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| The European
Bee Eater UK next? |
EDITORIAL
CHRISTMAS
HOLIDAYS
Christmas approaches and with it the last full edition of Apis UK
for the year. Then we have a small holiday and recommence operations
with the January edition. 2002 has been a year dominated by several
themes: the controversy over GM crops (which we continue to watch
in this issue); the continuing fight against Varroa; the mess agriculture
seems to have got itself into (of which beekeeping is inevitably
involved) and the spread of the small hive beetle, another pest
to blight the beekeeping scene, but thankfully not (yet) in Europe.
It has now reached Australia (see news) and Egypt. This is a significant
pest to honeybee colonies and will mean much greater vigilance and
costs for the beekeeper.
HIVE VISITORS
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| The alien appearance
of a Preying Mantis. A bee eye view |
Mantis in the grass
in front of a hive |
The Amphora of
a Potter Wasp on a frame bottom bar |
(Warning clicking on images will enlarge)
It is at this
time of the year that many beekeepers look back over the year to assess
the situation. This year I look back at the varied number of visitors
to my beehives. Some good, some not so good, but all interesting,
essential in their way and mostly interesting. There are many, but
thankfully most are not a threat, or at least not a major threat.
I had the pleasure of seeing a magnificent specimen of a Death's Head
Hawk moth emerge from one of my hives and sit on the alighting board
for a few minutes. These large moths do enter hives to get honey and
the bees seem to tolerate the intrusion. Whether the moth emits any
'soothing' noises I don't know. They do squeak if you pick them up.
Sadly I had no camera with me. Other visitors over the year include
preying mantises which sit at the entrance and grab bees as they emerge;
the potter wasps which make marvellous little pots reminiscent of
the Greek amphora in which larval development takes place. The wasp
larvae feeding off stored caterpillars lives its entire life in the
pot, eventually pupating and emerging. The European bee eater which
does take a fair few bees, although I believe that the effect is usually
exaggerated, especially as it is an avid feeder of bee enemies; and
finally the wild boar which infest our area in large numbers. These
large and sometimes dangerous creatures aren't interested in bees
or hives but in their digging and rooting around they easily upset
hives, and apiaries must be well wired against them. (Although my
neighbour's errant pigs caused more damage this year than any boar).
After an absence of some years, wolves are again moving towards our
area and I imagine these will be a natural predator of the boar. (And
hopefully my neighbours pigs).
GMOs AND AN APIS UK READER GMO SURVEY
It is fair to say now that ever more learned organisations are coming
out against the use and trialing of GM crops and now with the British
medical Association calling for a halt in trials there will be a lot
of pressure on responsible ministers to take note (see in the news).
There are still people going to jail over the matter (in the news)
and I doubt that there will be any let up in the campaign against
furtherance of this controversial science. But what do you think?
Below we ask you a question:
If GMO research
was stopped completely, do you think:
A. We would be abandoning a young science that if perfected
may bring enormous benefits to mankind and the planet OR
B. We would be saving mankind and the planet from potential
or actual disaster
C. You don't know enough about the subject.
It is extremely
difficult to formulate a question without drawing some criticism
about its bias or accusations of 'leading'. I've thought a lot about
this and believe that the question above is as fair as possible.
But to make this small survey of any use, we do need your participation,
so do have ago from the links below. Vote once only please. The
GMO Poll Expires: Dec 23, 2002 (Tue).
To
vote click here: http://www.beedata.com/votingcenter/cgi-bin/vcenter.cgi?topic=GMO&action=vpage
To view live results click here: http://www.beedata.com/votingcenter/cgi-bin/vcenter.cgi?topic=GMO&action=show
NEW SITE
Last month I mentioned Michael Thieles beekeeping website. This
has now been updated and can be seen at http://www.thiele-und-thiele-consult.de
It is well worth a look with a wealth of information about ecological
beekeeping with information about GMOs, books for sale and online
beekeeping courses.
HONEY SHOW
NEWS
The National Honey Show in London has been and gone and sadly, I
was unable to attend.For others in my position we have a report
on this prestigious annual event below.
Remember to
answer our survey question and enjoy this issue.
David Cramp.
Editor.
NEWS
SMALL
HIVE BEETLE FOUND IN AUSTRALIAN BEES
A
beetle that could devastate the Australian beekeeping industry has
now been found in two areas - New South Wales and Queensland. The
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization said
honey production and hive management in Australia could change forever
after confirmation of the arrival of the small hive beetle, Aethina
tumida.The pest is endemic in South Africa and the United States.
It was found in bee colonies located in Richmond, New South Wales.
"Larvae of the small hive beetle are most damaging to honey
bees," said CSIRO bee project leader Denis Anderson. "They
tunnel through combs, eating honey and pollen and killing bee brood,
completely ruining the combs. "Bees may abandon combs and entire
colonies once they become affected," he said. "Worse,
the larvae defecate in honey promoting fermentation. Fermented honey
cannot be used by industry, is abandoned by bees, and must be destroyed."
The small hive beetle is native to South Africa, where it is regarded
as a minor pest of African strains of honey bees. However, in the
United States, where the beetle was first discovered in 1998, it
has become a significant pest.
