Author: CHC April 4, 2019

Rosanna Mattingly Editor, Western Apicultural Society Journal Editor, The Bee Line, Oregon State Beekeepers Association Author, Honey-Maker: How the Honey Bee Worker Does What She Does (Beargrass Press

IN THIS ISSUE . . .

Honey bee gut microbiome research

Honey Bee Caste Systems: Part 1- Honey Bee Genetics How Urban Beehives Can Help Researchers Detect Air Pollution Diverse bee communities best for apple orchards

Honey Bee Health Coalition guides for bee protection

UD researchers test hive monitoring tech

Alberta producers with pollinator program

‘Insectageddon’ Is ‘Alarmist By Bad Design’

Beekeepers and Farmers Need Each Other to Succeed

Honey bees more successful foraging non-crop fields

Saving Pollinator Habitat With Solar Power’s Help

Take the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge

Controlled burn  aims to create pollinator meadow

Success at the Legislature!

Want to help bees? Plant flowering herbs Orchardists Test Bee-Attractant Paste

Cities hold the key to reversing bee decline

Pollinator-friendly yards could get help from Minnesota

Pollination Calculation: Every Bee Counts

 

FROM CATCH THE BUZZ: 1. U. S. Honey Industry worth $4.74 BILLION

2. Canola Farmers and Beekeepers Have a Vested Interest in Cooperating and Protecting Bees as Much as Possible
3. Rearing Honey Bees Responsibly Requires Education and Careful Management to Help Stop the Spread of Disease
4. Discovering the Critical Role of the Honey Bee Gut Microbiome in Health and Defense Against Parasites
5. BIP Tech Transfer Teams Offer Hive Inspections, Collect Data and Then Make Recommendations on How to Maintain Healthy Colonies

Honey bee gut microbiome research — NSF grant VIRGINIA TECH Researchers from Virginia Tech were part of a collaborative $958,415 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to study the host-microbiome-parasite interactions in the honey bee gut, with $750,000 coming to Virginia Tech.

Researchers Lisa Belden, David Haak, T.M. Murali, and Richard Fell from Virginia Tech and Jenifer Walke from Eastern Washington University are collaborating to study the critical role of the honey bee gut microbiome in . . .

To continue reading: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/vt-hbg031519.php —— Honey Bee Caste Systems: Part 1- Honey Bee Genetics Garett Slater

I have always been fascinated with queens and workers. In fact, I spent my master’s degree studying the mechanisms that produce queens and workers. I won’t bore you with my master’s thesis, but I did want to write about the fascinating differences between queens and workers. This topic includes a lot of information, so I decided to split this topic into 3 blog installment:

• The Genetic Book of Life-The basics to honey bee genetics
• How genetics and the environment shape honey bee workers and queens
• The differences between queens and workers

Honey bees are unique living organisms. Some fascinating traits honey bees possess include: 1) distinct . . .

To continue reading: https://beeinformed.org/2019/03/19/honey-bee-caste-systems-part-1-honey-bee-genetics —— How Urban Beehives Can Help Researchers Detect Air Pollution Meilan Solly

As foraging worker bees flit around the neighborhood in search of nectar and pollen, they unwittingly pick up pollutants that then linger in the hive’s honey. Luckily, Hina Alam writes for the Canadian Press, trace amounts of lead, zinc and copper left by this process are too low to have much of an impact on humans enjoying the sticky treat. (That is unless you happen to be a honey superfan who eats more than two cups per day.) It is, however, an accurate measure of surrounding communities’ air quality, positioning these insect hubs as inexpensive, plentiful and, admittedly, unlikely tools . . .

To continue reading: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-urban-beehives-can-help-researchers-detect-air-pollution-180971755/ —— Diverse bee communities best for apple orchards Jan Suszkiw

WASHINGTON — Honey bees aren’t the only pollinators of apple flowers: bumble bees, sweat bees, mason bees and many other species do, too—and the more the better, according to findings of a study recently published in the journal Science.

A Cornell University-led team that included Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists found that apple orchards with diverse bee species yield more, high-quality fruit than orchards with fewer, closely related bee species. However, that production benefit hinged on . . .

To continue reading: https://www.morningagclips.com/diverse-bee-communities-best-for-apple-orchards —— Honey Bee Health Coalition members release corn, canola guides for bee protection Dana Query

Two Honey Bee Health Coalition member organizations — the National Corn Growers Association and the U.S. Canola Association — recently unveiled best management practices for growers to help protect bees in and around corn and canola fields.

At roughly 80 million acres, field corn covers more land than any other crop in the country, and in the Midwest Corn Belt it often makes up 40 percent of the landscape or more. The corn best management practices (BMPs), facilitated by the Coalition, identify  . . .

