Beemail Feb 2011
2
No 27, Fe br uary 2011 Se nd yo ur ne ws to: [email protected] Editor: Chris Richmond Get the full story each month with Bee Craft. Visit www.bee-craft.com/shop for subscription details and credit card purchases (or call 01733 771221). To order by post send cheques/POs (payable to Bee Craft Ltd) to: Sue Jakeman, 107 Church Street, Werrington, Peterborough PE4 6QF. ☞ Keep abreast of this year’s beekeeping events! Visit the 2011 Bee Craft calendar by clicking here ...and out of the strong came forth sweetness’. The words of Samson’s riddle have long been familiar as the motto on tins of Lyle’s Golden Syrup, accompanying the logo of bees issuing from a lion’s corpse. Now some erudite honey bees have taken the biblical tale to heart, setting up home in the wall of St John’s College, Oxford, and using the mouth of this lion mask as a very grand hive entrance. ‘Out of the eater came forth meat... Asian honey bees invade Australia ALREADY struggling to cope with floods and fires, Australian beekeepe rs now face a new threat – an invasion of Asian honey bees. The bees, dubbed ‘cane toads with wings’ by locals, originated in Indonesia but have hitched rides on shipping, spreading through Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and T orres Strait and first arrived in Australia on a yacht that docked in Cairns in 2007. Since then, the bees (Apis cerana ) have spread inland as far as Innisfail, about 50 miles (83 km) south. They are more prolific than European honey bees (Apis mellifera ), swarming up to five times each year, and compete for forage and hive space, but are not effective honey producers. Beekeepers in Queensland fear the interlopers could threaten the existing bee population, saying they are aggressive, rob hives and may even introduce Varroa destructor mites to Australia. With the Australian bee industry worth about A$4 billion (£2.47 bn) per annum, the Australian government funded a A$3 million eradication programme, which has already dealt with 340 swarms since the initial colony arrived, but has now seemingly accepted defeat, after the Asian Honeybee National Management Group declared: ‘It is no longer technically feasible to achieve eradication’. Outraged beekeepers and state authorities in Queensland (the only state with Asian honey bees) want to continue the eradication programme and are campaigning for more action to solve the problem. They already have the support of beekeepers and farming associations nationwide and are urging Aussies to support their cause by writing to politicians, including Agriculture Minister Joe Lugwig. On Wednesday , 2 March, the campaigners have organised a Honey Breakfast and protest march to the parliament in Canberra. They are demanding the government: ● Allocate A$10 million (£6.17 million) over the next two years to eradicate the Asian bee in Australia. ● Implement the recommendations of the 2008 More than Honey report by allocating an additional A$50m annually to maintain healthy bee populations to secure pollination services. ● Provide funding for the establishment and operation of the Co-operative Research Centre for Bee Research and Food Security. WASHINGTO N State beekeeper Corky Luster’s determination to keep bees thriving in America has put him in line for a possible $20,000 prize. Corky, based in Ballard, near Seattle, is a finalist in the AMD Visionary of the Year awards, sponsored by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. His scheme is similar to the British Beekeepers’ Association’s Adopt-a-Beehive programme – and, indeed, the working practices of many beekeepers – in that it encourages landowners to provide space for hives, tended by Corky, in exchange for a share of the honey. So far, he has 60 hives dotted around Ballard and he is hoping the prize will help him expand the programme, take on interns and teach others the art of beekeeping. Beekeepers to march on capital this week Brush up on hygiene Scientists at the University of Sussex have already made a name for themselves with their research into honey bee health, breeding and the effects of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), with the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) featuring in the BBC documentary Who Killed the Honey Bee? Now the LASI is opening its doors to experienced beekeepers interested in queen rearing and breeding with a workshop at the unit’s base in Falmer, Brighton. The workshop will be taught by Professor Francis Ratnieks, Dr Karin Alton, Norman Carreck and Gianluigi Bigio and will demonstrate the technique of freeze-killed brood bioassay to determine the most hygienic colonies, which can then be used in bee breeding and queen rearing. Currently , it is planned to run the afternoon workshop twice – on Saturday 21 May and Monday 23 May. The course is free but is limited to 25 places per session so you need to register with Dr Alton on 01273 872587 or email [email protected] . Be prepared to receive BeeMail It has been mentioned that some subscribers are having difficulty receiving BeeMail . Clearly this doesn’t include you, if you are reading this, but you may be able to help others. BeeMail is distributed free to all Bee Craft subscribers who have provided an email account. Please ask any friends or members of your association to add Bee Craft Secretary Sue Jakeman to their email contacts list, to prevent BeeMail getting caught in their spam filter. Her email address is [email protected]. ‘Rent-a-Hive’ plan up for award BEEKEEPERS should soon have a new weapon in their armoury against Varroa destructor parasitic mites after Canadian firm NOD Apiary Products obtained US federal registration for its Mite-Away Quick Strips. The strips are impregnated with formic acid, an active component in bee/ant stings. Formic acid is already used to combat varroa, and is said to be particularly effective against the soft-shelled male mites which lurk inside sealed cells, but requires careful use as it is volatile in high temperatures and is potentially lethal to bees and humans. NOD, which already markets Mite-Away formic acid pads, claim the new gel strips are more stable and may be used in temperatures up to 93ºF (34ºC). The treatment period is seven days and can be implemented during a honey flow. NOD claims up to 95% mite kill. There is currently no date set for Quick Strips to go on sale in the UK, but NOD says the product will be gradually available over the next few months as production ramps up and pesticide registrations are obtained. Bees get new strip to tackle varroa
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Transcript of Beemail Feb 2011
8/7/2019 Beemail Feb 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/beemail-feb-2011 1/1
No 27, February 2011 Send your news to: [email protected] Editor: Chris Richmond
Get the full story each month with Bee Craft. Visit www.bee-craft.com/shop for subscription details and creditcard purchases (or call 01733 771221). To order by post send cheques/POs (payable to Bee Craft Ltd) to:
Sue Jakeman, 107 Church Street, Werrington, Peterborough PE4 6QF.
