APIS Volume 11, Number 4, April 1993
In this issue
- Phil Packard Dies
- Chronicle Guidance Publications
- EPA Office for Pesticide Problems
- Honey Labelling
- Queen Rearing Rebounds
- Swarm--What's in a Word?
- Tracheal Mite--Another Case for Resistance
PHIL PACKARD DIES
While attending my first Florida State Beekeepers meeting, an imposing figure in the lobby of the hotel where the meeting took place grabbed my attention. He walked unsteadily on a cane, blustered and intimidated those around him. I, too, being new to the Florida beekeeping scene, was somewhat awed. His presence conjured up images of the Stevenson's, Long John Silver. Later I realized that, like that pirate, his bark was worse than his bite. But it was this first impression that held my mind's eye when I learned of his death.
Phil Packard could only be described as a Florida beekeeping institution. He served as Florida's Chief Apiarist for 15 years (1961-1976). During his tenure, he was president of the Apiary Inspectors of America, as well as the Florida State Beekeepers Association. He helped found one of the most active local groups (Tampa Bay) and served as director to the American Beekeeping Federation. After his retirement, Mr. Packard continued to run a queen rearing and pollination business in the Homestead area. Part of his honey house was blown away by Hurricane Andrew last August.
When Mr. Laurence Cutts and I tried to determine what to write about Phil Packard in this space, it was apparent that in spite of all the years involved with beekeeping, we didn't have much information about him. What is clear is that another pioneer beekeeper has been lost and the industry will be poorer as a result.
CHRONICLE GUIDANCE PUBLICATIONS
We often hear in meetings that there is little young blood coming into beekeeping. Because of this it is generally recommended that more information on bees and apiculture should get out to public schools and other educational institutions. Beekeepers have now joined the ranks of other occupations described by leaflets published by Chronicle Guidance Publications.
Beekeepers is the title of a four-page brief (#518) from Chronicle. It provides an overview of what beekeepers are and a description of the work involved. These handouts and are made available to a number of places, including public schools, community colleges, employment agencies and libraries.
If your library or school doesn't have information of this sort, copies of this brief can be ordered by calling 1-800-622-7284. There is minimum order of $5 and prepayment will be requested for orders under $35.
EPA OFFICE FOR PESTICIDE PROBLEMS
If a beekeeper is not satisfied with a product advertised to control a disease or parasite, what are the options? The manufacturer is usually the first place to turn to. But if satisfaction is not possible this way, there are few options left. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does have an office which will look into the matter. If you have pesticide concerns, then send a description of the problem, the name of the product, the registration number and batch number to Mr. Dennis Edwards, Jr., Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, H-7505C, US-EPA, 401 M. St., Washington, D.C. 204060, ph 703/305- 6386.
HONEY LABELLING
According to the National Honey Board, recent legislative changes will mean a redesigning of many food labels. Thus, there is no better time to consider the information on your product and how it might be changed.
With this in mind, the Board has published a brochure entitled: Giving Your Honey Label Appeal Can Sweeten Your Honey Sales. This is a nifty item and it's jam packed with ideas and information about honey labelling. Subjects in this publication include: honey labelling research methodology, the "new" nutritional labelling regulations as they apply to honey, uniform product codes (UPC) applicable to the product, and correctly designating weights and measures. Other items include country of origin labelling and how the bees themselves should be portrayed on a product.
The information also answers several important questions that every honey seller will no doubt have. These include when nutritional information is required and what size operations are exempt. Most new labelling regulations will go into effect May 8, 1994, however, any rules pertaining to "health claims" will be implemented May 8, 1993. The brochure recommends finding a local advertising firm or student to design a professional-looking label and provides an address so that the final result can be reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration. To request a copy of this brochure, write the National Honey Board, Label Brochure, 421 21st Ave. #203, Longmont, CO 80501, ph 303/776-2337.
When the new Federal regulations go into effect, they will supersede most state requirements. Presently, however, Florida has its own labelling regulations. They are available as Hint for the Hive 107: "Florida Honey Labelling Regulations." I also have copies of Hint for the Hive 106: "Honey House Sanitation and the Florida Food Law." Write or call for copies.
BEEKEEPERS INSTITUTE
It's not too early to make plans to attend this year's Beekeepers Institute at 4-H Camp Ocala, August 13-15, 1993. This year's focus will be queen rearing and breeding, including instrumental insemination. Dr. Hachiro Shimanuki of the Agricultural Research Service's Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, MD, will also be in residence. Dr. Shimanuki is one of the authors of the model certification plan many states are adopting for both African honey bees and other diseases and pests.
The costs of the Institute are expected to be the same as last year for full participants ($65.00). A late charge of $20 will be charged after August 6. The one-day only charge has been raised to $40. A brochure describing the Institute that includes registration forms, will be mailed to the APIS mailing list in late June or early July.
NEVIS BEEKEEPER PROBLEMS
I have received a plea for help. The little island of Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean has been hit by a disaster. The hugely successful Nevis Beekeeper Cooperative was gutted by fire February 2, 1993. All extracting and candle-making equipment was lost, as well as a good deal of woodenware and other items. Rebuilding and replacing the facility is estimated to cost $30,000. Donations of cash, new equipment or other "in-kind" support are being requested throughout the Caribbean. If you believe you can help in any way, please contact Ms. Ann Macmillan at Florida Volunteer Corps (FAVA/CA), 1311 Executive Center Drive, Suite 202, Tallahassee, FL 32301, ph 904/877-4705, FAX 904/942-5798.
