 100 winter packing cases new paint & sound, complete with 165 2 1/2 gallon top feeders 9 good extracting combs built on 300 entrance moving screens reinforced foundation. 400 telescoping covers 400 inner covers 325 Queen excluders, near new wire 400 bottom boards Extracting Equipment 1990 Cowan modified 38-frame inline honey extractor with mounted Cowen Silver Queen uncapper, 3/4 HP variable speed controller, 2500 rpm DC motor. Note: This unit to be sold as one unit. Extractor is currently operational and will be demonstrated. Performance is rated at 16 boxes per hour with 1-man operation and 24 boxes per hour with a 2-man operation. Root 45-frame extractor with motor Valley Craft 1000 lb. handtruck with air tires, brakes Valley Craft 1000 lb. handtruck Barrel Cart Kelley Comb sprayer for feeding syrup Platform hoist with 1 1/2 HP Elec. lift, 2000 lb., 55 inches Air spotnail stapler for hive bodies Hobby horse spotnail stapler for frames 1980 Fisher bee lift, 1000 lb. load capacity, 3-speed w/reverse can be repaired Kelley clarifier with one 5000 watt 220V water heater Kelley clarifier with two 5000 watt 220V water heaters Lobee honey pump, 1 1/4 inch with 40 ft. steel piping, 3/4 HP motor Honey pump controller 3 80-gallon tanks with covers and screens Honey high moisture drying device 2 refractometers (for testing moisture in honey) Misc. beekeeping related supplies and equipment 32 drums, smokers, boiler, wax-honey melter/separator, fiber covers for stored boxes, frames wiring device, frame wire, eyelets, foundation, wedge inserter, wedges, imbedder, microscope, 1000 lb. scale, hive scale, 25 pallets, felt paper, bee cages, beeswax. Much more misc. too numerous to mention!! Stephenson Honey Farms, Box 61, Williams, IA 50271 (515) 854-2602 Daughtery Auction and Clerking Service, Adel, Iowa 50003 Gene (515) 993-3081 or Kelly (515) 993-4159 CENTRAL IOWA BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION AUCTION APRIL 24, 1993 11:00 A.M. Kellogg's Honey House Cambridge, Iowa Partial Listing of Pre-assigned Beekeeping Items 1 30-frame Better Way wax melter 1 Brand Rex wax melter 1 uncapping tank 3 honey tanks 2 wax pans 36 new 5-gal. honey cans 1 vibrating steam heated uncapping knife - new 1 steam generator 1 honey pump 1 3-burner gas plate 1 super cart 100 brood boxes, some with foundation 90 medium supers with drawn comb 6 shallow supers with drawn white comb nuc boxes, screen and solid top 25 honey house pallets 100 plus division board feeders 50 divided screen top feeders 2 boxes of new wooden comb honey section boxes 100 thin top bars 100 bottom board side rails 2 boxes friction top feeder pails 200 plus new frames 40 plus new unassembled brood boxes 10 lbs.(approx.) thin foundation 50 sheets deep foundation 12 ft. bee tarp to cover truck box 2 wiring boards plus lots of misc: helmet, nails, smoker, gloves, etc. Those wishing to bring items to sell can bring it the day of the sale or contact Margaret Hala at (515) 752-2981. Lunch will be available on site at a reasonable price. No rain date will be scheduled - will be held inside warehouse, if necessary. Come one, come all! WANTED: Your favorite honey recipes. Plans are to explore publishing a new honey cookbook with your favorite recipes, and excellent recipes from the State Fair and other honey cooking events. Type or print them on a 3x5 index card with your name. SEND TO: Paul F. Goossen, RR 5 Box 198, Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641. GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR HOBBY BEEKEEPERS On a fair summer's day, a typical suburban lot may contain thousands of honey bees going quietly about their business, foraging for nectar and pollen and pollinating food-producing plants. Men and bees have lived in perfect harmony for centuries and chances are the homeowner doesn't even know the bees are there. However, because of sensationalized publicity surrounding "scare" movies and the "African" bee, the appearance of a bee hive in your backyard may unnecessarily alarm your neighbors. Backyard beekeeping means that every beekeeper must practice good public relations as well as good beekeeping. 1. Before you start -- Check local ordinances to make sure you're allowed to keep bees on your property. Talk to your neighbors, find out if anyone has an extreme sensitivity to bee stings, and stress the positives of beekeeping, fresh wholesome honey, increased pollination, and the fascination of your beekeeping hobby. 2. Start with one or two colonies of gentle bees. Requeen as needed to keep the bees working and gentle. Stay small the first year. At the end of the first year you'll be able to judge neighbor reactions to expansion or changes. Perhaps expansion of your new business requires an out-of-town beeyard. 3. Locate the bees carefully -- away from patios, play areas, swimming pools, confined pets, and neighboring doorways and driveways. Direct bee flight upwards by locating hives behind shrubbery, fences, or in the light shade of open trees so that flight is at least 7 feet above the ground at boundary lines. "Out of sight -- Out of mind" is a good policy. Locating hives in quiet areas will calm bees, avoid the danger of vandalism and calm everybody's imagination. Always provide a continuous source of water such as a hydrant slowly dripping onto a board. Don't let bees get started using your neighbor's dog's water dish. 4. Keep your bees calm -- If possible, work the bees when there is little or no neighborhood activity. Open hives only on warm sunny days when there is some nectar flow to prevent robbing which can irritate the bees. Wear protective clothing and use your smoker to calm the bees. Work carefully with no sudden movements. Remember, your calm attitude toward bees will also calm anxious neighbors who will be watching. 5. Prevent swarming -- Beekeepers know that swarming is a safe and perfectly natural occurrence, but neighbors may be reminded of sensationalized special effects in "scare" movies. Be prepared to handle swarms as quietly and efficiently as possible. Don't try to compete with the movies and other spectacular publicity -- your first obligation is to be a good neighbor. 6. Share your hobby -- Giving an occasional jar of honey to the neighbors is good for public relations. Read and keep informed so you can talk about your bees in an informative and down-to-earth manner. Chances are you'll be invited to share your hobby with various groups. Use these opportunities to point out the value and importance of bees and beekeeping. 7. Remember -- Sometimes one small incident can create a lot of bad publicity. (Taken from "Tips from Dadants") ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 17:52:00 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: tdahms@SLEDGE-PO.WEEG.UIOWA.EDU Subject: Feb. 93 issue-The Buzz (Iowa) File item: BUZZ0293.TXT 3/4/93 5:48PM 30696 submitted by: Terry Dahms President-East Central Iowa Beekeepers ----------------------------------------------------------------- THE BUZZ FEBRUARY, 1993 ----------------------------------------------------------------- A newsletter published monthly as a cooperative effort by The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and The Iowa Honey Producers Association, an affiliate member of the Iowa Horticultural Society. Copy deadline is the 20th of each month. Your ideas, comments and letters are welcomed and encouraged. EDITOR: Bob Cox, State Apiarist, Iowa Dept. of Agriculture, Wallace Building, Des Monies, IA. 50319 (515) 281-5736 IHPA MEMBERSHIP: Membership dues in the Iowa Honey Producers Assn. are $5.00/year. Use the membership form on page 9 of the BUZZ to sign up. ----------------------------------------------------------------- HEATHER POMEROY SELECTED AS THE NEW 1993 AMERICAN HONEY PRINCESS Iowa's 1992 State Honey Queen, Heather Pomeroy, was selected as the 1993 American Honey Princess by the American Beekeeping Federation at their annual convention in Kansas City, Missouri January 23rd. As a result, Heather will travel all over the U.S. this year assisting the American Honey Queen in promoting honey and beekeeping. The title of 1993 American Honey Queen was given to Tennesee's state honey queen, Gena West. PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Fellow beekeepers, its already February and another year has come and gone. Its time to file taxes again; figuring your profit, loss and deductions this time of year is not fun. Last year the ASCS's five-year state average was 83 pounds per colony. If your bees produced less than this in 1992 you may be eligible to receive disaster relief payments. The filing deadline is February 13, 1993. We hope for a better honey crop in 1993. February is also a good time to start preparing for spring. Take count of what you will need for equipment and bees. Repair and paint your old boxes. Be sure to put new foundation in your frames so that they'll be ready when its time to go through your colonies and make splits in April and May. I've talked to several beekeepers who have found some of their colonies dead. This was due to the lack of feed going into winter. So it would be wise to check your bees' food supply whenever we get some warm days in the next several weeks. I really think we will have to feed as soon as we can this spring. Our next IHPA board meeting will be March 6th. If you have any questions or want any topic brought up, please contact your district director or one of the officers to get it on the meeting agenda. - Leroy Kellogg, IHPA president IHPA BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS The first meeting of the 1993 board was held December 5th in Huxley at 1:00 p.m. Eight members were in attendance. New treasurer, Bob Shepherd reported a total of $3269.33 in revenue was received at the annual meeting but all expenses had not yet been paid. Some of the IHPA funds will be transferred to a money market account in order to get a higher interest rate. Questions to be answered before the association makes a cash grant to another organization and instructions are listed below: 1. Do they need it? Did they send a written request? 2. What will it be used for? Who will spend it? 3. What will it accomplish? Are there long term benefits to the beekeeping industry or bee research, particularly as related to IHPA interests? 4. When a grant of money is sent to another organization, a request for a copy of research results and a financial report will be made in a cover letter to be sent with the check for the money. A request was made by the Honey Queen committee to pay the expenses for sending Heather Pomeroy to the American Honey Queen contest in Kansas City, January 19-23, 1993. Approval was made to spend up to $500 for the hotel, meals, transportation, registration fees, and miscellaneous expenses. Paul Goossen was appointed as chairman of the queen committee this year, with Hildegard Goossen, Bev Powell, Elaine Johnson and Bob Cox also on the committee. A discussion on the summer field day led to the suggestion that several field days be held in different areas of the state in June, July or August. Dates and places will be established at the March 6th board meeting. A motion was made by John Johnson and passed to send $100 to the Iowa Agriculture Youth Institute. Several other promotional items were referred to the promotions committee for action. Ann Garber was appointed to chair the committee again this year, if she is willing. John Johnson was appointed chairman of the state fair salesbooth committee again this year, with Arvin Foell and Walter Clark also on the committee. A suggestion was made to change some of the awards in the Cooking with Honey Division because they have been the same for a few years. A motion was passed to add a new beeswax art class in place of the frame of cut comb honey (Class 12). We will now have four beeswax classes: 3 pound bulk, candles (molded or dipped tapers), poured mold art, and handcrafted art (not from a poured mold). A motion passed to pay mileage to and from the fair for the chairman of the state fair committee at the rate of $0.10 per mile. Discussion was held on the association selling honey at the All-Iowa Store at the State Fair. John Johnson is working with the Iowa Horticultural Society to get bids for honey to be sold at the All-Iowa store. Bob Cox led a discussion of the proposed bee law and apiary rule changes. A motion passed by a unanimous hand count to recommend that bee law and apiary rule changes be pursued in 1993 (as outlined in the handouts). Marvin Trojahn agreed to contact Senator Vande Hoef of Harris, Iowa to sponsor a bill with the bee law changes. Bob Cox will file for the apiary rules changes on behalf of the Department of Agriculture. These changes allow for more flexibility because of increased mite levels and available effective treatment options. STATE APIARIST REPORT Its surprising how much harsh weather we're having this winter in Iowa. Hopefully, the snow will serve as good insulation and a windbreak for the bees. However, the bees could use a warmer day for a cleansing flight. The tracheal mite may cause extra beekill this winter because of the higher percentage of positive samples collected last summer and the poor late season honey flow. See the article on page 7 for more details on tracheal mite samples collected