☞ Keep abreast of this year’s beekeeping events! Visit the 2011 Bee Craft calendar by clicking here
...and out of the strong came forth sweetness’. The words of Samson’sriddle have long been familiar as the motto on tins of Lyle’s GoldenSyrup, accompanying the logo of bees issuing from a lion’s corpse.
Now some erudite honey bees have taken the biblical tale to heart,setting up home in the wall of St John’s College, Oxford, and using themouth of this lion mask as a very grand hive entrance.
‘Out of the eater came forth meat...
Asian honey bees invade AustraliaALREADY struggling to cope withfloods and fires, Australian beekeepersnow face a new threat – an invasionof Asian honey bees.
The bees, dubbed ‘cane toads with wings’by locals, originated in Indonesia but havehitched rides on shipping, spreading throughPapua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and
Torres Strait and first arrived in Australia on ayacht that docked in Cairns in 2007.
Since then, the bees (Apis cerana ) havespread inland as far as Innisfail, about 50miles (83 km) south. They are more prolificthan European honey bees (Apis mellifera ),swarming up to five times each year, andcompete for forage and hive space, but arenot effective honey producers. Beekeepers inQueensland fear the interlopers could threaten
the existing bee population, saying they areaggressive, rob hives and may even introduceVarroa destructor mites to Australia.
With the Australian bee industry worth
about A$4 billion (£2.47 bn) per annum, theAustralian government funded a A$3 millioneradication programme, which has alreadydealt with 340 swarms since the initial colonyarrived, but has now seemingly accepteddefeat, after the Asian Honeybee NationalManagement Group declared: ‘It is no longertechnically feasible to achieve eradication’.
Outraged beekeepers and state authoritiesin Queensland (the only state with Asianhoney bees) want to continue the eradicationprogramme and are campaigning for moreaction to solve the problem.
They already have the support of beekeepersand farming associations nationwide and are
urging Aussies to support their cause bywriting to politicians, including AgricultureMinister Joe Lugwig.
On Wednesday, 2 March, the campaignershave organised a Honey Breakfast andprotest march to the parliament in Canberra.
They are demanding the government:● Allocate A$10 million (£6.17 million) overthe next two years to eradicate the Asian beein Australia.● Implement the recommendations of the2008 More than Honey report by allocating anadditional A$50m annually to maintain healthybee populations to secure pollination services.● Provide funding for the establishment andoperation of the Co-operative ResearchCentre for Bee Research and Food Security.
WASHINGTON State beekeeperCorky Luster’s determination to keep beesthriving in America has put him in line for apossible $20,000 prize.
Corky, based in Ballard, near Seattle, is afinalist in the AMD Visionary of the Year awards,sponsored by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.His scheme is similar to the British Beekeepers’Association’s Adopt-a-Beehive programme –and, indeed, the working practices of manybeekeepers – in that it encourages landowners
to provide space for hives, tended by Corky,in exchange for a share of the honey.So far, he has 60 hives dotted around
Ballard and he is hoping the prize will helphim expand the programme, take on internsand teach others the art of beekeeping.
Beekeepers to marchon capital this week
Brush up on hygieneScientists at the University of Sussexhave already made a name for themselveswith their research into honey bee health,breeding and the effects of Colony CollapseDisorder (CCD), with the Laboratory ofApiculture and Social Insects (LASI)featuring in the BBC documentary Who Killed the Honey Bee?
Now the LASI is opening its doors toexperienced beekeepers interested in queenrearing and breeding with a workshop atthe unit’s base in Falmer, Brighton.
The workshop will be taught by ProfessorFrancis Ratnieks, Dr Karin Alton, NormanCarreck and Gianluigi Bigio and willdemonstrate the technique of freeze-killedbrood bioassay to determine the mosthygienic colonies, which can then be usedin bee breeding and queen rearing.
Currently, it is planned to run theafternoon workshop twice – on Saturday21 May and Monday 23 May.
The course is free but is limited to 25places per session so you need to registerwith Dr Alton on 01273 872587 or [email protected] .
Be prepared to receive BeeMail
It has been mentioned that some subscribers are having difficultyreceiving BeeMail . Clearly this doesn’t include you, if you are readingthis, but you may be able to help others.
BeeMail is distributed free to all Bee Craft subscribers who haveprovided an email account. Please ask any friends or members ofyour association to add Bee Craft Secretary Sue Jakeman to their
email contacts list, to prevent BeeMail getting caught in their spamfilter. Her email address is [email protected].
‘Rent-a-Hive’ planup for award
BEEKEEPERS should soon have a new
weapon in their armoury against Varroa destructor parasitic mites after Canadian firmNOD Apiary Products obtained US federalregistration for its Mite-Away Quick Strips.
The strips are impregnated with formicacid, an active component in bee/ant stings.
Formic acid is already used to combatvarroa, and is said to be particularly effectiveagainst the soft-shelled male mites which lurkinside sealed cells, but requires careful useas it is volatile in high temperatures and ispotentially lethal to bees and humans.
NOD, which already markets Mite-Awayformic acid pads, claim the new gel strips aremore stable and may be used in temperaturesup to 93ºF (34ºC). The treatment period isseven days and can be implemented during a
honey flow. NOD claims up to 95% mite kill.There is currently no date set for QuickStrips to go on sale in the UK, but NOD saysthe product will be gradually available overthe next few months as production ramps upand pesticide registrations are obtained.
Bees get new stripto tackle varroa
