FILENAME:  FEBAPIS.93
 
            Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter
    Apis--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764)
               Volume 11, Number 2, February 1993
 
                 IN SEARCH OF A MANAGEMENT PLAN
 
     Dr. Keith Delaplane, Georgia Extension Beekeeping Specialist,
said at the recent meeting of the American Beekeeping Federation in
Kansas City that 1988 was a pivotal year in U.S. beekeeping.  It
was the first time a pesticide had been labeled for use inside a
living honey bee hive.  This event has led to the realization by
regulators and beekeepers alike that eradication of tracheal mites,
Varroa mites and African honey bees is not possible.  That leaves
the beekeeping industry no alternative but to manage the
populations of these organisms so they remain at low levels and
cause as few problems as possible.
 
     With all of the above in mind, the Apiary Inspectors of
America (AIA) has drafted a model pest management plan.  No
regulatory or management plan is perfect, according to Mr. Marion
Ellis, Nebraska State Apiarist and one of the drafters of the model
plan.  The perfect bee law, he said, also at the Kansas City
meeting, would have only two articles:
 
1.  All diseased colonies be burned.
2.  Regulations would only be enforced on competitors.
 
Although there are problems with any bee law, Mr. Ellis concluded,
he urged not to trade good for perfect by discarding all
regulations.
 
The details of the model pest management plan are still under
discussion by various groups.  In order to widen the dialogue, I
have decided to reprint here what was written about each of the
above problems and specific recommendations to deal with each.
Comments or questions can be mailed to me and I will transmit them
to the authors.
 
Honey Bee Tracheal Mite (HBTM) (Acarapis woodi):  Beekeepers in the
U.S. have had to contend with tracheal mite and an array of
differing regulations since 1984.  The pest has been devastating
primarily to northern beekeepers.  It is no longer regulated.  A
significant development is the emergence of resistant bee
populations (many susceptible populations appear to have been
eliminated), especially the "Buckfast" bee.  Two products have been
labeled for control and mite populations can also be suppressed by
management (making splits and requeening) and by locating bees in
favorable areas for nectar secretion and overwintering.  The ideal
pest management strategy is to employ all of the above (genetic
resistance, chemicals, and management).
 
Specific management recommendations are:
 
1.  Monitor the level of HBTM infestation periodically via
microscopic examination.
 
2.  Select for resistant stock by rearing queens from hives
exhibiting vigor and low level HBTM infestation in apiaries which
are suffering losses due to HBTM infestation.
 
3.  If treatment is warranted, use only registered pesticides
according to the label directions.
 
4.  Treat colonies early in the spring and during the late
summer/fall season prior to the production of "winter bees."  Late
fall treatment after brood rearing has ceased does little to
minimize winter mortality.  One possible explanation is that the
honey bees have already had their lives shortened by parasitism and
possible viral transmission via the mite's feeding behavior.
 
5.  Assess the merit in treating weak, heavily infested colonies.
Elimination of these hives may prove beneficial in the long term.
Perpetuating susceptible lines is one result of relying on
pesticide usage.
 
6.  If pesticide treatment is the method of choice for managing
HBTM populations, consider rotating pesticide treatments.  Chemical
rotation will slow the development of mite resistance.
 
7.  Get back to beekeeping basics such as regular requeening of
colonies and feeding fumagillin for nosema control.  Eliminate or
bolster weak hives with young bees and capped brood from strong,
healthy colonies.
 
Varroa Mite (Varroa jacobsoni):  Since detection in 1987, Varroa
has quickly spread throughout the U.S.  Varroa mite management
recommendations and various state rules are based on nuisance
abatement rather than eradication.  They are intended to reduce
treatment frequency, cost and "invasion potential" (re-infestation)
by mites after nearby colonies collapse.  They establish an action
threshold which recommends that beekeepers treat when mites' levels
are found to exceed the threshold.
 
Beekeepers are encouraged to monitor their colonies and treat on an
annual basis (more frequently in some areas) when Varroa is
present.  Treatment should be done during the fall or early spring
when brood rearing is minimal.  An important aspect of Varroa
control is for all beekeepers in an infested area to treat at the
same time of year to reduce re-infestation from untreated colonies.
 
 
Currently, two pesticides are registered for Varroa control.  The
beekeeping industry must avoid the treadmill of pesticide
dependence.  It should promote methods to develop pesticide use
specifically and selectively and with particular concern for the
damage threshold of mites attacked, so that unnecessary treatments
are avoided.  Varroa has been prevented from causing catastrophic
damage, but mite resistance to pesticides is a real problem in
other agricultural industries and will be so for beekeeping unless
extreme precaution and common sense are followed.
 
Local and regional mite activity will vary due to climate and
geography.  Beekeepers are encouraged to actively participate in
organizations and seek out regulatory and extension officials for
current information on pesticide use.  Specific management
recommendations are:
 
1.  Sample apiaries during early spring and at regular intervals
throughout the brood rearing period via a sampling technique such
as the ether roll, alcohol shake or sticky-board detection method.
 
2.  Sample a minimum of 10% of the colonies within the apiary.
Concentrate on colonies at the end of rows or from those which
appear abnormal.
 
3.  Operations which have Varroa infestations should treat with a
labeled pesticide during the fall.  A treatment early in spring
prior to honey production or interstate movement for pollinating
purposes is also recommended.  When all crop pollinating colonies
are treated prior to movement, the risk of infestation by nearby
untreated operations is reduced.
 