last year. Plan on attending one of the beekeeping workshops in your area this spring. An interesting program is planned and its a good opportunity to meet other beekeepers in a smaller group than at the annual meeting. If you are a seasoned beekeeper, come and bring a less experienced friend along for an informative evening. See the article on pages 5 & 6 for the complete schedule. We are planning on another Honey promotion with the Des Moines Botanical Center again this year in March and April. If you would be willing to help man the booth under the dome for a few hours, contact Ann Garber, promotions committee chair, at (515) 872-2119 or give me a call at (515) 281-5736. IHPA will provide honey candy to give away and will bring in the National Honey Board's mascot, Buzzy Bear, for a visit on Easter day. IN THE BEEYARD Spacing frames in the beehive is a topic that varies with each beekeeper's viewpoint. In nature, we find combs spaced from 1 3/8, 1 1/2, 1 5/8 inches and sometimes up to two inches apart, from center to center. The 10-frame Dadant hive is built to accommodate ten frames with the 1 3/8 inch spacing. Some beekeepers use fewer frames in this size of equipment. You, as a beekeeper, should adopt the spacing which will give you the best results: the most brood and honey. Wherever wider spacing is used, there is likely to be more honey stored in the combs in the honey supers. When wider spacing is used in the brood nest, there tends to be more honey stored, more drone brood and less worker brood in the comb. Some researchers say that close spacing (1 3/8 inches) tends to encourage the rearing of more worker brood, less drone brood and the storage of less honey. If this is so, this is the way we would like to have it in the brood chamber. Finally, spacing still remains a management decision only you, as the beekeeper, can determine. - Robert L. Wells, Asst. State Apiarist VARROA GETTING NASTY IN CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK Dr. Eric Mussen reports that many California beekeepers got a surprise when their colonies collapsed last fall, apparently from damage caused by the Varroa mite. Finding a mite or two doesn't mean the colony is in immediate jeopardy, but it will require treatment sooner or later according to Mussen. Although it has been reported that colonies sometimes take several years to die after being infested with Varroa, there are exceptions. Dr. Roger Morse of Cornell University speaks of a New York beekeeper whose hives produced over 100 pounds of honey in July and August, yet were dead by late fall. Dr. Mussen describes a California beekeeper's situation, who after a good producing season, saw 75% of his colonies severely damaged or dead by Christmas. That beekeeper is no longer in business and had to sell out at submarket prices. These severe cases may be caused by drift of bees from nearby, heavily infested apiaries that were not treated. Also, the fact that mites are hidden and protected in capped brood cells may mean there was a serious undercount of those mites found on adults. The technology to determine when a Varroa infestation reaches a treatable level by any detection method currently in use is not well developed. Detection results may vary and are dependent on bee/mite population dynamics. For example, in the fall, Dr. Morse says, with little or no brood, you are more likely to find mites on adults, whereas in the spring it will be easier to find mites in brood. Practical experience by the Florida Division of Plant Industry indicates that when 20 mites in a ether roll of approximately 300 bees are found, a colony should be treated with Apistan strips. However, Dr. Harvey Cromroy of the Entomology-Nematology Department, University of Florida, believes more than five mites is a treatable level. Dr. Morse concludes finding 30 or 40 per hundred bees (by the ether roll method) is serious and the colony may be beyond saving. The ability to correlate ether roll data with other detection methods is not presently available. (Information taken from the Florida apiculture newsletter, "APIS", edited by Tom Sanford, Extension Apiculturist, University of Florida) BEEKEEPING COURSES IN RAPID CITY Beekeeping courses for beekeepers in the central U.S. will be taught at Western Dakota Vocational-Technical Institute in Rapid City, South Dakota this winter and spring. The courses will be taught by Dr. Charles P. Milne, Jr. Dr. Milne has over 20 years of beekeeping experience, has taught beekeeping at Washington State University, and is now a commercial beekeeper. Three different weekend short courses will be offered for beekeepers in the central states area. The dates are February 20-21, March 6-7, and March 20-21. The weekend schedule allows for travel to Rapid City on Friday, and a mixer is planned for those arriving early. The instruction will take place Saturday 8-12 noon, 1-4, 7-9; free time Sunday morning; and last session 1-4 p.m. on Sunday. Attending all short courses will provide beekeepers with a broad knowledge base on beekeeping. The first short course provides essential information on the honey bee and the colony, and some beekeeping basics. The second short course emphasizes colony management. The third short course discusses hive products, queen rearing, diseases, and the Africanized honey bee. Any single short course can be taken independently. For further information on the courses, contact Dr. Milne at (605) 393-0049 or Kelley Osborn or Jerry Johnsen at Western Dakota Vo-Tech at (605) 394-4034. BEEKEEPING WORKSHOP IN MASON CITY The Apiary Bureau in cooperation with ISU Extension Service will be presenting a beekeeping workshop at the Extension Office in Mason City on two Thursday nights, February 18th and 25th. The program will be presented by Leo Stattelman, beekeeper from Clear Lake, and Apiary staff of the Iowa Department of Agriculture. For more information, call the local extension office or the State Apiarist at (515) 281-5736. SCHEDULE THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18 6:30 p.m. Registration 7:00 p.m. Getting Started with Bees & Spring Colony Management 8:00 p.m. Break (Bring your favorite honey treat to share) 8:10 p.m. Honey Harvest, Preparing Colonies for Winter and Marketing the Crop. 9:00 p.m. Adjourn THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25 6:30 p.m. Registration 7:00 p.m. Races of Bees and Their Characteristics 7:30 p.m. Urban Beekeeping: Its Joys and Trials 8:10 p.m. Break 8:20 p.m. Disease & Parasite Diagnosis & Treatment 9:00 p.m. Adjourn FOR SALE: 48 colonies, supers and extracting equipment for 100-150 colonies. 20-frame stainless extractor with variable speed control. Stainless cappings melter and chain uncapper. CONTACT: Ron Silliman (515) 989-0161 FOR SALE: Package bees. Pick up at Aurora (near Manchester) April 12th. Shipped with Apistan strips. 2-lb. package $23.50 Contact: Douglas Child in Aurora, IA (319) 634-3682. AUCTION: Central Iowa Beekeepers Annual Auction to be held in April. Looking for quality bees and beekeeping equipment for sale. Contact: Margaret Hala, 1988 Vine Ave., Marshalltown 50158 phone: (515) 752-2981. REMINDER: DISCOUNT ON NEW EDITION OF THE HIVE AND THE HONEY BEE IHPA members can purchase a copy of the new Hive and Honey Bee for $27 if we can get at least 8 orders (regular price $36). DEADLINE: To order, contact Walter Clark before February 15th at P.O. Box 30008, Des Moines, IA 50310 phone: (515) 253-0525. WANTED: Your favorite honey recipes. Plans are to explore publishing a new honey cookbook with your favorite recipes, and excellent recipes from the State Fair and other honey cooking events. Type or print them on a 3x5 index card with your name. SEND TO: Paul F. Goossen, RR 5 Box 198, Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641. CALENDAR OF EVENTS FEBRUARY 18 & 25 Beekeeping Workshop 6:30 p.m. at Cerro Gordo County Extension Office, 2023 S. Federal, Mason City, Iowa. MARCH 1 & 8 Beekeeping Workshop 6:30 p.m. at Pottawattamie County Extension Office, 2719 E. Highway 6, Council Bluffs, Iowa. MARCH 15 & 22 Beekeeping Workshop 6:30 p.m. at Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Road S., Cedar Rapids, Iowa. APRIL 5 & 12 Beekeeping Workshop 6:30 p.m. at Putnam Museum, 1717 West 12th, Davenport, Iowa. IOWA HONEY QUEEN PROGRAM Wanted - Beekeepers who are willing to work and have a vision of future possibilities. You must be willing to invest time, effort and a personal interest in another person without expecting to see a dollar in return (at least, in the short run). But you will be investing in the lives of young people and the future of the honey industry. Do not expect to receive a "thank you" for your efforts, but you will receive a sense of having served for the good of others. The assignment is to encourage, sponsor and educate young ladies to be honey queens to represent the honey industry in your community, in Iowa and even, in the United States, if you do your job well. If you decide to accept the assignment, you can identify an interested young lady, age 10-16 years old, sponsor her and we, as the honey queen committee, will give you some help and guidance. Hopefully, we could have a number of local queens as candidates for the state title and hold a special honey queen seminar for them, covering: 1.) basic beekeeping, 2.) uses of honey, and 3.) public speaking. What a wonderful way to help a young person develop invaluable leadership and public relations skills! What a wonderful way to bait a hive and catch a swarm of honey sales in the future! To do this, we will need to be willing to look beyond our immediate, individual interests to tomorrow and other people. Thus the saying, "One sows and another reaps" is true. After all, it is also true that we have benefited from others also ("I sent you to reap that for which you have not worked. Other have done the hard work and you have reaped the benefits of their labor". If anyone understands this principle, it should be the beekeeper, as he gathers the bees' honey and comtemplates this principle in other areas of life. - Paul F. Goossen, Chairman, Honey Queen Committee ----------------------------------------------------------------- FOR SALE: "Honey Bee Diseases and Pests" booklet by Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA). Good color photos on the subject. 17 pages - $1.75 @ Contact Bob Cox at (515) 281-5736. ----------------------------------------------------------------- TRACHEAL MITE INFESTATION IN IOWA The laboratory test results for tracheal mites is listed in the table below: 1.) the number of samples tested, 2.) the number of infested apiaries and 3.) the number of beekeepers with infested apiaries for 1989-1992 in Iowa. The percentage of apiaries and beekeepers with infested bees is shown in the next table. The level remained fairly constant around 30% for the first three years. However, in 1992 it increased, with 75% of the samples infested and 81% of the beekeepers having at least one infested apiary. This may not be a fair sampling because of the small sample size, therefore, this may not be an actual increase. Also listed in the second table is the percentage of infested apiaries that exceeded the 15% allowable mite infestation level. This percentage seems to have been lower during 1990 and 1991, but up again in 1992. These 30 beekeepers with infested colonies were required to treat for the tracheal mite because their apiary(s) posed a threat to neighboring apiaries. If this apparent increase in tracheal mite infestation is real, we may see a larger than normal winterkill this spring. However, if the infested apiaries were treated in a way that resulted in lower mites levels before winter, then the mite may have little effect on wintering loss this year. In order to better evaluate the health of Iowa's honey bee population, a larger number of random bee samples should be collected and examined in 1993. If you would help, we could get samples from most of Iowa's 99 counties and from a larger number of beekeepers, perhaps 250-300 samples total. Contact the state apiarist's office to get instructions on how to collect the samples. We need random samples, rather than only samples from weak colonies likely to be infested with the mites. NEW LABELING LAWS FOR HONEY Although honey may have the image of being an unprocessed natural product, it too will be required to provide nutrition information on its' label in accordance with the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990. Honey is traditionally processed to 145 F for 30 minutes to kill yeasts and prevent fermentation. This heating process is included in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) definition of a processed food and requires adherence to the new labelling regulations. According to the proposed regulations, the serving size for honey is one tablespoon, which will serve as the basis for the nutrition information on the label. The proposed regulations also stipulate that the honey industry use a simplified nutrition label which lists just calories, total fat, total carbohydrates (sugar), protein and sodium. This nutrition information can be provided in column or in paragraph form. Please note that 60 calories is listed as the appropriate value for honey using USDA calculation of 3.68 calories per gram of honey. Honey contains 17.3 grams of carbohydrate resulting in 53.66 calories per serving size. This number is rounded to 50 calories, the nearest 10 calorie increment. Grams of carbohydrate are expressed to the nearest gram, making the carbohydrate declaration 17 grams. Exemptions to this proposed labeling law include a small business exemption; bulk foods shipped for processing, repacking or labelling; foods in packages with less than 12 square inches of label space, provided that nutrition information is supplied at point of sale*; and food for institutional use if nutrition information is provided directly to these institutions. *(If this exemption is used, a company cannot make any nutritional claim on its' label. Additionally, FDA knows of no reason why firms could not provide nutrition information on placards in a clear and conspicuous way at the point of sale.) This information was provided by Richard Sullivan of the National Honey Packers and Dealers Assn. from Focus on Value-added Agricultural Products, Vol 1 #11 Kansas State University Cooperative Extension Service Sept/Oct 1992. For example, in column form, the In paragraph form, the label would label would appear as shown: appear as follows: Nutrition Information Per Serving Nutrition Information Per Serving Serving size: 1 Tbsp. (21 g.) Serving size: 1 Tbsp. (21 g.) Servings per container: xx Servings per container: xx Calories 60 PER SERVING: 50 calories, 0 g total Total fat 0 g fat, 17 g.total carbohydrate (17 g. Total carbohydrates 17 g sugars), 0 g. protein, 0 mg. sodium Sugars 17 g (Percent of DV and Daily Reference Protein 0 g Value must be inserted in this Sodium 0 g paragraph). (Additional columns may be required to show percentage of DV and Daily Reference Value (DRV). 