APIS Volume 8, Number 5, May 1990

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In this issue

American Foulbrood--Old Foe
Sulpa Residues in Honey
Bees Don't Have Cholesterol
Oiling Your Bees for Tracheal Mites
Professionalism in Agriculture
National Honey Board and the Goodwill Games
Glinda Burnet Wins Superior Accomplishhment Award

AMERICAN FOULBROOD-OLD FOE

An old enemy has reared its head in Florida. American foulbrood (AFB) is on the rise it seems. Over the last few months on at least two occasions, 300 bee colonies have been destroyed by the Division of Plant Industry. Mr. Laurence Cutts, the State Apiarist, is rightfully troubled. It seems that other concerns may have contributed to a decline in vigilance for AFB. Inspectors have had their hands full with added duties which include inspection for Varroa mites. It is easy in these hectic times for both inspectors and beekeepers to put AFB control on the "back burner."

As I mentioned in the last issue of this newsletter, many factors can be limiting in beekeeping. American foulbrood certainly is one. It is caused by a spore-forming bacterium (Bacillus larvae) and is greatly feared anywhere bees are kept. The disease is highly contagious and can quickly spread throughout an apiary. However, because it's been around a relatively long time, the technology to control AFB is available. This amounts to feeding the antibiotic called oxytetracycline hydrochloride.

The only labelled formulation of oxytetracycline is known by the tradename, Terramycin (R). It is TM-25 Soluble Powder manufactured by Pfizer. The product must be used exactly as prescribed on the label. Unfortunately, the package containing the material does not have the bee label printed on it. Rather, an insert comes with the packages in bulk shipment. As a consequence, often the seller does not provide a label. Insist on getting at least a copy of the label at the time of purchase. It must be in one's possession while applying the material.

Although Terramycin (R) is available and effective, many beekeepers do not use it. There continues to be controversy about the policy of feeding the material as a preventative. One problem is that once a regimen has begun, it must continue indefinitely. The antibiotic does not kill the bacterium; it only prevents growth and thus, the symptoms of AFB fail to appear. If feeding stops, symptoms will reappear provided the Bacillus is present. Feeding the antibiotic, therefore, means the beekeeper will not know if the bacterium is present. Those who prefer not to feed and allow the bee inspector to burn any colonies with symptoms will have a better idea about how prevalent the bacterium is in their operations. More importantly, they will have many fewer problems if the disease should become resistant to the antibiotic. If symptoms appear in a colony that is being fed Terramycin (R), the best course of action is to burn the hive, for it may harbor a resistant strain of bacterium. Florida pays a small remuneration for colonies destroyed because of AFB. However, in order to collect, the area bee inspector must burn the colony.

A potential problem exists when colonies are purchased. If the new owner does not know to continue a preventative antibiotic feeding program, a disease problem may quickly develop. Thus, the best course of action is to have any equipment that is being purchased inspected. If any doubt exists about a colony's disease history, a preventative feeding program should be carefully considered. For fuller instructions on Terramycin use, see the September 1994 APIS.

SULPHA RESIDUES IN HONEY

A word to the wise from Canada. Douglas McCrory in the Ontario Apiculture Newsletter writes about chemicals used in beekeeping. He notes that Agriculture Canada continues to monitor honey and has found both sulfa (used for American foulbrood control) and carbolic acid or phenol (used to remove supers) residues. Nine of twelve samples in Ontario had sulfa, a disquieting figure. Neither sulfa nor carbolic acid are legal uses and should not be used, Mr. McCrory says. Any detection will result in detention of the product and ensuing bad publicity with untold losses in the market place.

In Florida, these substances are also not registered nor legal to use. The use of sulfa is especially difficult to understand. TM-25 is a legal alternative that works just as well. With reference to phenol, Mr. McCrory says, bee escapes have been re-evaluated and improved, and bee blowers are also available, as is the registered chemical, Be Go (R).

BEES DON'T HAVE CHOLESTEROL

Recent emphasis on a healthy diet brings to issue what insects are the best to consume. Dr. Karla Ritter writes in the latest issue of The Food Insects Newsletter, that being animals, most insects are sources of cholesterol; on an average they have 0.1% sterol (i.e., 1 mg sterol/grams of tissue). This includes the tobacco horn worm (Manduca sexta) and the house cricket (Acheta domesticus). For the latter insect, the newsletter reprints a recipe for Crispy Cajun Crickets which are "crunchy and have a tasty flavor all their own."

Fortunately, Dr. Ritter says consumption of insects does not always mean eating unwanted cholesterol. The honey bee does not produce the substance and so can be eaten and presumably labelled as many foods are now as "free from cholesterol--never had it, never will." Now if it could be determined that honey bees were also high in fiber..."

OILING YOUR BEES FOR TRACHEAL MITES

This provocative title above is quoted from Dr. Eric Mussen's newsletter, From the UC Apiaries. There have been several references in recent bee journals about preliminary studies suggesting that lipids (shortening/oil) interfere with tracheal mite transfer between bees. Dr. Mussen suggests some facts should be kept in mind.

Waxes and lipids forming the outermost layer of the insect integument (shell) function mostly to retain moisture and protect against abrasion. In very young bees, the skin has not "cured" and is different from older bees. This difference may be used by tracheal mites to determine which bees are the best candidates to transfer to.
Introduction of extra lipids into a colony to disrupt mite transfer needs to be done in a limited way. A slowly-released source that will work over a long time is probably the best. Experience in California suggests "extender patties," pioneered by Dr. Bill Wilson now at the Weslaco Bee Laboratory, will work in this manner.