QUEEN REARING REBOUNDS
Is queen rearing rebounding in Florida? The state's queen industry was essentially killed by discovery of and then deregulation for tracheal mites. It didn't help when Varroa mites were detected just a few years later. With passing of time, however, the rest of the U.S. is now considered generally infested with both mites. Inclement weather this year in many traditional rearing areas is causing a demand for queens from Florida. Several operators who didn't market for several years are back in business.
Whether a queen rearing trend will continue is not yet clear, but signs are hopeful that this will be the case. Florida is also in an enviable position. It will probably be one of the last states in the southern tier to be invaded by the African honey bee. Thus, European queens will be available longer from the sunshine state than many others.
SWARM--WHAT'S IN A WORD
Recently, on a field trip to northern Mexico, I was forced to rexamine the meaning of the word "swarm." Almost every reference book on beekeeping defines this term as an agglomeration of honey bees issuing from a spontaneously dividing colony, when half of the population goes elsewhere in search of a home. This is the reproductive swarm and is the model that those keeping European bees know all too well.
But there is another kind of "swarm." This is the absconding or migrating swarm, where honey bees simply abandon their nest and go in search of another site. Rarely seen in European honey bees, the migrating swarm is quite commonly associated with the African bees now moving through northern Mexico. These migrating swarms are not as big as the reproductive ones and also have few, if any, drones associated with them. The migratory swarms are often associated with moisture availability and prolonged rainfall can cause a great increase in numbers. These bees are so quick to abscond that it becomes a real management problem for beekeepers.
While visiting the research headquarters of Dr. Orley "Chip" Taylor south of the Texas border in early March, I saw a large number of migrating swarms. However, the season for reproductive swarms was just beginning and that type would supersede the migrating ones for another two months or so. The typical reproductive swarming pattern in the area, according to Dr. Taylor, who's now observed the bees in the area for three years, is similar to the European bee model. But factored in is the migratory (absconding) swarming season that occurs from perhaps November to March and then from July through November now that the African bee is present.
In other words, one might see "swarming" in northern Mexico at any time of the year. Given these two kinds of swarms, how is one to interpret the often cited information regarding swarming in African bees? They do indeed appear to "swarm" more often than Europeans. However, the fact that there are two distinct types of swarms can muddy perceptions by bee scientists and beekeepers alike who have only experience with the reproductive kind found in European honey bees. This is one example of how the arrival of a feral African honey bee population will force us all to reconsider many of our previous notions about beekeeping techniques.
TRACHEAL MITE--ANOTHER CASE FOR RESISTANCE
My recent trip to Northern Mexico revealed that problems with tracheal mite in that region described in the mid and late 1980s have abated. The reason is not clear, but a good guess is that susceptible stocks have been naturally replaced by those more resistant to the mite. This pattern of disastrous infestation followed by recovery has repeated itself elsewhere. It is instructive, for example, to look at an article first published by John Anderson about Isle of Wight disease associated with tracheal mite in the Scottish Journal of Agriculture. Vol. 6, pp. 181-191 and reprinted in The Speedy Bee, Vol. 21, No. 4, April, 1992. I cannot give justice to the full article here, but am selecting quotes which are revealing about the course of tracheal mite disease from 1906 to 1920:
"Stocks affected rapidly dwindle, and usually succumb in about a month or six weeks, leaving their stores, and often a quantity of brood. The queen appears to keep healthy and survives to the last....A pasty mass of pollen grains is contained in the 'colon' or lower bowel of the bee and the insect appears to have lost the power of voiding it. Pressure on the abdomen will often rupture both the colon and body-wall. Bees crawling...will revive if warmed and fed, but the power of flight will not be regained."
"Bees have recovered after treatment with numerous cures, but they are found to recover quite as often when left untreated. This disease is fluctuating in character, and we have thus perfectly honest testimony to the virtues of a long list of specifics from disinfectants like bacterol, yadil and dioxygen down to flowers of sulphur and aromatic chalk. Any treatment...whether by drugs or otherwise, that would prolong the life of susceptible stocks of bees would distinctly hinder regeneration of British bees."
"Nature has succeeded where man has conspicuously failed...there is a large body of evidence that recovery is well advanced in the regions first attacked. The character of the disease...changed somewhat in recent years. When first noticed it was worse in summer, but now it was seen chiefly in the late autumn and spring. Isle of Wight disease used to kill bees in a week or two. We have here one more illustration of nature's way with an infectious disease. Bees differ in their power of resisting this disease...The susceptible bees tend to die out, but this only makes more room for...the more resistant."
"We must replace susceptible bees by resistant bees. When buying fresh stock we must carefully avoid bees from the few secluded glens that the disease has not yet reached...We should rather buy bees from surviving stocks in districts already swept by the disease. Even without co-operation of the beekeeper, biological law will in due course relegate Isle of Wight disease to a position of little importance. But why should we stand by?"
Malcolm T. Sanford
Bldg 970, Box 110620
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-0620
Phone (904) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: 904-392-0190
BITNET Address: MTS@IFASGNV
INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