Australia now is only the second New World country to which the
beetle has spread. The effect of the beetle in Australia is likely
to be similar to that in the U.S., as the climate and bee strains
in Australia are similar. "This means a complete change to
the way hives are managed and honey harvested," Anderson said.
"If the incursion cannot be reversed, it will be a significant
issue and a major cost for Australia's beekeepers." Primary
Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said two aparies in the Beerwah
State Forest, about 80 kilometres north of Brisbane were quarantined
after the suspected discovery of the small hive beetle. "Wider
surveillance is being carried out to determine if the pest is present
in the immediate area and elsewhere in Queensland," he said.
The discovery was made after NSW Agriculture traced the movement
of hive material from a suspect site near Sydney to an apiary in
Beerwah. Palaszczuk said the Consultative Committee on Emergency
Animal Diseases has met and agreed to form a working group comprising
DPI staff, NSW Agriculture, the federal department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry Australia, CSIRO and bee industry members
to determine the extent of infestation.
The Queensand government received immediate Executive Council approval
to amend regulations making the beetle a declared pest which allows
the DPI to enforce quarantine and other regulatory controls, such
as destruction orders.
There are 80,000 commercial hives in Queensland producing on annual
average 75 kilograms a hive of honey. The Queensland bee industry
produces honey, beeswax, honeycomb, queen bee exports and pollination
services. The 6,000 tonnes of honey produced by Queensland hives
each year are valued at A$24 million. Beeswax production is estimated
at 100 tonnes a year, valued at A$450,000. Queen bee exports of
20,000 queen bees at A$15 each represent A$300,000 to the industry
annually. Kim Flottum Editor, Bee Culture Magazine For an archive
Catch the Buzz postings, visit: http://bee.airoot.com/beeculture/buzz/index.html
(For
more information on this dangerous pest see below in Articles
E.d)
SALEM
BEEKEEPER'S GIZMO HAS HONEY INDUSTRY ABUZZ
Monday, November 4, 2002 - - By The Associated Press SALEM, OREGON
- A Salem beekeeper has invented a machine that uses powdered sugar
instead of chemicals to rid bees of the deadly Varroa mite, a parasite
wiping out hives around the country. The bees are sunk in a vat
of powdered sugar, sent onto a vibrating screen and emerge free
of the mite. Harry Vanderpool says a couple of pounds of powdered
sugar and his invention - a machine he calls the Mitey-Victor -
could help beekeepers get the upper hand against the mite. At stake
are billions of dollars in the honey industry and in crops reliant
on bee pollination.
Scientists trying to stop the Varroa mite have long known that powdered
sugar will cause the mites to release their grip on honeybees, although
they're not sure why. But Vanderpool's mechanical extractor is something
new, and it has the world of apiculture buzzing with speculation.
The beekeeper's invention could provide an alternative to the chemical
warfare that has been waged on Varroa mites for the past 15 years.
Vanderpool's concept showed enough promise that the Oregon Department
of Agriculture gave him nearly $12,000 from a federal grant to develop
a prototype.
The machine is a two-level vibrating screener that is powered by
a 12-volt battery. Made of stainless steel, the prototype is built
on a two-wheeled trailer chassis. "This isn't rocket science
whatsoever," Vanderpool said. Bees and powdered sugar go in
a hopper at the top. Mites and leftover sugar fall into separate
drawers at the bottom. The Varroa mites dry up and die in less than
an hour. Most of the bees fly out of the machine, and others are
temporarily dazed and fall onto a conveyor that deposits them on
the ground.
Powdered sugar is routinely used to deliver antibiotics to bees
because the insects will eagerly consume it. Ken Kite, a Stayton
resident who keeps beehives as a hobby, let Vanderpool test his
machine on his bees. He was impressed, as well as amused: "It
just bounced these sugar coated bees out into a pile." The
bees were unharmed after their journey through the Mitey Victor,
Kite said, and subsequent tests indicated that few mites remained
in the hives. Vanderpool, who keeps 50 hives on his property south
of Salem, says his bees have passed through the Mitey-Victor with
no ill effects.
Similar screening devices are used in industries ranging from commercial
bakeries to rock crushing operations. But the Mitey-Victor has patentable
features, and Vanderpool has been granted a provisional patent,
which gives him a year to get a full-fledged patent.
Varroa mites have spread across the nation since they were first
detected here in 1987. Only Hawaii has escaped their onslaught.
They have devastated wild-honeybee colonies and become an expensive
nuisance for the estimated 200,000 beekeepers in the United States.
Industry experts agree that chemicals, which were the first line
of defense against the mites, have become less and less effective
as mites adapted.
RECENT CONFERENCE
ON GM CROPS? BEEKEEPING AND THE HONEY INDUSTRY
The recent conference organised by the BBKA appeared to serve its
purpose of giving beekeepers an exclusive forum to discuss the issues
and air their concerns over GM crops in the UK. The meeting was
attended by 80 delegates from all over the UK together with representatives
of the Agricultural and Biotechnology Council, the Food Standards
Agency, DEFRA, ACRE and SCIMAC. i.e. the nation's GM regulators.
So what was debated and put forward?
