APIS Volume 14, Number 12 December 1996
In this issue
- 1996 Index--Taking Stock in 1996
- 1997 4-H Essay Contest
- Extension Apiculturist on Sabbatical
- National Honey Board on the Web
- Essential Oils and Experimentation
- Seminars and Honey Bee Meetings in Florida
TAKING STOCK IN 1996
It's the time of year to step back, take a deep breath and examine 1996 through the lens of the last 11 issues of this newsletter. This number concludes the newsletter's fourteenth year of publication under the APIS name. It is the 167th consecutive monthly edition. Last December (1995), I reported that the newsletter was available on the World Wide Web. When this issue is published, all numbers back to 1989 (96 total) will be interlinked so readers can follow certain subject "threads" through time. The home page has been updated with a Java script and a guest book form that visitors can fill out. The URL has also changed, but the old one will continue to point to the new site. In July, the newsletter went interactive through a program called a listserv, which automates the electronic subscription process.
The January 1996 issue discussed honey quality in general with an emphasis on the tropics. Organic honey developments (February), the fallout from high honey prices (May and June), and passage of the referendum for the Honey Research, Promotion and Consumer Information Act that authorizes the National Honey Board (July and October) were all examined in 1996.
The pollination crisis in Australia and its connection with Florida was described in March and June. The role of the Florida bee inspection service in controlling American foulbrood as compared to the New Zealand experience (May), the situation in Argentina where this disease has been found to be resistant to antibiotics (August), and the role of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in sampling honey (March) all brought state regulatory activities into focus. The Africanized honey bee as a human health hazard was examined in April. This insect's movement in the United States was described in September, along with an analysis of its effect on Brazilian beekeeping. Articles on honey bee domestication (April and July), royal jelly as a health hazard (May and July), sex determination in honey bees (April), the number of drones mating with a queen (April), winter losses (August), and top-bar hive beekeeping (November) all got ink in 1996. Varroa control using essential oils and a possible integrated control program for the mite (October), contamination of the world beeswax supply (August), conserving honey bee diversity (October), an analysis of the newsletter's mission (June), and availability of computer software (May and June) rounded out the year.
4-H ESSAY CONTEST
Florida has had a winner at the national level in the American Beekeeping Federation's 4-H Essay Contest for the last two years (see May 1995 and June 1996 APIS). Let's make it three straight. Here are the details for the 1997 contest: Cash prizes to three top winners:
- 1st Place $250.00
- 2nd Place $100.00
- 3rd Place $ 50.00
Each state winner also receives an appropriate book about honey bees, beekeeping, or honey.
The subject of this year's contest is a "news event" in the bee colony. Some examples are "Bees Robbed of Hoard of Honey" (beekeeper harvests the honey crop); "Queen and Loyalists Flee Anarchists" (swarm leaves to set up new colony); "Helpless Drones Cast Out by Workers" (drones driven from colony in preparation for winter); and "New Queen Takes the Throne" (bees replace failing or dead queen bee).
Using a news report format, develop an essay exploring the "event" you have chosen and relate it to the life cycle of the honey bee colony and to the role of honey bees in our everyday lives. While based on facts (which must be referenced by endnotes), the tone of the essay can be sensational (as in supermarket tabloid), or straightforward (as on the evening TV news) or feature-style with "quotes" from the bees involved (as you might find in the Sunday newspaper).
The scope of the research is an essential judging criterion. 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 bees and beekeeping activities are valued sources of information and should be documented. Sources not cited in the endnotes should be listed in a "Resources" or "Bibliography" list.
RULES:
- Contest is open to active 4-H Club members only. 4-H'ers who have previously placed first, second, or third at the national level are not eligible; other state winners are eligible to reenter.
- Essays must be 750 to 1000 words long, written on the designated subject only. All factual statements must be referenced with endnotes; failure to do so will result in disqualification of the essay. A brief biographical sketch of the essayist, including date of birth, complete mailing address, and telephone number, must accompany the essay. (The word limit does not include the references or the essayist's biographical sketch.)
