APIS Volume 8, Number 3, March 1990
In this issue
- On Certification--Proposed Rule Change to Certify Operators
- Earth Day 1990 and the Beekeeper
- DNA Revisited
- Infotainment--Doing the Unexpected and African Bees
- Bee Science Review
ON CERTIFICATION--PROPOSED RULE CHANGE TO CERTIFY OPERATORS
A meeting of regulators from the Eastern U.S. Migratory Beekeeping Circuit was held in Gainesville February 20 through 22, 1990. It was called by the Commissioners of Agriculture of Maine, New York and Florida to try to come to agreement concerning the orderly movement of bees out of Florida into the northeastern states for commercial pollination purposes. The result of that meeting was a proposed cooperative agreement concerning Varroa mite certification for interstate movement. It calls for a one-year certification of colonies based on annual treatment for Varroa control.
For colonies to be certified under the proposed agreement, a copy of the sales receipt or bill of sale for the pesticide used is required and random checks will be carried out to ensure the material is applied according to compliance agreements and current labelling. A follow up survey to determine the effectiveness of treatment and a six-month "quality control" check will also be performed. Part and parcel of this agreement is to collect, evaluate and report on data from these surveys. This will provide the required information for the final goal of the project, determining "best management practices" in developing criteria for a long-term beekeeper certification program.
Certifying bee colonies for movement came up time and again at this meeting. Each time, however, sufficient basic information was not yet available on the necessary criteria. Finally the participants were forced to confront the issues and certain mite threshold limits were set. By definition these are not perfect (more than 2 mites/sample in the post treatment check will invalidate movement certification and require retreatment within 60 days; more than 20 mites/sample in the six-month check will require retreatment within 60 days). Fortunately, the criteria can be changed easily as new information presents itself. As a result of this meeting, the Division of Plant Industry is proposing to ammend Rule 5B-53 on the Varroa mite; a comment period will close April 14. For further information on the agreement and details on what it might mean for individual beekeepers, contact the Chief Apiarist, Mr. Laurence Cutts, P.O. Box 1269, Gainesville, FL 32602, ph 904/372-3505, ext. 114.
In view of the difficulties involved in certifying colonies, Dr. H. Shimanuki of the Agricultural Research Service suggested the time had come to certify operators instead. In essence, this was reflected in the stated long-term goal of the proposed agreement described above. It is becoming clear to many that bee inspection services simply will not have the resources in the future to regulate colonies of bees for tracheal and Varroa mites and African bees. This technique is already being tried by North Carolina. The inspection service in that state will only allow bees into the state produced by certified queen and package bee producers.
The advantages of certifying operations rather than colonies are many for inspection services. A good deal of money and energy will be saved by not having to concentrate efforts at the colony level. Instead, inspection services will be able to put more resources into gathering and disseminating information valuable to those operators who are certified and training other beekeepers to become certified.
EARTH DAY 1990
April 22, 1990 marks twenty years since the First Earth day was proclaimed. There is a tremendous amount of published information coming out on this event and there will be more. Lester Brown, in World Watch, March-April, 1990 sums up the last twenty years: "The environmental movement is now worldwide. And yet, the planet is far more degraded...The health of the earth has deteriorated to the point that its capacity to support an ever- growing human population is in question."
Besides spreads in traditional environmental publications like Audubon, others are entering the fray. A whole issue of National Forum, published by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is dedicated to environmental issues. Four commons (resources shared by all) are pinpointed as needing attention in the future: the oceans, outer space, Antarctica and weather and climate. In the past, before Earth Day provided the concept of a global community, shared commons were often split up between groups; there was constant danger of depletion. The danger facing the the global commons, however, according to Harlan Cleveland writing in the Forum, is not depletion but mismanagement.
The potential tragedy of the commons is not without relevance for beekeepers. Apiculture is based on an open system and it is an extractive agricultural activity. Its success, therefore, relies heavily on resources held in common. And there seems little question that experiences by beekeepers indicates a consistent degradation of the bees' environment. Of particular concern is that honey flows are not what they used to be in most parts of this country.
Fortunately, the beekeeper can look to a very good model which might provide insight into competently managing the commons, the bee colony itself. The honey bee's communication and resource gathering systems are fine examples of sharing food and living space, something the human community must learn to do more adequately. As Earth Day approaches, it might be worth taking an observation hive to some of the events celebrating this special event and explaining how the bees go about preserving the colony they inhabit in common. A resource providing a wealth of information for those coordinating Earth Day activities is a packet developed by Zero Population Growth, 1400 Sixteenth St., N.W., Washington DC 20036, ph 202/332-2200.