To continue reading: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/honey-bee-health-coalition-members-release-corn-canola-guides-for-bee-protection —— The buzz of bees and the problems they face: UD researchers test hive monitoring tech MILFORD BEACON

According to the American Beekeeping Federation, about one third of the food we eat relies on honey bee pollination.

“A lot of our food would disappear or at least be scarce and expensive without honey bees,” said Dan Borkoski, an apiary research associate at the University of Delaware. “Fruits, nuts, even meat, because bees pollinate feed for livestock.”

In Delaware, honey bees pollinate our strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, pumpkins and watermelons, and certain groups are taking steps to safeguard them.

There are about 400 different bee species in the state, and . .

To continue reading: https://canr.udel.edu/blog/the-buzz-of-bees-and-the-problems-they-face-ud-researchers-test-hive-monitoring-tech —— Alberta producers create a buzz on their farms with pollinator program Alexis Kienlen

Vance Graham’s land is now more attractive to bees, and all he had to do was plant a few seed packets.

Graham is one of 38 Alberta farmers who signed up for Operation Pollinator, a project run by Syngenta and the Soil Conservation Council of Canada.

“They wanted it on an area of ground that wasn’t in production or as productive as other places,” said Graham, who runs cattle and a small sawmill . . .

To continue reading: https://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/2019/03/19/alberta-producers-create-a-buzz-on-their-farms-with-pollinator-program/ —— ‘Insectageddon’ Is ‘Alarmist By Bad Design’: Scientists Point Out The Study’s Major Flaws

Amidst worldwide publicity and talks about ‘Insectageddon’: the extinction of 40% of the world’s insects, as estimated in a recent scientific review, a critical response was published in the open-access journal Rethinking Ecology.

Query- and geographically-biased summaries; mismatch between objectives and cited literature; and misuse of existing conservation data have all been identified in the alarming study, according to Drs Atte Komonen, Panu Halme and Janne Kotiaho of the University of Jyväskylä (Finland). Despite the claims of the review paper’s authors that their work serves as a wake-up call for the wider community . . .

To continue reading: https://scienceblog.com/506765/insectageddon-is-alarmist-by-bad-design-scientists-point-out-the-studys-major-flaws —— Beekeepers and Farmers Need Each Other to Succeed Paul Post

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. — State agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball noticed a large field of clover surrounding the I-88 entrance ramp he uses each day en route to Albany after leaving his Schoharie Valley farm.

A day later the lush green forage, laden with purple flowers, was gone after state Department of Transportation workers mowed the site.

The vegetation could have provided . . .

To continue reading: https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming/produce/beekeepers-and-farmers-need-each-other-to-succeed/article_645b34da-305b-5d72-92ca-405bcaa7f7c4.html —— Honey bees more successful foraging non-crop fields USDA ARS

TUCSON, Ariz. — Honey bee colonies foraging on land with a strong cover of clover species and alfalfa do more than three times as well than if they are put next to crop fields of sunflowers or canola, according to a study just published in Scientific Reports by an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist and his colleagues.

Managed honey bee colonies placed from May until October next to land in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program (CRP, https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/) in North Dakota were more robust with better colony health . . .

To continue reading: https://www.morningagclips.com/honey-bees-more-successful-foraging-non-crop-fields —— ‘If You Build It, They Will Come’: Saving Pollinator Habitat With Solar Power’s Help MADELYN BECK 

From bees to butterflies, a worldwide decline in pollinators has entomologists trying to figure out how to help those bugs and the plants that rely on them survive.

The answer could come from a mixture of new technology and new habitat, and the timing is critical, as the monarch butterfly is up for an endangered species listing later this year.

Illinois grows the majority of pumpkins in the U.S., a crop that relies . . .

To continue reading: http://www.nprillinois.org/post/if-you-build-it-they-will-come-saving-pollinator-habitat-solar-power-s-help#stream/0 —— Take the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Brian Minter

Most of us are aware that the native populations of bees and other pollinators have been on the decline for some time. For many different reasons, according to a recent Canada-wide report, even our beekeepers are suffering losses, especially this winter. Although we have long known about this problem, not much was done until it became obvious how badly this situation impacted us as human beings. About one-third of the food we eat is dependent on pollination by a wide range of beneficial insects and animals. In dollar value globally, it’s estimated that between $235 billion and $577 billion is the value of crops directly affected by pollination. Now, because of food security and financial issues, the decline in pollinators has finally woken us up to the reality of what has been occurring for many years.

In 1999, the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign began doing research, resulting in a . . .

To continue reading: https://vancouversun.com/homes/gardening/brian-minter-take-the-million-pollinator-garden-challenge —— Controlled burn in Middletown aims to create pollinator meadow SOPHIA SCHMIDT

DelDOT performed the controlled burn Wednesday on 43 acres along U.S. Route 301.