Dr. Mussen's recipes follow:

Vegetable Shortening Based:     Oil Based: 
1 lb. vegetable shortening      1 lb. vegetable oil 
2 lb. granulated sugar         3 (?) lb. granulated sugar

According to Dr. Mussen, hand mixing will lead to granular end products that may crumble if they are short on lipid. Powdered sugar can be substituted for granular, but this increases cost and produces a somewhat sticky end product. Blending with a heavy duty mixer will result in a smooth product quite similar to frosting made by commercial bakeries. Dr. Mussen also suggests that lipids NOT be added to pollen supplement/substitute patties. Too much lipid making its way into larval food can be deleterious.

It is important to remember that like so many things in beekeeping, the costs and benefits of oiling bees are not fully known; much needs to be learned. One example, the question mark concerning the oil based recipe above. Beekeepers should approach this technology carefully and employ caution in its use. For a fuller discussion on this, see the December 1995 APIS

PROFESSIONALISM IN AGRICULTURE

Mr. James Ladlie has written an article in the March issue of Agrichemical Age called "Professionalism in the Age of Regulations." This provides food for thought across the production agriculture spectrum. According to Mr. Ladlie, although production agriculture has made impressive progress and provided many benefits, it suffers from public apathy and misperception. People want safe, high quality, inexpensive food. Society, Mr. Ladlie says, is easily led by emotion; thus, it has a positive view of low-input, sustainable agriculture, but a negative one of what has evolved as conventional agriculture based on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

The future demands those in production agriculture be better stewards of resources, Mr. Ladlie says. And reexamination of the present use of resources will inevitably result in better and more intense management. We are moving toward a management-intensive rather than capital-intensive agriculture. This demands an interweaving of agricultural production and social responsibility. Those who succeed in this new climate, Mr. Ladlie says, must stress a systems approach which integrates technologies and attitudes promoting better resource stewardship.

In short, agriculturalists, according to Mr. Ladlie, must demonstrate to society that they are capable of managing precious resources. The only way to do this in this age of regulations is to become a qualified professional. This means developing a common body of knowledge and a certification procedure, and implementing an ethical standard. Mr. Ladlie says there are some examples of agricultural professionalism already in existence. One is the Nebraska Certified Crop Production Adviser program (NCCPA) with the following purposes:

To increase knowledge, ability and professionalism of the crop production industry.
To show regulatory agencies that there are efforts to improve the industry.
To reduce possible harm to the environment.
To promote the concept of profit-oriented production.
To enhance the crop production industry's professionalism.

Another example, Mr. Ladlie says, is the Registry of Environmental and Agricultural Professionals (REAP). This organization is a consortium of professional societies proposing to address the need for professional, uniform standards. Programs similar to those proposed by REAP would provide assurance to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the general public that agriculturalists are well informed and only using chemicals when necessary and in the proper manner. Unofficial sources in the EPA, according to Mr. Ladlie, say that the day is not far away when anyone applying a farm chemical of any type will have to be certified.

The beekeeping industry is not immune to this issue. There are signs that a greater degree of professionalism will be demanded from beekeepers in the future. Introduction of exotic bee mites has resulted in greater use of chemicals by beekeepers, as well as more complex regulations concerning moving bees. The coming of the African honey bee will mean greater attention to apiary management to avoid nuisance law suits and retain current bee locations. The concept of certifying operators rather than colonies as reported in the March issue of this newsletter is gaining acceptance. Two critical elements are required, according to Mr. Ladlie, to begin to develop a cadre of professionals: a credible association and a commitment to continuing education. There has been recognition of this in the bee industry. One proposal for certifying operators is being developed by NASDA in conjunction with USDA APHIS and other groups. The idea of professionalism in the craft should also be on the agenda of beekeeping associations; launching a program might be one way for groups to attract membership which appears to have greatly declined around the nation.

NHB AND THE GOODWILL GAMES

There is good news for beekeepers and others watching the Goodwill Games this summer in Seattle. Honey has been designated the official sweetener for the largest athletic event in North America in the 1990s. Over 50 countries and 2,500 athletes will be present during the period July 20 thru August 5. The event will be televised worldwide by Turner Broadcasting.

As a sponsor for the games, the National Honey Board has planned an impressive array of public relations activities including a sports drink for athletes, press kits and features on athletes using honey. In addition, honey will be mentioned on television tags and the Goodwill Games/Honey logo featured on posters, table tents and banners. Finally, U.S. honey will be promoted at the Games' International Trade Exhibition. Those of you selling honey are urged to get on the bandwagon and piggyback your efforts to get as much as possible out of these promotions.

GLINDA BURNETT WINS SUPERIOR ACCOMPLISHMENT AWARD

In 1988, the Florida Legislature authorized a State University System-wide Superior Accomplishment Awards Progam. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is one division within the University of Florida. Seven award categories within IFAS were established. Ms. Glinda Burnett was chosen a 1989 Charter Award Recipient for Clerical and Office Support in the first round of competition. This makes her eligible for the University-wide award in that category.

Many of those receiving APIS over the years know Ms. Burnett; largely through her efforts this newsletter has been typed, printed and delivered to your mailing address. In this capacity, she has come in contact with a good many beekeepers in Florida. Perhaps most have met her in conjunction with the annual Beekeepers Institute which she not only has helped to administer, but as part of the program, has also conducted food demonstrations using honey. I know many of you recognize the valuable contributions to the beekeeping extension program provided by Ms. Burnett over the years and join with me in congratulating her for receiving the first IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award.

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