1993 IOWA HONEY PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP DUES: Iowa Honey Producers Association $ 5.00 $_________ American Honey Producers 1-50 colonies $20.00 $_________ 51-500 colonies $75.00 $_________ American Beekeeping Federation-Minimum $20.00 $_________ First time [] Renewal [] (Check one) SUBSCRIPTIONS: American Bee Journal One Year $15.60* $11.70 $_________ Two Years $28.96* $21.72 $_________ First time [] Renewal [] (Check one) Gleanings In Bee Culture One Year $15.00* $11.25 $_________ Two Years $28.00* $21.50 $_________ First time [] Renewal [] (Check one) QTY BOOKS 1-9 10 or more ____ Large Honey Recipe Book $3.00 $ 2.50 $_________ ____ Small Honey Recipe Book $1.00 $ 0.65 $_________ ____ Honey Pamphlet $0.03 Same $_________ =============== == TOTAL $_________ *PRICE YOU WOULD PAY FOR MAGAZINE IF YOU DID NOT BELONG TO IHPA CHECK PAYABLE TO: IOWA HONEY PRODUCERS ASSN. SEND CHECK TO: Robert E. Shepherd, Jr. 917 N. Iowa Washington, IA 52353 (319) 653-4888 NAME______________________________________________________________ __ ADDRESS:__________________________________________________________ __ CITY:____________________STATE_________________ZIP________________ __ PHONE(____)_______________________________________________________ __ NO. OF COLONIES_______________ 12/22/92 No. of No. of pos. No. of pos. Year samples apiaries beekeepers tested 1989 208 64 41 1990 258 74 51 1991 113 37 23 1992 60 45 30 % of apiaries % of beekeepers % apiaries Year positive positive above allowable level 1989 31 29 60 1990 29 32 46 1991 33 30 41 1992 75 81 51 --THE BUZZ-- Apiary Bureau IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND LAND STEWARDSHIP Wallace Building Des Moines, IA 50319 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 12:04:40 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eduardo Orozco/BIOTEC Subject: biotec center BIOTEC HAS COME OF AGE! BIOTEC stands for BIOtechnology: Technical, Economic and Commercial Information. BIOTEC is a new information and consulting center. We oferspecialized information services to the biotechnology community worldwide: - Consulting - Market & trends studies - Information monitoring & searches - Training courses on all aspects of biotechnology information management - Customized database creation, and many other specialized services Nevertheless, BIOTEC is still a database, the most complete and up-to-date in its type , containing 6 870 listings of institutions from 114 countries. What's more, BIOTEC is the only database of its type whith both printed and CD-ROM versions. BIOTEC Directory(the printed version) has six indexes to allow easy searches. BIOTEC CD-ROM contains BIOTEC Database, BioGlossary and BioLabels, and a gift from the Center of Automated Data Exchange:CONVI, a format converter program. BIOTEC CD-ROM runs under BioFind, the search and retrieval program specially designed for BIOTEC. THE QUALITY OF OUR SERVICES LIES IN THE QUALITY OF OUR STAFF AND SOURCES: WE ARE PROUD OF THEM! CONTACT: CALLE 200 # 1922 e/ 19 y 21 SIBONEY, PLAYA, CIUDAD de la HABANA APDO.POSTAL 16015, HABANA 11600. CUBA. FAX:53-7-336529 TELEX:(028)511203 idict cu TELEFS:53-7-336529, 215170, 217708, 217711, 217984. EMAIL:ALTERNEX (APC, BRAZIL):biomail@ax.apc.org INTERNET, BITNET:biotec@ceniai.cu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 16:47:57 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Erik Pedersen Subject: Re: Pheromone Lures Nerolic acid would be 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienoic acid. It is close to Nerol, a citrus flavor volatile - (Z)-3,7-cis-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol (also known as neryl alcohol). The bee pheromones have citrus/rose-like odor characteristics. H3C H2C--CH2 \ / \ C==CH C--CH3 Nerol / // H3C CH \ CH2 / HO H3C H2C--CH2 \ / \ C==CH C--CH3 Neroic Acid / // H3C CH \ C==O / HO Other names would include geranic, neranic, geranium, or neryl acid. =============================================================================== | Erik Whalen-Pedersen | Internet: uunet!gfimda!kekule!erik | | General Foods USA | -or- gfimda!erik%kekule@uunet | | Technical Center | Voice: 914-335-6795 | | 555 S. Broadway | FAX: 914-335-6132 | | Tarrytown, NY 10591 | | =============================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 10:11:00 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: tdahms@SLEDGE-PO.WEEG.UIOWA.EDU Subject: reply from listserv i received a reply back that my text had been posted to the listserv, which i have subscribed to. however, i don't receive a copy of the text i submitted in my own personal e-mail inbox. why not? of course i have a copy of the text. i'd like to see it sent back to me just to confirm that it really did, indeed, get posted. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 12:45:42 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Converted from OVVM to RFC822 format by PUMP V2.2 From: Michael Blankenstein Subject: biotec center In-Reply-To: note of 03/05/93 09:26 If these services are not FREE, then this message violates the Internet rules which prohibit advertising over the net... Michael F. Blankenstein u7530mb@doema.bitnet (e-mail) 202.586.5137 (voice) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 15:45:14 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Edward E Southwick Subject: use of BEE-L ================================================================== º Edward E. Southwick Department of Biology º º Lab: 716-395-5743 State University of New York º º Voice Mail: 716-395-2193 Brockport, New York 14420 º º FAX: 716-395-2416 U.S.A. º º BITNET: Southwik@Brock1P º º Internet: e.southwick@ACSpr1.ACS.Brockport.edu º ================================================================== Dear people using BEE-L. There seems to be some confusion on how this listserv works. When you send a message, it goes out to everyone on the list except you (sender). Presumably you know what you sent. Only your local compu-guru can get you a copy immediately. You, however, can obtain a copy by listing the mail over the past time of interest (day, week, month). It's all on file. I hope we can see more interesting questions and answers that pertain to research on social insects. The pheromone question was good and generated good answers. Meanwhile up here in upstate New York, we and the bees are waay down under as we received yet another blast of snow covering most of the openings (even at the top) with a crust of snow. So, how can they breath? They certainly DO utilize plenty of oxygen to keep warm. They MUST have a small opening somewhere. I am interested in what is known about chill-coma. How cold can individual worker honey bees get and still survive? ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 15:53:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: JOHN STELZER Subject: Re: Pheromone Lures NEROLIC ACID NOMENCLATURE Nerolic nomenclatural nightmare Most bee catchers have been using lures with citral and geraniol. A few select individuals (Scentry Inc., J.O. Schmidt & S. Thoenes, J. Villa) have also added "nerolic" acid to lures based upon research by Pickett and Free. What we have called "nerolic" acid is actually a 92% pure mixture of two isomers (roughly 2/3 geranic acid, and 1/3 nerolic acid). It was synthesized by Bedoukian Research Inc.((203) 792-8153), and is currently available from them at a cost of $200/kg. They will sell smaller amounts at a proportional cost, but will add a $20 surcharge for smaller amounts. ICN also sells this product at a cost of $175/100g (yes, roughly ten-fold difference), as "geranic acid" (catalogue # 30711). Combining all three compounds (citral, geraniol, geranic/nerolic acid) in equal amounts produces a mixture costing roughly 18 cents per ml. You can therefore produce "lures" of 0.1 ml in thin-walled polyethylene 0.4 ml Eppendorf tubes (cost of about 6 cents a tube) for about a dime each. Happy trapping. Jose Villa ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 23:57:42 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: JBEARD@AIP.BITNET Subject: Re: use of BEE-L In-Reply-To: Edward E Southwick's message of 03/5 /93 Ed Southwick, thanks for posting this note, though I wish I had not received it twice. As for chill coma, there is a lot in Bernd Heinrich's new book, which I just finished reading, to review for New Scientist. But that is not news for you, so much of it came from you. Jonathan ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1993 16:39:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: di5 Subject: Re: reply from listserv In-Reply-To: <9303051805.AA21225@umailsrv0.UMD.EDU> If you want to receive a copy of a message when you send it to the list, send this message set bee-l repro to the listserver for the list, listserv@albnyvm1.bitnet The list manager could also change this setting for the whole list with a single command. David W. Inouye Dept. of Zoology, University of Maryland E-mail: di5@umail.umd.edu Phone: 301-405-6946 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1993 18:12:13 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: book Bernd Heinrich's new book? Title? Subject? Liz Day ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1993 18:18:00 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: getting copies of your messages It is also possible to set up your own mail account to give you copies of messages you send to bee-line (or anyone else). Add your own address to the address of whatever you have bee-line aliased as. Liz Day ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1993 20:19:49 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: JBEARD@AIP.BITNET Subject: Re: book In-Reply-To: La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)'s message of 03/6 /93 Bernd Heinrich The Hot-Blooded Insects, Harvard UP, March, $75 523 pages plus god knows how many pages of notes and index, hundreds of drawings, photos, charts exhaustive review of INSECT THERMOREGULATION, in all its guises, even those insects that DO NOT thermoregulate. A review will follow. One chapter on "Social thermoregulation" deals with ants, termites, wasps, honeybees, but there is also good material on bumblebees, tropical bees, you name it. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1993 14:26:50 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Erik.Jules@UM.CC.UMICH.EDU Sorry if this message goes out to everyone on the bee-l, but I've tried all other options. I need to resign from this list, yet I can't seem to do so through the listserver. How can I resign? Thanks. erik jules U of Michigan ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1993 10:53:24 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Aaron Morris Subject: Nuking AFB There was discussion on this list last August regarding the use of radiation as an effective treatment for AFB. I have a number of honey supers that may or may not have been exposed to AFB and I would like to treat them as a precaution before I use them again. The possible exposure was a few years back and it has taken me this long to recover to the point that I again need to use the questionable equipment. So my question is, where might one take their equipment to have it nuked? Preferably the location would be in proximity to upstate New York (Saratoga area). If no one knows of a site that may offer this service, perhaps someone could suggest where I might direct this query? Thanks in advance. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1993 01:05:24 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: JBEARD@AIP.BITNET Subject: REVIEW This review is what I am sending to New Scientist maga- zine, a British weekly I review for regularly. It will be edited, I fear, and run, I hope, within a month. Jonathan D. Beard 820 West End Avenue 3B New York City 10025-5328 212-749-1055 CompuServe 72301,563 jbeard@aip.org Review of The Hot-Blooded Insects: Strategies and Mechanisms of Thermoregulation. By Bernd Heinrich. Harvard Univer- sity Press, Cambridge, 1993. 523 pp, with 10 photos and 257 drawings, 80 by the author. $75.00 In 1979, Bernd Heinrich wrote Bumblebee Economics, a slim book explaining how bees fly in 0 degree weather by warming their bodies up to 37 degrees, and maintain- ing that temperature in flight. Brilliantly written, the book became a minor bestseller for Harvard Univer- sity Press (which has kept it in print) and introduced the then-novel concept of thermoregulation in insects to a large audience. Now Heinrich has returned with The Hot-Blooded Insects, a book that shows that thermoregulation research has reached middle-age: it is a stout 583 pages long, has a great deal more to say about the topic, and lapses occasionally into harsh criticism of other scientists. Until very recently insects, like dinosaurs, were seen as "cold-blooded" animals, content to assume whatever temperature their environment offered, while robust endotherms (animals maintaining a constant internal temperature), like ourselves defend 37 degrees whether in tundra or desert. Not so, Heinrich has proven in thousands of experiments: arctic bees shiver with their powerful flight muscles before taking off from frost-covered ground, while their cousins in the Ari- zona desert fly in 60 degree air by shedding heat through their heads. The Hot-Blooded Insects is above all a review of the literature on thermoregulation for every group of in- sects known to be capable of it--from dragonflies to dung beetles. In the 13 years since Bumblebee Econom- ics, this literature has exploded, and any entomologist or animal behaviorist will probably want to buy this book just for the 58 pages of notes at the end. Hein- rich seems to have read every article about every species that controls its temperature, and even pro- vides thorough discussions of some insects--such as fleas and springtails--that can NOT thermoregulate, yet still coax impressive performance from their muscles. But it is also a book about flight, the form of locomo- tion that puts the greatest demands on muscles. Heavy- bodied insects--bees, dragonflies, beetles, grasshoppers--that want to fly must maintain their muscle-filled thoraxes at 40 degrees or higher; the rapid contractions that create the familiar buzz of such bugs can only be achieved by muscles warm enough to contract at incredibly fast rates. To reach flight temperature, moths that fly at night must shiver these muscles for several minutes in a nutritionally ex- pensive warm-up, while many grasshoppers bask with their dark bodies perpendicular to the sun's rays to achieve the same internal temperature. Flight conveys such important advantages in finding prey, escaping predators, and dispersing to new territories that Hein- rich believes that it is the reason that insects have "learned" to thermoregulate: "no...flying insect warms up by basking or shivering except to fly," he writes. Perhaps the most fascinating sections of The Hot- Blooded Insects describe species which, instead of wor- rying about warming up, have chosen niches in which they can only survive at temperatures that would kill almost anything else. Cataglyphis bombycina, the "sil- ver ant" of the Sahara, forages on the bodies of in- sects killed by heat, and does so on sand as hot as 63 degrees. Yet the ant's own "lethal temperature" is 54 degrees. Every few seconds each ant must crawl up a dry stalk of vegetation to "cool off" in the air above the sand--or perish. Skating on thin ice, indeed, but the ants not only find their prey, they escape lizards who can not tolerate quite that degree of heat. Afri- ca's deserts also host a beetle that literally runs away from searing heat: at 1 meter per second, it cools from convection alone. Heinrich is clear about his opinions. In his section on the "social thermoregulation" practiced by ant, bee and termite colonies, he sternly rejects the "super- organism theory" which posits a collective intelligence at work. And he is downright scathing in his attack on scientists who believe that wings began as thermoregulatory devices. His candor is put to better use in the "remaining problems" he lists at the end of each chapter, admissions of what we still do not under- stand. Addendum for Bee-Line readers. In addition to chapters on bumblebees, tropical bees, and honeybees, there is a very long chapter on social thermoregulation that goes into detail on thermoregulation in honeybee swarms, clusters and colonies within hives. The discussion of the swarm at low temperatures is among the most im- pressive examples of Heinrich's mind at work. The temperature differences between the core bees and mantle bees, and the behaviors associated with them, is brilliantly worked out--this is where he demolishes the "superorganism" theory. There is only scant mention of Africanized bees. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1993 09:41:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: BCG0311@VAX2.QUEENS-BELFAST.AC.UK Subject: Pheromone lures Hi all.... Thanks for the many answers to my pheromone question, I did look in the ICN catalog but forgot to check the "Organic, rare and fine chemicals section" but even so the name geranic acid as opposed to nerolic acid would have put me off the scent (pardon the pun). It is indeed expensive 153.65 UK pounds per 100 gm --- I think I'll stick to citral and geraniol! Philip Earle, Queen's University Belfast, School Biology and Biochemistry. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1993 11:11:23 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ike Norton 09-Mar-1993 1411 Subject: set bee-l repro set bee-l repro ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1993 11:52:53 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ike Norton 09-Mar-1993 1442 Subject: Varroa control Hello all, Does anyone know of any control, other than Appistan strips, for the Varroa mite. thanks, Ike Norton ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1993 16:17:00 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: tdahms@SLEDGE-PO.WEEG.UIOWA.EDU set bee-l repro ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1993 18:10:49 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rick Hough Subject: How to use the listserver It seems that I've been seeing a lot of traffic on BEE-L that should have been sent to the list server itself, rather than being sent to everyone on the list. So, here is the reader's digest version of how to use the list server - If I screw this up, will someone please post the correct instructions!!!!!! My apologies to those folks who already know this stuff, and don't need to have their mailboxes clogged up with this! In order to send a message to every one of the several hundred people on BEE-L, send a message to BEE-L@ALBNYVM1.BITNET (bitnet) -- Internet users can send to BEE-L@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDU. Any message sent to that address gets duplicated and mailed to all the subscribers of the list. If you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe, review the list of current subscribers, get an index of archived files, set different options, find out what lists are available, or get help, you should send your mail to the listserver itself - LISTSERV@ALBNYVM1.BITNET (bitnet) or LISTSERV@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDU for you Internet folks. When you send mail to LISTSERV, you are sending mail to a computer that will respond to the commands contained in the body of your message. So, if you want help on using the list, you should send a message to LISTSERV@ALBNYVM1.BITNET which says "HELP" in the body of the message. The computer will send a help file back to you. You can also try the command INFO to get more info. For all you folks who want to see your own messages when they are distributed, you must send the message SET BEE-L REPRO to the LISTSERV address. Sending it to BEE-L doesn't do anything other than tell everyone that you want to get your own messages, and that you don't know how to use the list server! Summary of useful commands: (Commands can be abbreviated using only the part of the command that is in CAPITAL letters) Info - get info file. Use INFO ? to get a list of available info topics Help - sends a brief description of most useful commands List - Get a description of all lists on this listserver List Global - Get a description of all lists everywhere - Last time I did this, I got a 250Kbyte file back with several thousand lists shown!!! SUBscribe - sign up to get mail from the specified list UNSubscribe - stop getting mail from a list SET - set various options REView - get a list of who is on the list GET - get the requested archive file INDex - get a list of available archive files Rick Hough rshough@tasc.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1993 19:56:51 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: JBEARD@AIP.BITNET Subject: Re: How to use the listserver In-Reply-To: Rick Hough's message of 03/9 /93 Thanks, Rick Hough, public servant Jbeard ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1993 21:02:00 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Edward E Southwick Subject: using bee-l Thanks, Rick! ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1993 21:36:17 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: straightening out the listserver Thanks.... I lost my copy of what to do a while ago... Liz Day University of Illinois at Chicago day@eecs.uic.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1993 09:20:11 WET Reply-To: MunnPA@cardiff.ac.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dr Pamela Munn Subject: varroa control Q: any other control than Apistan? A: yes, both chemical and biotechnical such as trap-combs So called soft chemicals such as formic acid are registered in some countries. IBRA has published the proceedings of its symposium on varroa control which summarizes the methods currentl in vogue. Anyone interested contact me - not via bee-l - on the number below. 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, 10 Mar 1993 05:43:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: GIVE PEAS A CHANCE Subject: Re: Nuking AFB Although I am chary about the nuke process!!! Try calling Knolls atomic power laboratory [they may still exist!] in Schenectady, NY...about 20 minutes from you. Lois ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1993 10:41:49 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Peter Kevan Subject: Re: REVIEW In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 9 Mar 1993 01:05:24 -0500 from The concept of thermoregulation/heat production by insects is NOT novel. One of the earliest salient refernces is a thesis written in 1803 by IFL Hausman in Latin. Later in the early 1800's Newport (1837) wrote on the subject. I am sure that Berndt Heinrich is aware of these early contributions. The rest of the review reads well and I lookforward to obtaining a copy of the book. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1993 01:48:18 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Michael Moroney Subject: Re: Varroa control >Does anyone know of any control, other than Appistan strips, >for the Varroa mite. I've seen special plastic(?) brood combs for sale. The bottom of each cell is larger than the top, so the bees supply the larva with more royal jelly. This causes the larva to develop faster, so the mite doesn't get a chance to develop itself before the bee emerges. Anyone know if these work? Do bees accept the comb readily? If this works it does have the advantage of not being a chemical treatment and no real maintenence is needed beyond the normal work. -Mike ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1993 11:04:53 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rick Hough Subject: Re: Varroa Control >From: Michael Moroney >Subject: Re: Varroa control > >>Does anyone know of any control, other than Appistan strips, >>for the Varroa mite. > >I've seen special plastic(?) brood combs for sale. The bottom of each >cell is larger than the top, so the bees supply the larva with more royal >jelly. This causes the larva to develop faster, so the mite doesn't get >a chance to develop itself before the bee emerges. > >Anyone know if these work? Do bees accept the comb readily? If this works >it does have the advantage of not being a chemical treatment and no real >maintenence is needed beyond the normal work. > >-Mike > I have no personal experience with these combs, but have heard them discussed at meetings of my beekeeper's association. I'm not sure how well they work, but I have heard that they are relatively expensive - probably tollerable for a hobby beekeeper with a hive or two, but prohibitively expensive for someone with many hives (remember - 20 of these combs are needed for each hive assuming two deeps per hive). At about $3 dollars each, the cost adds up very quickly. I've also heard that the bees prefer natural (wax) comb, so you have to give them only the plastic combs - if you give them wax up top and plastic down below (where they normally would raise brood), I have heard that they just "move upstairs" to avoid the plastic. They seem to accept the plastic OK when they are not given a choice. I don't know about supering, but I would suspect that once they have established a band of honey above the brood that is an inch or two wide, that will act as a queen excluder, and the queen will continue to lay in the plastic comb, with the workers filling regular supers with honey as usual. Rick Hough, Hamilton, MA USA rshough@tasc.