The 6 mile
limit was debated and strongly endorsed as the BBKAs position. Realistically
it was accepted that even this would not totally exclude GM material
(pollen) from getting into honey. The definition of Non GM honey
was discussed and again realistically it was put forward that the
same criteria should be applied as for other foodstuffs if commercial
planting was to go ahead. It was suggested that much needed to be
done to reassure and convince the public of the benefits and safety
of GM crops and all reasonable steps should be taken to avoid involuntary
introduction of GM pollen into honey. Again the importance of the
6 mile limit in helping to achieve this was stressed. Concern was
expressed that the public accept any determined non GM status of
honey is accepted by consumers and retailers.
We now have
to wait and see what happens but it seems that those beekeeping
delegates at the meeting took the unwelcome but realistic view that
commercialisation of GM crops was at least on the horizon (unless
the BMA can stop it, see next item, Ed) and that the honey industry
must accommodate this by damage limitation (maintenance of the 6
mile limit), and orientating honey as a horticultural product. (Treating
its non GM status the same as other foodstuffs and persuading the
public to accept this).
BMA WARNS
AGAINST GM TRIALS
The BMA (British Medical Association), the top medical body in the
UK has called for a halt to GMO trials. They have warned that insufficient
care is being taken to protect public healthand that there has been
a lack of public consultation about these trials despite the fact
that the number of such trials has risen. (There are now 178 sites
within the UK, 17 of them in Scotland. Although the BMA originally
made its case against planting commercially produced GMO crops in
1999, its latest statement is made with benefit of more information.
It referred especially to worries about antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic
resistance markers help identify GM plants and there is evidence
that these genes may be transferred into non GM plants (presumably
helped by bees, Ed), and possibly into pathogenic organisms causing
human disease.
DISEASE
WARNING OVER GM CROP TRIALS
On the first day of the inquiry into the impact of GM crops, the
Munlochy GM vigil group warned the Scottish parliamentary health
committee that crop trials and GM crops could create incurable diseases,
destroy immune systems and trigger serious allergies.
JAIL FOR
GM CROP PROTESTERS
France's top appeals court has ruled that Jose Bove, a militant
farmer and anti globalisation campaigner should go to jail for 14
months for destroying GM crops. France has around 100 trial sites,
all approved by the farm ministry. The court said in its judgement
that Bove and two fellow protesters had many means of expression
at their disposal in France's democratic society without resorting
to destroying crops.
NEXT NEWS ITEM
(In recent
years, many medicinal properties have been 'rediscovered' by research
departments alarmed by the development of so called superbugs. Scientists
claim to have discovered that honey can be used as a natural remedy
to these hospital infection "superbugs" which are resistant
to strong antibiotics. Much of this research has been documented by
scientists in New Zealand (P. Molan for example) in Bee World so it
is no surprise but good news to hear that honey as a medicine is now
being taken seriously as the next news item shows E.d.)
BEES MAY HOLD THE KEY TO DISEASES SUCH AS MSRA
Researchers from Cardiff University and the University of Waikato
in New Zealand believes the combination of honey's high sugar content
and its syrupy texture would act as a natural barrier to bacteria
entering wounds. The tests could have a major impact on the way hospitals
tackle outbreaks of bugs, such as MRSA, which have infected 3,000
patients so far this year. It is believed that enzymes in bees or
pollen could be the source.
Earlier this
year, scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
published research showing honey contained antioxidants, which are
beneficial in lowering cholesterol.
The Centre of Bio Medical Sciences in Cardiff has conducted tests
on bacteria gathered from infected patients and from hospitals,
which proved highly resistant to antibiotics.
Project leader Dr Rose Cooper led the two-year research programme,
using tests involving pasture honey and Manuka honey, from New Zealand,
in treating ulcers and abscesses.
They discovered the high sugar content slowed bacterial growth,
while the honey's texture acted as a seal against outside infection
of wounds. In its undiluted form, honey had the effect of killing
off bacteria, which researchers believe could be linked to enzymes
in the bees themselves or present in pollen. But the so-called discovery
would not have been news to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who were
aware of honey's health-giving properties. With the emergence of
antibiotics in the 1950s as a means of killing off infection, centuries
of knowledge were overridden by the need for modern drugs to tackle
infections.
But in recent years, the medical profession has become alarmed at
the resistance of bugs to even the strongest antibiotics. Dr Cooper's
research shows there may be grounds for further examination of honey's
healing properties. From BBC News Online http://news.bbc.co.uk/
(Thanks to Gregory Boon for passing this on)
NBU SOUTH
EAST NEWSLETTER
Published by James Morton South-East Regional Bee Inspector. The
NBU S.E newsletter for November 2002. Includes map and report showing
distribution of confirmed foulbrood apiaries in 2002. Download the
newsletter in PDF from the URL: http://www.beedata.com/news/fb071102.htm
FEDERATION
OF BERKSHIRE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATIONS NEWS
(Published in the December 2002 federation newsletter http://www.beedata.com/news/fbbanewsletters.htm)
Message from The South Chilterns Chairman Our AGM was held on 16th
October when a very important decision was made concerning the future
of our Association. An attendance in excess of 50 per cent of our
membership was present which not only was gratifying but also ensured
that the vote was representative. The decision taken was that the
association leave the B.B.K.A. following the footsteps of both Newbury
and Wantage Associations who left the B.B.K.A some 10 years ago.
