From LISTSERV@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDU Mon Oct 3 16:22:55 1994 Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 18:11:05 -0400 From: BITNET list server at ALBNYVM1 To: Allen Dick Subject: File: "BEE-L LOG9404" ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Apr 1994 08:10:46 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Harvey Hyde Subject: Re: wanted: subscription info In-Reply-To: <9404010341.AA17698@bud.peinet.pe.ca> Just send a message to the listserver with one line in the body saying SUBSCRIBE BEE-L Harvey Hyde hhyde@peinet.pe.ca On Thu, 31 Mar 1994, Sharon Labchuk wrote: > Would someone please send me information about this list and how to > subscribe. Thanks. > Sharon Labchuk > labchuk@peien.pe.ca > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Apr 1994 19:25:00 +1300 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: NZ bees and access to US... New Zealand beekeepers have just found out that access will be denied to the US market for our bees and queens yet again this season. Though there are no biosanitary problems left. We've spent the last 10 years answering all of the concerns raised to the satisfaction of the US officials. The hold up now is that the official notice must be printed in the Federal Register, and that might be 'some time', up to six months away. If there are beekeepers in the US who would like the opportunity to buy NZ queens and bees, I would urge you to (1) contact the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and lobby for a more timely gazetting of the notice and/or (2) contact me, allowing me to compile a list of supportive US beekeepers to assist our lobbying of the US officials. It is bureaucracy that is keeping you from having the choice to buy our bees now, not science... ------------------------------------- Nick Wallingford (East coast, N Island, New Zealand) Internet nickw@waikato.ac.nz ------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Apr 1994 22:14:19 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jean-Pierre Chapleau <73642.244@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Formic effect on queens Hi Kerry Concerning the group of hives treated in the fall, the "symptoms" you describe suggest to me the following: that the queens would have disappeared (probably killed by the bees) following the formic acid treatment; that the colonies would have raised emergency queens from the brood left; (was there any brood left at the time of the treatment?) that these new virgins could not mate because because of the poor weather and maybe the absence of drones in the fall; (what are the weather conditions like at the time of the year the treatment was done?) and finally they became drone layers. How extensively is the formic acid used to control the tracheal mites and the varroa mites in British Columbia? Do you still see it as a promising tool to control the mites? I heard from beekeepers from the canadian Prairies that there was a specific range or temperature to use the formic. I heard that queen losses would occur only when the formic was used in warm weather. What is your experience on this. Do you get many reports of queen loss? I whish to use fluvalinate and menthol as little as possible when the mites get in our hives. I was seeing formic as a good prospect. The members of club API here in Quebec would like to experiment with it with the help of Peter Keating. We should keep in close contact on this. I would be pleased to translate and publish in our bee magazine any material on this subject. Winter is still present here: still 24 inches of snow on the ground in many places around here! ********************************************************************************* ********** Jean-Pierre Chapleau phone: (819)828-3396 1282, rang 8, fax: (819)828-2248 Saint-Adrien de Ham, QUEBEC, CANADA Canada, J0A 1C0 73642.244@compuserve.com ********************************************************************************* *********** ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Apr 1994 00:20:31 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Michael Moroney Subject: Re: NZ bees and access to US... In-Reply-To: <199404020303.AA24940@world.std.com> > If there are beekeepers in the US who would like the opportunity > to buy NZ queens and bees, I would urge you to (1) contact the > USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and lobby for a > more timely gazetting of the notice and/or (2) contact me, > allowing me to compile a list of supportive US beekeepers to > assist our lobbying of the US officials. > > It is bureaucracy that is keeping you from having the choice to > buy our bees now, not science... Just out of curiosity, why would J. Random Beekeeper, as a US bee hobbiest or commercial beekeeper, want NZ bees or queens? From a posting from a Canadian beekeeper they'd be quite expensive compared to bees raised in our southern states. (But I'm sure they'd appreciate the flight!) Do you claim to have some super queen breeds or something? And "they're disease- free" isn't really a reason, bees from the US are guaranteed not to introduce new diseases into the US, and bees from a quality supplier will not be diseased anyway. -Mike ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 08:18:00 +1300 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: Bees from NZ... That's a good question, Mike. Why *would* someone want to buy bees and/or queens from New Zealand? (1) COST. NZ bees are not so expensive as the prices mentioned seem to indicate. It really depends on how/from whom you purchase. The costs of air freight make up the greatest cost, obviously, but agents' fees add up if you are buying from well 'down the chain'. For those who can buy 'near the top', I think you'll find that NZ bees are competitive in price with those you'll get from the southern states. (2) BREEDING. Yes, NZ is well known for its bee breeding. Our queen breeders have a good reputation for both their selection and bee breeding capabilities. Various strains can be found that excel in gentleness, frugal over-wintering, quick build up, and a variety of other traits. Our bees are not fed with antibiotics to control AFB. Our selection, then, has favoured bees with natural resistance to AFB. On the other hand, we have the German and Common wasps (Vespula spp.) so our bees are well suited to defend their hives against predators. (3) RELATIVELY 'DISEASE FREE'. Though important for purchasing queens, it is much more valuable when purchasing packages of bees. While a queen in a cage and her attendants are relatively easy to ensure, say, mite freedom, I would suggest that packages of bees will be the way most mites will be spread through the US. (4) TIME OF SUPPLY. As bees/queens are coming from the NZ autumn, you have fewer problems with your early spring supply requirements, both in timing and quantity. As well, you can be assured the queens are fully mated, as there are a full complement of natural drones in the mating areas. (5) GENETIC BASE. Though you may feel confident in dealing with a reputable southern state breeder, you can be fully assured that you will not be buying any Africanised genetic material when you buy NZ stock. We have had a virtually closed door policy on genetic material for about 30 years. That's only just what I can think of to start with. NO ONE IS TRYING TO MAKE ANYONE BUY OUR BEES. On the other hand, we feel that we should have the fair opportunity to establish our credibility for quality of bees and queens, reliability of supply and service, now that we have established that they don't pose any pest/disease risk to the US. ------------------------------------- Nick Wallingford (East coast, N Island, New Zealand) Internet nickw@waikato.ac.nz ------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Apr 1994 17:02:46 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott (U.K.)" <100332.3310@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Varroa/Buckfast; Canada/UK Hi all, I've made some enquiries here re. the suggestion that Buckfast Queens groom out Varroa and I draw a blank. Also, I think if the story had been true, it would have been in neon lights across the whole world by now. Hi Jane, When I first read your last letter I thought that 57 days at -20 didn't sound too bad, then I thought days not nights and _below_ -20 and I began to get the feel of things! I guess your bees' main problem is just to survive in those conditions. How do you arrange to give them even a fighting chance? Are their hives in the open or do you store them in a shelter? On the plus side, the extreme cold and consequential brood-free period will certainly hit many of their parasites hard, so _hopefully_ acarine (our name for trachial mite infestation) and varroa will be less of a problem for you. This weekend here shows the very different difficulties we have. We've had two or three weeks now of quite warm (+5 to +13) and sunny weather and our colonies are expanding rapidly (they actually start quite early, probably in January), are now growing quite strong and have been bringing in both pollen and some nectar. Now we get a cold (by our standards -- 0 to +10) period with rain, a little snow and high winds (70mph gusts) for a couple of weeks. With the rapidly increasing colonies, food reserves plummet and the 'cold' can kill the peripheral brood. As they were all fairly small colonies last year (due to a disaster mentioned in an earlier letter) I will need to ensure that ours don't starve. If you come over next year you will be most welcome to visit, it's always nice to put a face to a name. _Maybe_ you'ld even consider giving a talk on beekeeping in your area? :) Bye for now, Gordon. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Apr 1994 21:16:06 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: killing jar synopsis (long message) Below is a complete synopsis of the responses I've received, both from bee-liners and others, about the killing jar problem. This is in thanks to those who sent ideas and in response to those who wanted to know what other people said. Please note I have not tried any of these ideas yet myself, so can't vouch for them. I would very much like to hear any comments or corrections regarding this list if you have any. It may become part of a book. Thanks! -- Liz Day day@eecs.uic.edu The problem: Killing jars sweat inside, then furry bumblebees get matted and wet. Poisons that kill slowly make this harder to avoid. The solutions and discussion: 1. Chemicals that kill quickly: Liquid cyanide kills quickly but I consider it too dangerous to use. A broken jar could be fatal to the person using it. Cyanide apparently comes in crystals, which can be handled with tweezers/forceps. Bottles exist that are made with a cartridge in the lid to hold these crystals. (Company called Bioquip, I'll send their address if you ask.) However, it's still cyanide and I wouldn't give it to students nor keep it in the house if I had kids. Is said to work well on bees though. Methyl chloroform (this is NOT the same as regular chloroform, which is not recommended for various reasons) is also supposed to kill bees fast. It can be gotten in the form of an aerosol used for cleaning electronic parts. (Name and address of product on request.) You spray the stuff onto a paper towel, then stick the towel in the jar with the bee. I would not use this stuff indoors, breathe it, or get it on my skin. I would avoid leaving an aerosol can out in the hot sun where it might pop. This stuff is said to kill the bees in a few minutes. One person suggested ether, in the form of aerosol cans of automobile starter fluid. This would be used in the same way with a paper towel. Both these two chemicals are very volatile so one would have to recharge the killing jar constantly, or use a spray with every bee. Anti-pest strips, the kind people hang up, might work in a killing jar. I dont' know how long it would take, but whatever pesticide they use is pretty deadly to insects. Diethyl ether? Is this the same as "ether"? 2. Other ways to kill quickly: CRP says that microwaving bees for ~10 seconds kills them. Apparently the specimens are still in OK shape after this. Freezing works well. You can leave the bees in the freezer and they'll stay soft until you have time to mount them properly. Let them thaw in the container, don't take them out, so moisture will condense on the outside of the container not on the bee. An alternate is to anesthetize the bees in the field with one of the slower-acting chemicals, then put the inert bees in a dry container, take them home and freeze them. SEVERAL PEOPLE MENTIONED DRY ICE OR CO2. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW THIS WOULD BE HANDLED? I have no experience with the stuff at all. 3. Keeping jars dry: Many people said they use paper towels, KimWipes, bridal veil, or tissue to keep the bees away from the sides of the jar. Some people stuff almost the whole jar with stuff to immobilize the bees until they are dead. If the tissue you use soaks up moisture, it will have to be replaced at times. One can line the entire sides and bottom of the jar with paper towel, so that the bees cannot ever touch the sides. Plastic jars, like peanut butter jars, don't sweat as much inside as glass jars. One can keep one's chemical away from the bees by making a sort of cartridge (like the one for cyanide crystals) from one of those little plastic film containers. Tape/glue it to the bottom of the killing jar, put cotton in it, put your chemical onto the cotton with an eyedropper. Just another substitute for plaster of Paris. Keep extra dry jars to put inert bees into. Inert bees in their dry vials can be kept cool in "a small hand-held cooler" -?? This sounds like a wonderful thing to have, does anyone know where to get one? Eddie Bauer sells insulated lunch bags. I dont' know how long they'd stay cold in the August sun. 4. Handling chemicals that kill slowly (used because they are safer): The infernal ethyl acetate / n-butyl acetate (available in some nail- polish removers) / ethyl enthanoate (ethanoate?). These take several hours to kill bees. They are troublesome because you can't tell when the bee is really dead, and because they give the bees time to regurgitate nectar and to beat themselves up. I think they are pretty safe to use, though. To use, recharge the jar frequently; keep watch and wipe the sides dry, use lots of tissue; keep the jar out of the sun if possible. Proper use requires vigilance while the bees are expiring and that the collector not be too greedy in catching more bees than s/he can handle. These chemicals are for people more emotionally mature than I. 5. Restoring bees that have already gotten wet and matted: S. Cameron says you can re-fluff their fur with a hairdryer set on low. That they can be rinsed in a solution of Cascade (dishwasher detergent) and water. Rinse with fresh water and blow-dry. Thank you bee-liners for all your help!! -- LD ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 08:24:38 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "James E. Hoyt" Subject: Unsubscribe (I'm changing my mail address) UN-SUBSCRIBE BEE-L ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 08:37:08 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "James E. Hoyt" Opps! shouldn't try to do stuff like this first thing in the morning! Sorry for the interruption! ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 09:39:07 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Power Subject: Re: Varroa/Buckfast; Canada/UK Well darn! I know I saw or read that, and I'll track it down for you. I workedmy bees yesterday. I had two or my hive freeze to death. It was, however, the winter from hell. It was interesting, actually. Both had lots of stores. Everything else was fine. I have ordered nucs this year and to tell you the truth, I am worried about importing varroa. I don't have varroa yet. I suspect Northern Ontario winters hurt them but don't, quite clearly, eradicate them. I have the only kept bees for quite some distance so they can't get it anywhere else. It is the 90s and I suppose we should be practicing safe beekeeping... and parents think they have it bad with a couple of teenagers! I have thousands who think nothing of hanging out on flowers with bees they have never met! Ah well, if I didn't have a penchant forworry, I wouldn't keep bees. Enough ramblimg, cheers Jane. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 07:13:10 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Wenner Subject: Re: bio-mechanic varroa fight >By the way, are you aware of any recent news regarding the reports of >fluvalinate resistant varroa in northern Italy? I have 3 brief papers from '93 >in Italian which I hope to have translated enough to assess, but the abstract >says "the results suggest that varroa had become resistant to fluvalinate". >(I see in one of the papers (Marletto, F. 1993. Recrudescence of varroa >disease. >Apicolt. mod. 84 3 - 6.) a photo of the 3 section drone frame you describe. > > >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 Kerry, My son is rather fluent in Italian, having lived there for 10 years. If you send me a copy of those three papers (short, I hope), I can probably get the essence of their content quite quickly and get back to you. (He bought a house in Santa Barbara but maintains his lease on a fortress back there.) Adrian *************************************************************** * Adrian Wenner E-Mail wenner@lifesci.lscf.ucsb.edu * * Department of Biology Office Phone (805) 893-2838 * * University of California Lab Phone (805) 893-2838 * * Santa Barbara, CA 93106 FAX (805) 893-4724 * *************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 09:16:23 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Jim G. Shoemaker" Subject: Plastic Frames/Foundation Bee People: I have recently acquired two cases of new and used Pierco plastic frames/foundation. I have never used plastic before but have heard it both damned and praised. Anyone out there have any suggestions as to how to get the best results. Thanks, Jim Shoemaker 5160 S. Western Brookline, MO (USA) 65619 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 08:29:24 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jerry J Bromenshenk Subject: Re: Varroa/Buckfast; Canada/UK In-Reply-To: from "Jane Power" at Apr 4, 94 09:39:07 am Jane: I truly doubt that your bees froze to death. Southwick has taken them to incredible cold and they survive if the cluster is large enough and they have enough food. It appears that unless the cluster is really small, bees can survive really cold conditions by 1) clustering tightly (which we all learned from the classical texts, 2) consuming lots of high energy food and increasing their heat output, and 3) (here is the new angle) moving over against an empty frame (if the beekeeper was smart enought to leave one). Seems bees figured out the insulation properties of dead air spaces long before we wised up. So -- they not only invented the swamp cooler, they also insulated their outer walls. However, most of us thought they were just stubborn and uncooperative about filling out those outer frames, and -- many of us than helped them out by putting a full frame of honey there. Dumb! Actually, in winter, the best guess is that colonies more often starve to death (even with food in the box) because they either run out of food or can't break the cluster to move sideways to frames that have remaining food stores. I went round and round on this one with a programmer who wanted our model to kill bees by freezing them. He had a neat looking approach, but it didn't have any meaning in terms of reality. Cheers Jerry Bromenshenk The University of Montana jjbmail@selway.umt.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 10:21:36 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave D. Cawley, a De Leon Socialist" Subject: Jane's Dead Bees Jane, If you didn't already do something with them, why don't you get a handful of those dead ones teseted. Maybe it wasn't the cold that did it... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave D. Cawley | Where a social revolution is pending and, University Of Scranton | for whatever reason, is not accomplished, Scranton, Pennsylvania | reaction is the only alternative. ddc1@jaguar.uofs.edu | -Daniel De Leon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 12:53:04 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ray Lackey Subject: Re: Plastic Frames/Foundation ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Raymond J. Lackey + + Beekeeper 10 years with 25 colonies on Long Island, NY+ + INTERNET: rjl7317@hazeltine.com + + Mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY 11617 + + Home Phone: 516-567-1936 FAX: 516-262-8053 + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Use of plastic frames: 1) use all or none, don't mix with wood frames with wax foundation 2) have a swarm during a good nector flow in your boxes so stocked (^ that is Hive - stupid fingers can't spell) 3) shift outer frames to center as center are drawn out 4) add additional boxes of new (undrawn) only during good nectar flow 5) don't add too many extra boxes - keep em crowded until drawn out 6) when they don't finish a frame in a season, scrape the whole thing down and start it again in another season. They don't seem to like to continue one of these plastic foundations. Godd Luck ! ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 13:10:18 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Power Subject: Re: Jane's Dead Bees Dave, good idea! (however, I retain the right to continue my mantra: I don't have mites...I don't have mites...I don't have mites.... Thanks, Jane. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 15:24:21 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jackie McMillan Subject: Re: candles Hello, Folks Having spent considerable time experimenting with beeswax and candle-wicking ('cause it smells good, is relaxing in small doses, and makes easy gifts), here's my two cents worth. Lewiscraft (a Canadian craft firm) sells two sizes of non metal-core wicking, 100% cotton, the smaller size of which will support a 3/4 inch candle, and the larger of which will support a 1&1/4 inch candle. The candles need aging or tempering, which allows them to burn with less smoke, and less dripping. Aging can consist of a year in a box, or several weeks in a freezer (beware of shattering), and produces a whitish "bloom", the colour of which gives you some idea of how well they will burn. The bloom can be left on, or can be polished with a cloth to give the candles sheen for decorative use (the bloom will reappear over time, but much more slowly... my suspicion is that it has to do with evaporation). For a rough idea of how large a candle a particular wicking will allow, make some short squat cylinders from cardboard, coat the insides with vegetable oil (for easier removal), set in a wick (toothpicks help, sometimes), and fill them with wax almost too cool to pour (it will shrink the least, this way). Make sure the wick is sodden with wax, or it may not start to draw wax from the candle before it burns out. Let the candles burn down until they start to drown; the hollows they create will be approximately the maximum possible width of wax for that particular wick. If you want to dip rather than mold candles, my favourite dipping containers so far are the tall narrow tins which beer-making kits put malt syropes into. They rest easily on a stove top (beware of gas stoves and melted wax: a) it's hard to keep the temperature low enough to gain rather than lose wax on the wicks, and b) the fire risk is substantial), and they allow you to make more and taller candles with less hot wax to deal with afterwards. For cleanup of tools or of candle-holders from candles burned too soon, set an oven on its lowest heat, leave the door open, keep something for smothering fires handy (it's not that risky, just a good idea), and set your waxed utensils upside down on aluminum pie tins. When the wax cools it will be reusable, and the warmed utensils can be wiped dry, making whatever you used to wipe them a volatile fire-starter. To cool any leftover hot wax, ladle into other aluminum pie tins. After a few days it should pop out easily, and the tins can be re-used. Mine is definitely a cottage operation, devised from repeated trips to local libraries (which yielded no information specific to beeswax except that it was too expensive to use undiluted, and that it burned at a higher temperature), and a significant amount of experimentation. Using molds for small numbers of candles was, for me, impractical with beeswax because of the high amount of shrinkage which must be accounted for (big air spaces form along the wick), because of the subtantially increased cleanup time, and because for less effort I could produce more dipped candles with none of the surface marring common to molded ones. I realize that this is probably not the right venue for sharing this, but having read the "flame goes out" chain, I thought it might be helpful. Have fun! Jackie (bruce@nic.hookup.net) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 16:17:44 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Power Subject: Re: Varroa/Buckfast; Canada/UK Jerry, you make a lot of sense:) There was honey along the edges of the hive, and I was confused to find bees in starvation formation (read ass up) in the middle of the frames. I couldn't figure out why the cluster had not moved; however, I now understand. It was a nuc hive and not terrifically big. As well, it was verrrrrrry cold this winter. Perhaps they didn't move to the honey because the cluster was not moving. Well darn! I am hoping that was the problem and not varroa dreadus. The other was a swarm hive that I should have taken my losses on in the fall and combined it with another and just didn't get to it. Thanks so much for the help. Cheers, Jane. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 17:48:34 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ray Lackey Subject: Re: candles ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Raymond J. Lackey + + Beekeeper 10 years with 25 colonies on Long Island, NY+ + INTERNET: rjl7317@hazeltine.com + + Mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY 11617 + + Home Phone: 516-567-1936 FAX: 516-262-8053 + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I use an electric coffeepot (80-100 cup) and dip over water ( about two to three inches of wax floating on top. I use a separate teapot in an electric skillet to melt the wax and keep the level up. Cool weather and time between dips allows buildup and not removal as dipped through the wax and into the water. Nice and safe. I do wrap the coffeepot with a blanket when warming it up. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 18:29:01 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: blue pollen Last year there was some question about the source of blue pollen in early spring, suggestions that it came from Scilla ("Siberian squill"). The Scilla here near Chicago is in bloom; the pollen appears to be a sort of aquamarine, or bluish green. Liz Day University of Illinois at Chicago day@eecs.uic.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 19:22:52 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Janko Bozic Subject: Jane's dead bees Jane, Were some brood in your's dead hive? If so, there could be one another scenario of dying of your bees. Bees really can survive at very low temperature, but problem is when they have a brood in a hive. I have some experience in my beekeeping with dead families in the early spring. What can happen? Sometimes in january or in february is a short period (a week or so) of nice warm bees. First pollen forage and warm weather triggers lying eggs and formation of new brood in a hive. As you know, bees take care of brood. They are quiet precise about temperature regulation. As I know they will never over hit the brood! When cold whether is coming back, bees are making more tide cluster to override hit lose. But, what about brood. They don't leave it unattended and they don't overheat it. That means they can go over the brood temperature in the center of the cluster. During cold whether in a families without the brood, center of the cluster can reach temperature close to 40deg.C. But never with the brood. If the family is small it have to be cluster more then it could be because of limitations by brood presence. I suppose that is showed up in enabling of bees on the outside of the cluster to make more tide cluster. The result is to low body temperature of the core bees, which REALLY die because of cold. I'm expecting the family is broken down very fast. Could be in one night. Perhaps there could be also a problem how to reach the food stores, when the cluster is formed around the brood with some empty cells around brood and away from honey comb. Our beekeepers in Slovenia say, bees are starving at full desk Again, do you have brood in your hive with dead bees ? With regards, Janko ======================================================= Janko Bozic OFFICE: Department of Zoology & Physiology Louisiana State University _ _________ Baton Rouge, LA 70803 /_\_____/_ tel. 504 388 1769 //* \O O/ *\ fax. 504 388 1763 / *** \O/ *** / ** / \ ** HOME: / * _._ * 1222 Jim Taylor No.9 \.../ Baton Rouge LA 70820 \I/ tel. 504 767 4681 l BITNNET: ZOBOZI@LSUVM INTERNET: ZOBOZI@LSUVM.SNCC.LSU.EDU ======================================================= ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 21:30:58 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Power Subject: Re: Jane's dead bees Janko, I did. I am amazed! I was wondering where in the heck the brood came from--ok I know where it comes from, I was very surprised to see it there :) What I can't figure out is when this warm spell was. I clearly missed it. In fact, I am still waiting for it--it's cold and has snowed all day :( Thanks for the tip, Cheers, Jane. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 08:23:51 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Aaron Morris Subject: Varroa resistant Buckfast? Not so fast! Regarding the reputed resistance to varroa attributed to Buckfast bees, I have to say woefully that it's just not so! Acting on this rumor, I requeened my hives (all six of 'em) last spring ('93) with Buckfast queens. I had a good season in '93, enjoying what I considered to be some of the nicest bees I've ever had the pleasure to work and harvesting an average of about 80 pounds of honey per hive. I treated my hives with Apistan strips, which were in from roughly Thanksgiving through Christmas (Nov 25 - Dec 25). All hives made it through the "winter from hell" (verified in late February), but two have since died. Both of the dead hives had dead varroa all over the bottom board. I don't know if the varroa died last fall/early winter when I had the Apistan strips in or if the mites were the cause of the hives' demise and fell to the bottom board after the bees died. I don't imagine that the bees would have been able to clean the hives very well, as it has been cold since I removed the Apistan strips. One hive clearly starved, but the other hive had plenty of stores remaining and had in fact started raising brood. I want to check the bottom boards of the remaining hives to see if they too have dead mites, but it's been too cold to break the hives down. In any event, I've got Buckfast bees and I've got varroa. I don't feel that the numbers are sufficient to conclude that the Buckfasts' resistance to varroa is bunk, but I can say that one should keep up one's guard for varroa even if they have Buckfast bees. Perhaps I would have lost all my hives with another strain of bee, who can say? However, a valid conclusion based on last year's experience is: Varroa resistant does not mean varroa immune! ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 21:53:30 BSC Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Aldevino Ribeiro da Silva Organization: FUEM/Fundacao Universidade Estadual de Maringa - Parana - Brasil. Subject: doubt about propolis (???) Hello Dear's I'm a beginer in beekeeping and I would like very know wich propertys (accuracy) of PROPOLIS. If possible composition, preparation, applications, conservation, frequency and more informations thereby (thereon)... Thank's in advanced and sorry my english ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 09:51:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Re: Formic effect on queens Hello Jean-Pierre The scenario you suggest is certainly possible, but it is one of seve= ral,=20 including some not involving formic acid. As I mentioned (I think) the few clear examples of formic-induced que= en loss=20 have involved temperature over 30 =B0C. However, there are several le= ss-clear=20 situations of queen loss which could have involved formic acid at low= er=20 temperatures. Unforrtunately, it is usually impossible to gain much i= nformation=20 =66rom these vague reports, and people are left with suspicions, whic= h is fine;=20 it's good to be cautious in any new management especially involving a= corrosive=20 chemical, but I would like to be able to predict the queen losses, so= people=20 could avoid them better (or use the effect in requeening??) In genera= l, though,=20 the queen loss has been less than 2 %.. in the range of doubt whether= there is=20 any effect at all. I have the formic label in French, I'm not sure who translated it. Le= t me know=20 if you want a copy. It should soon be out in the Note to CAPCO from A= g Canada. Weather has been good here, just freezing each night, and there are r= eports of=20 willow pollen being gathered, but I'm surprised the bees can find the= few that=20 are yielding pollen. regards Kerry ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 17:04:11 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott (U.K.)" <100332.3310@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Buckfast/Varroa Hi Jane, Oops -- Please forgive me if I gave the impression that I thought you reported the Buckfast thing wrongly, I'm sure you didn't. :) We see many wild stories in the press where facts get confused or 'enhanced' -- the various 'killer bee' stories over the years, the amazing yields we get from bumble bees, 'swarms' of fifty or more bees and so on. I _think_ that's happened here but the story is credible! It's also quite possible that there is truth but it's being kept quiet until 'proven' and/or repeatable. There is _lots_ of research! Bye again, Gordon. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 19:39:34 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Michael Moroney Subject: Re: Varroa resistant Buckfast? Not so fast! In-Reply-To: <199404051228.AA00305@world.std.com> Buckfast bees were selected for resistance to _tracheal_ mites. I don't think this necessarily translates to varroa resistance, but this is probably the source of the varroa resistance rumor. -Mike ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 09:04:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: 8 bit characters I hope the puzzle of the "=20"'s etc has been solved. After I heard that a few of my internet messages in the last 2 weeks were garbled, I think we've tracked it down to my occasional use of "alternate" or "8 bit" characters, specifically getting the o key to produce a nice little superscript "degree" symbol. I'll send a duplicate of this message, with the offending character, to test. Sorry to subject you to this, and thanks for pointing it out to me. Maybe this will forwarn some others. 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: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 09:16:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: 8 bit charaters: II Here it comes, with one degree symbol down there in the text. I N T E R O F F I C E M E M O R A N D U M Date: 06-Apr-1994 09:04am PD= T From: Kerry Clark KCLARK Dept: Agriculture, Fisheries= & Food Tel No: 784-2225 fax (604= ) 784 2299 TO: Remote Addressee ( BEE-L@ALBNYVM1.BITNET@G= EMS ) Subject: 8 bit characters I hope the puzzle of the "=3D20"'s etc has been solved. After I heard= that a few=20 of my internet messages in the last 2 weeks were garbled, I think we'= ve tracked=20 it down to my occasional use of "alternate" or "8 bit" characters, sp= ecifically =20 getting the o key to produce a nice little superscript "degree" symb= ol =B0. I'll=20 send a duplicate of this message, with the offending character, to te= st. Sorry to subject you to this, and thanks for pointing it out to me. M= aybe this=20 will forwarn some others. Kerry Clark, Apiculture Specialist B.C. Ministry of Agriculture 1201 103 Ave=20 Dawson Creek B.C.=20 =09V1G 4J2 CANADA=09=09 Tel (604) 784-2225=09fax (604) 784-2299=20 INTERNET KCLARK@GALAXY.GOV.BC.CA ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 15:50:15 CST6CDT Reply-To: Bajema@dordt.edu Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Duane H. Bajema" Organization: Dordt College Subject: scientific nomenclature I had a paleoecololgist colleague ask me if the genus species Apis apis existed. I was uncertain and therefore am asking the list. Any help? ------------------------------------------------------------ Duane H. Bajema e-mail bajema@dordt.edu Agriculture Department 712/722-6275 office Dordt College 712/722-1198 FAX Sioux Center, IA 51250 ------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 18:41:49 BSC Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo Organization: FUEM/Fundacao Universidade Estadual de Maringa - Parana - Brasil. Subject: PROPOLIS TO ALL, I would like the chemical composition and properties of propolis. indications for use AND WHEN NO USE. THANKS, VAGNER +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ I VAGNER DE ALENCAR ARNAUT DE TOLEDO E-MAIL: VGTOLEDO AT BRFUEM.BITNET I I- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -I I Fundacao Universidade Estadual de Maringa - FUEM I I Departamento de Zootecnia I I Avenida Colombo, 3690 - Campus Universitario - 87020-900 - Maringa-Pr I I Telefax: 00-55-0442-22-2754 - Telefone: (0442) 26-2727 - Ramal: 319 I +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 13:31:09 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Malcolm Roe Subject: Red pollen. In-Reply-To: <199404042329.SAA24878@ernie.eecs.uic.edu> from "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques" at Apr 4, 94 06:29:01 pm A few days ago Liz Day reminded us about blue pollen. Whilst watching my bees bringing in pollen yesterday (SE England) I saw, among all the orange and yellows, a single load of bright red. It was very striking - about the colour of a ripe tomato. I referred to Dorothy Hodges' book. The only possibility from her list was Red Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) although her colours were rather duller than the colour as I remember it. Certainly, Red Deadnettle is out in abundance at the moment and is frequently visited by honeybees. However, I've always thought that their main interest was nectar. I suppose it is possible the pollen came from some exotic garden plant but there can't be many of them in flower at present. The weather is still quite cold. We were having sleet and hail only a few days ago. -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 5104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 11:20:44 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rick Hough Subject: RE>PROPOLIS Sorry if this is confused - my mail system just crashed, and I'm trying to resend this message. Someone let me know if it is garbled beyond recognition!! Thanks -------------------------------------- Date: 4/7/94 10:51 AM From: Rick Hough Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo recently wrote on BEE-L: >TO ALL, > >I would like the chemical composition and properties of propolis. >indications for use >AND WHEN NO USE. > >THANKS, >VAGNER > >+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ >I VAGNER DE ALENCAR ARNAUT DE TOLEDO E-MAIL: VGTOLEDO AT BRFUEM.BITNET I >I- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -I >I Fundacao Universidade Estadual de Maringa - FUEM I >I Departamento de Zootecnia I >I Avenida Colombo, 3690 - Campus Universitario - 87020-900 - Maringa-Pr I >I Telefax: 00-55-0442-22-2754 - Telefone: (0442) 26-2727 - Ramal: 319 I >+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Vagner, Propolis is a substance gathered by the bees. It is very sticky and tar-like - sometimes it is called "bee glue" because the bees will use it to plug holes and cracks in the hive, and they often "glue" the frames to the hive body. The propolis I have seen is usually a dark brown, although it seems more yellow in small quantities (such as residue left after scraping a bunch of propolis off a frame). At colder temperatures propoplis becomes very brittle. In terms of chemical composition, I'm afraid I can't help you. I'm also not sure what you mean by "indications for use and when not to use" - as a beekeeper, I let the bees gather the propolis they need - I have never had to give a hive propolis. If you mean eating propolis yourself, to improve your health, I think this falls under the category of "health food folklore" - there are stories about the benefits of propolis, but to the best of my knowledge, no scientific research has been done on the topic. To be honest, I'm not even sure what benefits have been attributed to propolis - it isn't an area I have looked into. Hope this helps! Rick Hough, a beekeeper from Hamilton, MA, USA rshough@tasc.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 11:41:53 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rick Hough Subject: Red Pollen Malcolm Roe mentioned his bees bringing in red pollen.... Just last week I heard a story from a beekeeper of 40+ years that has some bearing on this. As is often the case, it took a long time to get the story in person, due to all the embellishments that accompany most good stories. Anyhow, the crux of the story was that after extensive searching for the source of an unusual pollen that this beekeeper's bees were bringing in sporadically, he located a cemetary about 1 km away. The bees were foraging on the flowers that mourners were leaving at the graves!!!! So here is one possible explaination for small amounts of unusual pollens being brought in. I am frequently amazed by the resourcefulness of these critters! Rick Hough, Hamilton, MA, USA rshough@tasc.com Local conditions: FINALLY!! Spring seems to be creeping into town! Nights are still cool - often below 40F, but the snow has melted, and the days are often approaching 60F. Bees are bringing in lots of pollen, but not much nectar yet. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 10:50:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Re red pollen One of the rarely collected pollens in the moderate coastal climate around Vancouver, British Columbia is a red pollen from Red Cedar (Thuja plicata - "red" cedar because of the reddish wood). It's a wind-dispersed pollen and probably not that nutritious for bees. It's not tomato red though, On a corbicula, it looks sort of waxy red. Perhaps there's a related conifer near Malcolm. Local conditions: Last weekend the hives in northern B.C. here, were brought out of their winter buildings. Some of the yard sites still have a foot or so of snow from drifts or from being in the shade. Others are too wet for vehicle access. So the hives are in a few holding yards. Overall mortality: 10 -15 % (of 1200) died over winter, mostly from queen failure since September. A group of 72 colonies I'm running in a stock test (Buckfast vs locally selected tracheal mite resistant vs "standard") , requeened in late July, had 4 die, one from queen failure, other 3 unknown, they consumed very little of their stores. Yesterday was calm and about 7 degrees C. The hives in the sun were quite active, but I couldn't see any pollen being gathered. The willows are out, but we haven't found any yielding pollen yet (the bees are looking more than I am.) 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, 7 Apr 1994 14:44:55 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adam Finkelstein Subject: Re: Re red pollen In-Reply-To: <199404071840.AA30036@Hopper.itc.Virginia.EDU> from "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax" at Apr 7, 94 10:50:00 am Here foragers are bring in a spectacular red pollen from a mint type weed known as "hen-path" or "hen-bit." Its low, with pubescent leaves and has purple to violet flowers. Someone else mentioned to me it used to be used for beer making as a hops substitute but now has naturalized. Sorry I don't have a Latin name. Adam -- =============================================================================== Adam Finkelstein VDACS Apiary Inspector 116 Reservoir St Harrisonburg VA 22801 703-433-1006 (V) 703-434-5607 (Fax) 703-564-4394 (Pager) adamf@hopper.itc.virginia.edu adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu |Bees To Please| ================================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 14:59:24 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stephen Bambara Subject: Lamium In-Reply-To: <9404071844.AA27230@wolf.ces.ncsu.edu> from "Adam Finkelstein" at Apr 7, 94 02:44:55 pm > > Here foragers are bring in a spectacular red pollen from a mint type weed > known as "hen-path" or "hen-bit." Its low, with pubescent leaves and has > purple to violet flowers. Someone else mentioned to me it used to be used > for beer making as a hops substitute but now has naturalized. > Sorry I don't have a Latin name. Henbit is Lamium amplexicaule and Malcolm's red deadnettle is Lamium purpureum. Both are closely related mints. I think I've observed more activity on the L. purpureum, but I shouldn't draw any conclusions from it. I can't verify the red pollen, though. I'll keep a better watch out for pollen collection. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Stephen Bambara NCSU-Entomology, Box 7626, Raleigh NC 27695-7626 | |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=| | Voice: (919) 515-3140 | INTERNET: sbambara@ent.ncsu.edu | | FAX: (919) 515-7273 | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 15:35:41 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave D. Cawley, a De Leon Socialist" Subject: More Dead Bees and Bedtime One of the beekeepers here at the U (there's 3 of us and an ex so far) finally made it out to his hive and found his bees dead. He couldn't figure out why though, so I said I'd ask you folks... He said that it looked like they were an exhibit in a museum. They were all over the frames like they were working on them as usual, but not moving. They weren't all balled up and there was a lot of stores, with hardly any dead bees on the bottom board. Any clues? I told him to put some in a jar to get them tested. What's the address to send them to? Luckily he ordered a package, just to be on the safe side. Also I checked my bee books and magazines and couldn't come up with an answer to "what do bees do at night, do they sleep?" Anyone have an answer for that one? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave D. Cawley | Where a social revolution is pending and, University Of Scranton | for whatever reason, is not accomplished, Scranton, Pennsylvania | reaction is the only alternative. ddc1@jaguar.uofs.edu | -Daniel De Leon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 16:37:47 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rick Hough Subject: RE>More Dead Bees and Bedtime Dave Cawley wrote: > One of the beekeepers here at the U (there's 3 of us and an ex so far) >finally made it out to his hive and found his bees dead. He couldn't figure >out why though, so I said I'd ask you folks... > > He said that it looked like they were an exhibit in a museum. They >were all over the frames like they were working on them as usual, but not >moving. They weren't all balled up and there was a lot of stores, with hardly >any dead bees on the bottom board. Any clues? I told him to put some in a jar >to get them tested. What's the address to send them to? Luckily he ordered a >package, just to be on the safe side. Dave - I sent you the Bee Lab address directly. A note to the rest of BEE-L: I have a set of instructions from the Beltsville Bee Research Lab on how to prepare samples for testing. Given that it is springtime, and lots of us are now finding out we have dead hives, maybe I should post these instructions??? I've already e-mailed several copies, and will continue to do so upon request. Comments about the dead hive: My first guess is that they froze in a cold snap. How many bees were left in the hive?? If they were dying off over the winter due to mites, or something, the cluster can get so small that it can't keep warm on a cold night. You said there was lots of honey left - was there any under the bees, or was it all several inches away - in a cold snap, the cluster often consumes the honey under them, and then can't move over to new honey stores 'cause it is so cold - thus they "starve" with honey only a few inches away. Was there any brood present?? This might increase the tendency of the bees to stay spread out more than normal, in an attempt to keep the brood warm. When was the last time the hive was confirmed to be alive? I'm just trying to get a feel as to when the hive probably died. Lastly, I would wonder about the possibility of pesticide poisoning, though it seems a bit early in the season for that (but then again, you are quite a bit south of me). > Also I checked my bee books and magazines and couldn't come up with an >answer to "what do bees do at night, do they sleep?" Anyone have an answer for >that one? I have always been told that bees do not sleep at night, that they stay active in the hive all the time. During major nectar flows, I think they work hard at ripening and rearranging honey. Also, probably building comb, when it is needed. Earlier in the season, they are probably working at keeping the hive warm enough to raise brood, and caring for the brood. Rick Hough, a beekeeper from Hamilton, MA, USA (NE of Boston) rshough@tasc.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 17:40:43 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Mike Vincent Subject: Re: Red pollen. Red Pollen strikes again! afraid I don't have acess to the reference material you have but here in Atlanta Ga (SE US) , I've seen pollen that was such a brilliant red as to look like blood! just a few cells but it shows up real well in the otherwise yellow area seeya Mike Vincent matchstic@aol.com 12 swarms this year and supposedly "the season" hasn't started yet! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 16:42:30 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott (U.K.)" <100332.3310@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Varroa resistant Buckfast Further to the discussion. Even if a species is resistant due to grooming and so on, it is unlikely ever to be totally free of a parasite like varroa. Apis Cerana the original host species co-exists with Varroa it does _not_ eradicate it. The problem with Apis Mellifera it that it doesn't even recognise Varroa as a threat, so it doesn't (unless the rumour is true) even try to groom it out. If one treats Apis Cerana with Apistan one will get Varroa knockdown, even though Apis Cerana is resistant! Buckfast bees _are_ pretty resistant to tracheal mites as are most UK origin bees (although Buckfasts are now bred in the Canary Islands). Incidently, I use some New Zealand/U.K. cross bees and find them very nice to keep, prolific and good workers if a little hungry in the winter. I haven't used American bees (yet?) because of recent import restrictions into the UK due to Varroa. The NZs I've used have been susceptible to tracheal mite which is somthing of a down side. Regards, Gordon. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 17:44:44 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Blair J. Sampson" Subject: Re: Red pollen. In-Reply-To: <9404072143.AA01014@ag.auburn.edu> Other possibilities, in a myriad of possibilities! Honey bees and bumble bees will often collect, in addition to pollen, brightly colored fungicidal powders that are applied to their host plants. I remember one type of fungicide being BRIGHT RED. The pollen loads the bees carried were deep vermilion. You should also be cautious of pollination biologists using brightly colored pollen analogues (dyes, most often) in their field experiments. I have also observed honey bees collecting catkin pollen when nothing else is available. In addition to being very colorful, catkin pollen is noticeably abundant early on. Honey bees may also collect inert particles that have the same consistency of pollen, these my be used for building materials, perhaps propolis. Also, some wild bees are partial to particles of freshly sanded paint. Anyway, this discussion will undoubtably add insult to injury. Good hunting all... Discombobulatingly Yours, Blair Blair J Sampson Dept. of Entomology Auburn University Auburn, Alabama 36849-5413 U.S.A. bsampson@ag.auburn.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 18:55:46 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Power Subject: Re: Varroa resistant Buckfast Hi, ho! I was reading in the discussion that bees don't recognise varroa as a threat. Any ideas about why this is. I have seen my bees get after ants in a hurry, and on occasion even lice. Varroa are pretty large. It seems odd to me that the bees don't react. Of course, I am pretty much a novice at this. Sooo, I toss this out to you beebuddies, and I am off to give a test.Cheers, Jane ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 20:20:43 -0300 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eunice Wonnacott Subject: Re: Red pollen. In-Reply-To: <9404072143.AA11491@bud.peinet.pe.ca> Here in PEI, we see red pollen from maple tree flowers, which emerge about the same time as pussy willow is over. That will not be for a few weeks yet here, but the color is quite startling, when yellow pollen is the usual that we see. Pussy Willow, Alder, Maple, Dandelion, seem to be the order for pollen in early spring in the Maritimes. As yet we are just beginning to see crocus, which incidentally are excellent for pollen too. Eunice W. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 23:10:15 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jean-Pierre Chapleau <73642.244@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Formic acid and queens At the last Apimondia convention I met some scandinavian people who were using liquid formic acid for varroa control in a quite different way. Here is the new danish way to use the formic: 1- 250ml of 85% formic acid is poured in a small plastic bag; 2- a 20 cm long piece of soft wood is also put in the bag so it will absorb the formic; 3- the well closed bags a carried to the apiary and they are set on top of the frames of each hive sitting on two small blocks of wood to let the air circulate under. I understand that a wooden rim is set on the last super. There is also an air space above the bag; 4- a 1 cm X 6 cm slot is then cut on top of the bag with a razor knife and the hive is closed. I am sorry that I cannot give any more details. This method seems interesting. The slow release effect would probably save two trips to the apiary. Maybe it would also involve less risk of queen loss. The danish representative told me that the danish beekeepers like this method very much. I think Ingemar Fries is probably the man it. Anybody can comment on this? What do you think of it Kerry? (By the way I would appreciate the french translation of the formic label. Peter Keating just asked me about it recently) ***************************************************************** Jean-Pierre Chapleau phone: (819) 828-3396 1282, rang 8, fax: (819) 828-2248 Saint-Adrien de Ham, QUEBEC Canada, J0A 1C0 73642.244@compuserve.com ***************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 20:03:41 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rob Bidleman Subject: Re: RE>PROPOLIS In-Reply-To: <199404071518.AA14526@mail.crl.com> Propolis has been researched from various angles. There is a wealth of information out there. I'm afraid I haven't the time to type 30-40 pages into my computer, especially when it would be much easier for you to trot on over to the local library. I _will_ tell you that propolis is the gummy exudate of various trees collected by bees NOT just to "glue" the hive together. That is a function of propolis. If you have ever found a dead mouse carcass in a hive; covered with propolis you will realize the secondary functions of it: it prevents organic debris which cannot be carried out of the hive from rotting and spreading disease etc. to the hive. I opened one of these mouse "cocoons" once only to be amazed by the preservation achieved by the propolis. It is no coincidence that the Egyptians formula for embalming was rich in propolis . They also were very knowledgable about Royal Jelly but that's off the subject. Propolis is a very strong immune support when taken internally. It has also been discovered that it has antimicrobial properties. The color and properties of propolis vary since the species of trees vary from locale to locale. I find Eucalyptus to be one of the strongest of antimicrobial propolis'. Poplar has it's own unique odor and color. I am currently isolating hives in large clumps of Eucalyptus north of San Franciso in order to collect large amounts of single-source propolis. The various trees that are collected from are indeed a study in themselves. Hope this has been of some help in getting you started. good luck +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% % robbee@crl.com box 721 healdsburg ca 95448 % +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 23:27:24 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: Re: Re red pollen Henbit is Lamium. Apparently an exotic, according to my field guide. Liz Day University of Illinois at Chicago day@eecs.uic.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 08:50:44 GMT+120 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dr WJ Muller Subject: RE>PROPOLIS > >TO ALL, > > > >I would like the chemical composition and properties of propolis. > >indications for use > >AND WHEN NO USE. > > > >THANKS, > >VAGNER > > Vagner, propolis is a resinous substance, collected from various exudations from trees and other woody plants - it is apparently made up of various substances and does not have a specific chemical formula. As for its uses - bees use it to plug holes in the hive, reduce openings (to both weather and enemies) etc. It has been used in medicine - to dress wounds (especially burn wounds) and cosmetics. and apparently stradivarius used it as part of a varnish to finish his violins. you should check recent issues of apicultural abstracts, as there have been a number of abstracts, espcially about the medicinal properties of propolis, which may give more insight about the uses of propolis (it appears to be a developing research area). hope this information helps. nikite ----- Nikite Muller - Department of Zoology - University of Fort Hare P. Bag X1314 - Alice 5700 - South Africa E-mail: muller@zoo.ufh.ac.za ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 09:51:44 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "James E. Hoyt" Subject: Re: Re red pollen Adam, what you're describing sounds like "ground ivy". Sorry I don't have any sources nearby to look up a proper name. I understand it was the French who used it in beer making. It's also listed as a "kill on sight weed" by the ChemDeath companies but then, they list everything but bluegrass in that catagory! ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 09:05:11 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: Re: Re red pollen Ground ivy is Glechoma hederacea, another mint like Lamium. It makes nectar, I dont' know about pollen Liz Day University of Illinois at Chicago day@eecs.uic.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 10:23:12 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Donovan Bodishbaugh Subject: Re: Red Pollen In-Reply-To: <199404081400.KAA04734@acpub.duke.edu> My entire back yard is carpeted by Lamium, and the bees do indeed work it throughout the warm months. Close examination of the pale purple flowers (my grandmother called them bunny heads - look and you'll see why) reveals that the pollen is bright red. I don't think this plant is a major pollen source, but I can find a few cells of red pollen among the more prevalent dandelion in my observation hive right now. The flowers are small but deeply cupped, and the bees have to thrust their heads right down in during foraging. Several times I have been sitting in the backyard enjoying a beverage, and a bee with an intense, bright red spot between the eyes has happened by. It's quite a distinct and unusual looking pattern. After following some of these bees, I discovered they were working the Lamium. On the subject of "kill on sight" weeds, here are some disturbing factoids from the American Lawn Institute: In the U.S., lawns occupy more land than any single crop, including wheat, corn or tobacco. Homeowners use 10 times more chemical pesticides per acre than farmers do. Of 34 major pesticides commonly used on lawns, 32 have not been tested for long-term effects on humans and the environment. Sub-urban beekeepers, don't think pesticide hive kills are only a problem in agricultural areas. Personally, I think keeping grass lawns (and mowing) is insane. Fortunately for me, plenty of more interesting groundcovers do better in my coastal NC area than bluegrass, including Lamium. They are prettier, smell nice, and provide continuous summer forage for my bees. Rick Bodishbaugh ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 11:56:50 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Power Subject: Re: Red Pollen Rick wrote about groundcovers, and it prompted me to send out this good news. My neighbour is a dairy farmer used to kill his field with Roundup in the fall. He has now decided to let his field "mix." He mentioned to me that he tried it one year, and after surveying the field for noxious cattle weeds, --he hand his employees hand pull them--he concluded that his cattle were healthier. He said that a one crop feed field was as much fun for the cattle in the winter as it would be for him to eat only cornflakes for 5 months. He wins awards every year for his farm. Needless to say, I am delighted and no longer have to worry about my field bees getting nuced --sorry for the pun:)--Anyway, cheers for now, Jane ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 12:13:19 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NELSON@ABRSBL.AGR.CA Subject: formic gel-strip FORMIC ACID GEL-STRIP The application of formic acid to honey bee colonies for the control of tracheal mites and varroa mites has been shown to be generally effective and has been registered for use against these pests in several European countries. However, the application of liquid formic acid has several draw backs i.e. obtaining correct dosages, potential hazards to the applicator and multiple applications are required. Medivet Pharmaceuticals of High River Alberta is developing a formic acid gel-strip to overcome these problems. Willy Baumgartner of Medivet feels that the potential for a one shot application is feasible. However, additional work is required to obtain a formulation which will give the necessary control. Medivet has had the cooperation of Dr. Don Nelson of the Beaverlodge Research Station, Kerry Clark and Paul Van Westendorp of the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, John Gruszka from Saskatchewan Agriculture, and Dr. Bill Wilson from USDA in evaluating initial formulations. The gel-strip is being developed to accomplish several objectives at the same time; to provide a method that requires only one application, to make the method of application easy and safe for the applicator, and to provide more uniform evaporation over the treatment period. How does the gel-strip work? The gel formulation has formic acid incorporated into it. The gel is encased in a plastic tube about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide with holes on one side, which are covered by a sticky over-wrap. The gel-strips look very much like the flavoured ice-cicles that your kids buy. The gel-strip is stable, until the over-wrap is removed, which exposes the formic acid gel to the environment. Thus, application is easy: remove the over-wrap, place across the top bars of a bee colony (holes downward) and replace the colony cover. The evaporation of the formic acid takes place over a three week period and with one treatment the colony receives the required amount of formic acid. Work is continuing to determine the proper evaporation rate, which will deliver the required formic acid dosage over the treatment period. Formic acid has been approved for use in Canada. The formic acid gel-strip has given about 70% control of tracheal mites. A new formulation is being evaluated this spring. Hopefully the level of control can be increase to the same level as three weekly applications of 65% liquid. ------------------------------------ contact D.L. Nelson for further information Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Box 29, Beaverlodge, Alberta T0H 0C0 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 11:05:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Re: Formic acid and queens Jean-Pierre The method you describe has been called the "Kramer plate" in Germany. Ingemar Fries has used it in Sweden as well. It is well described in "Living with Varroa" p 42 - 45. The formic acid gel strips I have been using in trials are a similar approach to achieving an extended release of the acid. For Varroa, I think it may be preferable to apply at least part of the material on the bottom board. When varroa drop from the cluster, they would then encounter the stronger fumes at the bottom board level, reducing reinfestation. The French translation of the label is on it's way to you by fax. 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: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 15:57:19 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Subject: Re: formic gel-strip x ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 9 Apr 1994 15:47:00 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: Propolis use Propolis is a sticky resinous product that bees collect from variety of tree saps. Even the word is interesting: from the Greek 'pro' and 'polis', literally 'in front of the city'. The bees collect the stuff to plug cracks and gaps in their hive (be it manmade or hollow tree) and use it around the hive entrance ('in front of the city'), using it to reduce the size of the opening to a manageable, defendable aperture. Its also involved in hive hygiene. It's antibiotic, antibacterial and antiseptic - it helps to keep bee diseases at bay, presumably. It is even used to completely embalm things (such as a dead mouse...) that might be too large for the bees to remove from the hive! I am always quite cynical and loathe to back 'miracle cures', but I have had enough success with propolis to recommend it for a variety of uses. I have found it excellent for mouth ulcers, taking away the pain almost immediately and healing the ulcer within just a day or two. I also use it for sore throats and impending colds. In both these cases, I just roll a small piece (pea sized) around in my mouth, sucking on it. Its most certainly something of a acquired taste (in other words, most people think it looks and initially tastes revolting. I actually like the flavour, myself) and you have to keep it moving to avoid having it stick to your teeth. Once you get it warmed up a bit, you can leave it tucked into your lower lip and the 'juice' will permeate your mouth. You can, with absolutely no fears at all, leave it there for hours, and ultimately swallow it if you wish. Its effect on mouth ulcers is almost instant! Within minutes it takes away the pain and starts the healing process. I also have made a tincture by placing propolis in alcohol (or even meths, if you can't get ahold of methyl alcohol or rectified spirits). After about a day or so, the propolis will have dissolved. It won't stay in solution; it will tend to separate out, with the propolis solids sinking to the bottom. It's no problem; you just need to shake before use. I have tried pouring it through filter paper and ended up with a clear yellow/brown liquid which looked more acceptable, but for my own use I tend to use the original mixture. I have used it on all sorts of external cuts, skin disorders and insect bites, usually with great success. I imagine the alcohol alone would probably be of some help, but I really feel the propolis is effective. As the tincture is coloured, you have to be a bit careful with it. I don't doubt that it would stain clothes, and be fairly difficult to remove. Once it has dried, with the alcohol evaporating away, it seems to leave a sort of plastic 'skin' of propolis. I re-apply it once or twice a day. I have also used a piece of propolis, warmed to make it workable, directly on a skin infection, held in place with a sticking plaster. In my most memorable use of propolis, I applied it to a thumb that I had hit with a hammer. I had tried to ignore it and it had gone quite septic, begun to throb and swell and cause considerable pain. The propolis worked within a day! The pain was gone and within just a few days, the infection was completely gone. No, that is not a controlled experiment. I know that. But on the other hand, I feel confident from repeated personal and anecdotal experience to recommend it widely. Note I am referring primarily to the external or oral use; I don't know much about larger doses internally. Propolis has never really caught on in the West, though there has been considerable amounts of research in Eastern Europe in the past. In New Zealand, there are a few products available, including (I think) tincture and throat lozenges. Propolis is purchased by at least one bee/honey/health food product manufacturer. The price is related to 'grade' - how clean, quantity of beeswax contained in it, etc. And just recently there has been a problem with the identification of some lead contamination. Still not sure where its come from - wires, nails or maybe lead based paint used to paint supers that were scraped to collect the propolis? ------------------------------------- Nick Wallingford Bay of Plenty Polytechnic (East coast, N Island, New Zealand) Internet nickw@waikato.ac.nz ------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 21:11:26 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jim Osborn Subject: Re: Propolis use My bees always seem to make propolis from the pungent, refreshing alder juice that comes from the trees in our yard, but I heard warnings at last Fall's WAS meeting of bees using road tar and industrial caulking materials if that was all they could get. jimo@hebron.connected.com Jim Osborn Camano Island, WA, USA ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 9 Apr 1994 10:09:16 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave D. Cawley, a De Leon Socialist" Subject: Newsgroup Results > In a previous article, rdippold@qualcomm.com (Ron "Asbestos" Dippold) says: > > > RESULT > > unmoderated group sci.agriculture.beekeeping passes 271:27 > > > >There were 271 YES votes and 27 NO votes, for a total of 298 valid votes. > >There were 2 abstains and 2 invalid ballots. > > > >For group passage, YES votes must be at least 2/3 of all valid (YES and NO) > >votes. There also must be at least 100 more YES votes than NO votes. > > > >There is a five day discussion period after these results are posted. If no > >serious allegations of voting irregularities are raised, the moderator of > >news.announce.newgroups will create the group shortly thereafter. > > > > > >Newsgroups line: > >sci.agriculture.beekeeping Beekeeping, bee-culture and hive products. > > > >This vote is being conducted by a neutral third party. For voting > >questions only contact rdippold@qualcomm.com. For questions about the > >proposed group contact Adam Finkelstein . > > > > > >CHARTER > > > >Discussion on all aspects of beekeeping,bee-culture, and products of > >the hive. > > > >Sci.agriculture.beekeeping will provide beekeepers, bee scientists, > >farmers, and the general public one place for apicultural > >information. A FAQ is needed for bee-culture and beekeeping from > >African bees, to bee venom therapy. The curious are invited to discuss > >bee lore or ask questions, and the experienced beekeepers will be able > >to advise and help with the anecdotal information so necessary to > >beekeeping. > > > >sci.agriculture.beekeeping Final Vote Ack > > > >Voted Yes > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >22331TSS@msu.edu Thomas_S.Stanton > >70402.2307@CompuServe.COM Michael Ober > >72673.1073@CompuServe.COM Bill Otto > >74710.2722@CompuServe.COM William Charlton > >abertla@emoryu1.cc.emory.edu Alexander Urszu Bertland > >adamf@hopper.itc.virginia.edu Adam Finkelstein > >adk@csd4.csd.uwm.edu Andrew D Kailhofer > >adwright@iastate.edu > >afmurray@outlaw.win.net Alexander F. Murray III > >ag683@freenet.carleton.ca Bill Moses > >AGMUM@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU > >AGRNICKE@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU > >ahules@capcon.net Ann Marie Hules > >al198723@academ01.mty.itesm.mx JESUS EUGENIO SANCHEZ PENA > >alaric@netcom.com The Renaissance Man > >Allison.Greene@lambada.oit.unc.edu Allison R. Greene > >ALR6@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Ann LaBar Russek > >am6k+@andrew.cmu.edu Anne Marie > >aquilla@salus.med.uvm.edu Tracy Aquilla > >ardeshir@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca > >arielle@Taronga.COM Stephanie da Silva > >audley@wam.umd.edu Michael Damian Audley > >ault@cs.albany.edu Jim Ault > >bailey@hagar.ph.utexas.edu Ed Bailey > >batt@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu alice batt > >BEARY@UNO.CC.GENESEO.EDU Ed Beary > >BEKIS@FSHVMFK1.VNET.IBM.COM Dino Bekis > >BENTPOLE@UWYO.EDU The no-till man! > >bex@embezzle.Stanford.EDU Rebecca Agin > >BIBLINSKI@delphi.com GORDIE MEYER, ASST. AREA MGR., DELPHI'S ATARI ADVANTAG > >birchall@pilot.njin.net Shag Aristotelis > >bj@herbison.com B.J. Herbison > >bjackson@char.vnet.net Bill Jackson > >bmoon@eis.calstate.edu Bruce A. Moon > >bn293@cleveland.Freenet.Edu Douglas P. Shannon > >bobbyr@netcom.com Bobby Richardson > >bobmcc@tcs.com Bob McCormick > >bobt@nova.net.com Bob Tykulsker > >bongi@cadkey.com Steve Bongiovanni > >bos@voeding.tno.nl Wilhelm Bos, Microbiologie > >bruzzi@settimo.italtel.it Bruzzi Giacomo > >bryan@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu Kurt M Bryan > >bshoop@geisinger.edu > >carrickm@qdpii.ind.dpi.qld.gov.au Mick CARRICK > >cconroy@MIT.EDU Chris Conroy > >CENDSE05%BRUFPB@UICVM.UIC.EDU Celso F. Martins > >cgerace@onetouch.com > >collinf@uidaho.edu Collin Forbes > >cook@stout.atd.ucar.EDU Forrest Cook > >costley@solo.eng.hou.compaq.com Brett Costley > >craig@kentek.com Craig Smith 806 1080 > >csf7m@faraday.clas.virginia.edu C. S. Fungaroli > >d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se Bertil Jonell > >dak@gandalf.rutgers.edu Dorothy Klein > >damberge@beagle.Colorado.EDU DAMBERGER > >david@roentgen.demon.co.uk dil > >davidsen@tmr.com Bill Davidsen > >dba_mcg@dbserv1.ssc.gov Laurel McGilvery > >ddb@anubis.network.com David Dyer-Bennet > >DDC1@JAGUAR.UOFS.EDU Dave D. Cawley, a De Leon Socialist > >dean2@tbone.biol.scarolina.edu Dean Pentcheff > >deand@lore.kla.com Dean Dierschow x6528 > >DEANH@msmail.human.cornell.edu > >deirdre@sccs.swarthmore.edu Deirdre Edwards > >devine@postgres.Berkeley.EDU Bob Devine > >djf@css.itd.umich.edu David J. Fred > >dmb9s@Virginia.EDU Deborah M. Brent > >dmcrawfo@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu David M Crawford > >Don=Wendt%PC=Int%PCPD=Hou@bangate.compaq.com > >donb@crash.cts.com Donald Bowen > >DPARKS@puafmail.umd.edu > >DRAEGER@WINROCK.ORG > >drayer@minerva.cis.yale.edu Rebecca Drayer > >dsv@moose.uvm.edu Doug S. Varney > >Dupuis@lei.ucl.ac.be Pascal Dupuis > >eag8c@uva.pcmail.virginia.edu Beth Golden > >ebk@mailgate.nyserda.org Ed Kear > >EBL1@JAGUAR.UOFS.EDU > >EMS470@JAGUAR.UOFS.EDU > >ERIK@ACSPR1.acs.brockport.edu > >eugene@nas.nasa.gov Eugene N. Miya > >fisher1@gaul.csd.uwo.ca Janet The Fish > >forbes@sequent.com Ellen Forbes > >Frank_Marchak@qmmac.read.tasc.com Frank Marchak > >fuy1@gl.umbc.edu Francis A Uy > >gdblanke@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Greg D Blankenship > >GHANKINS@delphi.com > >groenng@CC.UManitoba.CA Tim Groening > >harlan@tamarack.cray.com Harlan Husmann > >HARVEY@INDYVAX.IUPUI.EDU James Harvey > >heilmayr@math.berkeley.edu Klaus > >herd@macgw1.crd.ge.com herd > >hugh@cruzio.com Hugh Weiler > >Hugo.Veerkamp@f28.n2801.z2.fidonet.org Hugo Veerkamp > >ICWWD@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU Winifred W. Doane > >irby@vnet.ibm.com David Irby > >iro@dcs.ed.ac.uk > >jackturn@rvgs.vak12ed.edu Jack Turner > >James.Hoyt@um.cc.umich.edu > >James.T.Stewart@Central.Sun.COM Jim Stewart - Sun Minneapolis SE > >jane@swdc.stratus.com Jane Beckman > >Jay.A.Cary@Dartmouth.EDU Jay A. Cary > >jay@hopper.itc.virginia.edu Jay Rostow > >jchokey@leland.Stanford.EDU James Alexander Chokey > >jdschn@nicsn1.monsanto.com John D Schneider > >jef2f@maxwell.acc.virginia.edu > >jeffski@nature.berkeley.edu Jeff Wutzke > >jesup@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com Randell Jesup > >jfurr@acpub.duke.edu Joel Furr > >JHENDRIK@macc.wisc.edu john hendrickson > >jimme@pi28.arc.umn.edu Jim Ellingson > >jimo@hebron.connected.com Jim Osborn > >jlks@u.washington.edu Jordan Schwartz > >jlogan@UTKVX.UTCC.UTK.EDU Joanne Logan > >jmvandyck@quick.cc.fundp.ac.be Jean-Marie Van Dyck > >JoelS7@eworld.com > >johnl@thala.maths.monash.edu.au dr j lattanzio > >Jon.Gefaell@virginia.edu Jon Gefaell > >jpc@avdms8.msfc.nasa.gov J. Porter Clark > >JSHAPIRO@Gems.VCU.EDU > >justme@well.sf.ca.us John Lehet > >jvarley@netcom.com J.j. > >JVF101@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Jennifer Finley > >jvonfurs@adobe.mv.us.adobe.com > >jwc@netcom.com James Conklin > >jwg2y@poe.acc.virginia.edu Warner Granade > >jwolcott@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu Jason Wolcott > >jym@sybase.com Jym Dyer > >karen@louise.ae.utexas.edu Karen J. Morgan > >killoran@ll.mit.edu Mike Killoran > >kla@mentor.cc.purdue.edu Ken Adams > >Knut.Pedersen@im.uib.no Knut Pedersen > >KRYGH%ESTEC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de K. Rygh > >kweskm@elwha.evergreen.edu Matthew Kweskin > >L15D@ZFN.UNI-BREMEN.DE Martin Schroeder > >lachlan@dmp.csiro.au Lachlan Cranswick > >langlp@uf9104p01.bostonma.NCR.COM Langlois, Peter > >lar1@midway.uchicago.edu david k larsen > >Larry_Lynch-Freshner@taligent.com Larry Lynch-Freshner > >laurel.halbany@hal9k.com Laurel Halbany > >lawrence@msc.cornell.edu > >lebo@oasys.dt.navy.mil Ken Lebo > >LEHMANN@opus.mco.edu > >leigh@nbi.com Leigh Melton > >levin@BBN.COM > >lgolder@hoh.mbl.edu Linda or Robert Golder > >libby@igc.apc.org Libby Goldstein > >london@SunSITE.Unc.EDU Larry London > >lpb@sugar.NeoSoft.COM Luigi P Bai > >lweitzel@crash.win.net Laurie Weitzel > >m.l.blosser@LaRC.NASA.GOV Max L. Blosser > >macdonald@naszko.enet.dec.com Steve MacDonald DTN: 381-2797 ZKO3-2/W21 > >maf4m@poe.acc.virginia.edu Mary A. Freeman > >mark@pulse.com Mark C. Orton > >markc@netaxs.com Mark Conlon > >matchstic@aol.com > >matwood@peruvian.cs.utah.edu Mark Atwood > >MCFT10@calvacom.fr Maurice CLERC > >mdpate@alcor.concordia.ca MARTIN DALE PATE > >medwards@imgen.bcm.tmc.edu Mary C. Edwards > >menkhus@csc.cxo.dec.com Mark Menkhus > >meow@prism.nmt.edu Teresa Jenks > >mgodar@autodesk.com Mark Godar > >mhg3@cornell.edu Mike Griggs > >MIKE_J2@sfov1.verifone.com Mike Jaquet, SM2, Auburn, CA > >millerb@ed8200.ped.pto.ford.com > >mmm@cup.portal.com > >moroney@world.std.com Michael Moroney > >motu@xilef.cray.com Mario Ornelas > >mrwarden@phoenix.Princeton.EDU Melissa Rhoads Warden > >mth@vnet.IBM.COM > >MTOPLIFF@pimacc.pima.edu mike l. topliff > >MTS@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist > >murali@magnet.fsu.edu Murali Chaparala > >mvdfv@mvtowers.att.com > >n13@krypton.mankato.msus.edu Leonard J. Schmidt > >NAFIS@CRDGW2.crd.ge.com NAFIS CHRISTOPHER A > >nashsi@saturn.wwc.edu SID NASH > >ncc@christa.unh.edu Noel C Carlson > >nessonm@BCC.ORST.EDU Mike Nesson > >nola@cats.ucsc.edu > >p-smith@nemesis.slc.paramax.com Patrick J. Smith > >parsons@ccd.harris.com Dick Parsons > >per@aber.ac.uk per > >perry@esbtst.enet.dec.com Beyond the box > >pgw@datcon.co.uk Peter Waters > >physikv@phys.canterbury.ac.nz Kumar > >piggy@hilbert.maths.utas.edu.au La Monte Yarroll > >pjh3142@rigel.tamu.edu Pascal Hua > >pogue@eng.umd.edu William R. Pogue > >quinn@phoenix.Princeton.EDU Michael J. Quinn > >rah@netcom.com Richard Hyde > >ravlin@vt.edu Bill Ravlin > >rcd@raven.eklektix.com Dick Dunn > >rebon@ent.umass.edu RICHARD E BONNEY > >REICHERT@rosgip.gsfc.nasa.gov GAIL REICHERT (HEASRC) (301) 286-5307 > >reilley@studio.enet.dec.com ML-IMT Tech Support 24-Mar-1994 2213 > >Richard.A.Haver@Dartmouth.EDU Richard A. Haver > >richards@spk.hp.com Darrell H. Richardson > >rick@bcm.tmc.edu Richard H. Miller > >Rick_Hough@qmmac.read.tasc.com Rick Hough > >rjl7317@hazeltine.com Ray Lackey > >rjsalvad@iastate.edu Ricardo J Salvador > >ROADENT@HALLS1.CC.MONASH.EDU.AU Adrian Graham DENT (Rodent) > >rodders@cix.compulink.co.uk Rod Ellery > >roe@crosfield.co.uk Malcolm Roe > >ROHVM1.MAH48D@CDCMVS1.ROHMHAAS.COM J. E. Taylor III > >rok.vidmar@uni-lj.si Rok Vidmar, RCU Lj. > >rroesi31@MAINE.maine.edu Rich Roesing > >rspear@sookit.Jpl.Nasa.Gov Richard Spear > >SAM@eds.mes.umn.edu Sam Brungardt > >sasdmh@unx.sas.com David Hall > >scottm@comtch.iea.com Scott McKinnon > >sgrower1@coyote.rain.org Phil Soderman > >sims@scra.org Jim Sims > >sjsmith@cs.UMD.EDU Stephen Joseph Smith > >skling@titan.ucs.umass.edu ALICE G KLINGENER > >SMOSS@umassd.edu SANFORD MOSS > >snowm@ucsu.Colorado.EDU Martin Snow > >steved@longs.lance.colostate.edu Steve Dempsey > >stevena@CS.Berkeley.EDU Steven Alexander > >STEVEWILIAMS@delphi.com > >sthomas@sthomas.worldbank.org Sidney Thomas Ext 80317 > >stjerna@chop.isca.uiowa.edu Ann Stjern > >strow@umbc.edu L. Larrabee Strow > >stuart@eepo.DIALix.oz.au Stuart Morrison > >szrhode@hamlet.ucdavis.edu > >tadams@sbctri.sbc.com Tom. Adams 529-7860 > >tclawson@amoco.com Thom H. Clawson > >tdahms@sledge-po.weeg.uiowa.edu > >TDAVIES@GC1.GEORCOLL.ON.CA > >tellner@cs.pdx.edu todd d ellner > >TEW_JIM/OMGATE_OA@gate.us.ohio-state.edu > >THANG@rams.vetmed.ufl.edu > >therb.wbst311@xerox.com Thomas Herbert > >thesmiths@mv.MV.COM Lawrence Smith > >Tim.Cespedes@EBay.Sun.COM Tim Cespedes > >timi@mendel.Berkeley.EDU Tim Ikeda > >tindall@rock.concert.net Bruce M Tindall -- Personal Account > >TITUSTGT@A1.GVLTEC.EDU Tim Titus (803) 250-8236 > >tmcdanel@nyx.cs.du.edu Terry McDaneld > >toigo@oasys.dt.navy.mil Steve Toigo > >tom_doak@hlthsci.med.utah.edu Tom Doak > >tony@nexus.yorku.ca Anthony Wallis > >trenholm@salem.enet.dec.com > >tyk@npac.syr.edu > >U14371%UICVM@UIC.EDU > >ub795@freenet.victoria.bc.ca David Kuyper > >umhoffm4@CC.UManitoba.CA > >UYEYAMA@HELIX.MGH.HARVARD.EDU Rob Uyeyama;UYEYAMA@HELIX.MGH.HARVARD.EDU > >vance@saturn.caps.maine.edu Steven P. Vance > >vawter@world.std.com Lisa Vawter > >VDACS3@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU > >verch@cedar.buffalo.edu Jason Verch > >vermillo@eos.ncsu.edu > >VGTOLEDO%BRFUEM.BITNET@UICVM.UIC.EDU Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo > >vic@daena.EEPO.DIALix.oz.au Victor Guest > >Ville.Lavonius@m.cc.utah.edu Ville Lavonius > >warwick@bettong.EEPO.DIALix.oz.au Warwick Rowell > >wex@.uml.edu.uml.edu Paul M. Wexelblat > >wildbee@beenet.com ANDY NACHBAUR > >will@joe.math.uga.edu Will Kazez > >wootton@hpel.umd.edu Louise Wootton > >wrdaniel@fedex.com > >wstrapps@fox.nstn.ns.ca WTS > >Yadallee%Gallif@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca Dave Shariff Yadallee > >ybourassa@rpn.aes.doe.CA Yvon Bourassa > >young@fmd00.larc.nasa.gov John Young > >zaphod!davek@tribune.usask.ca Dave Keith > >zimme009@maroon.tc.umn.edu Elizabeth S. Zimmermann > >znejedly@uoguelph.ca Zdenek Nejedly > > > > > >Voted No (* = ruled invalid during counting) > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >bbs@bbs.dsnet.com * Bulletin Board System > >bmartin@quick.cc.fundp.ac.be > >crouchkp@flidh102.delcoelect.com > >cy717@cleveland.Freenet.Edu Jai Maharaj > >DONOVANB@Lincoln.cri.nz Barry Donovan > >ecoman@cats.ucsc.edu > >eric@curly.red-cross.org Eric Smith > >fsspr@camelot.acf-lab.alaska.edu Sean P. Ryan > >ggw@acpub.duke.edu G. "Wolfe" Woodbury > >HD0022%ALBNYVMS.bitnet@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDU Chip Dunham > >jjbmail@selway.umt.edu Jerry J Bromenshenk > >jrm@globalvillag.com John R. MacWilliamson > >kasenid@m20.cca.ucy.cy Andreas.Kasenides > >levie@isg.llnl.gov Harold Levie > >lisbon@vpnet.chi.il.us Gerry Swetsky > >MMEASEPA@DREW.DREW.EDU Manuel Pastor Mease > >MYERS@ABRSLE.AGR.CA TIM > >revu@midway.uchicago.edu Sendhil Revuluri > >RICHARDS@ABRSLE.AGR.CA > >sannuti@u.washington.edu Arun Sannuti > >smarry@turing.toronto.edu Marc Moorcroft > >stainles@bga.com Dwight Brown > >SYSAM@ALBANY.ALBANY.EDU Aaron Morris > >VANEATONC@tauranga.mafqual.govt.nz Cliff Van Eaton > >vpnet!vpnet!vagrant@amiserv.xnet.com > >WARD@ernie.van.forintek.ca Ward F. Bush > >whostler@procy.gi.com wade hostler > >YLEE1@DREW.DREW.EDU Yong Nan Lee > > > >Abstained > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >day@eecs.uic.edu La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day) > >mmt@RedBrick.COM Maxime Taksar KC6ZPS > > > > > >Votes in error > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >randyrog@pipeline.com Randy B. Rogers > > ! No vote statement in message ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave D. Cawley | Where a social revolution is pending and, University Of Scranton | for whatever reason, is not accomplished, Scranton, Pennsylvania | reaction is the only alternative. ddc1@jaguar.uofs.edu | -Daniel De Leon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 9 Apr 1994 14:23:06 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott (U.K.)" <100332.3310@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Mellifera/Varroa Hi, The business of Mellifera not recognising Varroa as a threat is, I believe, not yet fully understood. We know of course that Varroa is a *new* threat to Mellifera (one century at the most out of millions of years) but its still hard to understand why they don't recognise it -- maybe they think it's a Braula. There have been experiment using Cerana with Mellifera to groom the Mellifera (Cerana groom each other), but with no effect, it seems that there are probably some behavioural signals that Mellifera just don't have. Mellifera is also familiar with Braula and seems happy to co-exist with this essentially harmless creature -- there is even a suggestion of a possible symbiotic relationship as bees seem not to kill them even when they move between the mandibles to 'steal' food. It may be that there is a hygiene activity here (like with cleaner fishes?). Mellifera plus Cerana experiments continue in the hopes that Mellifera will eventually 'get the idea'. Sorry if my mail is out of sequence -- I get the daily digest from bee-l rather than individual letters as CompuServe charge a minimum per letter for mail received from the Internet. Bye for now, Gordon. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 9 Apr 1994 19:23:52 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: a bee! A real, live bee was sitting on our doorstep. Some kind of solitary bee that's black with white stripes. It looked at me (I think). Spring is finally here!! Liz Day University of Illinois at Chicago day@eecs.uic.