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1993 09:05:00 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Taper-cell comb for Varroa By coincidence, I was just asked about this 10 minutes ago. John Harbo gave a report at the ABRC in Weslaco in 1989 I called John for an update. The research was reported in ABJ, Dec '89 p 815. This is an abstract only, the full paper has not been written. What John measured was the post-capping period of workers reared in either the ANP combs (taper cell) or regular wax comb, in the same colony. The reduction of capped period was the mechanism claimed for the ANP combs. Varroa was not present in the study area. No significant differences were found, wax combs having a dev. time of 19 days, 13 hr, ANP combs having a time of 19 days, 16 hr. Small colonies (brood limited by incubation volume) could not rear as many larvae using the ANP combs (fewer cells could be incubated in the same volume, 10,000 vs 14,000) so they did less well than those on wax. Interestingly though, bees reared in the ANP combs were larger (130 mg vs 107 p<.01) and lived longer (31 days vs 27 p<.05) He concluded that he didn't know if the ANP combs could reduce VArroa, but if they did, it was not because of a reduction in brood development time. Perhaps the combs might be worth trying in the presence of Varroa, but have they solved the problem in Europe? Kerry Clark, Apiculture Specialist B.C. Ministry of Agriculture 1201 103 Ave Dawson Creek B.C. V1G 4J2 CANADA Tel (604) 784-2225 fax (604) 784-2299 INTERNET KCLARK@GALAXY.GOV.BC.CA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1993 08:47:41 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Peter Kevan Subject: Re: Varroa control In-Reply-To: Message of Thu, 11 Mar 1993 01:48:18 -0500 from It has been indicated that Varroa can be controlled by providing hives with drone comb and getting a few frames of drones reared in the hive. Varroa seems to prefer drone larvae, and will seek out those combs. Once the drone brood is sealed, it can be taken from the hive and dealt with (e.g. treated so as to kill the Varroa and the larvae). It can be replaced in the hives, the bees will clean it up, and re-used. My guess is that this is rather labour intensive, and perhaps others would comment on the practicality of this means of control by sanitation management. I am just re-iterating what I have heard. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1993 07:57:05 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: KESLER@RHODES.BITNET Subject: bee-l? I thought I was registered on this net, but have not received any messages. Have things just been particularly quiet? ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1993 18:54:07 BST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: malcolm roe Subject: Sex life of the varroa mite. I am puzzled. The following is an extract from "Varroasis disease of honey bees - diagnosis and control", a MAFF (British agriculture ministry) publication:- "A mated female mite enters the brood cell a few hours before it is capped. ... She begins to lay single eggs at intervals of about 30 hours. ... The first egg develops into a male, the remainder become females with which the male eventually mates, inside the capped cell. ... Male mites never feed or leave the cell and presumably die after the bee emerges." I get the same story from other publications. "Living with Varroa jacobsoni", by the Devon Apicultural Research Group, agrees in most respects although it says "either the first or second egg will develop into a male; all others develop into females". It confirms that the mites mate in the sealed cell and the male (and any unmated females) die when the bee emerges. I have read the same thing elsewhere and heard it in lectures I have attended. It would appear that the female mite _always_ mates with her brother. Is this true? If so, does it only apply when Apis mellifera is parasitized or is it the same with A. cerana, its traditional host? If it is true, then there is no efficient mechanism for spreading advantageous mutations, the 'reason' for sexual reproduction. So why is there concern about the acquisition of drug immunity? None of the publications I have read have quoted sources for the assertion. I suppose it is possible that they have all obtained their information from the same, incorrect, source. I apologise if this has been discussed here before - I have only been subscribed to BEE-L for a short time - but I would still be interested in some answers. -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 4104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1993 12:28:13 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: pccheng@UCDAVIS.EDU Subject: Re: Sex life of the varroa mite. > "A mated female mite enters the brood cell a few hours before it is > capped. ... She begins to lay single eggs at intervals of about 30 hours. > ... The first egg develops into a male, the remainder become females with > which the male eventually mates, inside the capped cell. ... Male mites > never feed or leave the cell and presumably die after the bee emerges." It seems surprising to me that people took Ifantidis' study (1983) as "definitive" regarding mite reproduction. His assertion that the second egg laid was male introduced drastic errors into the calculation of mite development time. It was not until 1989 when Rehm and Ritter did cytological studies that it was found the first egg usually was male. I believe that a lot more work needs to be done in mite reproductive physiology. Basing broad ecological concepts on current information could lead to serious mistakes. Paul Cheng Graduate Student Ifantidis, M. D. (1983) Ontogenesis of the mite Varroa jacobsoni in worker and drone honeybee brood cells. J. Apic. Res. 22(3): 200-206. Rehm, S.-M. and Ritter, W. (1989) Sequence of the sexes in the offspring of Varroa jacobsoni and the resulting concequences of the calculation of the developmental period. Apidologie 20: 339-343. -- Paul C. Cheng pccheng@ucdavis.edu "The French find my music Dept. of Entomology pccheng@ucdavis.BITNET beyond their powers of per- Univ. of California, Davis pccheng!ucdavis formance." L. van Beethoven &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Droles de gens que ces gens-la! &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1993 23:24:45 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Lynn Geitgey Subject: Formic Acid OK Fellow Bee Keepers and Hobbists, Here's a poser for you . . . Can FORMIC ACID kill Varroa Mites? Any feedback or alternate ideas will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Lynn Geitgey GEITGEY@UKANVM.BITNET (913)588-4850 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 12:14:43 BST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: malcolm roe Subject: Re: Formic Acid In-Reply-To: <9303160526.AA06178@crosfield.co.uk>; from "Lynn Geitgey" at Mar 15, 93 11:24 pm Lynn Geitgey asks: > Can FORMIC ACID kill Varroa Mites? > > Any feedback or alternate ideas will be greatly appreciated. I have no personal experience, but it is said to be less effective than Apistan or Bayvarol and leave residues. Apply 20ml of 2% solution in a pad placed on the floor board. Leave the hive entrance clear. Use at the end of the summer flow and again in the autumn. It is not approved in all countries. -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 4104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 12:23:14 BST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: malcolm roe Subject: Re: Formic Acid, CORRECTION. > > Lynn Geitgey asks: > > > Can FORMIC ACID kill Varroa Mites? > > > > Any feedback or alternate ideas will be greatly appreciated. > > I have no personal experience, but it is said to be less effective than > Apistan or Bayvarol and leave residues. Apply 20ml of 2% solution in a > pad placed on the floor board. Leave the hive entrance clear. Use at > the end of the summer flow and again in the autumn. It is not approved > in all countries. CORRECTION!!!! It should read 20ml of _60%_ solution. -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 4104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 08:29:58 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: I-Net Nancy Hagan Subject: Re: Sex life of the varroa mite. In your message of 15 Mar 1993 at 1228 PST, you write: > Varroa mites spend their entire lives, except for reproduction, living > in the trachea of honey bees. > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ////////////////////////////////// That's a mite interesting....mite you be nit-picking? If a mite were living in a mouse, does that make the mouse mitey mouse? Does that make the mite a mousy mite? I be in one wierd mood this morning. Ray spent the night in a sleep disorder clinic last night. He didn't get back before I left, so I don't know how it went. I, however, tossed and turned all night thinking about him and wondering how he was sleeping with all those electrodes on him. I'll let you know how it went. Later....Nancy ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 08:02:00 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Formic for varroa (To bee-L folks: in Canada we are quite close to having formic acid approved for mite management in bee hives. We have 2 years of residue and efficacy trials involving several thousand colony applications against tracheal mites, and will be extending our experience to Varroa this year. After a year in the federal approval process, the greatest concern has been with applicator hazard (include bystander and hive inspector) for the liquid material (it is a strong acid which will damage skin and eyes). Using gloves goggles and face shield, and a drench gun for application, and requiring a 24 hour interval before inspection of the colony, has allowed human exposure to be in the 2 ppm area, well below the recognised industrial exposure limit (8 hour average) of 5 ppm. The "residue" resulting from proposed tracheal mite applications (before or after honey supers are in place) has been of no concern, never exceeding the levels naturally found in some honeys, and returning to background levels well before harvest. Below are proposed directions for use for Varroa control. I've extracted them from a selection of European papers (brief results listed at the bottom). We don't expect use against Varroa this season (not enough infested hives yet) but we will be doing trials to refine the Varroa directions. We are also testing an extended-release, low operator hazard formulation which we hope may supercede the liquid. I would appreciate comments (on the proposed directions, or other) from any of you who have experience with Varroa and formic acid. (note: the full label is much larger, with precautions about user safety and the possibility of queen rejections (expect up to 10 %?, but we haven't seen any), especially above 30oC. Below is just the use directions.) PROPOSED Directions for use: Use when outside temperatures are 10oC to 30oC. Leave hive entrances fully open. In spring, complete treatments at least 14 days before the honey flow. Do not use when honey supers are in place. Treatment may be applied in fall, after the honey crop has been removed. For a two-story colony (bees covering 8 to 20 Langstroth frames or equivalent): For control of honey bee tracheal mites, apply 30 to 40 ml of 65 % formic acid onto the bottom board, or on absorbent paper (three 15 cm square paper napkins or paper towels) on the bottom board or hive top bars. Re-apply at 5 to 7 day intervals, for a total of 3 treatments. For control of Varroa mites, apply 20 to 40 ml of 65 % formic acid onto the bottom board, or on absorbent paper on the bottom board. Re-apply at 1 to 4 day intervals, for a total of 3 to 6 treatments. For detection of Varroa mites, insert a sticky paper covered by a 3x3 mm mesh screen into the bottom board, then apply 40 ml of 65 % formic acid on an absorbent paper placed on the screen or on the hive top bars. Check the sticky surface for fallen mites after 24 hours, and again after 3 days, when it can be removed. For a one-story colony (bees covering 4 to 9 Langstroth frames or equivalent): Apply half the amounts indicated above, using the same method and timing. (end) Here are the key European results used for the recommendations: Fries, I. 1989. Short-term treatments with Formic acid for control of Varroa in honey bee colonies in cold climates. Swed. J. Agric. Res. 19: 213-216 Seven treatment methods with Formic acid killed 61 to 97 % of Varroa over a 12 day period (demonstrates an