It was not a snap decision, the matter had been on the agenda at
our last two AGMs and on each occasion the issue was deferred mainly
due to the problem of getting insurance cover for our members. The
insurance problem has now been resolved enabling a decision one-way
or the other to be made at our AGM. The terms of our new insurance
cover are on a par with the level of cover provided by the B.B.K.A
at a cost of just less than £3.50 per member per annum. The
pros and cons of B.B.K.A membership were discussed at our AGM but
basically it was felt that we were just not getting value for money,
and some members expressed concern at the lack of response from
B.B.K.A when they had been approached on various matters. The vote
at our AGM was substantially in favour of leaving the B.B.K.A. George
Butler.
(Personally I think it very short sighted. As beekeepers, they will
always automatically be represented by the BBKA and benefit by its
strength as a voice to government, but will not contribute anything
to this voice. There we go though Ed.)
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| The Judges Assistance
(photo by Margaret Davies) |
THE NATIONAL
HONEY SHOW 2002
Written by Steven Turner. This report is from a volunteer
worker and publicity perspective. Held in London at Kensington Town
Hall this truly international event boiled with excitement this
year. There were more entries compared to last year with 1214 from
182 entrants. These completely filled the available staging.
Work constructing the honey show starts on Tuesday afternoon with
a number of volunteers from the Bromley/Westerham Branches of the
Kent Beekeepers Association meeting at the storage garage in Sydenham
in the suburbs of London. All the staging needed for the show is
loaded on to a volunteer's van, transported to the Town Hall and
unloaded. At this point we are joined by more volunteers who help
construct the angle iron staging. This takes until 11.00pm. From
8.00am the following day the work continues to get the stands and
tables ready to receive the exhibits. One of the most important
elements of the show is the traders. They arrive steadily throughout
the day to setup their display stands. You can imagine how busy
things get, all the exhibits need to be in place by the evening.
Normally all the exhibits are judged on Thursday morning before
the show opens to the public, this year due to the Fireman's strike
no naked flames where allowed and so judging of the candle classes
was delayed until Saturday when the strike was over.
My walks round
the trader's hall (with my digital camera) gave me the impression
that there were a large number of visitors this year, all engaging
with the traders and enjoying the friendly atmosphere. I had conversations
with many of the traders, some of whom were new to the show. Those
I spoke to were very positive about the future of beekeeping and
had many new products on display.
This year's
lecture convention was impressive; visitors commented to me that
they generally enjoyed them. http://www.honeyshow.co.uk/honeyshow.shtml
My personal
role at the show is as webmaster, this kept me glued to a computer
updating the honey show website with new photographs each day. You
can get a better idea of the show by looking these pictures. http://www.honeyshow.co.uk/photoalbum2002.shtml
I had some
personal success with one of my exhibits in Class 57 (Six 227gr
Jars Dark or Ling Heather Honey) which was awarded a Very Highly
Commended. You can download the results and awards from http://www.honeyshow.co.uk/2002/2002_results.shtml
I was amazed
that entries came from so many places from around the world: UK,
Ireland, Grenada, Nepal, Nigeria, Rodrigues, Somaliland and Uganda.
The European Decision 2001/700/EC made it impossible to have exhibits
from Trinidad and Tobago this year.
Are you interested
in entering the National next year? You can still download the 2002
schedule of rules and classes http://www.honeyshow.co.uk/schedule.shtml
The classes change very little from year to year so you can start
planning next year's entries now.
The next National
Honey Show: 13th - 15th November 2003. The next show schedule
will be available from August 2003. Join the National Honey show
and save money http://www.honeyshow.co.uk/membership.shtml
Do visit the
National Honey Show website for further news throughout the year
http://www.honeyshow.co.uk
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| IBRA stand - The
Editor of Bee World Dr Pamela Munn |
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| The Bees for Development
Stand - Helen Jackson |
DATES
FOR YOUR DIARY
Event organisers are welcome to forward dates and details
of their events to the editor (by e-mail) for incorporation on this
page.
2-7 December
2002 - Canada/United States 2002 Joint Apicultural meetings.
This series of meetings brings together The American Association
of Professional Apiculturists; The Apiary Inspectors of America;
The Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists; The Canadian
Honey Council; The Empire State Honey Producers' Association and
the Ontario Beekeepers Association. For more information: http://www.honeycouncil.ca
or http://www.ontariobee.com
Saturday 11th January 2003 - West Sussex Beekeepers
Association present 'Managing Bees with Minimum Medication'
at Brinsbury College on A29 north of Pulborough. Lectures and Workshop
to enable beekeepers to plan for the coming season. Lecturer/Facilitator
Maurice Field with Glyn Davies, Chairman BBKA. From 10am until 4pm.
Tickets £5 in advance or £6 on the day from Andrew Shelley,
Oakfield, Cox Green, Rudgwick, West Sussex RH12 300. (sae appreciated)
Refreshments available in the College Restaurant. Further details
on 01903 815655 or e-mail john_bateman_hunt@hotmail.com
Saturday
22 February 2003 - SBKA 2003 LECTURE DAY. The Somerset Beekeepers'
Association will be holding their Lecture Day on (Those who already
have their 2003 diaries, please note this is a different date to
the one announced at the 2002 Lecture Day) We are putting together,
what we think, is an interesting programme of lectures. Finalisation
of the programme has been delayed as one of the lecturers had to
withdraw, but the programme should be available early in October.