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 10 Apr 1994 10:52:33 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jack Turner Subject: Re: Red pollen. In-Reply-To: <9404071245.AA12867@rvgs.vak12ed.edu>; from "Malcolm Roe" at Apr 7, 94 1:31 pm I have Dorothy Hodge's book re pollen and a little book published by the North Carolina Beekeeper Association which has individual grains from electron micrographs. Does anyone know of a book with format similiar to Hodge's which covers eastern United States?s Jack Turner Route 1, Box 657 Wise, VA 24293 jackturn@rvgs.vak12ed.edu "...there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about..." The Water Rat in Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 10 Apr 1994 18:54:41 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jonathan Beard Subject: bees in space? BUMBLEBEES TO MARS A Los Alamos scientist says the "smaller, faster, cheaper" approach to space exploration could benefit by taking a tip from the animal world, where smaller critters devote proportionally less mass to their structural needs. An elephant, for example, requires a big, heavy skeleton whereas a bumblebee does not. "Large spacecraft pay a high overhead for structural mass, which is essentially dead weight," says Bob Hockaday. He suggests that by taking advantage of progress in microengineering and shrinking computer chips, scientists could build tiny, single-purpose spacecraft that could "peel out like a dragster" and make the trip to Mars in weeks. Although each craft could carry out but a small function, acting in concert the fleet could fulfill an important mission, such as scouting the asteroid belt or outer planets. Hockaday is exploring design ideas for spacecraft requiring as little as a gram of mass. Yes, but how will they track them for more than 30 meters? |-----------------------------|------------------------------| |-Jonathan D. Beard-----------|--Internet jbeard@panix.com---| |-Science Writer, Translator--|--CompuServe 72301,563--------| |-Photo Researcher------------|--Voice-212-749-1055----------| |-820 West End Avenue 3B------|--Fax 212-749-9336------------| |-New York City 10025-5328----|-Alternate Fax at World Press-| |-----------------------------|-Review: 212-889-5634---------| |-----------------------------|------------------------------| ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 15:24:32 NZST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Barry Donovan Subject: Bee exclusion from sweet baits Select enclosure for message NOTE: This mail message has enclosures, 1 more mail message(s) follow. The files are: MESSAGE uuencoded --- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 15:24:32 NZST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Barry Donovan Subject: UUENCODED file: MESSAGE part 1 of 1 section 1 of uuencode of file MESSAGE begin 644 MESSAGE M_U=00YP.```!"@`!`````/O_!0`R`%X$``#__PD```!"````!P`\````2P`` M```"8P,``*$````,`%H````$!```4&%L871I;F\`4&%L871I;F\`3F5W($-E M;G1U2!38VAO;VQB;V]K($)O;&0` M___^___^__________________________\``2(`@@#_____;0'__[T!__^0 M`O__________________7BXS1%QF!PCX2W>GIZ/6\];UPS7&51<%@]9FLU M*V8UHFMD;F=(3CQO:)E?9EP];SUOZ3TN/3VW'ST]/0``````/2Y&/3D]```] M9C4`CUR/7(]F:/7(YPF6:09'IFCF1O;H]DAZ2&!.8$Y@3F!.<#QP/'`\CV^/;X]OCV^/;X]OMYEZ M9GI<>EQZ7```CG!P-9AK>DA@3G`\>F9Z9HYPD&2/;TYO```N`'-<,U%<7%Q< M`%P]/7AX7'@`B8E<>'@`)@``7%Q0``````6P```&4``)X````````````` M````90````!E@P`````````````````````````````````````````````` M````````````````````````````````````````````````````@P`````` M````````@]&$='IE``!O2W!;<%!P6X1OB&`]/(5E?F6C:H1@=EJ$98UE9F5M M;P!0<%!_:HQ@A&62?HU^=%!O/#QE:FI^`'0```!R;X,````````````````` M````````````````````='1T='1T='1T='1T='1T='1T=%!04%!04%!O;V]O M;V]O;V]O;V]O;V]O;V]O;SP\/#P\/#P\/#P\/&5E965E965J:FIJ:FIJ:FIJ M:FI^?GY^?GY^?GY^?GY^?GY^?GY^?@```````(1PA#V$?XT]?V5#)D8@4'5B M;&EC(%!3("`@("`H0T9,7T-/35!315)67TQ:4BD`2%!,03103U,N4%)3`!8" M:P!8&R`2Y@H``(""`%"\`&0"8'!H3X`8````2(%!;`)(G0P$3``'$.E@"4",``=&K]@@C M?`!K`````0````````!T=7)Y(%-C:&]O;&)O;VL```$B`((`_____VT!__^] M`?__D`+__________________UXX.TYO;Z>C*4-#9'DX0S@X;V]O;V]O;V]O M;S@X>7EY69.0D)"D-Y0WED*6]O67-D M0VMZ/SMW/[)Z9'-O65U.>FN<:VM@0WE#>>E#.$-#R"%#0T,``````$-#0T-# M0P``0W,_`)!OD&^0;Y!OD&_(GY!9D&209)!DD&11/U$_43]1/Z-ZG&2<9)QD MG&2C>J-ZHWJC>HUKD&^<J=Z43]1/U$_43\``&\`G'>%/X4_A3^%/X4_ MHWJC>J-ZHWJ<9)QDR*>069!9D%E^77Y=?EU^785.A4Z%3J-ZHWJC>J-ZHWJC M>L2F```)QSA3^C>I!9?EV%3HUKC6N<0``.`!Y9#M9 M555O;P!O0SQX>&]X`).3;WAX`"D``$Y.;\@T-```9&3(```````````````` M>GK(```````I3@``````````````R```0]%Y>6YNCS@A`'D`0D)N;FZ/F@"/ MCWG%Q7EYT`````````````!0``!Y-Z4`CV,Q4@````")G\4``,7%>7G0```` M``":CX^/CUBE````````FIJ:````>7D``(0``````&,```!N``"M```````` M`````````&X`````;H\````````````````````````````````````````` M`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````(\` M`````````````(_1D'Z%;@``>5)Z8WI8>F.0>91H0T*1;HENLG.0:(%CD&Z: M;F]N=GD`6'I8BG.9:)!NGXF:B7Y8>4)";G-SB0!^````?'F/```````````` M`````````````````````````'Y^?GY^?GY^?GY^?GY^?GY^?GY86%A86%A8 M>7EY>7EY>7EY>7EY>7EY>7EY>7E"0D)"0D)"0D)"0D)N;FYN;FYNI!#D(J:0XIN^_\% M`#(`:`X```\`6`$``*T)``#__QH```"'`````@)C`P``!0L``/__$`````@& M```>!`,`@@`U`&L`/0`N`+`$`0````'&T18":P!8&R`2Y@H``(""`%"\`&0!#`#@`L`0!``D``<0Z,`)Y`)@<&A/@!@```!(@4%L`DB=#`1,` M6`)0_O[^_O[^_O_^____`O___O__________________________9`/__YH` M+@""`$,`.0"P!`$`(``!#!4P`H(`F!S4$E@'````$B!PX@!4\T,!$P!8`I#^ M_O[^_O[^__[________^________________________________```````` M```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` M```````````````````````````````````````````!(@""`/____]M`?__ MO0'__Y`"__________________]>.3M#625F)RGF*>CA9"GF,20D(5.>4YY9#!Z@F^% MIAZF'J8>IAZQ*Z<;YASF'.8J=ZIXFGB:>)IXF0>IAZIX6G>J=ZD'JG>IB%F'J8>IAZG&^<;YQOG&^GA9AS MF'.8J=ZIWJG>J=ZKHFNB5E*64I92EE*``""`*.%D$:01I!&D$:0 M1J>)IXFGB:>)IWJG>LBUHVBC:*-HA62%9(5DA62059!5D%6GB:>)IXFGB:>) MIXG$LI!ZA6N%:X5K``"GA9!&IXFC:(5DD%60>I!ZIX6G>J>)3GD``#@`E60[ M9&1D'AS>`"5E7-X>``P``!@8&3(0T,``&1DR``````````````` M`(F)R```````,&```````````````,@``$71>7EN;H\X(0!Y`$)";FYNCYH` MCX]YQ<5Y>=``````````````4```>3>E`(]C,5(`````B9_%``#%Q7EYT``` M````FH^/CX]8I0```````)J:F@```'EY``"$``````!C````;@``K0`````` M``````````!N`````&Z/```````````````````````````````````````` M``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````"/ M``````````````"/T9!^A6X``'E2>F-Z6'ICD'F4:$-"D6Z);K)SD&B!8Y!N MFFYO;G9Y`%AZ6(ISF6B0;I^)FHE^6'E"0FYS7EY>7EY>7EY>7EY>7EY>7EY0D)"0D)"0D)"0D)";FYN;FYN;G-S6]N M92!K;F]W(&]F(&$@2!H;VYE>2!B965S(&%T M(&%L;#\*"E!R;W1E:6X@8F%I=',@:6X@=&AIB`* ""@H` ` end 4682 bytes ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 01:28:53 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rob Bidleman Subject: Re: Propolis use In-Reply-To: <199404090347.AA05181@mail.crl.com> Just a small point regarding the post on propolis...I market several bee products in the U.S., Royal Jelly, Propolis and Pollen. I have stiff competition from many U.S. based concerns...so the statement that propolis has not caught on in the west is somewhat ill-informed. I can't keep my distributors supplied. There are several forms available...including lozenges and tincture..(one hint; filter the propolis tincture before use as the active constituents are all alcohol soluble). As far as the lead content...propolis collectors should be used. Never, NEVER scrape queen excluders or painted surfaces to collect the pollen. +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% % robbee@crl.com box 721 healdsburg ca 95448 % +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 13:58:09 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Malcolm Roe Subject: Re: UUENCODED file: MESSAGE part 1 of 1 In-Reply-To: <9404111526.101.4da8c337.LN1@Lincoln.cri.nz> from "Barry Donovan" at Apr 11, 94 03:24:32 pm > > section 1 of uuencode of file MESSAGE > > begin 644 MESSAGE > M_U=00YP.```!"@`!`````/O_!0`R`%X$``#__PD```!"````!P`\````2P`` > M```"8P,``*$````,`%H````$!```4&%L871I;F\`4&%L871I;F\`3F5W($-E Out of curiosity I decoded this. Since it seems to be a sensible question for BEE-L I'm posting the contents in a more readable form! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Folks. Pestiferous wasps (Vespula spp.) could possibly be controlled by incorporating an insecticide in a sweet food bait placed out where the wasps are foraging. But of course honey bees would also take the bait. Does anyone know of a sweet formulation that will be readily taken by wasps but not by honey bees at all? Protein baits in this country are attractive to wasps only when wasps are abundant. We need something sweet, but something which will be ignored by honey bees. Thanks. Barry Donovan, Canterbury Agriculture and Science Centre, Lincoln. Private Bag 4704, Christchurch, New Zealand. DonovanB@Lincoln.cri.nz ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Note to Barry:- I should have a word with someone knowledgeable at your site about how to post to this list. -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 5104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 06:47:49 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Wenner Subject: Re: UUENCODED file: MESSAGE part 1 of 1 >> >> section 1 of uuencode of file MESSAGE >> >> begin 644 MESSAGE >> M_U=00YP.```!"@`!`````/O_!0`R`%X$``#__PD```!"````!P`\````2P`` >> M```"8P,``*$````,`%H````$!```4&%L871I;F\`4&%L871I;F\`3F5W($-E > Malcolm, I learned from both the literature and from personal experience that pure glucose does not appeal to honey bees. Perhaps wasps would go for it. For wasp baits, I just lace canned shrimp/tuna cat food with Knox-Out (microencapsulated diazinon). It works best if you first get the wasps into a feeding frenzy on fresh meat. Adrian *************************************************************** * Adrian Wenner E-Mail wenner@lifesci.lscf.ucsb.edu * * Department of Biology Office Phone (805) 893-2838 * * University of California Lab Phone (805) 893-2838 * * Santa Barbara, CA 93106 FAX (805) 893-4724 * *************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 08:59:29 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jerry J Bromenshenk Subject: Re: Propolis use In-Reply-To: from "Rob Bidleman" at Apr 11, 94 01:28:53 am BEE-L: With regard to propolis, its composition, properties, and lead: Propolis is a very complex material. Its composition varies with locality, time of year, plants surrounding apiary, etc. Its anti-bacterial and ability to suppress microbial pathogens affecting humans is well known. What the exact ingredients are, and whether these properties are something in the propolis that the bee introduces (modifies, etc.) or something in the resin that the plants produce is still hotly debated. In Montana, one medical Dr. has had success treating venereal warts with a tincture of propolis. Apparently, the patients report that the tincture doesn't burn and sting as bad as some of the more conventional medicines. The daughter of the former Head of our Microbiology Dept won a state-wide Science fair for her demonstration of the action of propolis against microbes. As for lead in the propolis and bees collecting caulking, etc. We specialize in using bees as monitors of contaminants in the environment. Bees have evolved to be highly efficient scavangers. Unfortunately, they are not always as discriminating as they should be. The good news is that the honey remains surprisingly "clean". Our friends at Cornell and other places have found pollutants in honey, but usually at levels considerably below those of bees, pollen, propolis, etc. Having said this, I should note that there are exceptions - but it would take me many pages to cover this whole area of discussion. Basically, the forager bees pick up and sample everything in their surroundings - water, air, soil, vegetation, etc. In spite of what you might think, vegetation is not necessarily the primary route of entry of contaminants into the beehive. Many gaseous and particulate materials are taken up by the bees directly from the air. My working hypothesis is that they are miniature, flying, electro-static dust mops. Some contaminants get into the hive with the water used to evaporatively cool the hive. The health food folks won't like this next bit of information. Pollen can be a major contributor of particulate contaminants to the hive. One can see the particules of dust, including things like lead, mixed with the pollen grains. We have analyzed pollen from industrial areas that has had as much as 18 ppm arsenic (dry weight of pollen), 90 ppm of lead, and 7 ppm cadmium, not to mention high levels of copper and zinc. Not something I would like to eat on a regular basis. Most pollen is okay, but think of it like a wet, sticky lollipop and you will begin to appreciate why it can be so "dirty". Our local pollen marketing firm has me periodically analyze their pollen to certify its purity and they make an effort not to purchase pollen from beekeepers located in industrial areas. Unfortunately for the bee, it is the bee itself that often sustains the highest exposure to chemicals (ranging from radionuclides to toxic metals to pesticides to more exotic organic chemicals such as PCBs). These chemicals can and do harm bees and colonies. However, they mostly act as additional stressors which can sap the strength of the colony and make it more vulnerable to other stressors such as poor diet, poor management, and maybe things such as mites - the topic of our current research. Ok, as per the lead. Yes, scapings from metal excluders, paint, etc. can be a source of metal contamination. For example, the old zinc coated extractors for processing honey can be a significant contributor of zinc into honey. Beekeepers have to take responsibility for maintaining a pure product. Sloppy practices can easily undo what the bees try to do - that is I assume the bees try to produce a pure product, for their own well-being. They sometimes miss the mark because lots of the junk we produce wasn't around when they evolved their foraging behavior. I suspect the reports of lead in propolis could be due to one or more of the following: lead in paint, solder joints, other hive components lead in the environment from automobiles, smelters, mining, industry lead in the resin used to make propolis Contaminants in plants may be a result of uptake from soil, water, or air. Much of what we see passed on to the bees is aerially deposited on the surfaces of leaves, etc. Some probably is moved systemically up through the plant from roots or in through leaf surfaces. My guess is that one of the most likely sources of lead in hive products is automobile exhausts. We have seen this time and again near highways and heavily travelled roads. In one case, we even saw the levels increase over a single weekend as a result of increased holiday traffic going down a highway near an apiary - and that highway was in Montana where all of the cars in the state at one time hardly compares to the traffic on a highway in some of our larger urban areas. We certainly saw a lot of lead in Seattle and reported this in an article in Science in 1985. I hope the above answers some questions. For some, it may open the door to many more. Our take home messages are: 1. Bees are incredible samplers of contaminants in their surroundings and serve as mult-media samplers that average the concentrations of pollutants over time and large spatial areas. Bees sample contaminants in all forms - gaseous, liquid, particulate. 2. Most of the contamination (at least as indicated by the concentrations) ends up in the bees and pollen. Some chemicals concentrate in wax, especially the lipophillic ones. 3. Except for tritium as some other special cases, levels in honey will be an order of magnitude or lower than those in bees, pollen, and some wax samples. 4. Propolis, like wax, can contain high levels of contaminants, but due to the complex composition, timing, locality, etc. the levels tend of any contaminants often change dramatically from one date to the next - much more than we tend to see in bees or pollen. 5. Levels of junk in honey tend to be so low as to not be of concern with respect to human health and are as good or better than most food products. 6. Beekeepers are the first line of prevention. 7. Given the ability of bees to pull garbage out of the environment and bring it back to the hive, putting untested chemicals into hives (for example to try to control mites) poses a very serious risk of contamination of the hive and the products in it. 8. Bees can detect chemicals in their surroundings at levels often difficult if not impossible to detect using more conventional approaches - i.e., instrumentation. 9. Beekeepers should take the attitude that this is a valuable new service that they can provide (bee watch) - note something that might jeopardize their business. 10. Public reception and support of this concept has been good. It makes sense and people generally like bees - at least the European ones that get good press. 11. Don't collect and consume pollen in industrial areas, near highways, by chemical plants, or under your local nuclear reactor. 12. Support your bee industry by buying honey - still one of natures best products. Cheers Jerry Bromenshenk The University of Montana jjbmail@selway.umt.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Apr 1994 10:46:37 +1000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Robert Rice Subject: Re: Phenolic in honey and pollen In-Reply-To: <9404111501.AA23303@spider.ento.csiro.au> from "Jerry J Bromenshenk" at Apr 11, 94 08:59:29 am Hi, I was wondering if anyone has information on naturally occuring phenolic compounds in either honey, propolis or pollen. As an example, does anyone know if thymol found in high concentrations in, and extracted from thyme, is found in either pollen or honey collected from thyme. Robert Rice CSIRO Division of Entomology Canberra, Australia. Email robertr@ento.csiro.au ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Apr 1994 09:41:05 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stephen Bambara Subject: Re: Phenolic in pollen In-Reply-To: <9404120046.AA01818@wolf.ces.ncsu.edu> from "Robert Rice" at Apr 12, 94 10:46:37 am > > I was wondering if anyone has information on naturally > occuring phenolic compounds in either honey, propolis or pollen. > > Robert Rice > CSIRO Division of Entomology > Canberra, Australia. > > Email robertr@ento.csiro.au > Pine pollen is loaded with things like p-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric, Vanillic, Protocatechuic, Gallic, & Ferulic. Strohl, M.J & M.K. Seikel (1965) Phytochemistry 4, 383 -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Stephen Bambara NCSU-Entomology, Box 7626, Raleigh NC 27695-7626 | |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=| | Voice: (919) 515-3140 | INTERNET: sbambara@ent.ncsu.edu | | FAX: (919) 515-7273 | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Apr 1994 20:12:57 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Keith Kimes Subject: Re: Propolis use In-Reply-To: <9404110132.aa19779@cruzio.com>; from "Rob Bidleman" at Apr 11, 94 1:28 am I have been out of BeeKeeping for 10 years and am wondering, what are propolis collectors and what is a good design for one. I looked in my old library and could find nothing on them. I assume that they are a device inserted into the hive that the bees are inclined to fill with propolis?. How is the propolis harvested, if it is indeed soluable in alcohol then it would be convenient if it was a device small enough to submerge in a tub of alcohol otherwise it would be a tedious job. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Apr 1994 09:53:28 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Carol Murphy Subject: Re: How do I leave the list? Still waiting Can anyone tell me if there is another bee info network. I am looking for something which is reporting recent findings in the literature, new methodology etc. I find the BEE-L too general. Thanks a lot, Carol ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Apr 1994 13:24:50 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jean-Marie Van Dyck Subject: Re: Formic effect on queens? The use of formic acid in honey bees colonies ... On Mon 24-MAY-1993 18:22:48.17 I sent a personal message to Kerry Clark, answer to his personal question ... seems it could interest the whole bee-l list though it's a bit too chem. questions of Kerry : <> Does formic acid also have such a fixed process of evaporation. <> Specifically, are there "threshold" concentrations of liquid formic <> acid that will produce different vapour concentrations? This is of <> interest because liquid formic acid may be used in beehives to kill <> Varroa or tracheal mites. The usual 85 % concentration has been <> associated with increased queen rejection, while 65 % is apparently <> much less likely to result in such problem. Is there a way of <> predicting what concentrations intermediate between these two, would <> result in vapour concentration similar to that resulting from one or <> the other? <> <> Do you have the equivalent values for the concentration of formic <> acid/water that will evaporate from a 65 % formic acid liquid (and <> does temperature affect the ratio as well as the rate of evaporation?) <> from a 85 % formic liquid? <> <> I've heard the statement that formic acid "ionises" rather than <> evaporates.. can you comment on the validity or implications of this <> distinction? my answer 24-MAY-1993 ... > 1/ The problem of formic acid is whole different as that of acetic > acid ! With formic acid, the azeotropic point give a boiling point of > 107.1 DC superior to the boiling point of the pure elements (water > [100DC] and formic acid [100.7DC]). May be because formic acid could > increase the hydrogen bonds of the water in the solution ! The > concentration of the azeotropic mixture is 77% formic acid, 23% water. > > With this properties, the two different solutions you can use (65% and 85%) > run quite different way when evaporating (remember azeotropic schemas) : > > - when you evaporate a 85% solution (over the azeotropic point), the vapour > is more concentrate (I don't know the level but perhaps 90-95% formic acid) > than the initial solution (85%). > > - when it is the 65% solution (before the azeotropic point), the vapour is > less concentrate (perhaps 30-40% - I don't have the real values but it is > possible). You can imagine the difference of toxicity ! ? > Evaporate vs ionise : I asked my colleagues about this question ... > Sorry we don't know ... > > 2/ It is may be an anthropomorphic view but I don't like at all the use of > formic acid to kill varroa or acarapis. Actually we have some others drugs, > not harmless but effective and smoother than formic acid which is, at the > concentration used, a too dangerous product (see : causes severe burns, keep > out of reach of children, don't inhale gas and vapour, in case of contact > with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice). > It's very agressive material - try : inhale very carefully -> I don't wish > that to my bees. You never use a such treatment to another pet of you !? > Furthermore, it attacks (as acetic acid, but harder) all the metallic > hardware (iron !). Seems to me it isn't to be used by common beekeeper. > > Hoping you have answer to your question. > Regards Jean-Marie Actually the question comes again ... My position has not changed at all. Queens losses ? Why ? In my opinion it is not due to a direct action of formic acid to the queen but to an important increase of the bees agressivity (or protectionism?) against the queen - The case is well known by the beekeepers, mostly outside the crops periods (winter and first spring)(I don't know the english term but in french we say "la reine est emballee" Jean-Pierre, peut-etre pourrais-tu traduire, merci!). New forms of application ? Ok ! Seems very important to avoid the high concentration shock when the hive is treated => queen dead ... Commercial gels and inserts seem beter than beekeepers ones. Local blooming informations ... Lat. : 4deg 56' E - Long. : 50deg 30' N - Alt. : 200 m - North sea : 200 km My 12 production hives are gone yesterday (12-April) on the pear trees for pollination (first blossoms fully blooming)(Conference variety) very very cold weather (max 12 DC) but *they* announce more for saturday. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jean-Marie Van Dyck Fax +32 81 72 42 72 B.P. 102 email : jmvandyck@quick.cc.fundp.ac.be B-5000 NAMUR(Belgium) Medical school - Biochemistry dept ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Apr 1994 13:58:33 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Malcolm Roe Subject: Killing the queen. Was: Formic effect on queens? In-Reply-To: <94041313245060@quick.cc.fundp.ac.be> from "Jean-Marie Van Dyck" at Apr 13, 94 01:24:50 pm Jean-Marie Van Dyck said: > I don't know the english term but in french we say "la > reine est emballee" Jean-Pierre, peut-etre pourrais-tu traduire, merci! My French is much worse than Jean-Marie's English but I think even I can translate that! In English, at least on this side of the Atlantic, we talk of "balling the queen". By the way, does anyone have any idea why workers don't just sting the queen to dispose of her? -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 5104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Apr 1994 09:39:45 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ray Lackey Subject: Re: Propolis use what is a "propolis collector" used in collecting propolis? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Raymond J. Lackey + + Beekeeper 10 years with 25 colonies on Long Island, NY+ + INTERNET: rjl7317@hazeltine.com + + Mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY 11617 + + Home Phone: 516-567-1936 FAX: 516-262-8053 + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Apr 1994 06:48:41 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Wenner Subject: Re: How do I leave the list? Still waiting >Can anyone tell me if there is another bee info network. I am >looking for something which is reporting recent findings in the >literature, new methodology etc. I find the BEE-L too general. >Thanks a lot, >Carol According to instructions sent out: You may leave the list at any time by sending a "SIGNOFF BEE-L" command to LISTSERV@ALBNYVM1.BITNET (or LISTSERV@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDU). Please note that this command must NOT be sent to the list address (BEE-L@ALBNYVM1) but to the LISTSERV address (LISTSERV@ALBNYVM1). There is a social insect network, but I am uncertain how one signs on (even though I am on it). Much of the material communicated on that network concerns ants and bumblebees. Adrian *************************************************************** * Adrian Wenner E-Mail wenner@lifesci.lscf.ucsb.edu * * Department of Biology Office Phone (805) 893-2838 * * University of California Lab Phone (805) 893-2838 * * Santa Barbara, CA 93106 FAX (805) 893-4724 * *************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Apr 1994 09:26:54 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dave Pehling Organization: WSU CAHE USER Subject: Re: Propolis use In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 12 Apr 1994 20:12:57 PDT from The propolis collecter I once saw was like a queen exluder with much smaller mesh (I think it was just window screen). This device was placed over the top super of a full hive. The bees filled the mesh with propolis which was harvested by placing the collecter in the deep- freeze. When frozen, the propolis was easily cracked off the mesh. Cheers, Dave Pehling =========================================== | W.S.U./SNOHOMISH CO. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION | | 600 128TH ST. S.E. | | EVERETT, WA. 98208 | |PHONE - (206)338-2400 | |FAX - (206)338-3994 | |INTERNET CE6431@WSUVM1.CSC.WSU.EDU | ============================================ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Apr 1994 08:50:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Re: Killing the queen. Was: Formic effect on queens? Malcolm Good question. Queen balling is an interesting reflection of the social behavior of bees.. a group decision, sort of "due process" rather than "assassination". Perhaps that is its evolutionary advantage. Jeff Pettis at Simon Fraser U. is doing some work on queen balling and the pheromonal basis of its initiation. Once I had an observation hive that went queenless. Rather than take it apart and re-establish it, I tried simply letting a laying queen go into the hive through a feeding hole on top. I watched as she walked a few inches down over the comb, and as some workers congregated and started to ball her (I don't remember any obvious agression). As I watched the tight bundle of workers, I saw a queen walking away from the ball. At first I thought there must have been a queen in the hive after all, but I watched the ball for quite a while, it finally thinned out and there was no queen inside. On the next day, the queen I had plopped in was laying eggs. and they all lived happily ever after (sorry, I've been reading to the kids). I'm still interested in any chemical insights into the properties of formic acid. We're now using a gel concentration close to the azeotropic target (where water and acid evaporate at the same rate, so the output (should be) more consistent over the 3 to 6 weeks of exposure. There are a lot of variations possible. Regarding the formic queen-loss observations, here's a possible red herring, but I heard something similar from 2 beekeepers, so perhaps it's something else to keep in mind. On both these occasions, after formic treatment, "emergency" type queen cells were observed, suggesting queen loss. Within a week, however, the cells were destroyed and a queen (one beekeeper noticed slightly frayed wings indicating an older queen) was observed laying eggs. Does this suggest a masking or disruption of the queen "recognition" by formic acid? There could be a link here with other formic -induced queen losses. Another report indicated more loss of queens from a specific source ( aw why not, they were Hawaian queens introduce a couple of months earlier). A couple of beekeepers are convinced the queens that were lost were old queens, others think they were mite infested..we quickly get to speculation here. A clearer but uncontrolled observation: formic application #1 was put on a set of hives, all OK. The beekeeper then received an order of queens (10 ish), split the colonies..and time came for application # 2. What to do? (What not to do: he treated both the parent hives and the splits, with the queens within a couple of days of introduction.. and half were queenless a week later). What I would have suggested: Put lots of capped brood with the queen being introduced. Move the "splits" to the other end of the yard for a couple of hours to days, allowing the field bees (with mites ready to migrate) to drift back to the parent hives. Continue treating the parent hives, but not the splits (this manipulation is as effective as chemical treatment). Back to the formic-queen observations. There's probably some elegant chemical explanation buried in there. In practice, when 30 - 45 ml of 65 % concentration acid has been applied to 2-std- box hives when the temperature has been below 30 deg C, the loss has usually been unnoticeable, but occasionally suspicions of losses up to 20 % occur. With 85 % formic, or at temperatures above 30 C or 90 F, and/or where 65 % acid has dribbled down into the cluster, queen losses of 50 % to 10 out of 10 have been reported. I'll continue to be interested to hear any other reports. 