News from the world of beekeeping – Items of potential interest 14 May 2019

Honey bees have long been admired by humankind for their industriousness. The beehive has served as a symbol of organization and hard work throughout history, and common sayings like “busy as a bee” that persist today indicate we still perceive bees to be hard workers. The state of Utah has been particularly fond of the beehive analogy. It officially adopted the beehive as the state emblem in 1959, although it featured the beehive on its seal as early as the 1850s when it was still a territory. The city of Manchester, England adopted the worker bee as an emblem during…

To continue reading: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwCgVcTxfGfrKfHpSPQMFPRMGzg

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‘Preserving Pollinators’ on the Coast

On Wednesday, May 15, the Necanicum Watershed Council offers final presentation of the season, led by Jed Arnold, community outreach and stewardship coordinator for Hampton Lumber and Dr. Christine Buhl, entomologist with the Oregon Department of Forestry “Preserving Pollinators on Oregon’s North Coast — Working Forests as Native Pollinator Habitat.”

Oregon is home to over 500 species of bees, which are responsible for pollinating many of our staple crops and plants in rural and urban landscapes.

Often overlooked are bees present . . .

To continue reading: https://www.seasidesignal.com/news/local-news/preserving-pollinators-on-the-coast/article_d51e4efa-6a9a-11e9-a2fd-97f9842470fa.html

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California Environmental Protection Agency Acts to Ban Chlorpyrifos

In a move to protect workers, public health and the environment, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) announced today that the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) is acting to ban the use of the pesticide and toxic air contaminant chlorpyrifos in California by initiating cancellation of the pesticide.

CalEPA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) also announced that the Governor will propose $5.7 million in new funding in the May Revision budget proposal to support the transition to safer, more sustainable alternatives, and plans to convene a working group to identify, evaluate and recommend alternative pest management solutions.

“California’s action to cancel the registration of chlorpyrifos is needed to . . .

To continue reading: https://www.agprofessional.com/article/california-environmental-protection-agency-acts-ban-chlorpyrifos

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Pesticides and pollinators: A socioecological synthesis

Douglas B.Sponsler et al.

Abstract

The relationship between pesticides and pollinators, while attracting no shortage of attention from scientists, regulators, and the public, has proven resistant to scientific synthesis and fractious in matters of policy and public opinion. This is in part because the issue has been approached in a compartmentalized and intradisciplinary way, such that evaluations of organismal pesticide effects remain largely disjoint from their upstream drivers and downstream consequences. Here, we present a socioecological framework designed to synthesize the pesticide-pollinator system and inform future scholarship and action. Our framework consists of three interlocking domains-pesticide use, pesticide exposure, and pesticide effects–each consisting of causally linked patterns, processes, and states. We elaborate each of these domains and their linkages, reviewing relevant literature and providing empirical case studies. We then propose guidelines for future pesticide-pollinator scholarship and action agenda aimed at strengthening knowledge in neglected domains and integrating knowledge across domains to provide decision support for stakeholders and policymakers. Specifically, we emphasize (1) stakeholder engagement, (2) mechanistic study of pesticide exposure, (3) understanding the propagation of pesticide effects across levels of organization, and (4) full-cost accounting of the externalities of pesticide use and regulation. Addressing these items will require transdisciplinary collaborations within and beyond the scientific community, including the expertise of farmers, agrochemicaldevelopers, and policymakers in an extended peer community.

To read: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719300166

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WASBA At Work for Washington State Beekeepers

WASBA Beekeepers are now protected from civil liability thanks to House Bill 1133 which recently passed the state legislature and was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee on May 7.

To be protected under the law, beekeepers must register with the state Department of Agriculture as beekeepers and abide by all city, town, or county ordinances regarding beekeeping. These rules usually relate to the placement of hives or how many hives can be hosted per square foot or per acre. A beekeeper would not be protected if it is determined that the beekeeper acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct.

The idea for the bill came from a Puget Sound beekeeper who suggested beekeepers should have some liability protection under law. The Washington State Beekeepers Association (WASBA) legislative team researched the topic and found Virginia and West Virginia have laws limiting beekeeper liability, but their laws require observing a large list of rules written by their state departments of agriculture. “We felt Washington beekeeping is so diverse, from folks who have one hive in their backyard to those who operate commercially with thousands, that no single set of rules could properly regulate all the beekeepers” said Tim Hiatt, WASBA legislative chair. “So we pushed for and achieved a law that says beekeeping, on the face of it, is protected from liability, under certain reasonable circumstances.”

Beekeeping is protected in agricultural areas under the state’s right-to-farm law (RCW 7.48.305) only as far as such activities are “reasonable” and not a “nuisance” or to cause “substantial adverse effect” on the public. The standard for beekeepers under the new law is that their beekeeping may not constitute “gross negligence or willful misconduct.” The new law will appear in RCW 15.60.