The lecturers are Dr Ruth Waite (nee Spinks), Dr Michael Keith-Lucas,
Robin Dartington, Margaret Thomas NDB and Richard Ball, RBI. The
cost for the Lecture Day for non-SBKA members is £12 and this
includes a ploughman's lunch with dessert and refreshments during
the day. The venue is the St. Ivel Lecture Hall at the Bath and
West Showground near Shepton Mallet. If any of your members would
like to attend, tickets will be available from the SBKA Education
Officer, Mrs Caroline Butter, The Old Manse, Draycott, Cheddar BS27
3SF from 8 January 2003. Prior to that date tickets will only be
available to our SBKA members. From 8 January 2003 tickets will
be available on a "first come, first served" basis as
we are limited to 100 seated in the lecture hall. If you require
any more information, please do let me know. Mrs
Sharon Blake e-mail: m-s.blake@overstratton.fsnet.co.uk
PROGRAMME updated 03/12/02
9am - Coffee
9.30am - Opening by The President
9.35am - Have All Your Colonies Survived the Winter? - Margaret
Thomas NDB
10.40am - On the Honey Trail - Dr Michael Keith-Lucas
11.45am - Coffee
12 noon - Bugs, Bees and Disease: Research in to Bee Diseases at
the NBU - Dr Ruth Waite
1.05pm - 1st Lunch followed by Pyrethroid Resistance and EFB: Implications
for Bee Husbandry - Richard Ball at 1.50pm
1.05pm - Pyrethroid Resistance and EFB: Implications for Bee Husbandry
- Richard Ball followed by 2nd Lunch at 1.50pm
2.35pm - How Satisfied Are You With Your Beekeeping? - Robin Dartington
3.40pm - Tea
3.55pm - Your First Visit to the Bees - Margaret Thomas NDB
5.pm - Close
1st March 2003 Bucks County Beekeepers Association
ANNUAL SEMINAR To be held on March 1st 2003 at Wendover Memorial
Hall from 10am to 4.0pm. Speakers:- Glynn Davies - Chairman BBKA
'The bees knees' Celia Davis -Gardening for Bees Andy Johnston -"Never
trust an expert" (thoughts on Queen rearing) Cost:- £10
for BBKA members, £11 for non-members Ploughman's lunch included
For details contact S. Chamberlin, 61 Wordsworth Road, High Wycombe,
Bucks HP11 2UR.Tel. 01494 522 082. E-mail: Sylvia
Chamberlin
Tuesday 11 March 2003 at 7 pm at Roots & Shoots,
Walnut Tree Walk, Kennington Road, Lambeth SE11. Norman Carreck,
Bee Researcher at Rothamsted Research, will speak on "Current
Bee Research at Rothamsted". This date is during National Science
Week, in which David Perkins, Outreach Worker at the Wildlife Garden,
is taking a broader part, so this talk on scientific research on
bees forms a fitting contribution, and will be extremely interesting
to all bee-keepers. All LBKA members and members of neighbouring
BKAs are most welcome.
Refreshments will be served. Julian Lush JulianLush@amserve.com
12th April 2003 (Saturday) The
Yorkshire Beekeepers Association Conference. "Something
Old and Something New in the Practice of Beekeeping", In conjunction
with Bishop Burton College, Beverley East Riding of Yorkshire. Guest
Lecturers Glyn Davis - Chairman - British Beekeepers' Association
Bob Ogden - Devon Beekeepers' Association Ian Molyneux - Regional
Bees Inspector - Northern Region. Conference organisers are Dudley
Gue and Ivor Flatman.
http://www.bbka.org.uk/bbkafiles/yorkshire-bka-12april2003.pdf
[42KB PDF]
24-29 August
2003 8th International Congress of Apimondia. Ljubljiana, Slovenia.
Slovenia
is to host the 38th Apimondia beekeeping Congress. The congress
will be held in the City of Ljubljiana and the congress invites
the submission of papers. Details of subjects and more information
can be found on : www.apimondia2003.com
22-25 February
2004 Apimondia Symposium on Tropical Beekeeping: Research
and Development for Pollination and Conservation. Heredia Costa
Rica More detail is available from: Isanchez@una.ac.cr
23-27 February
2004 7th Asian Apicultural Association Conference Los
Banos College, Lagunas, Philippines. More information from: cleofas.cervancia@up.edu.ph
6-10 September
2004 8th IBRA Conference on tropical Bees: management and diversity.
Ribeiro Preto, Brazil.
THE
BEE PRESS
BEECRAFT
The latest issue of Bee Craft offers a wealth of information, advice
and items of interest for all beekeepers in its monthly columns.
The following is its contents list:
Beecraft
November 2002 Volume 84 Number 11
http://www.bee-craft.com/
Editorial
GM
crops and the beekeeping sector - Robin Chapman
Beekeeping in Slovenia - Franc Sivic
Beginners'
Bazaar - Matthew Allan, NDB.
