News for SC Beekeepers: November 2009

The South Carolina Beekeepers will hold their one-day annual spring meeting at the Farm Bureau Building on Knox Abbott Drive, Columbia, on March 6, 2010. The February 2010 newsletter will give further details of this meeting. The summer meeting is scheduled to be held at Clemson University on July 15-17, 2010. An introductory beekeeping short course will be offered the first day of the summer meeting. Mark your calendars now for these two important meetings.

Two honorary awards were presented at our South Carolina Beekeepers 2009 summer meeting in July. Jack Collins of the Madison Community in Oconee County was selected to receive the “2009 South Carolina Beekeeper of the Year Award.” Jack was recommended by the Oconee County Beekeepers to receive this award.  Jack has been keeping bees for over 50 years, having started at a very young age helping his father, He now manages 120 colonies in various locations in the county, mainly for honey production but he also supplies bees for three Oconee County apple orchards. Jack has served as president of the Oconee Beekeepers and presently represents this group as their regional representative on the South Carolina Beekeepers Executive Committee. He has encouraged and inspired his local beekeepers to host a certified level short course for the past two years. Jack is serving as mentor to several local beekeepers including one high school teacher who was successful in securing a grant to support beekeeping instruction in her classroom. Jack will go to great length to talk about honey bees and their importance to our food supply. He regularly hosts various groups to visit his apiaries and honey house in an effort to promote honey bees and their management. Jack takes great pride in his bee colonies’ production of sourwood honey in the higher elevations of Oconee County. He gladly states that it is the best honey in the state of South Carolina.  Our hats are off to Jack Collins for being a great ambassador for beekeeping in South Carolina. Jack, keep up the good work!

Howard Hiller, Clemson University County Agent in Oconee County, was selected to receive the “2009 Extension Agent of the Year Award.” Howard lives in the Fair Play area of Oconee County and has been an extension agricultural agent since 1971. During these 38 years of extension service, Howard has worked as an agent in Oconee and Pickens Counties. Since 2000, Howard has worked very closely with the Oconee County Beekeepers, playing a major role in their success over the past few years. He played a key role in planning, organizing, and providing instruction for three introductory beekeeping short courses in 2003, 2008, and 2009. These short courses have added greatly to the number of beekeepers in Oconee County and many of them have become active members of the Oconee County Beekeepers. Howard works closely with the officers of the Oconee County Beekeepers in planning and conducting meetings to include publicizing meeting dates, helping secure speakers, and coordinating and sometimes picking up food for meetings. He also keeps a “bee swarm call list” of Oconee County beekeepers who are interested in removing honey bee swarms. Howard manages two honey bee colonies and is presently enjoying teaching his 10-year old daughter how to become a beekeeper. Please join me in giving Howard a big THANK YOU for supporting the beekeeping industry for many years. This award is well deserved and we hope that Howard will keep up the outstanding work.

Congratulations to Miss Helen Coats, a 10 year-old from Rock Hill, who won first place in the National 4H Beekeeping Essay Writing Contest. As first place winner of the contest, Helen received a $750 cash award from the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees. Inc, along with a $100 cash award from the South Carolina Beekeepers for winning at the state level. Helen did a great job reciting her essay at our 2009 summer meeting at Clemson University. You will find later in this newsletter another announcement of this award, her essay, and the details of the 2010 4H essay writing contest.

The Mid-State Beekeepers Association is offering a Beginner Level Beekeeping short course. The course will meet for three days, Jan. 30, Feb. 27, and March 27, 2010. The classes will meet from 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.  The class will be held at the Lexington County Farm Bureau Building, 121 Park Road, Lexington. The March 27, class will be held at a bee yard with a tour through the bee yard, which will include going into a beehive. The fee for the course will be $40, which will cover a beginner beekeeping book, a years membership in the Mid-State Beekeepers, a years membership in the South Carolina Beekeepers, a certified level test and miscellaneous course materials. The course will concentrate on how to get started in beekeeping.  The course will be taught by experienced hobbyist and commercial beekeepers from the Mid-State Beekeepers. These same experienced beekeepers will be available to assist new beekeepers following the course.  The course is open to the first 30 applicants.  Contact Frank Blanchard (803-345-3463) for further details.  Make check payable to Mid-State Beekeepers and mail it to Frank Blanchard, 342 Primrose Lane, Chapin, S.C. 29036 by Dec. 15, 2009.