“This success represents two years of grassroots efforts from the beekeepers of Washington state,” said Hiatt. “They are to be congratulated for their advocacy on behalf of bees and beekeepers. And they can now rest assured from the threat of lawsuits.” The law, as signed by the Governor, can be found at: http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2019-20/Pdf/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/1133.PL.pdf

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Twin Falls beekeeper pursues Bee City USA designation

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) – A Twin Falls woman is trying to get the Bee City USA designation for the city, and she recently went before city council about the application.

Sherry Olsen-Frank, who is a beekeeper, said a Bee City USA designation promotes pollinator gardens and helps pollinators thrive.

Pollinators include bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and more.

“Bees are struggling,” Olsen-Frank said. “They have several things that are a problem with them — nutrition, pesticides, mites and different viruses.”

Getting the designation for the city can help bring . . .

To continue reading: https://www.kmvt.com/content/news/Twin-Falls-beekeeper-making-efforts-to-designate-city-into-a-Bee-City-USA-509554691.html

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7-Mile ‘Bee Corridor’ of Wildflowers Will Feed London’s Pollinators This Summer

It’s a scary time for the world’s pollinators. A study published in February warned that more than 40 percent of the world’s insects could go extinct within the next 30 years. Another study published in Nature in March found that a third of wild pollinator species in the UK had declined since 1980.

But one North London council has a plan to fight this trend: . . .

To continue reading: https://www.ecowatch.com/london-bee-corridor-2636596027.html

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Experts address how to bolster bees at home

Sarah Wojcik

METRO DETROIT — Bees are important. But not everyone knows why, or how we can make a difference.

Some local beekeepers and experts weighed in on how relevant bees are to each of our lives, and also how we can foster them to continue to reap the benefits they add to the ecosystem.

“Bees provide the bulk of the pollination for all of our fruits and vegetables, which is important globally, but also really important for Michigan because we produce a wide variety of specialty crops,” Michigan State University academic specialist Meghan Milbrath said. “They also provide the pollination for our native ecosystems. The vast majority of those plants depend . . .

To continue reading: https://www.candgnews.com/news/experts-address-how-to-bolster-bees-at-home-113252

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Blackburn College to break ground on new solar project

Steven Spearie

CARLINVILLE — One of the hallmarks of Blackburn College is that it is one of the nation’s eight work colleges, employing all of its resident students in the unique student-managed program.

A new $3 million solar project will provide the liberal arts institution with self-sufficiency of another kind.

Officials will break ground Thursday on a solar energy project on an eight-acre plot once used as athletic practice fields at the northern-most edge of the campus.

The project has been a little over two years in the planning stages . . .

To continue reading: https://www.lincolncourier.com/news/20190512/blackburn-college-to-break-ground-on-new-solar-project

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The untapped potential of Africa’s honey bees

Heather Richardson

In the arid north of Kenya, Trinnie Cartland is preparing to scale up her organic acacia honey business. She tells me that local communities have been keen to work with her: many young people are looking for alternatives to livestock farming. There’s high demand for honey in Kenya, where prices are similar to those in Europe and beekeepers can make good money.

But Cartland’s ambitions are not only profit-based. She aims to use her business to reforest land that has been degraded by pastoralism.

More trees mean more forage, or food, for the bees. This results in richer honey harvests, providing a financial incentive for maintaining an ecosystem. When beekeeping is done properly, Cartland explains, “you end up restoring the environment”.

She is not alone in the belief that bee farming could be a successful conservation industry in sub-Saharan Africa . . .

To continue reading: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190507-honey-bees-africas-untapped-resource

❀ Lisle Park District going pesticide-free at 4 parks

Anna Labedz

In line with its goal to be an eco-friendly leader in the community, Lisle Park District is launching a pesticide-free program in four of its parks this spring.

In collaboration with the IMP Institute of North America and the Midwest Pesticide Action Center, the district has been working to develop a program to limit the use of potentially harmful pesticides and herbicides in parks. . . .

To continue reading: https://www.dailyherald.com/submitted/20190513/lisle-park-district-going-pesticide-free-at-4-parks

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Colony of hungry ants vital for trilliums to blossom

A white-tailed deer had made its presence known by a series of nipped-off trillium stems, a seasonal reminder that the deer are always out there, always hungry.

Aside from human bouquet-gatherers, trilliums usually don’t have too much to worry about, other than a wandering doe.

The white trillium is probably our best known native wildflower, and no doubt one of the first to be memorized by school children over the last eight decades.

In 1937 it was designated Ontario’s provincial floral emblem, and the adoration of this spring wildflower has continued strongly ever since. . . .

To continue reading: https://www.orilliamatters.com/outdoors/colony-of-hungry-ants-vital-for-trilliums-to-blossom-1440781

❀ FROM CATCH THE BUZZ:

THOU SHALT NOT ADOPT OR CONTINUE IN EFFECT ANY ORDINANCE, RULE, REGULATION, OR RESOLUTION PROHIBITING THE ESTABLISHMENT OR MAINTENANCE OF BEEKEEPING ON PROPERTY THAT THE PERSON OWNS, RENTS, OR LEASES

Alan Harman

Indiana has passed a law blocking county, city, town, or township officials from prohibiting beekeeping on property that the person owns, rents, or leases.