Nature's calendar- Jill Attenborough
The Bee Craft beekeepers' Christmas menu - Michael Young
Pro-bee 2000 - Bill Lovell
Beekeeping in Ireland - Eddie O'Sullivan
BIBBA 2002 at Sheffield (part 1) - Don Hannon
Book reviews
Ask Dr Drone
Letters to the Editor
Around the colony
Classified advertisements
Calendar
ARTICLES
WHY
APPLES ARE EXPENSIVE THIS YEAR
Written by Matthew Allen. During the month I visited two
orchards in the south of England - not little ones, each is over
100 hectares, growing plums, pears and apples. I had no idea how
big 100 hectares was till I walked around. Each of the orchard managers
said the harvest of English apples this year had been dreadful,
since the early summer weather had been so mediocre. Even more telling
though, was the fact that not only was the yield down by over 40%,
but that the fruit was poorly shaped, because pollination had been
so bad. Supermarkets insist on fruit of even shape and colour, so
the growers suffered a double blow.
The problem
with pollination is two-fold. Firstly the honeybee is suffering
from varroa; fewer beekeepers are offering fewer colonies for pollination.
And secondly, wild solitary and bumble bees are having a tough time
coping. However, as I drive around, I see more and more farm land
put down to set aside, and some that just looks plain neglected,
so it may be that more suitable habitat is becoming available for
wild bees.
I was interested
therefore to receive a press cutting from my Scottish correspondent
(otherwise known as Mum) concerning a lecture which was delivered
in November to the Scottish Botanical Society by Dr Chris Wilcock
of Aberdeen University. His field is plant taxonomy and reproductive
biology, and the theme of his talk is why pollination fails in certain
cases - but his main interest is not agricultural produce, but wild
plants. We get concerned that there will not be plenty cheap English
apples, but he is pointing out that pollination failure is happening
widely in nature, and the environment will change as a consequence.
I should add that he is not talking exclusively of failure of bees
to pollinate flowers here, but that several other mechanisms also
contribute. I doubt if I can get to Edinburgh to his lecture, but
may be able to glean more from his publications, so may have more
to follow.
Anyway, back
to beekeeping (of a sort). At this time of year I usually struggle
to be very topical as far as beekeeping is concerned. Nevertheless,
I can report thrills the like of which I have not had for many years.
(I'm talking about beekeeping here!) In order to carry on study
of the red mason bee, I proposed trying to create the Ideal Home
for it. Therefore I rented a field, got it ploughed and harrowed
and whatever else farmers do (I dug my fingers into the soil and
grunted and looked at the sky and harrumphed and tried to look less
than completely ignorant - and fooled nobody). In lovely sun on
9th October, we sowed an acre of a special seed mix. 'Special' scarcely
describes it - let me come back to this botanical bazaar another
month, because it is quite a story. 'What we need now is rain,'
my companions observed. 'Indeed!' I concurred. Which it then proceeded
to do with a vengeance for several days. 'What we need now is more
warmth,' was the rural consensus. 'Exactly!' I agreed enthusiastically.
Which we did get. Fifteen days after sowing, the first of the seed
leaves, the cotyledons, were showing. By almost lying on the ground
I could get them to show in my camera viewfinder. Yippee! I am (pathetically)
excited. I lie awake at night hoping the frost won't come yet. Follow
this saga - to be continued.
From your man
in the green wellies with the worried look on his face.
In this
article John Yates explains his tried and tested methods in queen
rearing and his queen replacement programme. Should any beekeepers
have any comments on the contents of this article, don't hesitate
to let us know. (Ed).
QUEEN MATING
Written
by John Yates. In past issues of Apis-UK I have described the
standard nucleus that we use for queen rearing and our own design
of Mini-nucs which are satisfactory providing we have a spell of
good weather while they are in use as mating nucs. Sometimes we
are lucky and sometimes not.
Our
modus operandi is to maintain about the same number of nucs that
we have honey producing stocks. Old queens are exchanged from the
stocks in the spring and replaced with new queens (reared the previous
year) from our standard 4/5 frame nucs. The old queens replace the
new ones in the nucs; it is a direct swap, old for new from hive
to nuc and vice versa. This is not my idea but a method attributable
to Bro. Adam. It works well and of the many hundreds of queens we
have introduced only 2 have been lost and we put that down to careless
handling on our part. The beauty of the method is that it allows
us to assess the queens between May, when they are reared, and March
the following year, when they are introduced to a full size colony.
The assessment is primarily for good temper as we are using mongrels
and about 10% have to be rejected as unsuitable.
So much
for the brief overview of how we manage our apiaries in respect
of providing new queens. We have queen cells (and virgin queens)
available surplus to our standard nuc requirements and these become
available after May, the traditional month for queen rearing in
the UK. Many of these end up in our mini nucs described in an earlier
article.
We are
not into II and rely on natural mating for all our queens. As a
result of work undertaken at Cardiff (which again I mentioned in
an earlier article in Apis-UK) it was shown that standard nucs produce
better mated queens. Those reared in mini-nucs are generally inferior.
However, we have noticed that since we have had Varroosis in the
UK (for about 10 years since 1992) we find that queens mated later
in the season very often end up as drone layers. Those mated early
in the season are generally well mated and produce viable brood.
Has any one else noticed this? If they have, they don't seem to
have written about it.
I believe
there are two reasons that contribute to this drone laying phenomenon.
The first is that in my area there is a dearth of beekeepers and
a corresponding dearth of bees hence an inadequate supply of drones.