acaricidal effect on Varroa in sealed brood). The "normal" European recommendation of 85 % acid, 4 treatments of 20 - 25 ml each at 4 day intervals gave 61 % control (cf. 94 % Hoppe et al below), all others were above 90 %, eg. 4 applications of 30 ml each, at 1 day intervals, gave 97 %. Queen losses of 5 % were recorded. (the proposed wording is consistent with the better results, but avoids the 85 % concentration). Lupo and Gerling 1990 A comparison between..formic acid and Taktic against Varroa in beehives. Apidologie 21: 261 -267 8 applications of 25 ml, 85 % formic acid at 3 day intervals (21 day, 200 ml total) gave control at least equivalent to amitraz smoke strips, in Israel in June or August (98 % reduced in formic treated colonies). This is a much higher treatment than Fries 89. (I used this info to increase the frequency option in the proposed wording) Hoppe et al 1989, and Bracey and Fischer 1989 (adjoining articles in ABJ Nov 1989 p 735 - 737, and 739-742. Hope et al: the most effective method used 20 to 40 ml (1 or 2 box hive, respectively), 65%, 4 applications at 4 day intervals on the bottom board, and killed 94 % of Varroa. Bracey and Fischer used a 200 ml reservoir (plastic tub) with a beer mat in a slot for a wick. They recommended 4 weeks of treatment during active brood rearing (total dose unknown) and got 99% reduction in Varroa. Interestingly, with 70 % acid and temp from 28 to 40o C!!, queen loss was nil. I also have the instructions from Illertisser, Germany (pre-moistened absorbent sheet pulp paper) and Meiers Sohne, Switzerland (user-moistened blotter as above) both translated from German. My proposed wording is basically consistent with their advice, except they say not to use the liquid in the hive, but let it absorb well before the application; and to use in fall, not spring. (both apparently not critical, from results above, and from our tracheal mite trials). Again, I'd appreciate comments. Kerry Clark, Apiculture Specialist B.C. Ministry of Agriculture 1201 103 Ave Dawson Creek B.C. V1G 4J2 CANADA Tel (604) 784-2225 fax (604) 784-2299 INTERNET KCLARK@GALAXY.GOV.BC.CA ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 22:36:07 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: G.Yanos@UIC.EDU Subject: Re: Sex life of the varroa mite. In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 16 Mar 1993 08:29:58 -0500 from Mite Mouse? He picks nits, of course, to distill for a secret fuel that he uses to fly? Whee. The Air Force getting to you, or is it defense cut backs, or hernia's and kids, or brothers or just the approach of 45? Nobody in my family is talking about vacations, by the way, don't know why. I'll prod again next time we're all together. Don't know when that will be. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 23:07:15 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: ELZABETH@UKANVM.BITNET Does anybody out there know of a source for Yugoslavian Bee's? Yes, I know that they have not been imported into the U.S. yet, at least that's what I've been told. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1993 08:26:24 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: Yugoslavian bees The ARS is due to release stock this spring to certain breeders which comes from Yugoslavia. The breeders must pass certain tests, pay a royalty and pass other criteria. Then they will be able to sell production queens from this Yugoslavian stock thought to be somewhat resistant to Varroa mites...the 1922 bee law that it is illegal to import stock still stands although there will be continuing pressure by the industry to rescind this law in the future...The March issue of the American Bee Journal contains an article by ARS Tom Rinderer, et.al. on the issue. For more information contact Dr. Rinderer's lab..ph 504/766-6064 Baton Rouge Louisiana. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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: Wed, 17 Mar 1993 07:37:00 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Re: Yugoslavian bee stock Dr. Tom Rinderer (504) 766 6064 is handling the distribution of the stock to "breeder propagators", who will make it available to retail customers. See the write-up in March 93 ABJ and the announcement in Feb 93 ABJ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1993 11:19:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Ed Bachmann-IREB@UNC.BITNET" Subject: Beginners Beekeeping Magazines or Journals Can anyone recommend a few periodicals for the beginning hobbyist beekeeper? Hive(s) will be in the North Carolina piedmont. Thanks, Ed Bachmann IREB@UNC.BITNET ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1993 10:01:26 BST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: malcolm roe Subject: Re: Beginners Beekeeping Magazines or Journals In-Reply-To: <9303171707.AA05169@crosfield.co.uk>; from "Ed Bachmann-IREB@UNC.BITNET" at Mar 17, 93 11:19 am > Can anyone recommend a few periodicals for the beginning hobbyist > beekeeper? Hive(s) will be in the North Carolina piedmont. I don't live in the US, but every now and then I see a copy of the American Bee Journal. It seems to be an excellent publication for both beginners and expert beekeepers. I wish we had something as good in the UK. The copy I have here (August 1992 - so prices may have changed) gives the yearly subscription as $14.96. American Bee Journal, Hamilton, IL 62341. (217) 847-3324. -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 4104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1993 12:40:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Ed Bachmann-IREB@UNC.BITNET" Subject: Re: Re: Beginners Beekeeping Magazines or Journals Malcomb, Thanks for the beekeeping literature suggestions. Ed Bachmann Univ. of North Carolina ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1993 10:56:36 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Beckman Subject: Killing pupae? Something strange is going on in my hive. There is a rapidly-growing pile of discarded pupae that has suddenly appeared outside the entrance. While some of these are drones (and I can understand killing/eliminating drones), the bulk seem to be workers. The only thing that I can see that is at all unusual is that the worker pupae seem to be undersized. Some are developed enough that they are starting to color up and occasionally move, but most are fairly "young" pupae. What's going on? I don't recall anything like this being mentioned when I took my bee biology class. Has some odd scent keyed them to purge the hive of anything abnormal? Jane Beckman [jane@swdc.stratus.com] ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1993 14:13:48 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Beckman Subject: Re: Discarded pupae Thanks. It probably is chilled brood. The temperature has been deceptively warm, then cool (central California), and yes, I was poking around in the hive, checking to see if they had eaten their antibiotic patties, seeing how things were going, removing the entrance reducers (just about the time a cold windstorm hit, too). We've been having deceptively yo-yo-ing temperatures (though not as extreme as the East Coast). One week, it's warm and sunny, and the next there is snow on the mountains and the temperature has fallen dramatically. I know chalk brood, and no, this doesn't look like it, so it's probably the chill factor. I wonder if the viable pupae might just be some of the brood workers got confused, and pulled out all the pupae in a section, with a few viable ones included. There weren't many of the live ones. It looks like this discarding has stopped, now, so I hope it was just I went poking in the hive at the wrong time. I'm crossing my fingers. Jane Beckman [jane@swdc.stratus.com] ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1993 18:54:07 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Elizabeth Balogh Subject: Fumidil-B and Natural substances Hi Fellow Beekeepers and Biologists. I was wondering can Fumidil-B control Tracheal and Varroa mites? Also, I'm interested in finding other substances that can be added to syrup which are natural and safe. With appreication. Thanks Elizabeth Balogh ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1993 20:12:00 +1300 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: EFB in honey... New Zealand is free of European foulbrood disease (and Varroa and acarine and Tropilaelaps and Africanised bees...). There is a proposal to allow honey imports from Australia subject to a heat treatment regime that is intended to reduce the risk of importation of EFB to a 'manageable' level. The beekeepers here are, understandably, not overly enthusiastic about the whole thing! Most of you may think EFB not such a big thing, but in NZ (1) we haven't ever *had* EFB and are concerned especially with the first few years until our bees develop some resistance and (2) we just don't want those greebies we don't have! I would appreciate three things from those of you who read this, if you care to comment to me directly or to the list: (1) General comments re: the above (2) Has anyone any experience or recall of literature associated with heat treatment of honey to destroy European foulbrood? M Hornitsky (Australian) has published one set of times/temperatures but it was based on (1) five samples of honey only and (2) 'infecting' the honey with one given strain of cultured EFB only (admittedly, probably the best way to design a trial, but not the way 'real life' is.) Hornitsky found considerable variability between the honeys, and was unable to correlate the difference in heat tolerance to honey pH, moisture content or any other factor. I would appreciate any comments from anyone with experience/ideas related to the concept that honey can/could be heat treated to reduce the possibility of carrying EFB infection. I realise that as most of you will be in countries that *have* EFB, the chance of work being done would might be small... (3) Can I get some comment re: the possible effects of different AFB (note *A* FB this time) that would be brought in the same honey (and not destroyed with the heat treatment)? Any anecdotal evidence of bees being exposed to different strains and the results? Remember that NZ has had effectively no importations of honey, bees or bee products for about 40 years now, so I'm expecting our bees to have developed somewhat differently with no pressures to show various resistances. I'd appreciate any comments, to the list or to me personally. Thank you for your help! Nick Wallingford nickw@waikato.ac.nz 55 Watling St Tauranga New Zealand ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1993 14:28:51 BST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: malcolm roe Subject: Re: EFB in honey... In-Reply-To: <"relay.pipe.358:19.02.93.07.19.11"@pipex.net>; from "NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ" at Mar 19, 93 8:12 pm > New Zealand is free of European foulbrood disease (and Varroa and acarine > and Tropilaelaps and Africanised bees...). There is a proposal to allow > honey imports from Australia subject to a heat treatment regime that is > intended to reduce the risk of importation of EFB to a 'manageable' level. > > The beekeepers here are, understandably, not overly enthusiastic about the > whole thing! Most of you may think EFB not such a big thing, but in NZ (1) > we haven't ever *had* EFB and are concerned especially with the first few > years until our bees develop some resistance and (2) we just don't want > those greebies we don't have! I can sympathise with you. Presumably there are political considerations (trade liberalisation?) but don't let them do it. It's the thin end of the wedge. If we'd had a more restrictive policy in this country (UK) perhaps we wouldn't be facing varroa now. First, some observations from my locality. We have a honey packing business about 40mls away. (Fortunately for me it's no nearer.) Much of the honey is imported. There are frequent outbreaks of EFB nearby. Local beekeepers claim that bulk containers, empty but uncleaned, are often left ouside. Not suprisingly they are robbed of the remaining honey. It is thought that this is the source of EFB although it is difficult to prove. Recently there have been two outbreaks of AFB about 10 mls from my apiary. These were traced (probably) to a local vinyard putting out wasp traps baited with cheap imported honey. Perhaps heat treatment would help but where would it be done? If in Australia, could you be confident that some untreated honey didn't slip through? If in NZ, the case of the empty containers, above, would not be covered. > ... Any anecdotal evidence of bees being exposed to > different strains [of AFB] and the results? Remember that NZ has had > effectively no importations of honey, bees or bee products for about 40 > years now, so I'm expecting our bees to have developed somewhat differently > with no pressures to show various resistances. You may not have been importing bees or bee products for 40 years but you have certainly been _exporting_ NZ queens all over the world. I have no direct experience but I am not aware of particular sensitivity to AFB in imported NZ bees. Perhaps other non-NZ beekeepers reading this list could give you their experience. There may be some research on it as