But the state General Assembly approved earlier this month allows local governments to adopt ordinances that regulate certain aspects of beekeeping, including the number of active bee hives a person may operate and the location of bee hives on the property.

The Beekeepers of Indiana [TBOI) vice present John Schellenberger says beekeepers in Indiana had been facing pressure from local governments, specifically those in the Indianapolis area.

“There were some municipalities that were trying to ban beekeeping,” . . .

To continue reading: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-thou-shalt-not-adopt-or-continue-in-effect-any-ordinance-rule-regulation-or-resolution-prohibiting-the-establishment-or-maintenance-of-beekeeping-on-property-that-the-person-owns/

NATURE IS DECLINING GLOBALLY AT RATES UNPRECEDENTED IN HUMAN HISTORY, LEAVING A MILLION SPECIES NOW AT RISK OF EXTINCTION

PARIS, May 6 (Reuters) – The accelerating loss of plant and animal species will have grave consequences for people worldwide, scientists warned in May, 2019 in the largest comprehensive study into the impact of modern civilization on nature.

Here are some of the key findings from the report, which was produced by the Intergovernmental Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which is comprised of 130 countries. . . .

To continue reading: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-nature-is-declining-globally-at-rates-unprecedented-in-human-history-leaving-a-million-species-now-at-risk-of-extinction/

LOOKING FOR AGENCIES WHO ARE LEADING THE FIELD IN POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY ROADSIDE PRACTICES

Pollinator Roadways is an initiative of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) to recognize transportation agencies who are leading the field in pollinator-friendly roadside practices. In 2019 NAPPC will be awarding its 4th annual Pollinator Roadside Management Award. . . .

To continue reading: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-looking-for-agencies-who-are-leading-the-field-in-pollinator-friendly-roadside-practices/

ECONOMISTS FLEE AGRICULTURE DEPT. AFTER FEELING PUNISHED UNDER TRUMP

Ryan Mccrimmon

Economists in the Agriculture Department’s research branch say the Trump administration is retaliating against them for publishing reports that shed negative light on White House policies, spurring an exodus that included six of them quitting the department on a single day in late April.

The Economic Research Service — a source of closely read reports on farm income and other topics that can shape federal policy, planting decisions and commodity markets — has run afoul of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue with its findings on how farmers have been financially harmed by President Donald Trump’s trade feuds, the Republican tax code rewrite and other sensitive issues, according to current and former agency employees.

The reports highlight . . .

To continue reading: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-economists-flee-agriculture-dept-after-feeling-punished-under-trump/

PERMITS ARE GRANTED WITHOUT CONSIDERING SAFE ALTERNATIVES FOR HAZARDOUS PESTICIDES SUCH AS CHLORPYRIFOS, OR HOW PESTICIDES MAY INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER

Mark Weller

Sacramento, CA: California’s agricultural Commissioners failed to comply with state law requiring them not to issue permits for hazardous pesticide use without first considering whether safe alternatives exist or whether there is potential for harmful interactions with other pesticides used at the same time. That’s the explosive conclusion of a new report by UCLA researchers released today entitled Governance on the Ground: Evaluating the Role of County Agricultural Commissioners in Reducing Toxic Exposures. In fact, the report found that none of the 24 agricultural counties studied is in compliance, indicating . . .

To continue reading: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-permits-are-granted-without-considering-safe-alternatives-for-hazardous-pesticides-such-as-chlorpyrifos-or-how-pesticides-may-interact-with-one-another/

❀ FROM ABJ EXTRA:

Bee Health Guru Smartphone App Promotes Kickstarter Fundraising Campaign

Bee Health Guru, a new smartphone app designed to help beekeepers diagnose conditions in their hives, is promoting a fundraiser to fine-tune development of its software. The Kickstarter campaign runs through the end of May.

As Malcolm Sanford reports in the May issue of ABJ: “Bee Health Guru combines observations in the field using a phone’s microphone and an App running artificial intelligence software. It begins with . . .

To continue reading: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/beehealthguru/bee-health-guru-a-smartphone-app-for-beekeepers

EPA Holds Public Meeting on Revisions to Draft Framework on Endangered Species Act Process for Pesticides WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking comment on draft revisions to the framework used to evaluate the impacts pesticides have on endangered species under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The draft revisions would ensure this process is efficient, protective, transparent, and based on the best available science.

“EPA’s draft framework allows the agency to consider . . .

To continue reading: https://mailchi.mp/dadant.com/abj-extra-may-10-2019-epa-holds-public-meeting-on-revisions-to-draft-framework-on-endangered-species-act-process-for-pesticides?e=d476a0d684