A "Certified Level Beekeeper" short course will be hosted  by the Edisto Beekeepers at the Clemson Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville. This short course is the entry level of the South Carolina Master Beekeeper Program which is offered jointly by the South Carolina Beekeepers and the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service. Although this course is designed primarily for beginner beekeepers, hobby beekeepers, veteran beekeepers, and prospective beekeepers should benefit from attending. The course will be taught on Tuesday nights from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., January 19 through March 3, 2010. A field day will be held  at a local bee yard to conclude the course on Saturday, March 6. Some topics to be covered include: honey bee biology, beekeeping equipment, managing honey bees, nectar and pollen bearing plants and trees, honey bee pests and diseases, and processing/packaging honey. Instructors will be Dr. Mike Hood, Clemson University honey bee specialist, master beekeeper  Steve Genta from Greenville, master craftsman beekeeper David McFawn from Lexington, and members of the local Edisto Beekeepers. Registration fee for the course is $45, which includes a reference book, hand-out materials, written/practical tests, and one-year memberships in the Edisto Beekeepers and the South Carolina (state) Beekeepers. Registration is limited to the first 35 respondents. You may call your local Clemson Extension Service office to request a registration form or contact Gilbert Miller, Extension Vegetable Specialist, by email at gmllr@clemson.edu or call 803-284-3343, ext. 225. Registration fees must be paid by December 18, 2009. You may also contact Ray Campbell, Vice-president, Edisto Beekeepers at 803-584-7367.

Bee-Killing Parasite  Genome Sequenced

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have sequenced the genome of a parasite that can kill honey bees. Nosema ceranae is one of many pathogens suspected of contributing to the current bee population decline, termed colony collapse disorder (CCD). Researchers describe the parasite's genome in a study published June 5 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens.

In 2006, CCD began devastating commercial beekeeping operations, with some beekeepers reporting losses of up to 90 percent, according to the USDA. Researchers believe CCD may be the result of a combination of pathogens, parasites and stress factors, but the cause remains elusive. At stake are honey bees that play a valuable part in a $15 billion industry of crop farming in the United States.

The microsporidian Nosema is a fungus-related microbe that produces spores that bees consume when they forage. Infection spreads from their digestive tract to other tissues. Within weeks, colonies are either wiped out or lose much of their strength. Nosema apis was the leading cause of microsporidia infections among domestic bee colonies until recently when N. ceranae jumped from Asian honey bees to the European honey bees used commercially in the United States.

The ARS scientists used genetic tools and microscopic analysis at the ARS Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) in Beltsville, Maryland to examine N. ceranae. They collaborated with colleagues at the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, Columbia University, New York, New York, and 454 Life Sciences, of Branford, Connecticut.

Sequencing the genome should help scientists trace the parasite's migration patterns, determine how it became dominant, and help resolve the spread of infection by enabling the development of diagnostic tests and treatments.
SOURCE: USDA ARS News Release, June 4, 2009

Honey Bees With Colony Collapse Disorder Show Their Genes

By Kim Kaplan, ARS Information Staff

The first hard evidence of what is happening physiologically inside bees during Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been published in a new study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and University of Illinois scientists in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study also looked at differences in activity levels of critical genes in CCD and healthy bee colonies.