DNA REVISITED
It has come to my attention that the discovery of DNA was not reported in Nature, as I stated in the February APIS. DNA itself was discovered much earlier. Rather, it was the fact that the molecule was made up of the now famous "double helix" consisting of two complimentary strands. The two strands separate and each acts as a template to make an exact duplicate of the original double-stranded DNA molecule. It was only after its intricate structure was determined that DNA's function and mode of action could be understood. Each DNA strand can be compared to a written sentence. A sentence consists of a linear arrangement of words; DNA is made up of thousands of smaller molecular units (called bases) strung together. Any language can theoretically have an almost unlimited number of words arranged in unique sequences. The same is true for DNA, responsible for cataloging the immense amount of genetic information found in the earth's living organisms. It is the translation and recombination of this language that is the basis for modern genetic engineering.
Several comments were provoked by Dr. Hall's research reported in the same newsletter. It has been suggested that the sample size was small and European mitochondrial DNA was present in some bees tested. Unfortunately, it is not clear how large a sample must be to be convincing. The fact remains that 85 of 87 neotropical wild and managed colonies sampled in the papers in Nature had African mitochondrial DNA and that this is extraordinary given the distance the bees have travelled and the number of European colonies present in areas where most samples were taken. Subsequent research by Dr. Hall is confirming the preponderance of African mitochrondrial DNA found in the neotropical honey bee population.
The idea that little hybridization is taking place in the neotropics as reported by Dr. Hall does not mean that no hybridization is taking place. Again, absolutes must be avoided. There is evidence that hybridization is taking place in Argentina to a greater extent than in more tropical areas of South and Central America, and this is good news for temperate North America. This, however, cannot be used to refute what is reported to be occurring in tropical areas.
INFOTAINMENT--DOING THE UNEXPECTED
A very important subject was addressed at the recent National Honey Board's sales seminars in New Orleans. Much of what is dubbed information these days must also be entertainment or it is often considered not newsworthy, according to Mr. David Bean of Evans/Kraft Bean Public Relations. From this comes the term "infotainment." The possibility that beekeepers will be involved in some form of infotainment is very great, Mr. Bean said, considering the interest by the media in everything from the effect of predaceous mites to pollination by the African honey bee.
According to Mr. Bean, infotainment often dwells on the negative and the results can be catastrophic as evidenced by the recent Alar-Apple affair. The key to derailing negative facts in an infotainment session is to direct or deflect the conversation to a more positive focus by doing the unexpected. And there is plenty of ammunition for the well-prepared beekeeper to do just that. One way is to simply begin a discussion of practically any aspect of bee biology.
This is fascinating stuff for reporters and the general public. For example, if the conversation gets around to stinging, one might say it is thought the sting is evolved from the ovipositor (egg-laying apparatus) of ancestor insects. Another hot topic is the sex life of bees. How bees modify nectar into honey, divide tasks in a colony, dance to communicate, make preparations to swarm, or determine that a larva will become queen or worker are all possibilities. For this to work, however, one must be careful to have the facts straight. Studying the bee books can get one adequately prepared.
Another strategy, suggested by Mr. Bean, is to unexpectedly put out a press release on a subject that is receiving attention. If it is perceived that one is trying to generate publicity, the item is often dropped from consideration. In summary, Mr. Bean said, it is important to become a contrarian by doing the unexpected, establishing that safety and credibility are number one concerns, and becoming pro-active in directing conversation to survive an infotainment session.
BEE SCIENCE REVIEW
Bee Science Review is a new publication dedicated to all species of bees. It will be published by Wicwas Press. This journal has some unique features, according to the Managing Editor, Dr. Lawrence J. Connor, which will help solve some of the problems associated with other publications. Manuscripts can be submitted on computer disks, eliminating typesetting time and allowing quality graphics to be generated. There will be a large range of scientists working on reviews. Page charges will ensure rapid, quality publication and lower subscription charges ($20 per year for individuals, $25 per year for institutions). Manuscripts will be accepted from a wide range of individuals, including bee specialists, learned beekeepers and other interested parties. Contents will include original scientific work, review and summary articles, scientific notes and opinions, letters to the editor and news and events. Advertising will be limited to bee-science oriented subjects and page charges will be $95 each. A special publication assistance fund has been set up for those unable to pay the page charge.
Papers submitted to Bee Science Review must have already been reviewed by two persons. The Managing Editor will then send the manuscript out for further examination before publishing it. For detailed information on submitting manuscripts or subscribing, send a letter of inquiry to Wicwas Press, P.O. Box 817, Cheshire, CT 06410-0817, ph 203/250-7575.
Malcolm T. Sanford
Bldg 970, Box 110620
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-0620
Phone (904) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: 904-392-0190
http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~entweb/apis/apis.htm
INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
©1990 M.T. Sanford "All Rights Reserved