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: Wed, 13 Apr 1994 21:31:37 BSC Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo Organization: FUEM/Fundacao Universidade Estadual de Maringa - Parana - Brasil. Subject: I.I. For all, How much a instrumental insemination apparatus ? Where can I to buy? Which model? thanks| Vagner +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ I VAGNER A. TOLEDO E-MAIL: VGTOLEDO AT BRFUEM.BITNET I I- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -I I Universidade Estadual de Maringa - UEM - I I Departamento de Zootecnia I I Colombo Avenue, 3690 - Campus Universitario - 87020-900 - Maringa-Pr I I Telefax: 00-55-0442-22-2754 - phone: (0442) 26-2727 - Ramal: 319 I +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Apr 1994 22:26:28 BSC Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo Organization: FUEM/Fundacao Universidade Estadual de Maringa - Parana - Brasil. Subject: laying worker I have a doubt about laying worker What need bee to development ovary for it to be called laying worker? Which physiological conditions are necessary? With regards, Vagner +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ I VAGNER A. TOLEDO E-MAIL: VGTOLEDO AT BRFUEM.BITNET I I- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -I I Universidade Estadual de Maringa - UEM - I I Departamento de Zootecnia I I Colombo Avenue, 3690 - Campus Universitario - 87020-900 - Maringa-Pr I I Telefax: 00-55-0442-22-2754 - phone: (0442) 26-2727 - Ramal: 319 I +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 14 Apr 1994 17:32:49 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jean-Marie Van Dyck Subject: Re: Propolis use Hi all ! Again about propolis ! 1/ to collect propolis : the best material is a stainless steel thin wire netting 4x4 mm. Put this between the top of the frames and the cover. It's better to keep a bee space between the net and the frames top. Don't insulate the cover : colder the cover, lesser the beeswax into the propolis. When the holes of the grid are full of propolis, roll them and put it in a glass cylinder (hydrometer) containing the solvent (pure ethanol for the medical use). The plastic collector describes by Dave ... (expensive) > The propolis collecter I once saw was like a queen exluder with much > smaller mesh (I think it was just window screen). This device was > placed over the top super of a full hive. The bees filled the mesh > with propolis which was harvested by placing the collecter in the > deep- freeze. When frozen, the propolis was easily cracked off the > mesh. ... they say *easily* but you must go very rapidly . The amount of propolis is less than with the wire net. 2/ preparations with propolis : last year I was searching a mouth water with propolis, to dissolve it in water : I found it in New Zealand (20 000 km from Belgium) : and this very (very) effective against the gingivitis in use with the "water pik system" (COMVITA Lab. ltd, Old coatch road, Te Puke, Day of Plenty, NZ) Jean-Marie jmvandyck@quick.cc.fundp.ac.be ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 14 Apr 1994 13:16:17 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Power Subject: Re: laying worker Hi Vagner, I am sure you will receive lots of help with this one; however, I'll throw in what I know. To have a laying queen, the hive is queenless. A laying queen produces only drones and she has a sporatic laying pattern. So if you have little worker brood, a lousy laying pattern, and lots of drone brood, you have a laying worker. I hope this helps. Cheers, Jane ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 14 Apr 1994 15:55:53 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adam Finkelstein Subject: sci.agriculture.beekeeping From: adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu (Adam Finkelstein) Newsgroups: sci.agriculture.beekeeping Subject: Welcome All! Date: 14 Apr 1994 19:26:53 GMT Xref: solaris.cc.vt.edu sci.agriculture.beekeeping:1 To all people interested in bees, beekeeping and hive products: Please use this group! Its for you. ( it is a Usenet Newsgroup. You need to read usenet news to get this group. This is _not_ another listserv.) Adam -- =============================================================================== Adam Finkelstein VDACS Apiary Inspector 116 Reservoir St Harrisonburg VA 22801 703-433-1006 (V) 703-434-5607 (Fax) 703-564-4394 (Pager) adamf@hopper.itc.virginia.edu adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu |Bees To Please| ================================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Apr 1994 08:47:38 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Cliff Van Eaton Subject: Re: Propolis use -Reply Plastic propolis collectors ("Grille a propolis") are available from Ets Thomas Fils, Boite Postal no 2, 45450 Fay-Aux-Loges, FRANCE. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 14 Apr 1994 11:58:59 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: April issue of APIS Distributed to: USR:[MTS]INTERNET.DIS;18 FILENAME: APRAPIS.94 Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter Apis--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764) Volume 12, Number 4, April 1994 FLUVALINATE INSPECTIONS Dr. Keith Delaplane reprinted an article from the December, 1993 Quarterly Update for Inspectors in Pesticide Enforcement, published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)in his Georgia Bee Letter, January-March, 1994. As Dr. Delaplane concludes, the warning to beekeepers is self-explanatory: "Recently some of our State Programs discovered a problem of widespread misuse of a pesticide product by beekeepers. The pesticide fluvalinate...is now being used by beekeepers to control Varroa mites in beehives during honey flow. The particular formulation used was not approved for use in beehives, and there is no legal use of fluvalinate in hives during honey flow. "There is a formulation that is approved for use in beehives. The product Apistan is a plastic strip impregnated with 10% fluvalinate active ingredient. This formulation is more expensive, so some beekeepers have been soaking wooden sticks in unapproved fluvalinate formulations for use in their hives. Since beekeeping takes place to some degree in every state, all inspectors should be aware of this issue and take action where appropriate." [Editor's emphasis] NEW VIDEO With support of the Federal Extension Service, USDA and The Ohio State University Cooperative Extension Service, National Apicultural Program Leader for the Federal Extension Service, Dr. Jim Tew, has released a videotape which contains five (5) segments: Africanized Bees- Learning to Live with Them, color, 20:23, discusses the recent establishment of the Africanized honey bee population in south Texas. This includes interviews with the Apiary Inspection Service and commercial beekeepers about what the bee means to changes in apiculture in the Rio Grande Valley. Africanized Honey Bees- Destroying Africanized Bee Hives, color, 15:20, describes controlling established colonies of Africanized bees in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. How to Get Started- Bees From a Building, color, 17:23, shows how to remove an established colony of honey bees from a building and install it into a modern moveable-frame beehive. The Sting- Ground Nesting Yellow Jackets, color, 5:55, describes the excavation and dissection of an underground yellow jacket nest. The Sting- The Hornet's Highrise Hive, Color, 8:11, discusses the bald-faced hornet's life cycle and nesting activities. This video is currently being added to the IFAS Audiovisual library at the University of Florida. It will be available through your county Cooperative Extension Office. Additional copies are available at $10.00 each from Dr. Tew, OSU Extension Bee Lab, OARDC/Dept. of Entomology, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH 44691, ph 216/263-3684. HONEY HOTLINE I have had two indications that the Honey Hotline, a service of the National Honey Board Food Technology Program, continues to be a source of information for beekeepers and others. I was able to quickly answer a beekeeper's request concerning honey storage after contacting the hotline. I simply called the 800 number (356- 5941) and was sent printed information on the topic. Dr. Robert Bates, Department of Food Science, University of Florida also received information concerning honey fermentation from Program. It is found in the Honey Hotline, No. 4, 1993. According to this four-page newsletter, the National Honey Board commissioned a study which recently was completed by Bison Brewing Co. (Berkeley, CA). The company developed five prototype samples of honey ale and stout. The report covered what adjustments are necessary in brewing beer using citrus, sage, clover and buckwheat honeys. In summary, the results include: 1. Honey should be added so that diastic enzymes (alpha and beta amylase) do not degrade the dextrins (non-fermentable carbohydrates) in beer, destroying the texture and body of the end product. 2. Yeast and bacteria in honey are generally not active because of the low water content. However, when honey is diluted for making beer, these microorganisms can grow and adversely affect the end product. Bison Brewing was able to perfect a method to pasteurize honey, preserving its delicate flavor and composition (176 degrees F for 2.5 hours under anaerobic conditions). After pasteurization, the honey is then cooled and added to the beer at high Kraeusen (peak fermentation). 3. Because adding honey will decrease the dextrins in the final product as discussed in number one above, the brewer should use higher saccharification temperatures (154 to 160 degrees F.). A lower original gravity in the wort is also suggested. 4. Honey is generally used in beer brewing because of its distinct aroma and flavor. A subtle flavor is contributed by using 3-10 percent honey per total grain bill and lighter honeys are recommended. At 11-30 percent of total grain bill, distinct flavors develop, and stronger flavored hops, caramelized or roasted malts, spices and other additions should be considered. Over 30 percent of total grain bill, the honey dominates the other flavors in the beer. Stronger flavored honeys in general are recommended because they give distinct flavors, even at low levels. 5. More investigation is needed in heating honey which produces furfurals and derivatives causing off flavors and in ensuring an adequate amount of free amino nitrogen (FAN) necessary to the fermentation process. In conclusion, according to the newsletter, honey is unsurpassed as an additive in brewing and this activity offers endless possibilities. More information on the research reported above is available from the National Honey Board Food Technology Program, P.O. Box 281525, San Francisco, CA 94128-1525, FAX 415/340-8568. For those of us that may not be in the micro-brewery scene, honey in beer brewing at first glance appears to be only a minor activity, not responsible for marketing much product. However, there appears to be huge growth potential in this area. According to the above newsletter, in 1992 there were 103 micro-breweries and 191 brew pubs in the U.S. The former are growing at 6 percent annually and the latter increased by a total of 15 between 1991 and 1992. In addition, nearly one million persons make 30-60 gallons of beer at home each year. Beyond beer, "New Age" beverages and those associated with sports are also good candidates for using honey, according to the newsletter. New Age Beverages are a $195 million market. They are defined as sweetened waters with a "good for you" attitude. Honey holds a "definite" place in a variety of beverage products such as Grizzly Ade, a preservative-free product which is naturally flavored with honey, produced by Pyramid Juice Company (Ashland, OR); Honey 'N Apple Raspberry and Honey N' Cranberry juices from Brookies Food Products (Coral Springs, FL), Barker's Tru-Fruit Juice from Anz-Trade (San Leandro, CA); and Honey Lemonade from Vivaleo (Dallas, TX). POLLEN BEES It is becoming abundantly clear that honey bees can no longer be looked at as the premier insect pollinator for all plants. Many other bees also go for the pollen. Some of these have been written up as "The Busiest of Bees: Pollen Bees Outwork Honey Bees as Crop Pollinators," in the February, 1994 issue of Agricultural Research. According to the article, of more than 20,000 known bee species, only six are honey bees (genus Apis). The rest are "pollen bees," sometimes called wild, or solitary, bees. These don't fit descriptions of overdefensive African bees, yellowjackets and hornets. Instead, the article says, they have "friendlier" names, including digger, sweat, bumble, carpenter, leafcutter, orchard and shaggy fuzzyfoot. The key to a pollen bee's fanatic work schedule, according to the article, is that it often is not around long and needs to quickly lay in a pollen load for its brood; some only have four to six weeks to do so. This is analogous to the energy output of salmon swimming upstream to spawn. Many pollen bees are also far more efficient pollinators than honey bees, because they specialize on certain plants. One example is the hornfaced bee (Osmia cornifrons), popular in Japan for apple pollination. This bee can visit 15 flowers a day, setting 2,450 apples compared to 50 set by the honey bee. Thus, apple growers only need 500 to 600 hornfaced bees per hectare (2.47 acres), instead of thousands of honey bees. This bee is being studied intensively at the ARS Beltsville Bee Laboratory. Then there's "buzz pollination." Many pollen bees literally vibrate the flowers, causing pollen to discharge from the anthers in clouds, the article says. Honey bees don't. For certain crops like blueberries, tomatoes, chili peppers, eggplants and cranberries, buzz pollination is important for optimum results. Carpenter bees and fuzzyfoots are adept at this activity, and their activities are being examined by Agricultural Research Service scientists at Tucson, AZ and Beltsville, MD. The goal is to develop artificial nests to make mass-rearing possible. Bumblebees are big business overseas because of their pollinating potential in greenhouse tomatoes, according to the article, and may soon be in the U.S. This is corroborated by a full-page advertisement in the January, 1994 issue of Fruit Grower. An inquiry for dealers in "maintenance free bumblebees," suggests there's money to be made by selling hives equipped with a special feeding cartridge, transparent lid, and closeable entrance. For information, contact Biobest Biological Systems, Llse Velden 18, B- 2260 Westerlo, Belgium, ph +32/14/23 17 01, FAX +32/14/23 18 31. Another potential blueberry pollinator in the West is Osmia ribifloris, according to the article. It visits a blueberry blossom about every three seconds, three times faster than a worker honey bee. Its life history is being researched at the Logan Utah laboratory for non-Apis bees. Not mentioned in the article, but just as important, is Habropoda laboriosa, the southeastern blueberry bee. The effectiveness of this insect and potential for its use in southern rabbiteye blueberries was written up in the January and February, 1991 issues of APIS. Although pollen bees are less efficient in certain pollinating situations, those involved in honey bees have little reason to despair. Apis mellifera continues to be the pollinator of choice for a good many crops because it can be managed, moved and manipulated to ensure large populations at specific times, something impossible for most pollen bees. Recent information about the scarcity of honey bees caused by infestation of the imported mite, Varroa jacobsoni, has also changed the pollination picture for honey bees. They can no longer be taken for granted, and like the pollen bees mentioned in the article, their most important protectors continue to be people. As the article concludes, it needs to be recognized that pollen bees (and by extension, honey bees) are a wildlife resource and valuable part of the environment. Scientists contributing to the article are listed as: Suzanne Batra, USDA-ARS Bee Research Lab, Bldg. 476, BARC-East, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, ph 301/504-8205, FAX 301/504-8736; Stephen Buchmann, USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 2000 E. Allen Rd., Tucson, AZ 85719, ph 602/670- 6481, FAX 602/670-6493; Philip F. Torchio and Vincent Tepedino, USDA-ARS Pollinating Insect Biology Research Unit, Natural Resources Bldg., Utah State University, Logan, UT 84332, ph 801/797-2520, FAX 801/797-1575. AHB MISCELLANY CITE Extension, Federal USDA Extension Service, reports that a third-grade reading level book on African bees has just been published by Dillon Press, A division of Macmillan. Entitled "Killer Bees," it is a part of the series called "remarkable animals." The authors are Kathleen Davis and Dave Mayes of Texas A & M University News Staff. Also reported was "Bee Smart Week," declared in San Diego County, CA March 21-26. This kicked off an intensive release of information and education on African bees, primarily targeting schools and employers. San Diego Mayor Susan Golding was even a caste member in a skit entitled "Bee Smart and Don't Bug Bees!" 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, 14 Apr 1994 20:26:04 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rob Bidleman Subject: Re: Propolis use -Reply In-Reply-To: <199404142159.AA07335@mail.crl.com> I do NOT recommend this type of collector. I have used several kinds and the stainless mesh is best. . +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% % robbee@crl.com box 721 healdsburg ca 95448 % +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% On Fri, 15 Apr 1994, Cliff Van Eaton wrote: > Plastic propolis collectors ("Grille a propolis") are available > from Ets Thomas Fils, Boite Postal no 2, 45450 Fay-Aux-Loges, > FRANCE. > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Apr 1994 09:14:20 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Phil Wood Subject: Menthol in small amounts- Suggestions? This is my first posting to your list, and I apologize for posting if this issue has been discussed already. I maintain three hives "just for fun" but in the last year received my education regarding varroa (and perhaps tracheal mites, but I can't tell). This year I've put some crisco patties in my hives and attempted to purchase some menthol. Alas the only amounts that I can purchase appear to be for 25 hives- much more than I think I could use. Is there any source for smaller amounts, say something like 9 ounces for so? Many thanks for any advice/information- Phil Wood Univ. of Missouri-Columbia wood@psysparc.psyc.missouri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Apr 1994 09:16:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Re: laying worker Vagner I'm not sure of the purpose of your interest in laying workers, but I'd like to change the previous explanation so some people don't get off on the wrong foot. There are quite a few interesting aspects to laying workers, that you would find in a bee reference book like the Hive and the Honey Bee (p 341 - 345 in the '92 edition). Although researchers have reported worker honey bees laying eggs in about one half of normal colonies, especially when a poor queen is present, or during the swarming season, the condition most beekeepers recognize as "laying workers" occurs when the queen bee has been lost, and there are no larvae young enough for the bees to rear a new queen (perhaps a queen was reared, but was lost on its mating flight). The primary symptom is multiple eggs layed incorrectly in cells, such as on the side walls. These eggs are not fertilized (haploid), will develop into drones if the bees tend them, and the colony cannot rear a queen from unfertilized eggs. So it's a dying colony casting its genes into the wind. Multiple eggs distinguishes laying workers from a queen which has run out of semen and is producing drone brood only, sometimes in worker cells (may be called a "drone laying queen"). The beekeeper's treatment of the two conditions is different in one main way: the drone laying queen should be found and removed before anything is done, but the laying workers are not removed. Generally either of these 2 types of colonies is weak and made up of old bees. If there seems to be bees worth keeping, they can be used to boost a weaker colony. If that isn't an option, a new queen might be accepted if introduced in the usual candy plugged cage. A frame of worker brood from another colony apparently helps a lot. The conditions under which laying workers become obvious? Absence of the chemicals from a queen or brood, which inhibit development of the ability of worker bees to lay eggs (ovarioles). If you wanted more specific information, ask again 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: Fri, 15 Apr 1994 16:08:44 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Power Subject: Re: laying worker Further to this, I was wondering if anyone had ever witnessed the balling of a laying worker "queen." I was just speculating if there was any dethroning of a laying worker if a new queen is introduced. It's dark and stormy in Northern Ontario; however, it is not snowing. I'll take it:) Cheers, Jane ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Apr 1994 22:00:00 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Michael Moroney Subject: Re: Menthol in small amounts- Suggestions? In-Reply-To: <199404151416.AA01963@world.std.com> > This is my first posting to your list, and I apologize for posting > if this issue has been discussed already. I maintain three hives > "just for fun" but in the last year received my education regarding > varroa (and perhaps tracheal mites, but I can't tell). This year > I've put some crisco patties in my hives and attempted to purchase some > menthol. Alas the only amounts that I can purchase appear to be for > 25 hives- much more than I think I could use. Is there any source > for smaller amounts, say something like 9 ounces for so? I had an old time beekeeper suggest ordinary menthol cough drops. (He suggested Luden's). Read the label and look for ones that don't contain things possibly harmful to bees (that is they're pretty much limited to menthol, and sugar/corn syrup/honey, and color/flavoring. I think he suggested 3 boxes per hive. -Mike ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 16 Apr 1994 21:05:17 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rob Bidleman Subject: Re: Menthol in small amounts- Suggestions? In-Reply-To: <199404170324.AA10436@mail.crl.com> On Fri, 15 Apr 1994, Michael Moroney wrote: > I had an old time beekeeper suggest ordinary menthol cough drops. (He > suggested Luden's). > I think he suggested 3 boxes per hive. Huh? Why not try "MENTHOL"? The stearopten of Mentha? It can be purchased in many, many places in many forms...a "Peppermint Patty" would be better than cough drops as far as content of Menthol. Oil of Mentha Piperita is ubiquitous in health food stores, pharmacies etc. I mix it with warm cocoa butter make small wafers and place them in several places in the hive. I have added sugar syrup to a few. Good luck. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 17 Apr 1994 02:37:24 LCL Reply-To: Charles Howe Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Charles Howe Subject: Sharing newsletter material In the few months I have been on the BEE-L list I have encountered three other newsletter editors. I suspect there may be more. I am constantly looking for fresh material for the Connecticut Honey Bee and a couple of people have graciously allowed me to use their material. I suspect other newsletter editors are constantly "beating the bushes" looking for material as I do. Therefore, I have created a list of material which I can share with others. I have tried to select the material most generic in nature, considering a world-wide audience. My list contains ascii text files of stories which have appeared in the Connecticut Honey Bee and TIF graphics files which I have used. My list is about 7KB long so I am not posting it here to clutter everyone's mail box. I will send it to anyone requesting it. Please understand if I do not respond quickly. This is a busy time of year for me, preparing for pollination, etc. I may get more reponses than I can answer immediately. ----------------------------------------- | Chuck Howe - Editor | | Connecticut Honey Bee | | INTERNET - CHOWE@CTHONEYBEE.WIN.NET | | COMPUSERVE - 72726.1437@COMPUSERVE.COM | ----------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 17 Apr 1994 15:57:54 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott (U.K.)" <100332.3310@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Balling/Laying Workers Hi All, I wonder whether there are one or several mechanisms to balling. We are all familiar with balling the Queen, but I understand that a similar thing occurs when bees fight off Hornets as I'm told that the bees' stings are unable to penetrate the Hornets 'armour', so they use suffocation by balling as their defence. I think balling of the Queen mostly occurs when the bees are distressed, e.g., by us as intruders, so do they just get confused or panicked, or is there more to it than that? ---------- I think if a laying worker was to be killed it would only require her to be stung by the other workers. I suspect that they just don't really understand the problem they have, although they certainly know they have a problem. Solitary bees don't have a Queen; social bees evolved from them; maybe they still 'remember' their ancestory? 'Genetic memory' is extraordinarily powerful! ---------- A caveat to Kerry Clark's statement on laying workers (I hope he'll forgive me). Sometimes with strong young Queens in small colonies, like afterswarms/casts, the Queen gets ahead of the available empty cells so she goes round again and you then get multiple eggs per cell. Note Kerry's qualifier of eggs laid _badly_ up the sides of the cells and so on -- workers don't easily reach the bottom of the cell. ---------- Incidently, I made a statement a few days ago about Mellifera not recognising Varroa as a threat. I guess I worded that poorly because it's subjective, not objective. I think I should say they *appear* to not recognise.... Does anyone have any other view? ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 11:05:15 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jean-Marie Van Dyck Subject: Re: laying worker queen Hi all ! Seems there is a contradiction in this expression : laying-worker-queen In fact, I don't understand what cover this ambiguity : a real worker which is laying eggs or a real queen (which queen ?). Jean-Marie Local informations : Wet and Icy spring for the fully blooming cherry trees ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 07:37:59 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adam Finkelstein Subject: African Bee Range Forwarded message: > Subject: African honey bees:How far North? > Organization: Carleton University > Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 02:30:20 GMT > > Hi, > Seeing this new group just prompted a question: > How far North are those cross-breed African honey bees supposed to get? > Just curious. > -Shady > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Shady Kanfi (613) 231-2594 > Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (613) 788-2600 x3926 > Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada > skanfi@ccs.carleton.ca > "It's easier to be critical than correct" > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello folks, this rolled in on Usenet. Anyone feel like mailing this person, or even posting a reply to sci.agriculture.beekeeping? I mean, after all the answer is simple isn't it... :) Adam -- =============================================================================== Adam Finkelstein VDACS Apiary Inspector 116 Reservoir St Harrisonburg VA 22801 703-433-1006 (V) 703-434-5607 (Fax) 703-564-4394 (Pager) adamf@hopper.itc.virginia.edu adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu |Bees To Please| ================================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 09:56:58 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Blair J. Sampson" Subject: General distress call!!! In-Reply-To: <9404181138.AA11281@ag.auburn.edu> Hi all! This has been a fantastic season for honey bee swarms in the Southeast U.S. Actually it is too fanatastic. As a student of wild bee biology, beekeeping is a new hobby for me. I'm taking care of a few hives. But many of them were left unattended for a long time, and swarming has already occurred in some colonies. Swarming is posing a problem for local residents. My office has been flooded with calls of swarms roosting on or in peoples homes. I don't have the equipment to capture all of the swarms. Can anyone out their advise me on bee-friendly ways to remove a swarm from a home. Especially after they started fashioning comb. Thanks, Blair ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 11:52:40 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Mike Vincent Subject: Re: General distress cal... Swarms in the Se are taking off majorally! Im in Atlanta, where are you located? seeya Mike matchstic@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 11:52:58 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eric Smith Subject: Help with double brood chambers Hello, I just captured a swarm (from one of my own hives) and was thinking of setting up a double brood chamber in the hive and need some advice. I just heard of a shared bottom board method that worked pretty well but don't have much details on it. I realize there are probally as many modifications as there are experienced beekeepers so any advice on the subject is welcome as well as some good text sources. Plan1: +---------------+ | Super | +---------------+ |Full Hive Body | Swarm +***************+ Queen Excluder | Super | +---------------+ | Super | +***************+ Queen Excluder |Full Hive Body | +---------------+ Original Hive Brood Chambers |Full Hive Body | |_______________| Do I need more than one exit for the bees? If there is only one exit how do the bees recognice the workers from the upper "hive" as friendly and let them in instead of thinking they are robbers. Does the whole hive take on the "smell" of the two queens? What are problems associated with this? If there is oneHow do the Plan 2: Shared bottom board. +---------------+ | Super | +---------------+ | Super | +---------------+ +***************+ Queen Excluder |Full Hive Body | |Full Hive Body | +***************+ +***************+ Queen Excluder ++++++++++++++++++ Exit +++++++++++++++++ Shared Bottom Board Thanks -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Eric Smith (eric@curly.red-cross.org) I does not matter how much money American Red Cross you have - it's never enough! The opinions and spelling mistakes are my own..... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 08:46:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Re: Menthol in small amounts- Suggestions? Sugar candies containing menthol or mint oil (40 % menthol, 25 ish % menthone) are quickly eaten by bees, but the amount of menthol compared to that found to be necessary for tracheal mites, is miniscule. I have not tried them, but doubt they would have any effect, and have heard of no case where an effect has been demonstrated. Individual packets of menthol ( 25 or 50 g) should be available from your bee supply dealer, at least by mail. It might be easier or less expensive to buy from a larger beekeeper who buys in bulk, or to combine your needs with a beekeeper association which could buy a larger amount. 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: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 12:43:13 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Power Subject: Re: laying worker queen Hi Jean-Marie, It is a worker that starts laying. She is not raised as a queen, does not mate, produces only drones, and has poor and sporatic laying pattern. All in all, not what I want :) I hope this helps, Cheers Jane ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 09:30:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Re: General distress call!!! It's not quick and easy, but there is the method of placing a nuc with a small colony in it, next to the entrance of the "wall" colony, then covering the entrance with a cone of screen material, with a small exit near the nuc's entrance. Bees will leave the wall colony through your bee escape cone, but not be able to find the little entrance upon returning; so they will join the nuc colony (which is removed later when it has soaked up most of the bees, then the entrance gets sealed.. I would imagine it would take several days to deplete a newly-established swarm, and 2 - 3 weeks to get rid of an established colony. Although this should work in spring early summer, I would hesitate in late summer, as the wall hive may have lots of brood and honey stored, and when that starts to break down and be eaten by little beetles and such, the homeowner might not be happy. 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: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 13:29:01 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adam Finkelstein Subject: Re: Help with double brood chambers In-Reply-To: <199404181606.AA38315@Hopper.itc.Virginia.EDU> from "Eric Smith" at Apr 18, 94 11:52:58 am In response to the shared hive body question: from your diagrams I would say you need to give those hives more room, either more supers or larger vol. brood nest. They will just swarm again _this_ year. Adam -- =============================================================================== Adam Finkelstein VDACS Apiary Inspector 116 Reservoir St Harrisonburg VA 22801 703-433-1006 (V) 703-434-5607 (Fax) 703-564-4394 (Pager) adamf@hopper.itc.virginia.edu adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu |Bees To Please| ================================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 15:29:28 -0300 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eunice Wonnacott Subject: Re: African Bee Range In-Reply-To: <9404181138.AA12547@bud.peinet.pe.ca> From time to time a family member who lives in Houston, Tx, sends me clippings from the Houston Chronicle, and occasionally from USA Today. >From this material I understand that Africanized bees were first found in Texas in the Corpus Christi and Brownsville areas, three or four years ago. The northward spread is slow, but continuing. It is anticipated they will be at least as far north as San Antonio, Houston, etc, this summer. Also conditions are right for them to also be in New Mexico and southern California this year. There is a lot of anecdotal material surrounding these bees. If anyone is interested, perhaps the Houston Chronicle could be persuaded to copy some of this material for the network? Or should I start looking up previous mail for anyone? I wonder if their progress is slow enough for them to adapt to the conditions as they migrate. There is also the possibility of crossing with more winter hardy bees, or just "hitch-hiking" on an available vehicle of some kind. Nice thought!!! Eunice W. "From the Cradle of Confederation" ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 19:55:04 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Blair J. Sampson" Subject: Re: General distress cal... In-Reply-To: <9404181559.AA23872@ag.auburn.edu> Mike I've set up shop at Auburn University, AL. Since the last message I posted, the Auburn University police department called me about a swarm of bees harassing students and faculty. The bees soon moved off, but my office has been inundated with other calls about swarming honey bees. This is my first summer in Alabama, and after speaking to beekeepers I am under the impression that this amount of swarming is not a typical occurrence. My only regret is that I don't have the equipment to recapture some of them. I hear that you folks in Georgia are reporting record numbers of honey bee swarms as well. Warm weather and large nectar flows seem to be the culprits in Southeastern Alabama. I just returned from visiting the quarantine station in Mobile, they are reporting a lot of swarming behavior. Even two africanized swarms were captured down there. Well, I suppose we should be on the lookout. Heh!! Well I'll sign off for now, Mike. Keep in touch. Best wishes, Blair Blair J. Sampson Dept. of Entomology Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849-5413 USA bsampson@ag.auburn.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 20:52:01 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Sabrina Burmeister (NC)" Subject: Re: How do I leave the list? Still waiting In-Reply-To: <199404131351.JAA08827@virtu.sar.usf.edu> To subscribe to the newsgroup on social insect biology, send mail to listserve@albany.edu with the message subscribe socinsct your name Happy reading, Sabrina Burmeister ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 13:50:15 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Malcolm Roe Subject: Re: General distress call!!! In-Reply-To: <01HBBF2783SYCHMIO0@gems.gov.bc.ca> from "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax" at Apr 18, 94 09:30:00 am Kerry Clark, replying to Blair Sampson, wrote: > It's not quick and easy, but there is the method of placing a nuc with a > small colony in it, next to the entrance of the "wall" colony, then > covering the entrance with a cone of screen material, with a small > exit near the nuc's entrance. > > Bees will leave the wall colony through your bee escape cone, but not be > able to find the little entrance upon returning; so they will join the > nuc colony. This method can work for well established colonies, not just recently arrived swarms. However, you'll need more than just a nucleus box to take the larger number of bees. It is also said to be possible to extend the technique to get the honey as well as the bees. I've never tried it so I'm just reporting what I've read. The method goes something like this: After you've got all the workers to join the second hive the queen in the wall dies. Now remove the cone, or whatever you may be using as a one-way 'valve'. (I've also heard a Porter bee escape suggested.) The bees will quickly rediscover the old hive and rob it of all the honey. Once they've finished, remove the second hive and seal up the entrance hole in the wall. -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 5104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 08:31:51 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jerry J Bromenshenk Subject: Re: African Bee Range In-Reply-To: from "Adam Finkelstein" at Apr 18, 94 07:37:59 am Adam: Now that you have set up your Uselnet, how about providing some tips to those of us on the ListServer as to how we find your Usenet and login. Thanks Jerry J. Bromenshenk Univ. of MT jjbmail@selway.umt.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 17:05:46 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott (U.K.)" <100332.3310@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Africanised bees Hi all, I responded recently to a message on CompuServe about 'killer bees'. I tried to put the record straight as I understand it, i.e. lots of hype and some truth, but I am very conscious of the fact that I am several thousand miles away from the 'front line'. Maybe someone would either give a more local view to on CompuServe, or update me that I may give more local information for them? -- Gardening Forum (go gardening). Thanks, Gordon. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 17 Apr 1994 18:08:39 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Michael Moroney Subject: Re: Balling/Laying Workers In-Reply-To: <199404172021.AA03991@world.std.com> > I wonder whether there are one or several mechanisms to balling. We are > all familiar with balling the Queen, but I understand that a similar > thing occurs when bees fight off Hornets as I'm told that the bees' > stings are unable to penetrate the Hornets 'armour', so they use > suffocation by balling as their defence. I think balling of the Queen > mostly occurs when the bees are distressed, e.g., by us as intruders, > so do they just get confused or panicked, or is there more to it than > that? I wonder if balling a queen rather than stinging, evolved so that it was pretty much "agreed on" that the queen must die. Imagine what would happen if a bee drifted to another colony, made it in and quickly encountered the queen (who would be quite strange to it).... -Mike ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 22:28:06 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jean-Pierre Chapleau <73642.244@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: laying workers =A caveat to Kerry Clark's statement on laying workers (I hope he'll =forgive me). Sometimes with strong young Queens in small colonies, like =afterswarms/casts, the Queen gets ahead of the available empty cells = she goes round again and you then get multiple eggs per cell. =Note Kerry's qualifier of eggs laid _badly_ up the sides of the cells and =so on -- workers don't easily reach the bottom of the cell. Being a queen producer, I often see good queens laying two and even tree eggs per cell in small mating nucs. I also agree that eggs laid on the walls of the cells are a a definite evidence of the presence of layin workers. Layng workers will also lay very large number of eggs per cell (ten and even more) wich a queen will not do. Almost 100% of the time laying workers will also have a very poor laying pattern. Concerning the presence of laying workers in queenright colonies, I think this phenomenon varies according to the time of the year, at least in my area. I shake bees on a regular basis from queenright colonies to fill up swarm boxes (sort of queenless and confined cell starter colonies) for grafting. From time to time the presence of eggs in queen cups from wich the larva was not accepted tells me that a laying worker was shaken in the swarm box. (I use a method that eliminates the risk of taking the queen and also the succes rate of the graft tells me that the swarm box was queenless). Bu this is not frequent at all and this never happened to me later than May. I suspect that the proportion of laying workers is higher in colonies in wich some old winter bees are still present. By the way "laying workers" are workers. They are not "LAYING WORKER QUEENS" Jane. ***************************************************************** Jean-Pierre Chapleau phone: (819)828-3396 1282, rang 8, fax: (819)828-2248 Saint-Adrien de Ham, QUEBEC Canada, J0A 1C0 73642.244@compuserve.com ***************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 23:48:53 BSC Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo Organization: FUEM/Fundacao Universidade Estadual de Maringa - Parana - Brasil. Subject: Re: Jane Power Hi Jane, I would like to thanks for your help but I have laying worker, not laying queen Yours, Vagner +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ I VAGNER A. TOLEDO E-MAIL: VGTOLEDO AT BRFUEM.BITNET I I- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -I I Universidade Estadual de Maringa - UEM - I I Departamento de Zootecnia I I Colombo Avenue, 3690 - Campus Universitario - 87020-900 - Maringa-Pr I I Telefax: 00-55-0442-22-2754 - phone: (0442) 26-2727 - Ramal: 319 I +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 20:08:24 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Keith Kimes Subject: Re: General distress call!!! In-Reply-To: <9404190550.aa00515@cruzio.com>; from "Malcolm Roe" at Apr 19, 94 1:50 pm > > > > Bees will leave the wall colony through your bee escape cone, but not be > > able to find the little entrance upon returning; so they will join the > > nuc colony. > > This method can work for well established colonies, not just recently > arrived swarms. However, you'll need more than just a nucleus box to > take the larger number of bees. > > It is also said to be possible to extend the technique to get the honey as > well as the bees. I've never tried it so I'm just reporting what I've > read. The method goes something like this: > > After you've got all the workers to join the second hive the queen in the > wall dies. Now remove the cone, or whatever you may be using as a > one-way 'valve'. (I've also heard a Porter bee escape suggested.) The > bees will quickly rediscover the old hive and rob it of all the honey. > Once they've finished, remove the second hive and seal up the entrance > hole in the wall. I have used this method, and yes it does work but takes quit awhile for the hive to die off if it is very strong. I have also tried to get the honey out in the way described. The problem is that it will only work when there is no necter flow as the bees seem more interested in necter then honey. It was my experience that when the hive finally started to rob the dead wall hive so did other neighboring hives which in turn started to rob the hive that had been extracted from the wall. The end result was not good. My experience is that it is never easy to get a hive out of a wall, and that when successfull EVERY effort must be made to seal any access to the wall space or another swarm will restablish the hive, good luck! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 00:15:25 BSC Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo Organization: FUEM/Fundacao Universidade Estadual de Maringa - Parana - Brasil. Subject: laying worker Hi Kenny, I studying for PhD thesis. In apiarist of the University, I had an idea about laying worker| (which physiological modifications in the laying worker?) And I would to know if someone researchs this... With regards, Vagner +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ I VAGNER A. TOLEDO E-MAIL: VGTOLEDO AT BRFUEM.BITNET I I- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -I I Universidade Estadual de Maringa - UEM - I I Departamento de Zootecnia I I Colombo Avenue, 3690 - Campus Universitario - 87020-900 - Maringa-Pr I I Telefax: 00-55-0442-22-2754 - phone: (0442) 26-2727 - Ramal: 319 I +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 20:30:46 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rob Bidleman Subject: D In-Reply-To: <199404200312.AA21189@mail.crl.com> I requested several weeks ago that a few of you more verbose posters reply to Ormond Aebi's question, I have filled him in as best I could but promised I would get a second, third and fourth opinion so he could more or less get a good rounded view of the Varroa situation. I will ask again: When do the mites enter the bees? What in your opinion is the best single treatment for Varroa? What is the fate of the mites once bees are decimated in an area? Thank you in advance for Ormond. +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% % robbee@crl.com box 721 healdsburg ca 95448 % +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 08:36:38 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Aaron Morris Subject: Varroa answer In response to Rob Biddleman's query for Ormond Aebi about varroa, I don't claim to be an expert, but I'll be glad to pass on what I gleaned from a pamphlet distributed at our local beekeepers association (unfortunately, I no longer have the pamphlet and I forget the source, although I seem to recall that it's the producers of Apistan). I'm thrilled to pass on to Ormond what I know, in a small attempt to return what he has passed on to me through his book, which I thoroughly enjoyed! The life cycle of Varroa is such that varroa eggs and nymphs are laid/hatch/wait for their host in individual cells in the comb. When bee pupae are capped, the adult varroa attach themselves and hence are already on the emerging bee. The mites have a preference for drone cells, but I haven't a clue as to how they distinguish drone cells from worker cells. The only treatment I have used is Apistan (something Ormond would disdain). I lost two hives this winter (even though I treated in the fall) and dead mites were left all over the bottom boards. I would assume that once varroa decimate an area they will die off. Unfortunately, it would take MASSIVE die offs on a large scale to eradicate mites from an entire area. Even if one's entire apiary is wiped out, starting over from scratch gives no guarantee that there won't be mites in hives in the next county over. My question would be, how do mites spread from hive to hive? If the mites enter bees in the cell, then how does a mite-less hive pick up the first mite? The best guess I can take at this one is drifting, but that's just a SWAG. So, I've written what I know and have ended with a question. I hope this will help, or at least lead to a more boisterous discussion. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 10:41:13 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adam Finkelstein Subject: no subject (file transmission) Xref: murdoch sci.agriculture.beekeeping:86 Path: murdoch!hearst.acc.Virginia.EDU!caen!math.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!csn!news.sinet.slb.com!news.london.sinet.slb.com!news.gatwick.sgp.slb.com!news From: bokhorst@gatwick.sgp.slb.com (Karel Bokhorst) Newsgroups: sci.agriculture.beekeeping Subject: Propolis? Date: 19 Apr 1994 11:57:00 GMT Organization: Schlumberger Geco-Prakla Lines: 15 Distribution: world Message-ID: <2p0guc$85@gorgon.gatwick.sgp.slb.com> Reply-To: bokhorst@gatwick.sgp.slb.com NNTP-Posting-Host: margana.gatwick.sgp.slb.com It is well known that the kit (propolis) bees use to desinfect their hives can also be used for humans. It can cure/help to cure quite a few common illnesses. Has anybody any experience with propolis as a medicine? Are there any articles on the net about propolis? Is there any research going on with propolis? Any answers/questions/suggestions appreciated. Regards, Karel ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 09:44:40 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Phil Wood Subject: Re: Varroa answer I had read in (I believe) the American Bee Journal that varroa don't only live on honeybees, but that they also can live on other insects in the area, such as Bumblebees. Due to differences in incubation periods, the bumblebees don't die off, and so the varroa are merely a pesky parasite to them. If memory serves, didn't varroa originate in India, where the incubation period for the Indian honeybee wasn't as long, thereby making varroa only a parasite there, too? Since I'm a newbie to the list- if this type of unsubstantiated general recollection is inappropriate, please let me know. Phil Wood Univ. of Mo=Columbia ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 08:53:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Paul van Westendorp 576-5600 Fax: 576-5652" Subject: Re: Varroa answer Aaron Morris' "Varroa Answer" speculates on the way a mite-less colony gets infested. Here in British Columbia, we have witnessed a progressive spread of Varroa from the most southern areas close to the US border northward. Due to BC's topography marked by mountain ranges running north-south, Varroa has been following the valley floors where bees are kept, and where bees are being transported. We have seen the typical 'leaps & bounds' phenomenon of finding incidental Varroa infestations in apiaries that by themselves are pretty isolated (from other bee populations) but are always close to the highway. Clear proof of infested bees escaping from trucks moving colonies from southern BC to the far north. The other form of spread is more localized but rapid nonetheless, which can only be explained through drifting and drone visitations. I commented sometime ago on the distance of flight of bees, and referred to research done by Tibor Szabo in the early eighties. Drones with free access to other colonies, coupled with their 'high motivation' (ie. sex drive) and physical ability to fly fast and far, are overwhelming likely playing a critical role as vectors of Varroa. Your question about how Varroa distinguishes between a drone cell/larva and a worker cell/larva is intriquing. I have often wandered about that also, but perhaps some chemical or pheremonal cues may play an important role. Paul van Westendorp Provincial Apiculturist BC Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries & Food 17720 - 57th Avenue Surrey, B.C. V3S 4P9 CANADA ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 13:55:35 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rick Hough Subject: Varroa Answers Rob Bidleman recently posted to BEE-L: >I requested several weeks ago that a few of you more verbose posters >reply to Ormond Aebi's question, I have filled >him in as best I could but promised I would get a second, third and >fourth opinion so he could more or less get a good rounded view of the >Varroa situation. I will ask again: I am not personally an expert in this arena, but will throw the following comments into the fray, for whatever they are worth! >When do the mites enter the bees? Varroa is an external parasite, so they do not "enter" the bee itself. Tracheal mite, on the other hand, is an internal parasite. The Varroa mite does enter brood cells to reproduce - is this what you are refering to?? Also, are you asking for the age of the bees or the age of the mites (or both?) >What in your opinion is the best single treatment for Varroa? In the USA, the *only* legal chemical treatment that I am aware of is fluvalinate (Apistan). I have heard of bio-mechanical methods (removing capped drone brood so as to remove the enclosed mites), but am unsure how effective this is. >What is the fate of the mites once bees are decimated in an area? I would assume that if the bees were truly decimated, then the mites would die off also. Actually, it seems to me that the bee population would have to be *eliminated*, otherwise reinfestation from the small, but remaining bee population would be a problem. In the USA, I would think it nearly impossible to eliminate the bee population in an area due to the widespread presence of managed colonies - beekeepers tend to replace bees that die off. Sure, the wild population might be eliminated by the mite, but the managed colonies can still be a "mite reservoir", providing a haven for the mites, and a source of re-infestation. Finally, I don't know what "alternative hosts" are around that could support the Varroa mite in the absence of honey bees. >Thank you in advance for Ormond. > > +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% > % robbee@crl.com box 721 healdsburg ca 95448 % > +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% Hope that helps. I'm afraid I posed more questions than I answered, though! Rick Hough, a hobby beekeeper with 9 colonies NE of Boston, MA, USA. "Ask ten beekeepers how to do something, and you will hear at least a dozen "RIGHT" ways to do it!" - overheard at a club meeting. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 13:59:15 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gary S. Reuter" Subject: leaving Sorry I have to sign off for the summer. I just will not have time to go through all the mail. Feel free to contact me directly. University of Minnesota Department of Entomology 219 Hodson Hall 1980 Folwell Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108-6125 (612) 624-6740 fax (612) 625-5299 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 14:07:43 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gary S. Reuter" Subject: Re: Menthol in small amounts- Suggestions? Cough drops are not registered for use in beehives! Many beekeeping supply outlets sell packets to treat one hive. Kelly and Mann Lake for two. In message Discussion of Bee Biology writes: > > This is my first posting to your list, and I apologize for posting > > if this issue has been discussed already. I maintain three hives > > "just for fun" but in the last year received my education regarding > > varroa (and perhaps tracheal mites, but I can't tell). This year > > I've put some crisco patties in my hives and attempted to purchase some > > menthol. Alas the only amounts that I can purchase appear to be for > > 25 hives- much more than I think I could use. Is there any source > > for smaller amounts, say something like 9 ounces for so? > > I had an old time beekeeper suggest ordinary menthol cough drops. (He > suggested Luden's). Read the label and look for ones that don't contain > things possibly harmful to bees (that is they're pretty much limited to > menthol, and sugar/corn syrup/honey, and color/flavoring. > > I think he suggested 3 boxes per hive. > > -Mike University of Minnesota Department of Entomology 219 Hodson Hall 1980 Folwell Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108-6125 (612) 624-6740 fax (612) 625-5299 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 13:17:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Teri Rhan {FMO} Subject: Re: How do I reduce an over abundant hive? (fwd) I posted this on sci.agriculture.beekkeeping but thus far no reply. Anyone with some tips, advice, recommendations etc? Thanks Teri ----------------------------------------------------------------- >My package bees from last year have increased in volume exponentally >They are already 6 hives high and full to the brim. My buddy Jordan >Schwartz who lives 1 block away and just started 2 new hives with >package bees (initial setup this last weekend). Can anyone recommend a >way(s) to pass some of this overflow onto him? I would still like to >have a good honey harvest but just can't handle another hive in my urban >kingdom. >(Last year was my first year for beekeeping so I'm still a major >novice.) > >Thanks >Teri ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 18:35:05 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Conrad Sigona Subject: Re: Varroa Answers > >What in your opinion is the best single treatment for Varroa? > In the USA, the *only* legal chemical treatment that I am aware of is > fluvalinate (Apistan). I have heard of bio-mechanical methods (removing > capped drone brood so as to remove the enclosed mites), but am unsure > how effective this is. > > >What is the fate of the mites once bees are decimated in an area? > > I would assume that if the bees were truly decimated, then the mites > would die off also. Actually, it seems to me that the bee population would > have to be *eliminated*, otherwise reinfestation from the small, but > remaining bee population would be a problem. In the USA, I would think > it nearly impossible to eliminate the bee population in an area due to > the widespread presence of managed colonies - beekeepers tend to > replace bees that die off. Sure, the wild population might be > eliminated by the mite, but the managed colonies can still be a > "mite reservoir", providing a haven for the mites, and a source of > re-infestation. Finally, I don't know what "alternative hosts" are > around that could support the Varroa mite in the absence of honey bees. The Varroa are slow to die, even when the entire bee colony is dead. Just today, I examined a hive, which has been dead for 3-4 weeks, and found a few live mites still hanging onto the dead bees. The mites were between abdominal segments, tucked into the fold. -- Conrad Sigona Open Systems Solutions, Inc. conrad@oss.oss.com 1-609-987-9073 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Apr 1994 13:20:50 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Donovan Bodishbaugh Subject: Evolution of Varroa behavior In-Reply-To: <199404201715.NAA10812@acpub.duke.edu> On Wed, 20 Apr 1994, Paul van Westendorp 576-5600 Fax: 576-5652 wrote: > research done by Tibor Szabo in the early eighties. Drones with free > access to other colonies, coupled with their 'high motivation' (ie. sex > drive) and physical ability to fly fast and far, are overwhelming likely > playing a critical role as vectors of Varroa. I guess this could provide the selection pressure for the reported preference that the mites have for drone brood. If they infect the drones, they have a better chance of being spread to other hives. Isn't evolution wonderful? Rick Bodishbaugh ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Apr 1994 10:20:08 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Wenner Subject: Re: Varroa answer The best source I know is a paper by Peter G. Kevan and co-workers: 1990. Association of Varroa jacobsoni with organisms other than honeybees and implications for its dispersal. BEE WORLD 71(3):119-121. Adrian *************************************************************** * Adrian Wenner E-Mail wenner@lifesci.lscf.ucsb.edu * * Department of Biology Office Phone (805) 893-2838 * * University of California Lab Phone (805) 893-2838 * * Santa Barbara, CA 93106 FAX (805) 893-4724 * *************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 09:22:39 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ray Lackey Subject: Re: no subject (file transmission) I received a call from a local man who was looking for a beekeeper. He had a young woman exchange student from South Africa staying with his family. She had a very bad case of lip ulcers (mouth herpes?) which had been treated several times by the local doctor with no success. She claimed that in SA she used some medicine that came from bees. Thus he contacted me. I questioned her and she said that it came as an ointment. My response was that it was probably propolis but I didn't know of a source for the ointment. I usually use propolis when I get a sore throat but I just chew the raw propolis. I Quickly went to my stored supers and scraped about an ounce. I suggested just chewing/sucking on a chunk and lipping the lips. Within three days all sores were scabbed over and healed within a week. Ed Weis, of Western Connecticut Beekeepers was working with a dentist who was having success using propolis as a rinse to promot healing following oral surgery. Good luck. This was a response but I see there was no heading. Sorry folks, especially those who use the headings to selectively sort their mail. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Raymond J. Lackey + + Beekeeper 10 years with 25 colonies on Long Island, NY+ + INTERNET: rjl7317@hazeltine.com + + Mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY 11617 + + Home Phone: 516-567-1936 FAX: 516-262-8053 + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 14:04:08 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Malcolm Roe Subject: Hay fever and honey. I've just seen the first yellow flowers of this year's oilseed rape (OSR). Soon the fields will be bright yellow and, with recent changes in farming practice, this will continue until July. The bees love it and it certainly produces a large honey crop for me. However, many people loathe this time of year because they suffer from hay fever due to OSR pollen. Last year several of my customers told me that OSR honey was an antidote to hay fever. I was sceptical but didn't want to dissuade them too much from this idea because they were buying extra jars of my honey! Certainly, they are convinced that it works. I assume that the basis of this idea, which seems to be quite widespread around here, is that the honey contains OSR pollen which somehow or other desensitizes the hay fever sufferer. I would have thought that there was no chance of this working with honey ingested orally. (I assume my customers are not taking it intravenously!) Does anyone have a clue as to the origins of this idea and, indeed, whether there is any any truth in it? -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 442 230000 ext 5104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 442 232301 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 09:46:32 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ray Lackey Subject: Re: How do I reduce an over abundant hive? (fwd) Assuming you are working with double brood chamber: 1) using a separate hive body go through the hive an pull the frames fulles of sealed brood. be sure not to get the queen. Brush or shake frames as necessary to be sure. 2) Repack remaining brood together with empty frames on sides. 3) Restack hive with a Queen excluder on top and then the box mostly sealed brood. Leave for an hour or overnight. 4) Remove body with brood and bees (to sustain temp) and take to your friend's (probably still one body.) Remove his cover and inner cover. put down a layer of newspaper, cut a few places between frames with knife or hive tool. Don't open cuts. these are just to get the bees started. 5) Put your body on top and replace covers with a small opening on top. You have just taken away a number of bees, most young, and a large batch of bees ready to emerge. This will only slow your bees a little but really jump-start his hive. The extra laying space will keep your own hives happy until they are so busy with the honey flow that they will forget swarming. You can also take the brood from a number of hives and get the bees from even another by the same method but you must be more agressive about removing bees from the frames. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Raymond J. Lackey + + Beekeeper 10 years with 25 colonies on Long Island, NY+ + INTERNET: rjl7317@hazeltine.com + + Mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY 11617 + + Home Phone: 516-567-1936 FAX: 516-262-8053 + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 09:54:59 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ray Lackey Subject: Re: Evolution of Varroa behavior I thought they preferred the Drone brood because of the longer development cycle so that all of the femal eggs could develop and mate before emergence. Briefly cycle is: Female mite enters developing, uncapped, cell Female lays first female egg Female lays male egg Female lays second female egg. Female lays third female egg. ? When does capping occur? Female lays fourth female egg eggs hatch and feed on bee larva (many molts) and pupa mites mate in capped cell females (fertilized) leave with larva. Male died. ? How many eggs can a female mite lay? ? are they all layed in one cell? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Raymond J. Lackey + + Beekeeper 10 years with 25 colonies on Long Island, NY+ + INTERNET: rjl7317@hazeltine.com + + Mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY 11617 + + Home Phone: 516-567-1936 FAX: 516-262-8053 + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 07:05:41 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Wenner Subject: Re: Evolution of Varroa behavior >I thought they preferred the Drone brood because of the longer development >cycle so that all of the femal eggs could develop and mate before emergence. >Briefly cycle is: > Female mite enters developing, uncapped, cell > Female lays first female egg > Female lays male egg > Female lays second female egg. > Female lays third female egg. > ? When does capping occur? > Female lays fourth female egg > eggs hatch and feed on bee larva (many molts) and pupa > mites mate in capped cell > females (fertilized) leave with larva. Male died. > ? How many eggs can a female mite lay? > ? are they all layed in one cell? > Ray, For answers to questions like that, I recommend the following: Mobus, Bernhard and Clive de Bruyn. 1993. The New Varroa Handbook. Northern Bee Books, Scout Bottom Farm, Mytholroyd. HX7 5JS. ISBN 0-907908-67-5 (Perhaps available from Wicwas Press in Connecticut: (203) 250-7575) There seems to be a variation in how much juvenile hormone is exuded by larvae, drone vs worker -- no need for mites to "decide" which cells to enter. Adrian *************************************************************** * Adrian Wenner E-Mail wenner@lifesci.lscf.ucsb.edu * * Department of Biology Office Phone (805) 893-2838 * * University of California Lab Phone (805) 893-2838 * * Santa Barbara, CA 93106 FAX (805) 893-4724 * *************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 10:22:06 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adam Finkelstein Subject: Apiary Disaster (fwd) What do you all think about this? Forwarded message: > Date: 20 Apr 94 12:38:14 EDT > From: Bill Otto <72673.1073@CompuServe.COM> > To: Adam Finkelstein > Cc: Marla Spivak > Subject: Apiary Disaster > > Well, Monday was certainly a day to be remembered. I was doing my spring > cleaning on my colonies, & much to my surprise I discovered a hive that was > loaded with brood like I usually see in late May. I felt a swarm may start from > this hive very soon, so I split it right then & there. 1 box of brood/honey per > colony. 4 hours later, the local fire marshal called me to tell me there had > been a grass fire & I had lost some hives. At first, when I realized I had left > my smoker at the apiary, I was worried I had started the fire. I was very > relieved to see my smoker sitting there, clean & intact. I was very sorry to see > that my new split, along with two other hives, had been reduced to two blackened > cinder blocks & a burnt rock (that had been on the top). A fourth hive survived > in box only. The colony died of smoke inhalation. > One question that is running through my mind is, how fast can bees > evacuate a colony & would they. I use a smoker, so do you think this would do > something to change their behavior so when disaster strikes like this, they stay > put instead of getting out since every other time smoke entered the hive, it was > just me poking around ? I'm wondering if we set our girls up for doom when this > type of thing occurs by using smoke. Could make an interesting study paper, no ? Adam -- =============================================================================== Adam Finkelstein VDACS Apiary Inspector 116 Reservoir St Harrisonburg VA 22801 703-433-1006 (V) 703-434-5607 (Fax) 703-564-4394 (Pager) adamf@hopper.itc.virginia.edu adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu |Bees To Please| ================================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 08:00:54 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Teri Rhan {FMO} Subject: Re: How do I reduce an over abundant hive? (fwd) In-Reply-To: <9404221341.AA04299@mx2.cac.washington.edu> Thanks Ray, We plan on making the move this weekend so will post results if anyone is interested. Teri On Fri, 22 Apr 1994, Ray Lackey wrote: > Assuming you are working with double brood chamber: > 1) using a separate hive body go through the hive an pull > the frames fulles of sealed brood. be sure not to get the > queen. Brush or shake frames as necessary to be sure. > > 2) Repack remaining brood together with empty frames on sides. > > 3) Restack hive with a Queen excluder on top and then the box > mostly sealed brood. Leave for an hour or overnight. > > 4) Remove body with brood and bees (to sustain temp) and take > to your friend's (probably still one body.) Remove his > cover and inner cover. put down a layer of newspaper, cut > a few places between frames with knife or hive tool. Don't > open cuts. these are just to get the bees started. > > 5) Put your body on top and replace covers with a small opening > on top. > > You have just taken away a number of bees, most young, and a large > batch of bees ready to emerge. This will only slow your bees a little > but really jump-start his hive. The extra laying space will keep your > own hives happy until they are so busy with the honey flow that they will > forget swarming. You can also take the brood from a number of hives and > get the bees from even another by the same method but you must be more > agressive about removing bees from the frames. > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > + Raymond J. Lackey + > + Beekeeper 10 years with 25 colonies on Long Island, NY+ > + INTERNET: rjl7317@hazeltine.com + > + Mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY 11617 + > + Home Phone: 516-567-1936 FAX: 516-262-8053 + > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 18:03:50 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jean-Marie Van Dyck Subject: Honey from small beekeepers ? Hi beekeepers, A question I would ask to you all *small* apiarists (1-20 hives?) Seems it's interesting to keep some other's experiments ... from countries where weather is hot, sweet or where it is cold too (north) About your honey crop ... By which way do you *use* your honey ? - what is your average crop (for one hive) ? - to whom you sell or give it, or your own use ? - on which form (liquid, crystallised (controlled or not), creamed ?, comb honey?) - in which jar, which quantities (pound, kg, gallon ?) - is there a quality control ? some minimum or max? some analysis ? (sugars, HMF, pH, water, pollens, etc ?) I am preparing a mail (obviously with dictionaries etc, my poor english!) with the usual conditions of honey use by the small beekeepers in Belgium. Mailing soon. Regards Jean-Marie jmvandyck@quick.cc.fundp.ac.be ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 14:27:37 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Richard A. Haver" Subject: Re: Hay fever and honey. I, too, have folks who seek out my 'local honey' for its effect on their allergies. They insist it works. I say never underestimate the effectiveness of placebos. Along the same lines but different, I have a physician friend (non-customer) who claims that if he eats honey and exercises shortly thereafter that he gets winded far more than if he had not eaten honey. I believe he attributes it to the allergenic effect of the pollen in the honey on his respiratory system. Rick Haver VA Medical Center White RIver Junction, VT haver@dartmouth.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 15:36:19 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave D. Cawley, a De Leon Socialist" Subject: Re: Hay fever and honey I never thought of that! I've been suffering *REALLY* bad hay fever since just before I turned 21 (about 7 yrs.) and this year seems to not be as bad as the last 6. I have tried a few different kinds of honey since last spring when I got interested in bees. I've done orange and buckwheat, but I've mainly been using a mix that I got from an old woman last fall. I had been attributing it too a slow pollen start up, but from what I've been hearing from folks on the list and elsewhere it hasn't been a slow start up! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave D. Cawley | Where a social revolution is pending and, University Of Scranton | for whatever reason, is not accomplished, Scranton, Pennsylvania | reaction is the only alternative. ddc1@jaguar.uofs.edu | -Daniel De Leon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 13:51:12 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jerry J Bromenshenk Subject: Re: Hay fever and honey In-Reply-To: from "Dave D. Cawley, a De Leon Socialist" at Apr 22, 94 03:36:19 pm Bee-L: I am allergic to at least 115 substances, of which pollens are a major part of the problem. I had 5 years of desensitizing shots as a kid, and they helped a lot. We collect and analyze pollen for various chemical constituents. As far as I can determine, there is reasonable evidence that oral ingestion of small amounts of pollen from the area in which you live may have much the same effect as the desensitizing shots. Actually, for most people, a couple of spoonfuls of unfiltered honey (containing some local pollen) may be about the right dose. Given my degree of allergic reactions, I can not consume pollen nor can I tolerate honey with lots of pollen in it - the dose is just too high. I have my staff and students grind our pollen samples. Although I can work with it, my eyes sting, nose runs, and I feel wierd - almost like a drug high. People who are allergic to pollens need to be very careful in self-administering by ingestion. Take a tiny bit, roll it on your tongue, spit it out, wait a while. If you don't experience any negative reactions, try consuming just a tiny bit. Build up the dose very gradually. As per what type of pollen, it depends on your allergies. The reason local honey often is a good choice is because it contains a diluted mix of the more common pollens present in the area in which you live. Eating honey containing pollen or pollen from other parts of the world may not do you much good if the pollen(s) are different than those to which you are exposed each day. Jerry Bromenshenk The University of Montana jjbmail@selway.umt.edu > > I never thought of that! I've been suffering *REALLY* bad hay fever > since just before I turned 21 (about 7 yrs.) and this year seems to not be > as bad as the last 6. I have tried a few different kinds of honey since last > spring when I got interested in bees. I've done orange and buckwheat, but > I've mainly been using a mix that I got from an old woman last fall. I had > been attributing it too a slow pollen start up, but from what I've been > hearing from folks on the list and elsewhere it hasn't been a slow start up! > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Dave D. Cawley | Where a social revolution is pending and, > University Of Scranton | for whatever reason, is not accomplished, > Scranton, Pennsylvania | reaction is the only alternative. > ddc1@jaguar.uofs.edu | -Daniel De Leon > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 15:12:00 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: tdahms@SLEDGE-PO.WEEG.UIOWA.EDU Subject: April 94 'BUZZ':Iowa Beekeepers Newsletter Submitted by: Terry Dahms, Pres. East Central Iowa Beekeepers Assoc. internet: terry-dahms@uiowa.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------- THE BUZZ APRIL, 1994 ------------------------------------------------------------------- A newsletter published monthly as a cooperative effort by The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and The Iowa Honey Producers Association (IHPA), 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 Phone: (515) 281-5736. IHPA MEMBERSHIP: Membership dues in the Iowa Honey Producers Assn. are $5.00/year. Send to Gordon Powell, IHPA Treasurer. ------------------------------------------------------------------- STATE APIARIST REPORT With the warm weather we have had in March, the bees seem to be getting a strong start this Spring. The more reports I hear, the more encouraged I become about how the bees wintered this year. I would guess that the losses will average between 25 and 30 percent over the whole state, much better than last year. Several beekeepers are reporting only a 5 percent loss. To Do in the Beeyard: SWARM CONTROL - Because the colonies that survived are so full of brood, you will need to split colonies, equalize brood or make two-queen colonies to prevent swarming this Spring. Reversing the two hive bodies when the top box fills up with brood, honey and bees will also help discourage swarming. FEEDING - It is also a good time to feed the bees a light sugar syrup (1:1) or honey so they don't starve. Top feeders, frame feeders or frames of honey work well. Adding Fumadil-B or Nosema-X to sugar syrup will control Nosema disease which can retard the build up of colonies in the spring. I would like to really discourage open feeding, as this really spreads the parasitic mites around to all the neighboring colonies. Reinfestation due to close contact with mite-infested bees during open feeding could negate the effects of expensive mite treatments. DISEASE & MITE CONTROL - Be sure to treat all colonies with Terramycin powder or grease patties to prevent a foulbrood infection. If you know that you have Varroa mites or if you don't want to check your bees for Varroa mites, please treat with Apistan strips. Put these strips in as early as possible, so that the mite population is knocked down before the first honey flows. If you need help checking for mites or foulbrood diseases, call my office (515) 281-5736 to make an appointment for an inspection or send a sample of suspect material. Don't hesitate to call. Be sure to get out to the beeyard and look inside the hives. This is a great time of the year to work your bees. The weather can be pleasant and the bees are generally agreeable. Get the bees ready for that good nectar flow we're going to have starting in June. A HONEY OF A VERSE "Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and health to the bones." (Proverbs 16:24) HONEY AVAILABLE IN DES MOINES AREA GROCERY STORES March 1 & 2, 1994 The average price for a 12 ounce clover honey bear was $1.40 and ranged from $0.99 to $1.79 at 30 Des Moines area large grocery stores. Busy Bee was usually the lowest price and Sue Bee the highest, with the local beekeepers somewhere in between. Only one store did not have 12 ounce honey bears for sale. All stores offered liquid honey for sale. Many stores were running a $0.99 special on Sue Bee's 12 ounce cylinders and two stores had a $0.99 special on Sue Bee's 12 ounce Bears. The average price for a 16 ounce jar or plastic skep of clover honey was $1.82 and ranged from $1.39 to $2.17. The lowest prices on honey were store or generic brands of dark honey in 24 or 32 ounce sizes. Some of these larger jars of honey were partly crystallized. Specialty honey products brought the highest prices. Melissa's 12 ounce square section comb honey sold for $4.49. Imported and domestic honey creme spreads in fancy 8 ounce jars brought over $4.00 per pound. Many stores carried Sue Bee's and Busy Bee's creamed honey in a 16 ounce tub. One brand of honey-butter and cinnamon honey-butter in 7 1/2 ounce tubs was found in three stores but it looked as though it was being discontinued. Honey identified by floral source brought a premium price also. Basswood honey in 8 ounce jars sold in two stores for $1.49 and buckwheat honey for $1.99. Tupelo honey in one-pound jars was priced at $3.09 and Orange blossom at $2.49. Some darker colored honeys were labelled as "Wildflower" and usually commanded a higher price. Cut comb was only available in two of the stores. One brand of cut comb honey was solid crystallized. One brand of combination comb honey/liquid honey from Georgia was offered for sale. This honey was partly crystallized. Only twelve of thirty stores offered a local Iowa honey for sale. Five Iowa beekeepers besides Sue Bee offered honey for sale. In addition, five honey packers from Wisconsin and one each from Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Kansas offered honey for sale. Honey was located on the top shelf in all the stores but one. In that store the honey was on the bottom shelf. The width of shelf space occupied by honey was between two and five feet. TED GRUENHAGEN PASSES AWAY Lifetime member of IHPA, Ted Gruenhagen of Davenport, passed away February 2, 1994. He had been in a nursing home for four years, not being able to walk or talk after a stroke. However, he did look forward to Mrs. Gruenhagen bringing him the BUZZ or anything to do with honey to read. Ted was a real bee man for over 65 years. Many members remember Ted from the State Fair and the Mississippi Valley Fair. We will really miss Ted's leadership. Our sympathy goes to Mrs. Ted Gruenhagen and the rest of the family. Dear Fellow Beekeepers, The warm up this past week really put me in the mood to work bees. We had to walk into a couple of yards but the exercise was good for us, I guess. You sure find out in a hurry what muscles you haven't used in the past few winter months. Out of 150 colonies we checked, we found 63 dead. Those that winter killed had starved. Some had honey on, but never got to it. Others didn't have any honey left. The colonies that were alive, were for the most part very strong and were raising a lot of brood. We made sure all had plenty of honey stores. Hopefully these will be fine until we start feeding (which we will do by the time you receive this newsletter). When we get these warm days, it's a good idea to check your colonies for feed. From now on we lose colonies for lack of feed. Honey is the best feed, but you can also use sugar water or high fructose corn syrup. Bob Cox has the following recipe for hard candy to feed bees: Hard Candy Feeder Boards Ingredients: 100 pounds sugar, 2 gallons water and 1 cup of honey. Instructions: Boil water and honey, then add sugar gradually until all is dissolved and boiling. Boil until mixture is about half foam and boil another 5 minutes only. Cooking time is about one to one and half hours with tank cooking on four gas burners. Yield: 5 candy boards (20 lbs.@ - about 2 inches thick). - Leroy Kellogg, IHPA President PROFILE OF IOWA BEEKEEPERS Listed below is a break down of the beekeepers on our mailing list for the BUZZ. These figures are approximate and only give you a rough idea of the make up of Iowa beekeepers. Class Number of beekeepers 1. Hobbyists 804 (one to four and unknown number of colonies) 2. Small sideliner 289 (5 - 99 colonies) 3. Large sideliner 56 (100-499 colonies) 4. Small commercial 16 (500-999) 5. Large commercial 20 (1,000 or more colonies) _____________ TOTAL 1185 FOR SALE: 20-frame stainless extractor, 40 and 100 gal. stainless holding tanks, stainless sump tank, gear sump pump, 100 deep supers, 200 - 6 5/8" supers, 90 queen excluders, 100 2-gal. feeder pails, stainless cappings melter, ca. 16 two-story colonies with bees, and other items too numerous to mention. SALE DATE: May 15 at 1:00 p.m. Dave Lambert, 8874 Metropolitan Heights, Dubuque, Iowa (319) 583-8958. FREE PAINT: Pick up at Metro Waste Authority Transfer Station, 4198 Delaware Ave. in Northeast Des Moines, 1:00 p.m. May 7th. 1993 TRACHEAL MITE SURVEY Out of 105 bee samples examined 70% were infested with the microscopic tracheal mite. Samples were either collected by the beekeeper and sent to the office or collected by apiary inspectors from several colonies in an apiary. Most of the samples had less than 15 percent of the bees infested (71% of the samples). However, 29% of the samples did have more than 15% of the bees infested. According to Department of Agriculture rules, any colonies with 15% or more bees infested with tracheal mites must be treated before sale or transport. Spring samples were more highly infested (16.0%) than samples collected during the Summer (11.6%). This could be due to normal mite population decline relative to the increasing size of the bee population or because Spring samples were sent to the office in an attempt to determine the cause of a heavy winterkill, whereas Summer samples were collected at random by apiary inspectors or a combination of both. The only product available for tracheal mite control is menthol. It is best to treat colonies in the spring, right now. Be sure to remove any remaining menthol before adding supers to the colonies. Using "grease patties" in the hive continually, year-round may also benefit infested colonies. When supers are on the colonies, these should not contain Terramycin antibiotic, only sugar and shortening. The vegetable shortening is not intended to kill the mites but does seem to help infested colonies tolerate the mite better than without it. The short term use of grease patties appears to be of little value for tracheal mite infested colonies. IOWA HONEY PRODUCTION LOWEST SINCE 1982 USDA/Ag. Statistics reports a 49 pound per colony average in 1993, the lowest per colony yield since 1982. Before 1982 you have to go back to 1948 for a per colony yield less than 50 pounds. Total production was 2,940,000 pounds from 60,000 colonies of bees in Iowa in 1993. These statistics are based on a survey of beekeepers with five or more colonies. U.S. honey production was 230 million pounds, up four percent from 1992. There were 2.88 million colonies producing honey in 1993, compared with 3.03 million in 1992. Yield per colony averaged 80.1 pounds, up 7.3 pounds from the 72.8 pounds in 1992. Prices for the 1993 crop averaged 54.4 cents per pound, down 1 percent from the 1992 price of 55.0 cents per pound. Prices are based on retail sales by producers and sales to private packers and co-ops. FOR SALE: Complete bee operation - 100 two-story hives with bees plus equipment for 150 colonies. Call Bill Eickholt (712) 225-5207. WANTED: 1 or 2 colonies of bees to pollinate a small apple orchard (1 acre) at 3880 NW 128th St. in Urbandale. Contact Ross Peterson (515) 276-4995. CALENDAR OF EVENTS APRIL 19 Southeast Iowa Beekeepers Meeting at Sirloin Stockade in Mt. Pleasant. Meal at 6:30 and program following. 