Using a tool called a genome-wide microarray, the scientists found a large amount of abnormal ribosomal RNA (rRNA) fragments in the guts of honey bees in CCD colonies. Ribosomes are the cellular factories in which proteins are made, guided by rRNA, and a large amount of abnormal rRNA fragments means the protein construction system is compromised. This indicates that honey bees in colonies diagnosed with CCD had reduced ability to synthesize new proteins.

The gut is the primary entry point for pathogens and pesticides in honey bees. Honey bees' stress response systems also can be measured in the bee's gut. The honey bee has two separate response systems: one to environmental stresses such as pesticides, and a different one reacting to pathogens such as viruses.

This was the first time RNA levels have been measured in honey bees as a way of tracking whether it is honey bees' pesticide response system or their pathogen immune response system that is reacting in CCD, according to ARS geneticist Jay Evans, who works in the Bee Research Laboratory at the ARS Henry A. Wallace Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center.  Evans was part of a team that included entomologists May R.Berenbaum,

Reed M. Johnson and Gene E. Robinson from the University of Illinois.

In CCD colonies, the genes involved in the pathogen/immune response systems showed no single clear pattern of activity, although there was commonly more activation of these genes and the bees had a higher overall level of viruses and other pathogens than non-CCD colonies.
Almost all CCD colonies had a higher level of picorna-like viruses, which attack the ribosome. Picorna-like viruses that attack honey bees include deformed wing virus and Israeli acute paralysis virus. The varroa mite, a major honey bee parasite, is known to transmit picorna-like viruses.
Bees in CCD colonies did not show significantly active pesticide response genes. The loss of ribosomal function would explain many of the phenomena associated with CCD, according to Berenbaum. If the bees' ribosomes are compromised, then they can't overcome exposure to pesticides, fungal infections or bacteria or inadequate nutrition because the ribosome is central to the survival of any organism.

The study did not establish a direct cause-and-effect link between the abnormal rRNA and CCD. But colony surveillance by assays of rRNA and other markers expressed by bees could provide the earliest indication of CCD found so far, perhaps in time for beekeepers to take actions that might reduce losses, Evans suggested.

SOURCE: USDA ARS News Service, August 24, 2009

New Bait Lures Varroa Mite To Its Doom

By Jan Suszkiw, ARS Information Staff

The Varroa mite, Varroa destructor, is only about one-sixteenth of an inch long. But that hasn’t stopped the eight-legged, blood-sucking parasite from becoming the single worst pest of honey bees since first being detected in Florida in the 1980s.

Any threat to honey bees is a threat to American agriculture. Without them, the yield and quality of many flowering crops would suffer—almonds, apples, blueberries, cantaloupe, cranberries, and zucchini, to name just a few. Indeed, as the chief pollinator of these crops, the honey bee’s contributions are considered a $14 billion asset to our economy—and that’s not even counting the honey and beeswax the insect produces.
So it is with quite a bit of urgency that researchers nationwide are seeking new ways to control Varroa, particularly methods that will diminish reliance on the chemical controls—fluvalinate and coumaphos—now used. At the ARS Chemistry Research Unit in Gainesville, Florida, research leader Peter E.A. Teal is testing a bait-and-kill approach using sticky boards dosed with natural chemical attractants, called “semiochemicals.”
For patenting reasons, Teal won’t reveal what the specific compounds are, other than to say they’re naturally produced by honey bees and highly attractive to Varroa mites.

In nature, Varroa mites rely on the semiochemicals to locate—and then feed on the bloodlike hemolymph of—both adult bees and their brood, weakening or killing them. Severe infestations can decimate an affected hive within several months—and rob the beekeeper of profits from honey or pollinating services. But in this case, the mites encounter a more heady bouquet of honey bee odors that lure them away from their intended hosts and onto the sticky boards, where they starve.

Preliminary tests of the attractant have been promising. “For example, we are able to induce 35 to 50 percent of mites to drop off of bees when we present them with either of the two attractants, and more than 60 percent of free mites are attracted to these chemicals in biological tests,” Teal reports. Moreover, it doesn’t appear that the extra dose of semiochemicals wafting through the hive interferes with the honey bees’ normal behavior or activity to any significant degree, adds Teal, who, along with postdoctoral associate Adrian Duehl and University of Florida collaborator Mark J. Carroll, reported the results this past January at the 2009 North American Beekeeping Conference in Reno, Nevada.