The burn is meant to suppress the growth of trees and invasive plants — so a wildflower meadow can take hold. Officials . . .

To continue reading: https://www.delawarepublic.org/post/controlled-burn-middletown-aims-create-pollinator-meadow —— Success at the Legislature!

Wild Friends students in fourth through ninth grade traveled to the Roundhouse from 11 schools in communities across New Mexico, including Rio Rancho, Albuquerque, Silver City, Las Cruces, Farmington, and Santa Fe, to meet with key legislators about the bill that they helped to create, speaking with them about the importance of protecting pollinators and testifying in committee hearings.

If signed into law by the Governor, SB 234 will create a license plate to fund pollinator protection projects . . .

To continue reading: http://lawschool.unm.edu/news/2019/03/success-at-the-legislature.html —— Want to help bees? Plant flowering herbs DEAN FOSDICK

WASHINGTON — Herbs are among the most useful plants in nature. They can tantalize the taste buds, help cure what ails you, oil the body, perfume the air, and attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

“People are getting more into herbs, with herb sales definitely on the rise,” said David Trinklein, an Extension horticulturist with the University of Missouri. “They’re using fresh herbs from the garden for culinary purposes, but another important reason is to help pollinators.”

Many gardeners are trying to help declining pollinator populations by providing them with the plants they need to thrive.

Herbs appeal to a great variety of bee species, said Francis Drummond, a professor of insect ecology and insect pest management at the University of Maine.

“It is mostly the abundant nectar that brings the bees in,” he said. “Some of the more attractive herbs to bees are . . .

To continue reading: https://www.morningagclips.com/want-to-help-bees-plant-flowering-herbs —— Orchardists Testing Bee-Attractant Paste Ross Courtney

Think of it as perfume from a caulking gun. Very strong perfume.

“It’s like putting 1,000 flowers at one spot,” said Chris Nobbs, one of the owners of Pollinate Pro, a Yakima, Washington, start-up that sells a pollinator attractant paste to orchardists.

Nobbs and his partner, Shawn Hazen, who began working on the product about eight years ago, so far have enticed growers up and down the West Coast to try the blue-colored, flowery-smelling paste. . . .

To continue reading: https://www.goodfruit.com/orchardists-testing-bee-attractant-paste —— Cities hold the key to reversing bee decline David Suzuki If there’s one thing bees and many city dwellers have in common, it’s a love of gardens. That’s good news for both because it means there’s hope for reversing the decline of bee populations worldwide. Cities are important refuges for these critical pollinators and could ultimately hold the key to their survival.

Canada is home to more than 800 bee species, from big, fuzzy carpenter bees to tiny, green metallic sweat bees. Climate change, pesticide use, habitat loss, and disease have contributed to an alarming drop in wild and managed pollinators. This is at a time when 35 percent . . .

To continue reading: https://www.straight.com/news/1216436/david-suzuki-cities-hold-key-reversing-bee-decline —— Pollinator-friendly yards could get help from the state of Minnesota Greg Stanley 

Homeowners who replace traditional lawns with wildflowers, clovers and native grasses in an effort to slow the collapse of state’s bee population could soon get assistance from the state of Minnesota.

Under a bill introduced by Rep. Kelly Morrison, DFL-Deephaven, the state would set aside $2 million over the next three years to help pay for lawn conversions by interested homeowners, schools and cities. The plan could help replenish food sources for pollinators . . .

To continue reading: http://www.startribune.com/pollinator-friendly-yards-could-get-help-from-the-state-of-minnesota/507373292/ —— Pollination Calculation: Every Bee Counts Kate Prengaman 

Despite growing recognition that the wild bees buzzing around their orchards provide pollination services, many Northeastern apple growers continue renting honeybee hives as an insurance policy.

But with increased cost and shrinking availability as beekeepers struggle, forgoing honeybees looks increasingly appealing and more and more growers have decided to go without.

To help growers make good risk management decisions when it comes to pollination, researchers at Cornell University designed an app to help New York growers assess the abundance of native bees in their orchards.

Known as the Northeast Pollinator Partnership, the program helps . . .

To continue reading: https://www.goodfruit.com/pollination-calculation-every-bee-counts/

———

FROM CATCH THE BUZZ: 1. U. S. Honey Industry worth $4.74 BILLION Alan Harman   

The Kim&Jim Show have coming up the first week in April an interview with Margaret Lombard about this report, and other . . .

To continue reading: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-u-s-honey-industry-worth-4-74-billion

 

2. Canola Farmers and Beekeepers Have a Vested Interest in Cooperating and Protecting Bees as Much as Possible Bees love canola and canola loves bees. That’s why canola farmers and beekeepers have a vested interest in cooperating and protecting bees as much . . .