- Essays submitted must be typewritten, double-spaced, on one side of the paper and should follow standard manuscript format. Handwritten essays will not be judged.
- Essays will be judged on (a) accuracy, (b) creativity, (c) conciseness, (d) logical development of the topic, and (e) scope of research, which counts for 75 percent of an essay's rating.
- Essays must be forwarded via a local Florida 4-H agent. They cannot be submitted directly. Agents should forward essays directly to 4-H Essay Contest, Dr. H. Glenn Hall, Bldg. 970, Box 110620, Gainesville, FL 32611-0620. The deadline is February 7, 1997.
- Each state may submit only one entry.
- Final judging and selection of the national winner will be made by the ABF's Essay Committee, whose decision is final.
- The National Winner will be announced by May 1, 1997.
- All entries become the property of the American Beekeeping Federation, Inc., and may be published or used as it sees fit. No essay will be returned.
EXTENSION APICULTURIST ON SABBATICAL
I have been awarded a faculty development grant. This is known as a "sabbatical" in other institutions of higher education. As a consequence, I plan to visit France and Spain from February through July 1997. I have been invited by ADAPI (Association pour le Developpment de l'Apiculture Provencale), a center of extension apiculture in southern France headquartered in Aix-en-Provence. The purpose of the sabbatical is to study evolving pollination practices using both honey bees and bumblebees. France is a leader in this area (see October 1995 APIS). The full proposal is linked to this newsletter via the APIS World Wide Web site (http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/papers/sabbat.htm).
Although physically absent, I will still be "virtually" available via electronic communications. I also plan to publish a newsletter each month and maintain the APIS web site. Dr. Glenn Hall of the Entomology and Nematology faculty and Mr. Laurence Cutts, Florida's chief bee inspector, Division of Plant Industry have kindly offered to fill in for me by answering routine beerelated questions.
NATIONAL HONEY BOARD ON THE WEB
Hot on the heels of the National Honey Board's renewal (see October 1996 APIS), the organization is now on the World Wide Web (http://www.sni.net/honey/). Besides general information, the Board has included some of its valuable scientific, technical and commercial findings. The e-mail address for the page coordinator is 75604.504@compuserve.com.
ESSENTIAL OILS AND EXPERIMENTATION
Back when tracheal mites appeared on the scene, I wrote the following (May 1985 APIS): "Beekeepers have always been experimenters. And there's little doubt this kind of study has advanced the craft considerably over the centuries. The tradition continues as the current confusing situation over tracheal mites persists. I have heard that a number of beekeepers are experimentally treating colonies with a wide range of chemicals in order to "control" mite infestations. Many persons are understandably frustrated by the apparent lack of research going on to control tracheal mites. That's particularly true for those in already infested areas (now officially all of Florida) as opposed to others who stubbornly assert that no mites exist in their states or operations."
Since that time, tracheal mites have spread to almost every state and many of the concerns expressed above have given way to others about infestation by Varroa. Both parasites, however, are now being controlled. Menthol and grease patties have shown promise for tracheal mites, but remain problematic under some situations (see December 1995 APIS) and Apistan Ž is totally effective for Varroa. Given this, Dr. Mark Winston in his latest column inBee Culture, "Beekeeping and Snake Oil," (Vol. 124, No. 12, December 1996) wonders why beekeepers appear to be "reaching into the cornucopia of illegal snake-oil remedies..." He refers to beekeepers using essential oils in Varroa control (see October 1996 APIS).