The researchers hope ARS’s patenting of the Varroa attractants will encourage an industrial partner to develop the technology further for use by beekeepers as both a monitoring tool and an alternative to chemical controls.

SOURCE:  Agricultural Research Magazine, July 2009

Bee Health Is Focus Of New National Web Resource

By Lynette Spicer, Iowa State University, lynette.spicer@extension.org

Researchers and educators from America’s land-grant universities, government agencies and industry have banded together to provide a comprehensive resource for science-based information on bee health management strategies. It’s on eXtension, (pronounced E-extension), http://www.extension.org.

Pollinating bees are essential members of American agro-ecosystems. The high death rates of bee colonies and the emergence of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) concern many fruit and vegetable producers from home gardeners to commercial growers.

"In these challenging times for the beekeeping industry, with several factors contributing to reductions in pollination, a large cooperative effort is needed among researchers, extension personnel, beekeepers, crop producers and associated industry people to provide answers and solutions that benefit everyone,” said John Skinner, professor at the University of Tennessee and leader of the new eXtension resource that amassed the latest research information about health of all species of bees.

Keith Delaplane, professor at the University of Georgia, explained, “The eXtension concept is a direct response to concerns about information quality on the Internet. Users can access eXtension with the same confidence they access their own state university extension networks. Information published on the bee health Web site represents the best summary opinions of scientific authorities across America. One of the exciting things about working with eXtension is that it represents a practical forum for bee scientists as well as beekeepers.”

The bee health site provides help for new and inexperienced producers, as well as those with experience but who need an answer to a specific question. The site includes answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). If a question cannot be found in the FAQs, eXtension’s “Ask an Expert” feature can be used for a quick response. The site also includes in-depth, peer-reviewed articles covering bee biology and production.

Pollinator losses
In “A Survey of Honey Bee Colonies Losses in the U.S. Between September 2008 and April 2009,” the Apiary Inspectors of America and researchers at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service Beltsville Honey Bee Lab found that colony losses are still high in the majority of operations surveyed. Overall the colony losses were 28.6 percent. This is down from the previous winters of 2007/2008 and 2006/2007 when colony losses were recorded at 35.8 and 31.8 percent respectively. Only 15 percent of colonies died with CCD symptoms this year compared to 60 percent the previous year.

In the 2006 release of the National Research Council report, “Status of Pollinators in North America,” many bees other than the honey bee (non-apis bees) are recognized as important pollinators of crop and non-crop plants. The report identified the need for improved management and disease control of non-apis bees, such as bumble bees and alfalfa leaf cutting bees, as well as conservation strategies in the field.

These losses underline the need to get the most up to date and accurate information to beekeepers as quickly as possible to improve bee health and continue to improve survival. Bee declines are likely a product of negatively interacting factors in pathology, immunology, nutrition, toxicology, genetics, ecosystems management and bee husbandry.“Declining honey bee health is complex and the answers that are needed to improve colony survival will only come from a concerted effort by a diverse group of scientists, beekeepers, extension specialists and other interested parties working closely together to improve honey bee health,” said Jeff Pettis, research leader at the USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory.

Contributors
Experienced researchers and extension personnel in the United States contributed to the new site. The bee health group decided to begin with a concentration in bee biology as a prerequisite for other topics. Their next focus will be on best management practices, disease and pest information and bee breeding. The experts are based in 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities, other universities, education centers and the USDA-ARS.