22-23 Queen Rearing Short Course, University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus, Call Dr. Spivak at (612) 624-2275. 23 Central Iowa Beekeepers Auction 11:00 a.m. at Kellogg's Honeyhouse in Cambridge, Iowa. MAY 7-8 Queen Rearing Short Course, University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus, Call Dr. Spivak at (612) 624-2275. JUNE 11 IHPA Board Mtg. 1:00 p.m. at Royal Cafe in Huxley. 13 Eastcentral Iowa Beekeepers Meeting 7:00 p.m. in Montgomery Hall, Johnson County Fairgrounds, Iowa City 18 Central Iowa Beekeepers Meeting 6:30 p.m. at Royal Cafe in Huxley. JULY 23 IHPA/CIBA Summer Field Day at Riverside Church Camp, Story City, Iowa. Bee Laboratory from University of Minnesota will present program on queen management. NOVEMBER 11-12 Iowa Honey Producers Annual Meeting in Marshalltown. FOR SALE: 300 singles available in May $35.00; 1500 deeps, 200 - 6 5/8" supers, a 1000-gal. feed & storage tank & stand, 50 new 4-frame nuc boxes, 500 shingle covers, 400 migratory covers & 400 bottoms, honey drums, deep boxes (shells), sugar mixer for 55-gal. drum, 1990 F-350 5-speed diesel truck w/8'x12' flatbed, 18 h.p. electric boiler, 8'x16' flatbed for a straight truck, plus other misc. Call John Onstank, Creston (515) 782-9522. AUCTION: CIBA Annual Auction April Saturday April 23rd in Cambridge, Iowa, CONSIGNMENTS so far are Arvin Foell: several hundred deep frames, scraped, melted, and bundles in 10's, ca. 100 entrance blocks, stainless holding tank & other items listed later. Bob Mitchell: several 6 5/8 supers with 10 frames of foundation, other items listed later. Leroy Kellogg: ca. 150 - 6 5/8 supers with nine frames of drawn white comb. John Onstank: unsold items (see ad above). Roger Smith: 100 deep boxes (shells), repaired and painted, other misc. Bill Van Roekel: 10-15 deep supers with 9 frames of drawn comb. Tim Laughlin: 15 wooden pallets 42" x 72" (will fit between the wheel wells of a full size pickup). Contact Margaret Hala for consignments. 1988 Vine Ave., Marshalltown, IA 50158 phone: (515) 752-2981. Consignments will be made in the order received. FOR SALE: 24-frame extractor, galvanized, electric powered $525. Call Harry Hunter (515) 266-1984. FOR SALE: Bee hives, singles and doubles and some equipment. Treated with Apistan, Menthol and Terramycin in 1993. Mostly 1993 queens. Bottling business has grown and do not have time to run 1,000 hives. Most equipment in good to excellent condition. Call (608) 568-7601 Days or (608) 748-4706 evenings. BEEKEEPING INFORMATION SHEETS (Individual sheets available upon request from State Apiarist) 1. Africanized Honey Bees 2. Agricultural Diversification & Beekeeping 3. American Foulbrood Disease / Terramycin recipes 4. Basic Beekeeping Equipment / H-Frame Hive Stand 5. Beehive Plans - Drawings & Measurements 6. Beekeeping in the City 7. Beekeeping Supply Dealers Address list 8. Beeswax Production & Uses 9. Differences Between the Mites 10. Disinfecting Diseased Equipment / Comparison of Bee Diseases Chart 11. Extracting and Bottling Honey 12. Feeding Bees - methods 13. Honey Bees and Beekeepers - Pollination 14. Honey Bee Pollination of Fruits and Vegetables in Iowa 15. Manufactured Food Products with Honey 16. Marketing - How to Create and Maintain Direct Markets 17. Observation Beehive Plans 18. Solar Wax Melter Plans 19. Spring Management 20. Summer Management 21. Tracheal Mite Control 22. Tracheal Mite Detection 23. Varroa Mites: Biology, Detection and Control 24. When Honey Bees Become Pests 25. Wintering Bees in Iowa OTHER BEEKEEPING INFORMATION SOURCES BEEKEEPING BOOKS: ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture. 1974 Edition. A.I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. 712 pp. The Hive and the Honey Bee. 1992 Edition. Dadant & Sons, Hamilton, Illinois. 1324 pp. The Dancing Bees. by Karl von Frish. 1953. A Harvest/HJB Book. Walter T. Kelley Co. Clarkson, Kentucky. 182 pp. 500 Answers to Bee Questions. 1978. A.I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. 96 pp. How to Keep Bees and Sell Honey. 1983. Walter T. Kelley Co., Clarkson, Kentucky. 148 pp. First Lessons in Beekeeping. 1976. Dadant & Sons, Hamilton, Illinois. 127 pp. Beekeeping in the Midwest. by Elbert Jaycox. 1976. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Cooperative Extension Service. 168 pp. Hive Management by Richard E. Bonney. 1990. Garden Way Publishing. Pownal, VT 05261. 152 pp. Bees and the Law by Murray Loring. 1981. Dadant & Sons. Available from Wicwas Press, PO Box 817-L, Cheshire, CT 06410-0817. 128 pp. Honey Bee Diseases & Pests. 1991. Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists. Dept. of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G2W1 16 pp. Insect Pollination of Cultivated Crops Plants. 1976. S.E. McGregor. Agriculture Handbook No. 496. Out of print. 411 pp. BEEKEEPING PERIODICALS: American Bee Journal. Dadant & Sons. Hamilton, Illinois 62341. (monthly) Bee Culture. (formerly Gleanings) A.I. Root Co. Medina, Ohio 44256. (monthly) The Speedy Bee. P.O. Box 1038, Jesup, Georgia 31545. (monthly) The Buzz. Apiary Bureau, Iowa Dept. of Agriculture, Wallace Bldg., Des Moines, IA 50319. (monthly) Bee World. Internation Bee Research Association, 18 North Road, Cardiff, CF1 3DY, UK. (quarterly) Bee Science. Wicwas Press. PO Box 817-L, Cheshire, CT 06410-0817. (quarterly) NHB COOKBOOKS ARE HERE The National Honey Board Cookbook Sweetened with Honey -- The Natural Way is now available for purchase. The cookbook contains over 100 delectable honey recipes plus full-color, mouthwatering photographs throughout! The cookbook will be sold at supermarket checkout stands throughout the country this month at a cost of $2.95 each. You can sweeten your honey sales with this cookbook available from the Iowa Honey Producers or the National Honey Board for $2.50, including shipping. To order a single copy of the cookbook, send a check or money order for $2.50 to: Iowa Honey Producers Assn. National Honey Board Gordon Powell, Treas. OR Dept. BK 4012 - 54th St. P.O. Box 7760 Des Moines, IA 50310 Marshfield, WI 54449 (515) 278-1762 Call or write for prices for large quantities. HONEY CHICKEN 1 fryer chicken 3/4 cup Honey 1/4 c prepared mustard 1/2 tsp curry powder 1/2 tsp salt Dash of soy sauce Cut up fryer. Mix ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for one hour at 325 degrees. Baste every 1/2 hour. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 16:48:20 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Richard Spear Subject: Re: Honey from small beekeepers ? In-Reply-To: <01HBGXV1LRHUA7A8VC@HAMLET.CALTECH.EDU> On Fri, 22 Apr 1994, Jean-Marie Van Dyck wrote: > Hi beekeepers, > > A question I would ask to you all *small* apiarists (1-20 hives?) > Seems it's interesting to keep some other's experiments ... > from countries where weather is hot, sweet or where it is cold too (north) > About your honey crop ... > > By which way do you *use* your honey ? > - what is your average crop (for one hive) ? > - to whom you sell or give it, or your own use ? > - on which form (liquid, crystallised (controlled or not), > creamed ?, comb honey?) > - in which jar, which quantities (pound, kg, gallon ?) > - is there a quality control ? some minimum or max? some analysis ? > (sugars, HMF, pH, water, pollens, etc ?) > > I am preparing a mail (obviously with dictionaries etc, my poor > english!) with the usual conditions of honey use by the small > beekeepers in Belgium. Mailing soon. > > Regards > Jean-Marie > > jmvandyck@quick.cc.fundp.ac.be jean-marie i have (had, i lost them to varroa) two hives. i got about70 pounds of honey from both. i give the honey away to work comrades and friends. sometimes i sell it to people who fwant more because they feel that it is especially healthy for them (allergies, healing, etc.). the honey that i give away or sell is raw - i only filter it. hope this helps . . . regards, richard rspear@sookit.jpl.nasa.gov all disclaimers apply ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 16:53:23 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Richard Spear Subject: Re: Honey from small beekeepers ? In-Reply-To: <01HBGXV1LRHUA7A8VC@HAMLET.CALTECH.EDU> On Fri, 22 Apr 1994, Jean-Marie Van Dyck wrote: > Hi beekeepers, [a great deal deleted . . .] oh yeah, i use one pound jars and liquid honey. regards, richard rspear@sookit.jpl.nasa.gov all disclaimers apply ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 21:24:14 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rob Bidleman Subject: Re: Hay fever and honey. In-Reply-To: <199404221830.AA20909@mail.crl.com> On Fri, 22 Apr 1994, Richard A. Haver wrote: > They insist it works. I say never underestimate the effectiveness > of placebos. > Placebo is a remedy that works, despite the medical communities inability to explain it. Are you using the word, placebo, in a negative sense? Many of the people who use my honey and honey pollen mixture use no other method or drug for their allergies and are quite satisfied. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 23 Apr 1994 14:50:09 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: Re: Hay fever and honey. I think that's incorrect. A placebo is something that is known NOT to have any (physical) effect, so that whatever effect it does have is psychological. At least that is what my dictionary says. There must be also a name for something that does have a physical effect but we don't know why, but I don't know what it is. Anyhow, if the honey is helping, go for it! Liz Day University of Illinois at Chicago day@eecs.uic.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 24 Apr 1994 11:31:00 +1200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: NICKW@WAIKATO.AC.NZ Subject: Honey for allergies... I've heard two alternatives to the 'honey for allergies' topic: (1) Eating honey from your local area is good for the reasons already stated (you are getting, gastroentestinally, the pollens that through your respiratory system set up the allergic reactions) (2) Eating honey from the area you were born is good for you, with the explanation along the lines that allergic reactions generally are 'set up' in your system at birth or during youth, so the pollens from THAT area are the ones that will help to desensitise you. I've never got it clear in my mind, though, that since it is primarily the windborne, non-insect-collected pollens that cause most peoples' hayfevers, how is it that bee pollen is supposed to help? ------------------------------------- Nick Wallingford Bay of Plenty Polytechnic (East coast, N Island, New Zealand) Internet nickw@waikato.ac.nz ------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 24 Apr 1994 02:38:25 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: David Hinz Subject: Re: How do I leave the list? Still waiting In-Reply-To: <199404130827.AA26512@eskimo.com> Maybe you can begin to help us become more informed of these recent findings. Are you still an undergraduate or are you in the extension program at your university? On Wed, 13 Apr 1994, Carol Murphy wrote: > Can anyone tell me if there is another bee info network. I am > looking for something which is reporting recent findings in the > literature, new methodology etc. I find the BEE-L too general. > Thanks a lot, > Carol > ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 24 Apr 1994 03:14:13 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rob Bidleman Subject: Re: How do I leave the list? Still waiting In-Reply-To: <199404240937.AA19211@mail.crl.com> +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% % robbee@crl.com box 721 healdsburg ca 95448 % +%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+% > On Wed, 13 Apr 1994, Carol Murphy wrote: > > > Can anyone tell me if there is another bee info network. I am Carol; I am setting up a ftp site with that in mind. I have just tonight addressed the site: If you are interested in accessing files or want to share files, results, etc.; please e-mail me for further instructions on how to logon. It is designed to have two distinct areas; one for general queries about apis and another for more technical related information. Regards, Rob ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 24 Apr 1994 04:02:18 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rob Bidleman Subject: Re: Hay fever and honey. In-Reply-To: <199404231949.AA03412@mail.crl.com> On Sat, 23 Apr 1994, La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day) wrote: > I think that's incorrect. A placebo is something that is known NOT ^^^^^ Wrong...a placebo is used to ilicit a control in some cases but in this context it is clearly "something" that is providing relief. And with the absence of textbook rationale the "something" is a placebo. A kind of homeopathic "sugar pill" which couldn't be explained so "psychological" became a catch-all. What works...works. Call it what you will. With documented results that are consistent, I should think "placebo" is a misnomer. Rob ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 25 Apr 1994 08:34:27 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Richard A. Haver" Subject: Re: Hay fever and honey. --- You wrote: Wrong...a placebo is used to ilicit a control in some cases but in this context it is clearly "something" that is providing relief. And with the absence of textbook rationale the "something" is a placebo. A kind of homeopathic "sugar pill" which couldn't be explained so "psychological" became a catch-all. What works...works. Call it what you will. With documented results that are consistent, I should think "placebo" is a misnomer. --- end of quoted material --- Rob, I agree with your characterization of placebo as "something that is providing relief", but are there "documented" results in this case"? I've heard a lotta hearsay but haven't seen any good evidence. Rick ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 25 Apr 1994 16:22:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax (604) 784 2299" Subject: Re: D For discussion 1 when do varroa mites enter cells (they don't enter bees) The varroa handbook p 9 says Young varroa mites remain on adult bees for 5 to 13 days before entering brood cells. or 44 % of young mites enter brood cells within 6 days 69 % 12 days 90 %... 24 days The mites enter worker cells between the 7 th and 8 th day or drone cells between the 8 th and 9 th day. 2 the best single treatment for varroa (consider that some of the varroa problem is the complexity of variable conditions of climate, bee colonies, bee keeping areas, etc, which makes a simple answer to this simple question, inadequate) something that kills all the varroa on the adult bees in a beekeeping area, when there is no bee brood where the mites can be protected. The something might be the bees' behavior, a chemical, or a physical treatment. Of the options available, Apistan strips in fall when brood rearing is minimal, may fit what you'd like as a good treatment. 3. what happens to the mites as the bee colony dies The details are speculation, but as a bee colony approaches a minimal size, bees from it may abandon and go to other colonies, carrying mites. Bees from other colonies may rob the honey stored in the now-poorly-protected hive, and carry mites back to their hives. The last remaining bees (newly emerging workers, queen) would have lots of varroa released as workers emerge. I've seen some strange results this spring, as hives aquire thousands of varroa from somewhere (much beyond the reproductive capacity of those mites which were there last fall). 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: Wed, 27 Apr 1994 17:46:13 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott (U.K.)" <100332.3310@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Varroa answer and some. Hi all, >I requested several weeks ago that a few of you more verbose posters >reply to Ormond Aebi's question,... >What in your opinion is the best single treatment for Varroa? I answered Rob direct on this but feel I would like to broadcast my views on the 'best' treatment. I believe that the 'best' is either bio-mechanical or whatever your neighbours are using (presuming it's reasonable) because the mites will more easily develop resistance to chemicals if they get a little sniff of each chemical from each beekeeper. Chemicals are only buying us time and we must protect and extend that time as much as we can. 'Blanket' treatment over a large area can knock back a pest very effectively all over that area for some time. ----- Varroa in Drone Brood I believe that varroa uses _only_ drone brood in Apis Cerana and I think that this is due to the life cycle of the mite. The 'capped' time for Cerana is rather shorter than in Mellifera and I think that in worker brood it is _too_ short for successful Varroa maturation. In Mellifera, the _even_longer_ drone brood time is just _great_ for successful Varroa maturation. ----- Varroa on other hosts. I have been told here during recent lectures at the British Beekeepers' Association spring convention that Varroa are 'totally unable to survive on any hosts [than honeybees]' I'm not in retrospect sure whether this is Mellifera and Cerana only or includes Dorsata, Florea and the 'new' one, the name of which escapes me. I haven't seen the Bee World article, I may try to locate a copy. ----- Colony desertion We also heard at the same lectures of cases of colony desertion when heavily infested by Varroa. It seems that several colonies that were under investigation to see what the mechanism is of colony collapse (in the UK at least), deserted the hive typically leaving just the queen and a few workers. This strange behaviour is suggested also to explain sudden _vast_ increases in Varroa concentrations in otherwise normally progressing colonies. Kerry Clark comments on this on Bee-l and various friends here have also commented (up from tens per day on Bayvarol to thousands per day in tests just a few weeks apart). The researcher on this is Dr. Stephen Martin at Cardiff University here in the UK. I don't yet know if he has an Email address -- I must find out! I suspect that he would be very interested in any correlating evidence. He also reports 'relatively large' _natural_ mite motality in study colonies, up to 900 per day rather than the 'few' per day at colony collapse reported elsewhere. The reason is as yet unclear but is guessed to be due to a lower level of secondary infections. Again I guess he would be interested in correlating evidence. ----- Beekeeping on CompuServe. Someone asked a little while ago about Beekeeping on Compuserve. There does not appear to be anything like Bee-l there, but some beekeepers do chat in the Gardening Forum. ----- Spring has arrived (again) here. After a false start in mid March followed by three or four weeks of cold (by our standards) wet and windy weather with a little snow (I had to feed four out of six colonies -- all nucs from last year), the sun has come back. Temperatures are up to about 15C, the wind and rain are mostly gone and the bees are out working at last. Bye for now, Gordon. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Apr 1994 18:05:07 -0400 Reply-To: adamf@hopper.itc.virginia.edu Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adam Finkelstein Subject: Compuserve reads sci.agriculture.beekeeping In-Reply-To: <199404272150.AA34907@Hopper.itc.Virginia.EDU> from "Gordon L. Scott" at Apr 27, 94 05:46:13 pm FYI some folks from compuserve are posting to and reading sci.agriculture.beekeeping. I will send USENET NEWS info to anyone who wants to read sci.agriculture.beekeeping and doesn't have usenet yet. Adam -- =============================================================================== Adam Finkelstein VDACS Apiary Inspector 116 Reservoir St Harrisonburg VA 22801 703-433-1006 (V) 703-434-5607 (Fax) 703-564-4394 (Pager) adamf@hopper.itc.virginia.edu adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu |Bees To Please| ================================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Apr 1994 11:46:09 +0300 Reply-To: nokrian rivka Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: nokrian rivka Subject: Hive quantity or quality Hello, Once again I would like to ask for advice and information concerning my research. Some details first: I'm a PhD student in Israel. My research is about melon (cantaloupe, muskmelon) pollination in greenhouses in a desert area. The time of year is winter, the farmers are planting the melons early in december and flowering begins in January. Beehives are brought from the center of Israel, about 4-5 hours drive north. The greenhouses are a kind of a passable-tunnel, about 3 m high and 5 to 7 m wide. In each tunnel there are 3, 4 or up to 7 beds with plants. In the past two years the majority of the farmers were binding the plants upwards, into a vine shaped plant climbing up. This way the plants are stronger and the fruit are better and larger. Also, the number of plants in each frame (greenhouse) can be doubled so that the average number of flowers is twice as much as when the plants are lying on the ground. Now I would like to present you with some of the problems the farmers and I have during the pollination season. 1) How many hives (average winter hives) would you place for each such frame (I forgot to mention that, but each frame if about 0.5 dunams to ca. 1 dunam), to obtain a satisfactory pollination? 2) How far, or how near would you place the hive in order to get the best results. The thing is that these greenhouses are placed in the desert and the wearther this time of year could be tricky: night temperatures are pretty low and then when the sun shines they go up very rapidly. Some of the farmers I talked to suggested placing the hives just adjacent to the frames, so that in the morning heat would warm up the hive and the bees would leave it earlier to visit the flowers. any ideas? 3) The number of flowers in each frame and the quantity of nectar (main reason for bee visits) are very small, when compared to warmer periods. That means to me that the bees don't have enough food in one frame and therefore the bees must get extra feeding to the hive (sugar, pollen subs). Why not cut the number of hives? That is would the hives be just as effective (maybe more effective) when less of them are placed there? 4) I estimate bee activity by checking the number of pollen grains on the stigma and by counting bees visiting the flowers. Any other effiecient estimates? 5) Bees are visiting patches of flowers, near and far from the hive. Bees form groups of workers that fly to these different distances and therefore one can say that each hive has in it a few groups. If that is so, than in any case just a certain group in the hives placed near melon greenhouses would visit melon flowers, whereas the other would search for other sources for necter and pollen. Does anyone have any papers on that subject or know of any? Do you have any experiments and results on that matter? Please send any ideas or literature you know of to my internet address: rebeca@ccsg.tau.ac.il or the my university address: Rivka Nokrian, Botany Department, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978 Tel-Aviv, ISRAEL. Thank you all, Rivka. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Apr 1994 08:09:38 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Richard Spear Subject: Re: Compuserve reads sci.agriculture.beekeeping In-Reply-To: <01HBO9TZZVNMA7BRUH@HAMLET.CALTECH.EDU> On Wed, 27 Apr 1994, Adam Finkelstein wrote: > FYI some folks from compuserve are posting to and reading > sci.agriculture.beekeeping. > I will send USENET NEWS info to anyone who wants to read > sci.agriculture.beekeeping and doesn't have usenet yet. > Adam > -- > ============================================================================== = > Adam Finkelstein VDACS Apiary Inspector 116 Reservoir St Harrisonburg VA 2280 1 > 703-433-1006 (V) 703-434-5607 (Fax) 703-564-4394 (Pager) > adamf@hopper.itc.virginia.edu adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu |Bees To Please| > ============================================================================== == adam - i read both . . . ci$ people can have newsgroup access, i believe. regards, richard rspear@sookit.jpl.nasa.gov all disclaimers apply ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Apr 1994 22:19:00 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: P30LEK1@NIU.BITNET Subject: Re: Honey from small beekeepers ? Jean-Marie - If you are looking for an answer from an American small-time beekeeper, I am happy to tell you how I handle my 12 (or so) hives. I am in the farm fields of northern Illinois. I collect from 75 to 200 pounds of honey per hive. It varies a lot by year and by hive. I use much of my honey my self and keep my family supplied. I don't often sell my honey, but do barter for produce and preserves... or what ever someone has to offer. I only produce liquid honey and extract it myself. It is strained, but not filtered. I prefer pollin, propolis and the like in my honey... at least in moderation. I think it is healthier. I use 1 and 3 pound jars as well as canning jars which I acquire from a variety of sources. I never test for water content, etc, but do mark which hive each crop comes from. I don't keep all my hives in the same location, so there is a difference in flavors. Hope this helps you. Larry Krengel Marengo, Illinois USA the home of Dr. C. C. Miller P30LEK1@NIU.BITNET ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 29 Apr 1994 10:34:50 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rick Hough Subject: FWD>New Queens I am posting the following note to BEE-L on behalf of Dave Verville. I will summarize any responses posted to the list and forward them to him. Rick Hough rshough@tasc.com -------------------------------------- Date: 4/26/94 2:44 PM From: mvdfv@mvtowers.att.com Date: 26 Apr 94 18:29:00 GMT Subject: New Queens Can't get to bee-l anymore, "they" shut down the path and now want money, ain't got any so if you don't mind please post this: What happens if I introduce a virgin queen that has it's wings clipped? Dave Verville ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 29 Apr 1994 15:17:55 -0300 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eunice Wonnacott Subject: Re: FWD>New Queens In-Reply-To: <9404291432.AA00845@bud.peinet.pe.ca> Rick: If the wings are clipped on the queen, it would be unlikely that this would have been done unless the nuptial flight had taken place. In that case it is no longer a virgin, but is now ready for hiving. Suggest you check if it is truly virgin and clipped. If so, my guess is it is no more use than a laying worker. Eunice On Fri, 29 Apr 1994, Rick Hough wrote: > I am posting the following note to BEE-L on behalf of Dave Verville. I > will summarize any responses posted to the list and forward them to him. > > Rick Hough > rshough@tasc.com > > -------------------------------------- > Date: 4/26/94 2:44 PM > From: mvdfv@mvtowers.att.com > Date: 26 Apr 94 18:29:00 GMT > Subject: New Queens > > > > Can't get to bee-l anymore, "they" shut down the path > and now want money, ain't got any so if you don't mind > please post this: > > > > What happens if I introduce a virgin queen that has it's wings > clipped? > > Dave Verville > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 29 Apr 1994 17:25:26 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott (U.K.)" <100332.3310@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Honey & health. Hi, Rick Havers recently wrote. > I have a physician friend (non-customer) who claims that if he eats > honey and exercises shortly thereafter that he gets winded far more > than if he had not eaten honey. I believe he attributes it to the > allergenic effect of the pollen in the honey on his respiratory system. Of course another possible explanation for this is that a sudden big surge of sugar in the blood causes a big surge in insulin to compensate. This often 'overshoots' the correction and causes us to get winded far more quickly. Regards, Gordon ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 30 Apr 1994 07:55:22 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave D. Cawley, a De Leon Socialist" Subject: Re: FWD>New Queens Do queens *have* to be able to fly to be mated? Can't the drones fertilize her if she can't fly? Is mating done in midair or on some firmer substance? Just wondering... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave D. Cawley | Adolph! Adi! More coal in the furnace, University Of Scranton | Dick's on his way down! Scranton, Pennsylvania | ddc1@jaguar.uofs.edu | -Overheard in Hell ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~