well. -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 4104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1993 12:28:00 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: re EFB in honey Hi Nick Re disinfecting honey: I was about to point out the letter in March ABJ, p 159 which explained the measures being taken in South Africa, where (because of the Cape Bee control program) they are concerned about importing diseases in honey. The letter indicated they are requiring irradiation (gamma I suppose) of all honey, pollen and beeswax. I looked for any info on EFB destroying conditions (temp etc) there's nothing in Morse's Pest Pred and Diseases, and Bailey's Honey Bee Pathology,p 92 says (Pankiw et al 1970) gamma irradiation up to 0.8 M rad is ineffective against M. pluton. (maybe they use more in S.A ?) Formaldehyde or acetic acid kills it on comb, but that's no use for honey. Re. how serious it might be in New Zealand, indeed we haven't noticed (or measured) any greater incidence in New Zealand derived colonies in B.C., but there is the "blueberry" factor. The blueberry growing area of B.C., peaty acid soil and so on, has a remarkably higher occurance of EFB (10 % not unusual, and sometimes all colonies in a yard, when oxtetracycline is not regularly applied). The same high incidence is recorded in the U.S (New Jersey, I think). Dr Shimanuki and Herbert ? did some work on this, there is a paper a few years back in ABJ. I think there was some improvement from lactic acid added to pollen patties. In any case, if you had large ares that similarly predisposed colonies to EFB, it could be very serious in a country that didn't allow oxytetracycline prophylaxis. How risky is the importation of consumer jars of honey (treated or otherwise)? that's another question. Good luck Kerry Clark, Apiculture Specialist B.C. Ministry of Agriculture 1201 103 Ave Dawson Creek B.C. V1G 4J2 CANADA Tel (604) 784-2225 fax (604) 784-2299 INTERNET KCLARK@GALAXY.GOV.BC.CA ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1993 00:07:52 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: DSTOLZENBACH@DELPHI.COM Subject: Bee and Wasp Phobia Help Hello; I have had phobias about bees and wasps for the majority of my life. These phobias have caused me to resort to indoor activities during the months when these insects are most prevalent. Although desensitization therapy has begun to reverse my fear of bees and wasps, I have a long way to go before feeling comfortable outdoors. Educating myself about how people without these phobias cope would help me to understand what to expect when in an environment where these critters are present. I am looking for recommendations on reading or visual materials, particularly about wasps, whereby I might see examples of people interacting with these insects in different environments. Confirmation on the names of the phobias connected with bees and wasps would also be appreciated. bees apiphobia or melissophobia Stings cnidophobia Wasps spheksophobia Thanks ... Dave Stolzenbach ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1993 03:26:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: GIVE PEAS A CHANCE Subject: Re: Bee and Wasp Phobia Help At LEAST bees and wasps sting I have a moth and butterfly phobia! It's really a tad humiliating especially as I run a science museum with a vast number of these critters in collections. If you are doing "desens, therapy" that may work. You also may simply displace the phobia which possibly serves (evolving over time) functionally as funnel angst mechanism. Can you touch pictures of wasps without any fear response? For friendly (if a tad of a Freudian approach!) videos of wasps..try Bio-Sci laser on pollination biology. Lots of "cute" bees and wasps doing there thing. Your Mom probably watched the WASP from outer space while she was pregnant. Good luck. Lois lbrynes@vax.clarku.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1993 19:33:18 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: DSTOLZENBACH@DELPHI.COM Subject: Re.: Bee and Wasp Phobia Help >If you are doing "desens, therapy" that may work. You also may >simply displace the phobia which possibly serves (evolving over time) >functionally as funnel angst mechanism. One psychiatrist I was seeing regarding the phobias thought I had a misplaced fear of my father. However, that fear has been reconciled for a number of years now and the fear of bees and wasps is diminishing but still quite prevalent. >Can you touch pictures of wasps without any fear response? >For friendly (if a tad of a Freudian approach!) videos of >wasps..try Bio-Sci laser on pollination biology. Lots of >"cute" bees and wasps doing there thing. I can look at pictures of wasps, watch them on television, etc. with little or no anxiety. With a little more anxiety I can watch them live through a window or window screen. My anxiety increases when they appear to want to try and come through the glass or screen. Where can I begin looking for video sources such as the Bio-Sci laser on pollination biology? Is that orderable or can it be borrowed like through a library? Lois ... good luck to you as well! Thanks ... Dave Stolzenbach ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1993 06:37:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: GIVE PEAS A CHANCE Subject: Re: Re.: Bee and Wasp Phobia Help You'll need access to a laser player BIO-SCI & POLL-BIO should be available at a nearby university/school or museum, It's EXPENSIVE to buy! Interesting that Freudian interpretation of phobias is still prevalent even tho behav. mod. is the approach used. BOTH are lacking. Maybe you were WInnie the Pooh in a past life. Cheers Lois ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1993 21:42:58 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: DSTOLZENBACH@DELPHI.COM Subject: Re: Bee and Wasp Phobia Help >Dave - Where are you?? I am a beekeeper in the Boston area. I don't know >what I can do to help, but I would be willing to chat via e-mail, or have you >come visit my bees when you are ready. I'm not sure what you really are >looking for, and whether exposure to live bees would be helpful or harmful. >Also, I would be curious if you have different reactions to honeybees vs. >wasps (are you able to distinguish between them??). Rick ... I appreciate the offer to visit your bees, however, I live in Concord, California. Once in the past few years I was invited to visit a private apiary. I didn't go, nor did I give it much thought. However, if I and a beekeeper were to come to a very clear understanding as to what to expect from one another, it's something I believe I'd like to try, I'm just not sure how soon. The books I have read (which doesn't account for a lot) concentrate more on the different kinds of bees/wasps, their living habits, aggressiveness, social habits, etc. What they do not concentrate on is how people interact with bees/wasps. I am often afraid to venture out into my front or backyard because of bees or wasps. My wife, on the other hand, respects the fuzzy critters, but rarely has a problem with them. I have a good friend who's never been stung and seems almost totally un-intimidated by them. We were on a bus together when I noticed a wasp a couple feet to my left buzzing against the inside of the window. I got up and moved hastily to a seat on the other side. My friend saw the wasp and just reached over with his hand a slid the wasp down the window jamming it into the ventilation slot at its base. End of wasp. I have a real problem on how to, or how not to react when a yellow jacket for example decides to investigate where I'm peacefully sitting under the shade on my patio with no food or drink around. I have this horrible premonition that this obviously deranged wasp has decided to zero in on me and see how many times he/she can sting me, at which point I generally enter a semi-panic state and dash into the house; the door to which is usually never far away. Other people seem to ignore the deranged wasp. I need to watch from "safe" vantage point how people deal with these critters. I have been stung 3 times. 2 by wasps and one by something I'm not sure of. The offended critter got stuck between my eyelid and glasses when I was riding my bicycle home from grade school one afternoon. Needless to say the critter got annoyed and stung me. I through off my glasses and ran head on into a parked car. This all happened back in the late '50s. I don't believe I swell up any worse than other people the times I've been stung. I'm looking for information on observing "normal" reactions (compared to people like myself who too often enter a panic state) of people confronted with bees/wasps/hornets in their environment immediate environment. Thanks ... Dave Stolzenbach Internet: dstolzenbach@delphi.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1993 08:05:16 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ray Lackey Subject: killing pupae - Jane Jane, what you are probably seeing is the result of chilled brood. This occurs often in the spring when the brood nest has expanded, a sudden cold snap occurs, and the bees are unable to maintain the temperture over the complete brood area. They collapse into a smaller area over the cold period and then the exposed brood die. After the cold snap, the bees clean out the dead brood and begin again. You must have been hit by the blizzard of '92 that just swept the whole eastern part of the United States and Canada. I would also guess that you are further south than my location on Long Island. We still have limited brood rearing. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Raymond J. Lackey + + Beekeeper 10 years with 25 colonies on Long Island + + INTERNET: lackeyr@drone.hazeltine.com + + Mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY 11617 + + Home Phone: 516-567-1936 FAX: 516-262-8053 + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1993 11:31:15 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Beckman Subject: Re: Bee and Wasp Phobia Help I recall hearing an interview on a radio show sometime back, regarding phobic behavior. I believe that there is some cutting-edge work being done with it, and you might want to go to the library and check to see if there are any recent references on it. It seems to be closely related to Panic Attack Syndrome (a lot of older psychology types have no experience insights into Panic Attack Syndrome, or Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, or Phobic Behavior, because this field has only recently been explored). It is an involuntary reaction of the brain cortex that has biochemical implications, and is mostly triggered by insects. It is believed that this may be a leftover bit of "hard wiring" from days when this was a survival mechanism. It keys fight/flight stresses. Part of the training is aimed at breaking the biofeedback loop. Desensitisation therapy is actually a biofeedback training process. Aversion to particular classes of animals is by no means uncommon, but extreme reactions seem to be an overstimulation of body chemicals responsible for "fight-or-flight" survival reflexes. (Phobias have been shown to respond to chemical inhibitor therapy aimed at these adrenal-related endocrine responses.) I understand the hard-wiring, because I have always found insects *attractive,* from early childhood (I was known for running around carrying honeybees and bumblebees on my hand, freaking adults), but the sensation of some unknown leggy thing on sensitive skin sometimes causes involuntary shudders and brushing reflexes, before the concious mind kicks in. I notice that the buzzing sound triggers a lot of this reflex in people---you might want to listen to buzzing noises in the safety of your home. DO check references from the past ten years on the topic of "Panic/Phobias." They can give you additional material. Good luck! Jane Beckman [jane@swdc.stratus.com] ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1993 11:40:39 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Beckman Subject: Re: killing pupae - Jane Actually, I'm in California---however, we had this early "False Spring" with temperatures in the '70's, then this cold storm suddenly came in, and the temperatures rapidly dropped into the high 20's/low 30's at night, where they stayed for about a week. (There was snow lasting below 2000 feet for over a week---something I've never seen before in this area.) Sounds like the warm weather geared them up, then dropped a cold shroud on the colony. Thanks. It sounds very probable. -Jane ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1993 14:08:42 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Kim Patten Subject: Job Posting Looking for BS/MS/PhD-level scientist with specialty in bee biology to study bumble bee ecology in cranberry bogs. Position is with Washington State University Research and Extension Station in Long Beach, Washington (in coastal southwest Washington, north of Astoria, Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia river). Position from (approximately) April 1, 1993 to December 31, 1993. Phone or fax to 206-642-2031 Email to CE6090@WSUVM1.BITNET or CE6090@WSUVM1.CSC.WSU.