24 eXtension resource areas
Bee health is one of many Web communities within eXtension, www.extension.org, a national project of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System. Other topic resources include information on the financial crisis; animal manure management; beef cattle; corn and soybean production; cotton production; dairy cattle; disasters; diversity across higher education; entrepreneurs and their communities; families food and fitness; family caregiving; geospatial technology; goats; horses; horticulture; imported fire ants; niche meat processing; organic agriculture; parenting; personal finance; pest management; science, engineering and technology for youth; and wildlife damage management.

eXtension is an educational partnership of more than 70 land-grant universities helping Americans improve their lives with access to timely, objective, research-based information and educational opportunities. eXtension's interactive Web site is customized with links to local Cooperative Extension sites. Land-grant universities were founded on the ideals that higher education should be accessible to all, that universities should teach liberal and practical subjects and share knowledge with people throughout their states.

Contacts
John Skinner, U of Tennessee, jskinner@utk.edu
Keith Delaplane, University of Georgia, ksd@uga.edu
Jeff Pettis, USDA-ARS, pettisj@ba.ars.usda.gov

SOURCE:  eXtension, Released July 21, 2009

Essayists Dance With The Honey Bee

Honey bees don't do the Electric Slide, admits Helen Coats in her first place essay in the 4H Beekeeping Essay Contest, but their Honey Bee Dance makes them successful at producing honey - "So let's hear a round of applause for our little friends, who communicate through circles, wiggles, and waggles ... in order to create one of the world's favorite sweeteners honey."

The 2009 essay contest, sponsored by the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, drew state-winning essays from 27 states. The assigned topic was "The Dance Language of Honey Bees." Essayists were to learn about the honey bee's dance language, how it was discovered, how it works and how it provides colonies the ability to find and exploit floral resources.

Helen, 10, lives in Rock Hill, S.C. She combines music with her love of nature and hopes to become an accomplished violinist and singer. She titled her essay: "The Bee Dance - Not Exactly the 'Electric Slide'!" As first place winner, she receives a $750.00 cash award.
"BZZZZT! BZZZZZT! A honey bee buzzes wildly while walking on the honeycomb. Becoming suddenly quiet, she circles left and downward ...." Leslie Pike,11, of Hodgenville, Ky., began her essay with a word-picture of the dance. She won second place and a $500.00 cash prize.

The third place essay earned a cash award of $250.00 for Traci Sirotiak, 18, of Newberg, Ore., who plans to continue in 4-H as a volunteer in her adult years. Because the four best essays were of such good quality, the judges are awarding an honorable mention prize of $100.00 to Solly Burton, 17, of Sullivan, Ind. He has taken beekeeping in 4-H for eight years.

Each state winner, including the national winners, will receive a copy of a book about beekeeping.

The essay topic for 2010 is "Is My Community Honey-Bee Friendly?" Essayists are invited to survey their communities to see what is being done, or could be done to help honey bees. And, conversely, what activities, if any, are harmful to honey bees.

SOURCE: Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, Inc., May 1, 2009, Available via e-mail: Request to info@honeybeepreservation.org

2010  4-H Beekeeping Essay Contest Announcement And Rules

Sponsored by The Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, Inc.

Awards:  Cash Prizes to 3 Top Winners:

1st Place -- $750.00
2nd Place -- $500.00
3rd Place -- $250.00

Each State Winner, including the national winners, receives an appropriate book about honey bees, beekeeping, or honey.

TOPIC:  For the 2010 essay contest, the essay topic is: "Is My Community Honey Bee-Friendly?"
Honey bees and other pollinators have been in the news lately. Many beekeepers have experienced colony losses to the yet-unexplained Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD. These unexplained losses have caused some people to wonder: What can I do to help? For this essay, you should survey your community to see what is being done, or could be done to help honey bees. Perhaps there are classes to attract new beekeepers - or laws that prohibit beekeeping. Does your community allow roadsides and open land to grow up in blooming plants in the spring - or not? Are there resources to help home gardeners make bee-friendly choices? When insecticides are required for pests (for example, mosquito control), are the insecticides chosen or applied with bee protection in mind. Include your state in your survey if there is some reason; for example, your state may have declared the honey bee your state insect, or your state highway department may have a wildflower seeding program.

