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"BeeScience" Feb. 1995 vol.3 #4
Published by Wicwas Press
P.O. Box 817
Cheshire, CT 06410
Phone & Fax 203-250-7575
E-Mail [log in to unmask]
 
Subscription USA $25.
non-USA Address  $30.
 
Hello All who may read this post!
 
  I have found the "BEE SCIENCE" a good way to keep up on some of the
scientific papers and abstracts not published in other journals. Not
because they are not worthy but because there is just more then all
the bee journals can accommodate, and unless you have active academic
contacts with-in the bee science community it is impossible to follow
what is being done in a timely manner. The subscription brings you 4
issues and depending on what is going on may cover more then a year. I
never have figured out Larry Connor's billing system, so if you are
interested just send him the $25., you will get your monies worth of Bee
Science. This is not a how to keep bee's publication, mostly scientific
papers, abstracts, and views of us beekeeper's for academic and research
science perspectives. (We are not all the same.)
 
  I found issue #4, the last issue of volume 3 to contain several
papers and abstracts that I was interested in. One was a paper dealing
with the "grease patties" that go in and out of favor with beekeepers
every 10 years or so. Right now in this area they are being used because
beekeepers believe they help reduce the number of varroa mites.
According to this paper on work done here in California this is not
true. That is not to say that grease patties are not good for other
uses such as giving drugs, increasing brood rearing, and the effect
it may have on the "T" mites.
 
  Several abstract's from the Ninth Research Conference really caught my
eye on Afrikaner Bees. One was about a talk or paper give by Dr. Ferro
of Mexico City, one of the most densely populated places in the world
and how since 1986 when these Brazilian Killer's arrived in Mexico, his
Mexico City has only had one death from them. His objective (job?) has
been to protect the honey industry and at the same time protect human
health from sting's from honey bees. He must be doing a good Job! Anyway
the abstract goes on to report on the many places swarms have been found
and eliminated, one of note was 100 holes (swarms) in a one church. Must
have been a big church or a cathedral or something.
 
  Another abstract or note on the conference was of DNA work, (same as
done in OJ's trial), was done on the Africanized honey bees found in
Tucson and Southern Arizona by Gerry Loper and others during 1993-94.
Considering the first Afro bee's were only found in June 1993 by fall
of 1994,...(wouldn't you know it)
 
 "All of southern Arizona has been infested, including Indian
reservation land." (look out California beekeeper's the time is
near, we're next)
 
  I have no doubts of this myself as I am very familiar with the very
productive bee's in this area of the state myself. I can agree with the
results but not the invasion theory.  The DNA work was done on 27
hives, 50 percent were Afro, and 5 more showed conditional, (whatever
that is), Africanization. (Look out the Juice is going to be loose.)
 
  One conference report on AFB and Afro bee's showed that they are
less able to uncap dead brood then European bees in Costa Rica.
 
Another paper showed that in Texas bee's normally moved in to an area to
pollinate melon's diluted the local Afro drone population from 38-40% to
2.7-9% after the pollination bee's were moved in. Test's on the
resulting progeny appeared to be very European, (which is no surprise to
this old drone at all).
 
   Maybe the most interesting abstract was by one William Remires-B,
of the University of Costa Rica who since 1986 has collected 400 Afro
swarms at his home with only "ONE" sting. These swarms arrive in January
through April with the peak in March, (very similar to some California
coastal locations). He also say's he believes these Afro bee's need big
brood rearing areas, and manages his colonies with large brood areas to
reduce swarming, also reports Afro invasions are rare, and he has only
seen one.
 
    Well no doubt some will say my review had made "Bee Science" look
like the "STAR" check out stand fish wrapper, it is not, and a
worthwhile addition of a high quality scientific journal for anyone
with $25 bucks that want's to know what's going on in the beekeeping
research world as opposed to real life among the bee's.
 
                              ttul Andy-
 
 
(c)Permission to reproduce, granted.
Opinions are not necessarily facts.
Free advice is the most expensive.
---
 ~ Wild Bee's BBS, a HONEY of a BBS (209) 826-8107
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