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1993 19:50:55 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: elizabeth balogh Does anyone know if International Bee Research Association is avaiable or acces sable in Hungary? Thanks, Elizabeth Balogh ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1993 09:24:27 WET Reply-To: MunnPA@cardiff.ac.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dr Pamela Munn Subject: Re: your mail In-Reply-To: <17001.9303230204@cardiff.ac.uk>; from "elizabeth balogh" at Mar 22, 93 7:50 pm > > > Does anyone know if International Bee Research Association is avaiable or acce s > sable in Hungary? > > Thanks, > Elizabeth Balogh > Hi Elizabeth The International Bee Research Assocn. is a worldwide organization and anyone anywhere can become a member. Anyone can access our library information and get our journals, though our funds are very limited and so we have to charge. If currency is a problem, there is the possibility of becomming a sponsored member (donations are given by our supporters for this fund, we are a charity). If you would like more information let me have your address and I'll post you details (reply to the number below, not via Bee-L please) 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: Tue, 23 Mar 1993 04:54:43 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: GEITGEY@UKANVM.BITNET this is a test . . . this is only a test . . . ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1993 08:11:04 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Wenner Subject: Bee behavior during swarming 0800 / 24 March 1993 Message to BEE-L subscribers A year ago January, I published a short article about swarm movement (AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, pp. 27-31). Some of the input received has been interesting and should be shared. One observer from North Carolina wrote that he had detected a strong pleasant odor when in the midst of a moving swarm (likely Nasanov odor), something I had suspected should be true. A beekeeper in Washington State has noticed more than once that all of the hundreds of scouts that have been travelling back and forth between former site and adopted site suddenly return to the parent cluster just before the swarm moves -- again, something I suspected should occur but had not yet witnessed. The most rewarding comment came from a beekeeper in Israel, who wrote, "This is the first time [a] scientist has explained most facts in the problems of swarms." Now that swarm season is once again upon us, I would appreciate hearing of other observations that might pertain to that article published a year ago January. At least some of you now have swarm hives installed. Perhaps you might notice what I noticed just prior to occupancy -- some of the scout bees were executing the dance maneuver on the outside of the swarm hive that was later to be occupied. Also, it would be of interest if any of you could confirm the observations mentioned above. Any other thoughts would be most welcome. Best wishes. Adrian M. Wenner Prof. of Nat. History, Emeritus wenner@lifesci.ucsb.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1993 12:20:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: BCG0311@VAX2.QUEENS-BELFAST.AC.UK Subject: Foundation maker Hi all.. Someone in the distant past, I forget who, was looking for a method for making a foundation maker. There is a good article in Aprils "Bee Craft" pg 111 by John Hamer describing the construction of a mould using fibre glass resin and a neat method of wire embedding. Philip Earle BCG0311 @ V2.QUB.AC.UK Queen's University of Belfast ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1993 19:54:00 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: Hawaiian transshipments? NZ has shipped package bees and queens to Canada for about 20 years now. The exports are generally trans-shipped (taken from one plane to another) in Hawaii. The State of Hawaii has now closed this off entirely, ostensibly due to the risk of bee diseases from NZ. Dr Liu's work, referred to in the letter from the State of Hawaii's Dept of Ag, has been challenged in American bee magazines. I'd be curious to see what sort of response (scientific, please, not emotive) there is on this issue. Its that fine line where bee science is being used to create trade barriers, and its very important that the science be good! FROM BUZZWORDS, THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE NEW ZEALAND BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION, NUMBER 51, APRIL 1993. BEE EXPORTS JEOPARDISED This year's shipments of New Zealand queens and package bees to Canada could be at risk, thanks to actions recently taken by state and federal governments in the United States. The lucrative Canadian market, worth over $1.5 million to New Zealand and Australian producers, is currently in limbo following a decision by the US Department of Agriculture to agree to a Hawaiian state government request to end transshipments of live bees through its borders. The move follows hard on the heals of a Canadian federal government decision to allow the import of queen bees produced in Hawaii for the 1993 production year. The Hawaiians had tried unsuccessfully for several years to access the Canadian market which was closed to live bee shipments from the continental United States in 1987 in an effort to keep out the Varroa mite. The move resulted in losses to US queen producers estimated at NZ$6.8 million per year (see Buzzwords 30). The decision by Canadian authorities to allow Hawaii queens into their country is seen as a victory for elements in the Canadian industry who believe that the US border should no longer be closed. Varroa outbreaks have now been identified in several Canadian provinces and last year the Canadian federal government announced that it would no longer pay all the costs for varroa mite control programmes. Unfortunately for the Canadians, however, if the Hawaiian ban remains in place, Canadians will be unable to obtain package bees from any outside source. The Canadian approval is only for queens from Hawaii, and even if the Hawaiians obtained export clearance for packages it is unlikely that they could supply more than a small portion of Canada's package needs. With those sorts of pressures on the Canadian industry, it's conceivable that the Canadians could call for a return to package imports from California, just so they can continue to restock their hives. The Canadian authorities are requiring several strict export certification procedures for Hawaiian queens. These include the testing of 15% of the producer's colonies for varroa and one hive per apiary for tracheal mite. However, the procedures do not require area freedoms for American foulbrood, as required for New Zealand queens. Hawaii currently does not have an American foulbrood control programme and has no government register of beekeepers and apiaries. The Hawaiians, for their part, have used some very tenuous arguments in an effort to get the USDA to stop transshipments of our bees through their ports. Mr. Yukio Kitagawa, chairperson of the Hawaiian State Government Board of Agriculture, claims that bee shipments from Australia and New Zealand pose the threat of introducing foreign diseases and pests into Hawaii. As evidence for this, he quotes the articles written by Dr. Stephen Liu, from Agriculture Canada, which appeared in a number of bee publications in North America in the past several years. According to Mr. Kitagawa, Dr. Liu 'detected two serious honey bee diseases, not present in Hawaii, in samples of package bees shipped into Canada from New Zealand and Australia'. The diseases mentioned are Kashmir bee virus and melanosis. As Denis Anderson pointed out in his rebuttal in The American Bee Journal in 1991 (see Buzzwords 39), Dr. Liu's articles 'omitted important published information about Kashmir bee virus and made claims that were not supported by scientific evidence.' There is also much disagreement amongst scientists as to whether melanosis is even a disease. But the real point is that the Hawaiians don't even know whether they have these two problems (we're sure they do) because no one has really ever looked. Dr. Liu made it clear last year that his comments about Kashmir and melanosis were directed at 'academically informing' beekeepers and were not really scientific articles (see Buzzwords 45). Still, that hasn't stopped the Hawaiians from grasping this very inconsequential straw and holding the whole of Australasia's Canadian bee exports to ransom. We strongly believe it is about time someone in the North American bee science establishment took Dr. Liu to task for his lack of scientific ethics. Dr. Liu needs to apologise to US and Canadian officials for the errors in his articles on Kashmir and melanosis and he needs to do it now. * * * STOP PRESS * * * Agriculture Canada has just approved several new transit/transhipment ports for this year's package bee exports to Canada. These include Singapore, Seoul, London, and Hong Kong. There is still a problem, however, of available space on aircraft. We understand that at this point only one air carrier has agreed to consider shipping packages through Hong Kong. We have also just been informed that the US authorities will allow transshipments of live bees through LA for valid sales contracts made prior to March 19. Contact your local AAO for details. ------------------------------------- Nick Wallingford National Beekeepers Assn of NZ Internet nickw@waikato.ac.nz ------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1993 19:55:00 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: Chalkbrood in Australia...x FROM BUZZWORDS, THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE NEW ZEALAND BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION, NUMBER 51, APRIL 1993. Here's an update on the chalkbrood situation in Australia: - The outbreak was first notified by the Queensland state government on February 1. The initial, visual diagnosis was later confirmed by Dr. Denis Anderson, CSIRO, Canberra, on February 8. - The outbreak was first reported by a commercial beekeeper from the Warwick area. The disease was noticed in 4 out of 120 nucleus hives. - By February 12, fifteen apiaries in Queensland had been found with symptoms of the disease; 11 apiaries in the Warwick area and 4 near Brisbane. It is possible that the two outbreaks are unrelated. - At this point no chalkbrood has been found in any other Australian state. NSW has closed its border with Queensland, on a temporary basis, to bees, bee hives, and apiary products. Exceptions include honey heart treated at 70 degrees C for 2 hours, honey which has been tested as negative for chalkbrood, sealed bee products destined for export, and steam-cleaned honey drums originating in NSW. Border inspectors are on the lookout for illegal movements of hives across the border and Australia Post has been advised to watch out for queen bees posted from Queensland. - The NSW Department of Agriculture has sent a mailout to all 4500 registered beekeepers in the state, with information about the disease, and details on how to inspect for the disease and where to send suspect samples. Three NSW inspectors have been sent to Queensland to assist with the inspections. - According to the NSW Department of Agriculture, if chalkbrood becomes established in NSW, 'it could cost the industry AUS$22 million per annum in lost production from honey, queen bees, packages and pollination.' from Bee Briefs, February 1993; The Australasian Beekeeper, February 1993 ------------------------------------- Nick Wallingford National Beekeepers Assn of NZ Internet nickw@waikato.ac.nz ------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1993 14:13:27 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jean-Marie Van Dyck Subject: Propolis as a mounth-wash ? Hello ! Who knows a method to use propolis (bee glue) as a good mounth-wash ? The usual ethanol solution precipitates when you try to dissolve it in water, even warm or hot. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jean-Marie Van Dyck Fax +32 81 72 42 72 B.P. 102 E-mail : jmvandyck@cc.fundp.ac.be B-5000 NAMUR(Belgium) Fac. Univ. Namur - Med. School ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1993 10:18:00 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: re: Hawaian trans-shipments I've got to the point of hoping this issue would dissappear. There is a complicated background which affects it, but the decision should never the less be rational. I've been told that a crucial difference this year, is that the bees from Australia and New Zealand used to stay onboard the aircraft in Hawaii during the stop over. Now apparently, they have to be unloaded and stored on the ground before being loaded on other aircraft to Canada (this used to happen sometimes, but not usually?). The extra risk of escapees, and the story of a large number of escaped bees last year, has been used as a reason for disallowing the shipments. Anyone with first hand info? I've heard from a Canadian importer who had trouble getting packages from New Zealand, but has now worked out the route through Asia. There's much more to it, but I've got to get going. Kerry Clark, Apiculture Specialist B.C. Ministry of Agriculture 1201 103 Ave Dawson Creek B.C. V1G 4J2 CANADA Tel (604) 784-2225 fax (604) 784-2299 INTERNET KCLARK@GALAXY.GOV.BC.CA