APIS Volume 9, Number 4, April 1991
In this issue
- African Bees--Misinformation
- Honey Recipes-National Honey Board
- Panhandle Feeding Study in Bee Science
- Bee Science Magazine--A New Journal
AFRICAN BEES--THE CASE OF MISINFORMATION
I am continually amazed by misinformation in the media concerning the African bee. My mother-in-law sent me an article from the Atlanta Constitution, April 9, 1991, which is a showcase example of what gets into print.
The title of the article, "The Battle of the Bees," starts things off on a confusing note. Does the phrase mean people are battling bees or that there is internecine warfare among the insects themselves? The most eyecatching part of the article is a photograph showing two bees side by side. The caption reads: "Looks deceive: An Africanized bee (left) and a honeybee (right) look the same, but are different in temperament."
The rather dark photo shows that the insects do look similar, but the caption implies that the Africanized bee is not a honey bee. This perpetuates the myth that African bees are so different, they aren't honey bees at all. The most problematic thing about the African bee phenomenon is that both are honey bees and there's really very little difference between them. If the African variety had two heads instead of one, and a stinger three inches long, there wouldn't be the controversy that exists today among different groups concerning its impact on beekeepers and the rest of society.
A few other quotes are worth noting. "The first signs of an invasion came last October, when a swarm of 3,000 of the bees crossed from Mexico and tried to set up a hive near the Texas city of Hidalgo." To the average person, 3,000 bees is excessive. Put in perspective, however, the total weight of that many bees is less than a pound. It takes three times as many individuals bees to make a package for shipment through the mail. This size swarm is the kind that would be classified as marginal and unlikely to survive by a potential beekeeper collector.
"In Texas, the anticipated coming of the bees, which are so aggressive in their swarming behavior that they are popularly known as 'k----- bees,' has caused public anxiety." It's not so much the bees as this statement that causes anxiety. Swarming behavior is not aggressive. Swarms of bees are passive regardless of their genetics because they have no home to defend. The source of this quote is probably that African bees are more aggressive swarmers, meaning they swarm more than European bees.
"A group of African bees escaped from a Brazilian lab and began breeding with domestic bees, resulting in a fierce hybrid prone to swarming and delivering multiple stings to victims. Hordes of the bees have since been moving north." Given what we know about the news business these days, it is understandable that the words "fierce","hordes", and "victims" have been overemphasized in this article, but the use of "multiple stings" is the most obvious error. All honey bees sting only once; the stinger remains in the victim; the venom is the same. The term probably came from a source saying that many more Africanized bees usually attack. In fact, the article is accompanied by graphs showing both reaction and cooling off times associated with the two kinds of bees. The former is 3 seconds for African bees compared to 19 seconds for "honeybees" and the latter is 2 to 3 minutes for "honeybees" but one-half hour or more for Africanized bees.
"Africanized bees have been blamed for stinging to death hundreds of people in Latin America, and have been the subject of at least five horror movies." No source is credited for the first statement. However, the fact that the bees have been featured in horror movies seems to be enough justification for it. If we continued this line of thought, we might conclude that all people are just like the crazies featured in other horror movies like "Psycho", "Friday the Thirteenth", and "Nightmare on Elm Street."
The article discusses a few prominent naysayers who have publicly declared the African bee's reputation to be a "bum rap." This provides the kind of controversy that the press revels in. To give the writer some credit, at least the fact that honey bees pollinate crops is explained: "Georgia farmers and fruit growers use honeybees extensively to pollinate...The colonies are placed in the field to spread pollen." Does this indicate the colonies are the source of pollen, rather than the bees simply transferring it?
After having given numerous interviews concerning the African bee situation, it is easy to commiserate with whomever the sources were that were contacted by the article's writer. I do not know how many times my comments have been misinterpreted and I have been misquoted on this issue. However, I continue to provide information in the hope that it will be used effectively. To this end, I am updating Hint for the Hive #114, "Information on the African Honey Bee." If you would like a copy, I'll send you one on request when it is reprinted.