The scope of the research is an essential judging criterion, accounting for 40% of your score. The number of sources consulted, the authority of the sources, and the variety of the sources are all evaluated.

Personal interviews with beekeepers and others familiar with the subject are valued sources of information and should be documented. Sources, which are not cited in the endnotes, should be listed in a "Resources" or "Bibliography" list.

Note that "honey bee" is properly spelled as two words, even though many otherwise authoritative references spell it as one word.

Students interested in writing should contact their local or state 4H office for contest details and rules. The state selection must be done through the 4H system.

Honey Proves A Better Option For Childhood Cough Than Otcs

Hershey, Pa. — Now that the safety and effectiveness of children’s cough medicines are in question, what can parents do to help their child deal with a troublesome cough?

A new study by a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey may offer parents an effective and safe alternative. The study found that a small dose of buckwheat honey given before bedtime provided better relief of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children than no treatment or dextromethorphan (DM), a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medications.
Honey did a better job reducing the severity, frequency and bothersome nature of nighttime cough from upper respiratory infection than DM or no treatment. Honey also showed a positive effect on the sleep quality of both the coughing child and the child’s parents. DM was not significantly better at alleviating symptoms than no treatment.

These findings are especially notable since an FDA advisory board recently recommended that over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines not be given to children less than 6 years old because of their lack of effectiveness and potential for side effects.

The results are published by Penn State College of Medicine researchers, led by Ian Paul, M.D., M.Sc., in this month’s Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

In a previous study published in 2004, Paul and colleagues showed that neither DM nor diphenhydramine, another common component of cold medications, performed better than a placebo at reducing nighttime cough or improving sleep quality. However, honey has been used for centuries in some cultures to treat upper respiratory infection symptoms like cough, and is considered to be safe for children over 12 months old. Honey has well-established antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, which could explain its contributions to wound healing. Honey also soothes on contact, which may help explain its effect on cough as suggested by the World Health Organization.

In the latest study, the researchers enrolled 105 children between the ages of 2 and 18 at a single university-affiliated physician practice site. On the first night of the study, children received no treatment. Parents answered five questions about their child’s cough and sleep quality as well as about their own sleep quality. On the second night, children received either honey, artificial honey-flavored DM or no treatment about a half hour prior to going to bed. Parents answered the same five questions the following morning.

The randomized study was partially double-blinded: Medical staff did not know what treatment each participating family received when distributing their sealed syringe-containing envelope. Parents of children who received honey or artificial honey-flavored DM in a measured syringe were blinded to their treatment group. Parents of children in the no treatment group received an empty syringe, and therefore were aware of their child’s treatment group.

Across the board, parents rated honey as significantly better than DM or no treatment for symptomatic relief of their child’s nighttime cough and sleep difficulty. In a few cases, parents did report mild side effects with the honey treatment, such as hyperactivity.

"Our study adds to the growing literature questioning the use of DM in children, but it also offers a legitimate and safe alternative for physicians and parents,” said Paul, a pediatrician, researcher and associate professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Children’s Hospital. “Additional studies should certainly be considered, but we hope that medical professionals will consider the positive potential of honey as a treatment given the lack of proven efficacy, expense, and potential for adverse effects associated with the use of DM.”

Potentially dangerous effects of DM in young children include dystonic reactions, severe involuntary muscle contractions and spasms. Further, DM is a commonly used as a drug of abuse by adolescents.

Cough is the reason for nearly three percent of all outpatient visits in the United States, more than any other symptom. It is particularly bothersome at night because it disrupts sleep. Consumers spend billions of dollars each year on OTC cough and cold medications despite little evidence that these drugs provide significant relief.

This study was funded by an unrestricted grant from the National Honey Board, an industry-funded agency of the United States Department of Agriculture.

SOURCE: Penn State University, December 3, 2007

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