4.  Avoid treatment at the colony level.  Treatment of the apiary
or operation is more effective and easier to track.
 
5.  Keep a log to document the treatment period and pesticide used.
 
6.  Perform a post treatment survey on a small percentage of
colonies via the ether roll or alcohol shake method.  Post-
treatment surveys will identify any problems such as resistance or
poor pest control.  Avoid pest treatment surveys with the same
pesticide used in treating colonies, otherwise, if there is
pesticide resistance it will not be evident.
 
7.  Rotate pesticides in order to slow the development of
resistance by Varroa to a particular compound.
 
8.  Coordinate treatment periods with beekeepers in the area.  This
can be accomplished via local, state and regional beekeeping
associations.  When determining a treatment period, consider the
biology of the mite, honey bee, and beekeeping management routine
in the area.  If possible, avoid treatment when it contradicts
biological or management constraints.
 
9.  Varroa infestation should be controlled before large
populations build within colonies.  Several states have established
"action thresholds" or infestation levels which require treatment.
Generally speaking, when Varroa mite counts exceed ten mites per
ether roll per sample of 250 honey bees, treatment is warranted.
Determination of an action threshold based on scientific research
should be a priority of the beekeeping industry.
 
10.  Open feeding of sugar syrup and honey is discouraged.  Open
feeding has never been an efficient or cost effective method of
feeding colonies.  Generally speaking, it promotes robbing and
defensive behavior.  Often the strong hives in an area are the ones
which gather the feed, while weak hives are robbed out or at best
gather little syrup.  Open feeding provides the opportunity for the
spread of Varroa between apiaries.  In addition, open feeding of
syrup has caused the death of both cattle and deer when large
amounts have been consumed by these animals.
 
11.  It is likely that certain colonies will exhibit some
resistance to Varroa.  These colonies should be identified and
brought to the attention of bee breeders and/or researchers so the
industry can work toward a genetic solution to the Varroa problem.
 
Africanized Honey Bee (AHB):  The Africanized honey bee will
present both management and public relations challenges to
America's beekeepers.  It is incumbent on beekeepers, government
and the agricultural community to be proactive in projecting a
positive image within the community.  The Agricultural Extension
Service needs to develop a national public relations campaign
similar to those developed by the Mexican Department of Agriculture
and Texas A&M.  Beekeepers must exercise common sense and operate
under a "code of ethics" which precludes nuisance situations.  Even
under the best scenario, it is inevitable that certain communities
will restrict beekeeping in coming years as a reaction to a
perceived threat from AHB, or more likely, due to inconsiderate
actions on the part of a few beekeepers.
 
Growers dependent on honey bees for pollination must also work
toward projecting a positive image to the public.  Growers and
beekeepers should establish apiary sites with minimal potential for
interaction with the public.  Placement of colonies near high
traffic areas must be avoided.  Hedgerows should planted along
roads when necessary to screen the view of colonies and divert the
flight path of bees above roads, etc.  Growers can also provide
water sources for hives while they are in staging areas and in the
field as many nuisance problems arise from the bees' need for
water.
 
On October 24-26, 1991, the USDA and NASDA sponsored a workshop in
order to develop a Model Honey Bee Certification Plan (see full
text in APIS, January, 1992).  Representatives of the honey bee
industry, user groups, regulators and researchers participated in
the development of a certification plan that addressed various bee
diseases and Africanized bees.  At this meeting a consensus was
reached with regard to AHB, recognizing the diminishing state
resources available for apiary inspection and certification.  A
philosophy based upon self-help and management practices rather
than strict regulations was deemed the only workable approach in
addressing AHB.  Specific management recommendations are:
 
1.  Colony management for the purpose of stock certification should
be consistent with the recommendations developed at the USDA/NASDA
workshop.
 
2.  Queens should be purchased or produced from certified stock.
 
3.  Locate colonies of bees away from roads so the bees do not
interfere with vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
 
4.  Avoid placing colonies near or on utility (power lines,
underground cables, pipelines) right of ways unless permission is
granted.
 
5.  Avoid placing colonies near schools, municipal recreation areas
(especially swimming facilities), parks, picnic grounds or other
locations which may encourage adverse honey bee/public
interactions.  Areas with water sources or a sugar source from
trash cans, soft drink vendors, etc., aren't conducive to positive
public reactions.
 
6.  Open air feeding of honey and sugar syrup is not recommended as
it promotes defensive behavior by the bees and the spread of
diseases or pests.
 
7.  Provide clean water sources in apiaries that do not have
natural supplies of water or in areas with residential swimming
pools.
 
8.  Locate staging yards away from populated areas even if only a
few houses are nearby.  Staging yards tend to have defensive
colonies.
 
9.  Park trucks loaded with full supers away from areas frequented
by people, especially when stopping at a store for a drink, etc.
Many bees remain in the supers during honey removal.  The best
approach is to net honey laden supers.
 
10.  All loads of bees should be netted or screened even when
moving at night.
 
11.  Requeen colonies that exhibit consistent defensive behavior.
 
12.  Try to manipulate colonies during optimal weather conditions
and advise landowners, especially those with livestock, when major
manipulations such as honey harvest are to be performed.
 
Conclusion:  Developing a model beekeeping management plan will
require input from beekeepers, growers, researchers, extension
educators, and others.  A successful pest management plan must be
based upon a thorough understanding of the host-pest-disease
complex.  Apiary management routines vary according to geographic
region and climate and pest management strategies must reflect
these differences.
 
 
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
BITNET Address: MTS@IFASGNV
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