The second, and possibly the most important, is the high percentage
of drone layers produced later in the season when there are plenty
of drones about. Could this be due to Varroosis? We all treat our
colonies in the autumn and the mite fall is high. The next spring
the mite population is still very low, but as the season progresses,
the mite population builds up and the poor old drones are the prime
target for the Varroa destructor mites thus weakening the drones
that survive to emergence. Such weakened drones are unlikely to
be effective for queen mating.
I am
not prepared to put synthetic pyrethroids into my hives when they
have supers on and that goes for any other medicaments at that time
of the year. Putting in drone comb and destroying it may help reduce
the mite population but it defeats the object of the exercise of
producing viable drones for mating It appears we are stuck between
a rock and a hard place.
It would
be interesting to hear from other beekeepers on this subject. If
their experiences are similar to mine then it would seem to be a
suitable topic for future scientific research.
For those
of us who are curious about this dangerous but so far unknown in
the UK pest, here is an article explaining the beast and offering
other web sites to look at to find out more information. Could it
come to Europe and the UK? Read on. (Ed).
THE SMALL HIVE BEETLE
Aethina tumida
The
Small Hive Beetle (SHB) is a member of the Sap beetle family and
is a native of South Africa. There it is regarded as a nuisance
but not a dangerous pest. This may possibly be because of greater
aggression shown by African A.m capensis bees towards the beetle.
J Baxter in South Africa noted two important observations on bee
behaviour in South Africa: the high number of guards at the entrance
to the hive and; how clean the bees kept the floorboards. So entrances
were protected from beetle entry and there was no place on the floorboard
for beetles to hide.
Researchers
in Canada consider that although a subtropical pest, the SHB can
survive in many places that experience extended cold periods such
as the Northern USA. (And presumably the UK?).
It was
first observed in the Western hemisphere in Florida where it has
become a serious pest of honeybee colonies. Since then, it has also
been found in Egypt, being observed there for the first time in
June 2000. It is also found in many sub Saharan countries. In the
USA it infests colonies in every state wast of the Mississippi river
(except West Virginia) plus Minnesota, Iowa and Louisiana. Studies
have shown a genetic link between beetles in South Africa and the
USA and although not definitive proof, it is believed that the beetles
in the USA came originally from colonies imported from South Africa.
Researchers at the University of Manitoba, department of Entomology,
in Winnipeg Canadaý state that although it is considered
a subtropical pest, SHB can survive in areas that experience prolonged
cold periods such as the Northern USA.
There is also a large hive beetle, Hyplostoma fuligineus which is
also found in South African bee colonies.
The beetle is small, about .46 to 1.63mm long and oval in shape.
It is dark brown to black in colour and can easily be recognised
by two small clubs on the end of its antennae, resembling two eyes.
Beetles in the laboratory feed on honeybee brood and prefer eggs
even in the presence of honey and pollen, whereas in hive conditions
they are rarely found in areas where brood is reared. The very active
larvae are like maggots but more ridged than wax moth larvae and
have 3 small prolegs near to the head end. Unlike wax moth larvae
they are happy to go about their business in daylight and can be
seen in heavily infested colonies crawling over the combs and on
the floor of the hive. They burrow through the wax of the comb and
defecate in honey causing it to turn watery and to run out of the
comb. It also causes the honey to ferment and it becomes useless
to both bees and humans.
Stored comb
is also at risk and must be protected by fumigation.
Although
they do eat brood, they seem to prefer honey and pollen both in
combs in the hive and in stored comb which is very much at risk
if unprotected. In short, they make an awful mess and are difficult
to eradicate.Mostafa and Williamsý state that factors that
reduce the ratio of bees to comb surface also favour SHB and wax
moths. They add that the causes of such factors are often due to
beekeepers and include: incorrect supering, use of excessive smoke,
and pouring water over the bees. Other factors include excessive
swarming, virulance of EFB and robbing. Ultimately the defeated
bees either abscond or the colony dies out, brood rearing having
ceased due to high beetle infestation.
The beetle larvae leave the hive and burrow into soil near
the hive in order to pupate and complete their development. This
trait appears to offer beekeepers some hope in limiting damage as
beekeepers noticing beetle infestations and applying soil insecticides
around the hives of the apiaries in the USA have noticed a much
reduced incident of beetle numbers. Using insecticides around bees
though may have repercussions. Moving apiaries (if possible) could
also help but the beetles do fly well.
Currently, coumophos has been tested as an in hive treatment and
under certain conditions has proved highly effective (99% beetle
mortality rate after 72 hours and many larvae killed).
Thus Checkmite for inside the hive and he soil drench Guardstar
(permethrin) for around the hives have both been approved in the
US for the fight against the beetle.
It
seems that like varroa, the arrival of the Small Hive Beetle changes
the way beekeepers operate and if introduced to Europe would undoubtedly
cause a further loss of beekeepers and beekeeping operations. It
is a dangerous pest which all beekeepers should learn about. If
you want more details of the SHB, read 'The Full Story' by Heather
Clay at: http://www.honeycouncil.ca/beetle.html
For details of the lifecycle of the SHB go to: http://ag.udel.edu/extension/information/beekeeping/small%20hive%20beetle.htm
For details of the SHB in Queensland Australia go to: http://www.honeybee.com.au/shb/
For several very informed reports, go to the APIS US site run and
edited by Malcolm Sandford URL: http://apis.shorturl.com/
And for those of you who wish to read an excellent report on the
SHB, read Bee World (IBRA) Vol 83/3/2002. The article title is 'New
record of the small hive beetle in Egypt and notes on its distibution
and control', but it is in fact a very informative article on all
aspects of the beast.