To continue reading: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-canola-farmers-and-beekeepers-have-a-vested-interest-in-cooperating-and-protecting-bees-as-much-as-possible

 

3. Rearing Honey Bees Responsibly Requires Education and Careful Management to Help Stop the Spread of Disease Matt Robinson Small-scale beekeeping has bloomed in recent years as amateur apiarists have taken to cultivating honey bee colonies of their own to help . . .

To continue reading: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-rearing-honey-bees-responsibly-requires-education-and-careful-management-to-help-stop-the-spread-of-disease

4. Discovering the Critical Role of the Honey Bee Gut Microbiome in Health and Defense Against Parasites Researchers from Virginia Tech were part of a collaborative $958,415 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to study the host-microbiome-parasite interactions in the honey bee gut, with $750,000 coming to Virginia Tech.

Researchers . . .

To continue reading: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-discovering-the-critical-role-of-the-honey-bee-gut-microbiome-in-health-and-defense-against-parasites

5. BIP Tech Transfer Teams Offer Hive Inspections, Collect Data and Then Make Recommendations on How to Maintain Healthy Colonies Lisa Renner 

As the world faces a declining bee population, California almond growers say they are doing their best to promote bee health . . .

To continue reading: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-bip-tech-transfer-teams-offer-hive-inspections-collect-data-and-then-make-recommendations-on-how-to-maintain-healthy-colonies

 

———

FROM ABJ EXTRA:

1. New RT25 Data Will Help Beekeepers and Farmers EPA is updating its Residual Time to 25% Bee Mortality (RT₂₅) Data tablewith information the agency has collected since the table was first published in 2014. EPA published the RT₂₅data as one of many actions we have taken since 2006 to protect pollinators.

RT₂₅ data help farmers and beekeepers know about how long a specific pesticide may remain toxic to bees and other insect pollinators following foliar application to crops. The new data reflect the results of . . .

To continue reading: https://mailchi.mp/dadant.com/march-22-2019-new-rt25-data-will-help-beekeepers-and-farmers-protect-pollinators?e=d476a0d684

 

2. Bayer Feed a Bee Initiative Reaches 50-State Milestone
3. LOUIS –Feed a Bee, the national pollinator forage initiative by Bayer, announced today, on the first day of spring, that it has reached its goal of awarding grants supporting diverse forage for honey bees and other pollinators in all 50 states. The 50th recipient awarded recently was Gateway to the Arctic Camp in Talkeetna, Alaska.

Dedicated to service and agriculture, the nonprofit camp teaches the significance of serving those in need and the value of hard work through fun activities involving sustainability, farming and environmental stewardship. This summer it will dedicate an entire field as forage for bees and other pollinators where campers of all abilities, including those with special needs, will discover the connection between honey bees and the crops they pollinate.

“We’re proud to have awarded more than $650,000 for pollinator-focused planting projects over the last three years,” said . . .

To continue reading: https://mailchi.mp/dadant.com/march-14-2019-bayers-feed-a-bee-program-reaches-50-state-milestone?e=d476a0d684

———

OPEN POSITIONS

Research Technician – Pollination Ecology

The Genung Lab at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (genunglab.com ) is advertising 2 research technician positions for the summer of 2019. Positions are available May 13 and can run for up to 20 weeks, but the start and end dates are very flexible. Pay is $10-15 per hour, depending on qualifications.

Research will contribute to two related projects: (1) Plant-pollinator networks of the Cajun Prairie and (2) Effects of sequential pollinator visits on pollination effectiveness. The job involves field and lab work in pollination ecology, primarily vacuum/net collection of pollinators and pollen deposition experiments.

To continue reading: https://eeb.uconn.edu/2019/03/22/research-technician-jobs-pollination-ecology/

FROM Pollinator-L:

New York State Apiculturist New York is hiring a new state apiculturist. This is a great opportunity to work closely with the beekeeping industry and Cornell in a state that’s putting significant resources into improving pollinator health. Salary is very competitive. Information: https://statejobs.ny.gov/public/vacancyDetailsView.cfm?id=65280

APPLICATIONS DUE: APRIL 2  —— Bumble Bee Conservation Specialist The Xerces Society is expanding and will be hiring a Bumble Bee Conservation Specialist to be based in Omaha, NE. The primary duties, at first, will be to launch a Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas modeled after the PNW Bumble Bee Atlas—https://www.pnwbumblebeeatlas.org/.

Information: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/104891

———

 

EVENTS

Pollinator Week Event Registration Sign up: https://pollinator.org/assets/generalFiles/Pollinator-Week-Event-Registration-2019-3-18-19.pdf

———

 

APIMONDIA EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MARCH 30 To register: https://www.apimondia2019.com/registration/