For those who might want to further investigate the situation, a book has just been published by Westview Press. It is edited by M. Spivak, D. Fletcher and M. Breed and is called: The African Honey Bee. The volume includes some 424 pages and includes chapters on Systematics and Identification, The Spread of Africanized Bees and the Africanization Process, Population Biology, Ecology and Diseases, Defensive Behavior and Beekeeping in South America.
The book was published in January, 1991 and is the most up-to-date volume in its field. It is available in hardback only and costs $55.00, although a flier sent to me advertises a reduction of 20% to $44.00. For information, contact Westview Press, Customer Service Department, 5500 Central Ave., Boulder, CO 80301, ph 303/444-3541. VISA and MasterCard are accepted.
HONEY RECIPES
The National Honey Board has released two collections of recipes that are available to the industry for promotional purposes. The results of the Woman's Day recipe contest are published in the booklet: "Honey: The Natural Winner." It includes the three top recipes and thirteen runner ups. This slick brochure contains information on how to make various breads, muffins, pies and main courses. There's even a recipe for fudgesicles. Copies are available at $.50 each.
"Honey, The Golden Touch" is an update of the popular brochure published by the National Honey Board. It highlights sauces, toppings and spreads. This publication of seven recipes is being made available without cost to assessment-paying supporters of the board. Each supporter is limited to 1,000 per calendar year. State and local beekeeping associations may also receive supplies for fairs, annual meetings and other events.
It is suggested that providing a copy of "Honey, The Golden Touch" with each jar of honey sold is a good way to keep your customers coming back. For ordering information on either of the brochures above, contact Gretchen Frederick, National Honey Board, 421 21st Ave. #203, Longmont, CO 80501-1421, ph 303/776-2337.
PANHANDLE FEEDING STUDY
"A Florida Honey-Bee Feeding Study Using the Beltsville Bee Diet (R)" has just been published in Bee Science, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp 72- 76. This study was done with the cooperation of Warren Johnson, bee inspector for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It was an outgrowth of the unexplained bee loss suffered in the Panhandle area from 1986-1988. The abstract reads as follows:
"Large-scale honey bee colony dieoffs (up to 90%) occurred during 1986, 1987 and 1988 in Florida's panhandle near Tallahassee. Causes for these events were unknown, but the honey bee tracheal mite (recently introduced), chronic pollen shortage and other factors were suspected. A feeding study was designed to test for nutritional deficits. Sixty-nine pairs of colonies were selected by beekeepers in the area and managed identically except that one of each pair was fed the Beltsville Bee Diet (R). The majority of colonies fed the diet consumed it, but the data gathered were inconclusive concerning the effects of the experimental treatment. Many factors may have influenced the results, including incomplete reporting by beekeeper- participants. Cloudy wing virus was found in one and chronic paralysis virus in two of eight samples examined from colonies in the process of dieoff."
The paper provides a summary of the problems encountered and a detailed explanation of the research methods and results. If you would like a copy, drop me a line.
BEE SCIENCE A NEW JOURNAL
A new journal dedicated to bees and beekeeping is now being published by Wicwas Press. It's entitled Bee Science and will be published quarterly. This will be a bonafide scientific journal; papers in Bee Science will be peer reviewed. The publication will also contain special features, including a section on understanding bee science which will try to bridge the gap between scientists and non-scientists. It will also report on industry news and events.
This is the first "all bee" scientific journal to be published in North America. According to Dr. Connor, there is an increase in the number of papers being published about bees and pollination, reflecting the fascination many scientists have with bees and the pressure to study critical problem areas. Bee Science will provide the necessary space to rapidly get these papers into print. The focus of the publication is speed and as such, the editor asks for copy to be sent on computer diskette. be published quarterly The subscription cost of Bee Science is a reasonable $20.00. It is a must for those who want sophisticated, yet comprehensible information on the honey bee and other related hymenoptera. For up- to-date information on ordering, contact Wicwas Press, P.O. Box 817-L, Cheshire, CT 60410-0817, ph 203/2507575. Credit cards are accepted.
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
©1991 M.T. Sanford "All Rights Reserved