Neem, Dr. Winston says, is a good example. It is not easy to get neem into beehives; the material comes in many forms and many don't dissolve in water. Neem is also an insect feeding deterrent; it may keep bees from eating food supplied by the beekeeper. Finally, neem comes in different forms that are not equal in effectiveness, and researchers trying to replicate preliminary experiments with the material have not been successful. He concludes: "...what you read about neem or wintergreen oil is simply too preliminary, too vague, and too unreliable to base your livelihood on..." Dr. Winston also goes on to express his concerns about possible bee product contamination. Dr. Winston doesn't suggest beekeepers butt out of bee research, but asks that they critically evaluate claims made in terms of numbers of replications, variables tested and statistics analyzed. Concurrently with Dr. Winston's article,American Bee Journal published a second article by Bob Noel and James Amrine, "More on Essential Oils for Mite Control," Vol. 136, No. 12, December 1996 (http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa2.htm). In the same issue, there appeared a position paper by the Executive Board of the American Association of Professional Apiculturists concluding that due to legality questions and an insufficient research base, widespread use of essential oils by beekeepers is premature. Finally, James Bach, Washington state apiarist, published a letter to the editor concerning results of discussions with Mr. Steven Tuttle who is marketing a material called "Mite Solution." Mr. Bach concludes: "It is my opinion that the product has not been tested according to scientific technique using test and control colonies and that the product cannot be shown to have had any effects on mites."
In the final analysis, of course, it will be up to the beekeeping community to determine its own course in mite control. This will certainly be the result of further experimentation by both researchers and beekeepers alike. No experiment, however, is worth much without controls, untreated colonies in the exact same state genetically, qualitatively (same stores, amount of brood) and infested to the same degree as colonies being experimentally treated. Lacking control hives for comparison, effectiveness of any treatment remains a guessing game.
SEMINARS AND HONEY BEE MEETINGS IN FLORIDA
A Honeybee Seminar is scheduled for Saturday, January 18, 1997 at the Stuart Conference Center, 1700 U.S. Hwy 17 South, Bartow, FL. This program is advertised to include presentations on beeswax production, backyard beekeeping, observation hives and honey extraction. Open-hive demonstrations and an auction of donated items will be featured. Registration includes lunch and the book First Lessons in Beekeeping. Cost is $20 before January 8 or $25 at the door. Send a check payable to Ridge Beekeepers Association, 3929 Wales St., Lake Wales, FL 33853. For further information, call 941/638-2857.
The Empire State Honey Producers Association will hold a get together on Saturday, February 8, 1997 at Archbold Biological Station in Florida. All beekeepers are invited. Speakers include Mr. Laurence Cutts of Florida's bee inspection service, Dr. Diana Sammataro from Ohio's Agriculture Research and Development Center and Dr. Nick Calderone from Cornell University. Paul Cappy will hold a bee disease demonstration.
The coordinator is Dr. Roger Morse, 123 Main Drive, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL 33960, ph 941-465-2571. The meeting will be from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., registration will be $5.00. Coffee at 9:30 a.m. and a light lunch will be available. To reach the station, take route 27 to its junction with 70. Go west on 70 about a mile then south on Old State Road 8 about a mile and half to the entrance.
Two weekends of beekeeping information will again be on the docket in Clay County. On Saturday, February 15, 1997, a basic beginners' workshop will be held for those desiring information on how to set up a beehive. It will be based on video presentations with discussions held by state bee inspector Tom Mozer and Clay County extension director Ray Zerba.
The second workshop, Saturday, February 22, 1997, will be oriented toward those already tending honey bees (master beekeeper session). Mr. Laurence Cutts, Florida's chief apiary inspector, and Troy Fore, editor of The Speedy Bee, will be featured speakers. The cost is $10 per workshop which includes teaching materials and a Bar-B-Que lunch. Make checks payable to the 4-H Youth Foundation/BEESC, Post Office Box 278, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043- 0278. The venue will be at the Clay County Cooperative Extension Service, Exhibition Bldg., four miles west of Green Cove Springs, 2463 State Rd. 16W.
Sincerely,
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
©1996 M.T. Sanford "All Rights Reserved
