Results of the USDA

APHIS National Honey Bee Survey:

Robyn Rose, PhD

National Policy Manager

USDA Honey Bee Pests Survey

• History – 2009: Pilot survey in 3 states

• Test sampling methodology

– 2010: Limited survey in 13 state • Increased state participation • Data sampled over much of calendar year

– 2011: National Survey in 34 states – 2012: National Survey in 34 states – 2013: National Survey in 30 states

• Puerto Rico, Guam and Grenada

– 2014: National Survey in 20 states • Little/no funding for states to survey • Puerto Rico, Guam and Grenada

History

• 2015: National Survey in 38 states,

And Puerto Rico.

• Future 2016: National Survey in 43 states (including Alaska and Hawaii), Puerto Rico, and Guam

– Highest participation to date

– Highlights the importance that the survey receives funding

Overview

• Monitoring for invasive pests and new pathogens

– Tropilaelaps, A. cerana, and SBPV

Photo by I.B> Smith Jr./USDA-BRL

Photo By: Ken Walker

This was a Great opportunity collect other disease information on a national scale:

-nosema spp., varroa, viruses, pesticide detection

- free disease diagnostics to the beekeeper - nation-wide database of disease levels comparable across years

Methods

• 24 Apiaries Sampled per State – 48 in California

• 8 Hives Sampled per Apiary • Composite Samples • 3 Sample Methods

– Alcohol “Wet” Sample – Live Bee Sample – Tropilaelaps “Bump” Sample

• 10 Pollen Samples per State – When funding is available

Methods

• Apiaries need 10 colonies

• 10 of 24 apiaries are queen breeders.

• Half migratory/Half stationary

• States divided into four quadrants.

• Special Consideration for ports.

Methods – Alcohol Sample

• Alcohol “Wet” Sample

– Nosema spp

– Varroa Mites

• Samples Sent to UMD to be processed

Methods – Live Sample

• Live Bee Sample – Viruses

• IAPV • KBV • DWV • ABPV • SBPV • LSV-2 • CBPV

– Samples Sent USDA, Beltsville to be processed

Methods – Bump Sample

• Tropilaelaps “Bump” Sample

Methods – Pollen Sample

• Pollen Sampling

– 10 Apiaries per State

– 10 States in 2015

– Analyzed for

Over 170 Pesticides

– Report this year includes a short description of each pesticide found in all national samples

Varroa Mite Prevalence

Varroa Mite Load

Nosema Prevalence

Nosema Load

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DWV Monthly Viral Prevalence 2009-2014

Viral Analysis

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BQCV Monthly Viral Prevalence 2009-2013

Pesticide Analysis • 17.6 % had no detectable contamination • Average pesticide residues = 2.4 • 727 pesticide samples

Pesticide Analysis

Pesticide Results

• Most prevalent pesticides are miticides:

• Coumaphos and its metabolites (detected in 37.7% of the samples)

• Fluvalinate (detected in 50% of the samples)

• Thymol (detected in 21.1% of the samples)

• Amitraz metabolite Dimethylphenyl (detected in 21.3% of samples)

• INSECTICIDE: Chlorpyrifos (detected in 20.4% of the samples)

• Average of 2.4 chemicals per sample, highest number in one sample was 15 chemicals

Pesticide Analysis

n=20 n=18 n=111 n=347

What we do • In field colony monitoring

– Tech teams

• Loss and Management Survey

• With the goal of reducing colony losses and finding best management practices for all levels of beekeepers

Tech teams • Short term: Provide individual

beekeepers with useful information about their colonies – Queen Status

– Size of colonies

– Brood pattern

– Varroa/Nosema levels

– Virus Levels

– Hygienic

• Long-Term: Reduce overall US colony loss by using data to develop best management practices for different regions

Loss Survey 37% loss annually

Special Big Thanks to all the Participating States!