References:
1. Sandford, MT (2000). More on small hive beetles: integrated
control possibilities. APIS Newsletter 18(2):3. (Malcolm Sandford
runs the APIS US web based Newsletter and has been a contributor
to APIS UK. In this report, he reports on the observations by Baxter.
2. Mostafa,
A.M, Williams R.N.(2002). New record of the small hive beetle in
Egypt and notes on its distribution and control. Bee World Vol 83
No 3. 2002.
(I have no
doubt that we will all hear more of this creature but to end the discussions
in this issue I can report that I was talking to an English lady beekeeper
in Cadiz province two days ago about the small hive beetle. Her only
comment was "After varroa, if some new weird bug comes and starts
screwing up my hives, I shall bloody well scream". That should
solve the problem. Ed.)
LETTERS
FROM THE BEEDATA FORUMS
Beekeepers Annual Posted By: Terry Beddows terrybeddows@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Monday, 18 November 2002, at 10:44 a.m.Northern Bee Books Open
Forum. I have received a copy of the above annual for the first time
and I do think it is a great publication. I will see that my members
know about it and see a copy . (Only £8.75 post paid Beekeepers
Calendar, Articles, Directory of Beekeeping Associations and Organisations.
Packed with useful information for beekeepers. Online Price £7.75
post paid Save £1.00 E.d) buy
online from the URL: http://www.beedata.com/beebooks.htm
 |
|
The
Beekeepers Annual 2003
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Dear Editor,
With this year's "National" now over, with all the
exhibits, visitors, traders etc having returned home, may I please
use your columns to thank all who contributed in any way to the
success of the Show. There are so many who help in such a wide variety
of ways, it would be wrong to try and name them all. May I just
say? "Thank you all for all your efforts". Yours sincerely
David Smart Chairman of the National Honey Show . Website
URL: http://www.honeyshow.co.uk
Dear
Editor,
Broomfield School at 2002 Honey Show Posted By: Neil Collingbourne
neil87@blueyonder.co.uk Date: Tuesday, 19 November 2002, at 12:02
a.m. As pupils from Broomfield School in North London, we're a bit
disappointed. We came to this year's show with high expectations,
especially after witnessing the high standard of last year's show.
However, we felt this year's show was a bit boring in comparison
(especially if you want to encourage more of us young people into
beekeeping). For example, there was no international contribution
in the hall itself. Isn't it supposed to be an international event?
Last year the cameroonians put up a good show of their own with
honey tasting and items from their native culture. Even so, they
were placed inconveniently at the back of the hall which is a shame
considering they came all the way from cameroon. Also, we found
the judging was a little too strict this year. When we entered our
honey into the school apiary class, we expected to win the apiary
shield for the second time in the row, especially since no other
schools entered. Instead we only got a highly commended (which is
one better than nothing at all). Surely it wouldn't hurt to give
us the shield for a second time. It would have given us something
to go away with as well while promoting beekeeping in our school.
Next year we'd like to see some more international contributors
as well as a little less harsh judging for us stuggling school apiaries.
Otherwise, a world-class show as always with some very interesting
exhibits.
Dear Editor,
Beekeeper needed for new project for the Laverstoke Park Estate
in Hampshire - The largest smallholding it the world. Laverstoke
Park Produce LLP is a rapidly expanding organic company based on
a 2500-acre farm involved in many aspects of agricultural production
and processing keeping strictly to the laws of nature. This is an
exciting opportunity for an experienced beekeeper to start and develop
a large beekeeping project to produce honey and other bee products
from the estate. It is envisaged that special crops could also be
grown to produce different flavored honey. This position could be
full time or might also suit a retired person with lots of energy.If
you love working with bees and have the enthusiasm and drive to
implement such a project please send your CV to. Fax 01256 890909
or e mail catriona@laverstokepark.co.uk (E-mail address corrected
2/12/2002 E.d).
Dear Editor,
We would like to promote, with your help, among your local beekeepers,
biologists and health related professionals a better knowledge on
the medicinal properties of bee products (Apitherapy). We would
also like to offer you the possibility to join our Apitherapy Internet
Course(AIC) given in over 38 countries all over the world by Dr.
Stefan Stangaciu, our Romanian bee products and Apitherapy expert
and also President of the German Apitherapy Society. After you would
take these theoretical courses we could organise, together with
you, Practical Apitherapy Courses in your country/area. If interested
in joining the course, please let us know and we'll send you more
details. Best Regards Andrei Stangaciu. AIC Registration Department
E-mail: AIC@go.ro, Stangaciu.Andrei@go.ro Web: www.apitherapy.com
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HISTORICAL
NOTE
CHRISTMAS
WITH YOUR HOLY BEES
Medieval people firmly believed the age old belief that bees
were blessed by God in paradise and were thus the servants
of God. (Incidentally, the people of the great Mayan empire
of Central America had a similar belief). The English also
believed that bees commonly chanted the 100th psalm in their
hives on Christmas eve to herald the birth of Christ and people
used to go and listen to them in wonder at this holy achievement.
(Mine don't, probably because they are Spanish. Ed).
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