FILENAME:  JANAPIS.92
 
            Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter
    Apis--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764)
                Volume 10, Number 1, January 1992
 
    DELIBERATIONS OF THE FLORIDA HONEY BEE TECHNICAL COUNCIL
 
     The Florida Honey Bee Technical Council, which advises
Agriculture Commissioner Crawford on issues relating to the
beekeeping industry, met December 19.  Deliberations of this body
resulted in several recommendations.  One had to do with the
meeting in St. Louis that hammered out a model state certification
plan (see subsequent articles).  The Council unanimously approved
a resolution stating that it concurred with the concept of
certification and asked the Commissioner's representatives to
develop a strategy for implementing and funding a program based on
the document developed in St. Louis.
 
     A split vote in the council resulted in concurring with
beekeeper registration fees as proposed (published in the October,
1991 APIS) by the Division of Plant Industry.  This was in spite of
rejection of the idea by the Florida State Beekeepers Association
at its annual meeting in early November.  A major force driving the
decision was the real possibility that the program would be lost,
if it were not partially self funded.  The registration fees are
expected to fund only about 20 percent of the Apiary bureau's
operating budget.
 
     A final recommendation sent to the Commissioner was to accept
the use of one new Apistan (R) strip to certify movement of Varroa-
infested colonies, instead of two.  This was based on data from the
University of Florida; it was emphasized that the information is
preliminary only, and does not purport to replace standard advice
concerning treatment of colonies using two strips.  The Apiary
bureau will monitor the procedure to determine how effective it is
in Varroa control.  All the above recommendations were subsequently
taken under consideration by the Commissioner.  They have now been
accepted and the Apiary Bureau is implementing them.
 
     Another point of business at the Council meeting was
application for emergency (Section 18) registration of Amitraz for
tracheal mite control.  At this point, there is not enough
information available to Mr. Cutts concerning actual damage done by
tracheal mites in Florida beehives for the application to go
forward.  He is circulating a questionnaire on the issue to all
registered beekeepers in the state. If you don't receive one,
please contact Mr. Cutts, Division of Plant Industry, Apiary
Bureau, 904/372-3505, Ext. 128 or your local bee inspector.
 
               MODEL HONEY BEE CERTIFICATION PLAN
 
     The document developed at the St. Louis Certification workshop
is being published in the bee journals and elsewhere.  The industry
owes a debt of gratitude to Drs. H. Shimanuki, Agricultural
Research Service, and A. Dietz, USDA\APHIS, for initially drafting
the document that was subsequently modified from ideas generated at
the workshop.  I am paraphrasing it here:
 
     Introduction - Contains rationalizations for regulations to
"protect the honey bee industry."
 
     African Honey Bees - Recommends doing everything possible to
"retard the spread" and "foster the hybridization process."
Research suggests that drone saturation will keep mismatings to
below 10% in areas where Africanized wild colonies exist.
Implementation of this part requires participation of the entire
beekeeping industry, but through "self-help, rather than a rigid
regulatory protocol."  Quarantines will be "imposed in areas
invaded by Africanized bee swarms."  State apiary programs would be
responsible for delimiting surveys and monitoring movement along
with disease inspection.  USDA/APHIS would "provide technical
assistance to states that are developing Africanized bee monitoring
programs."
 
     The term "quarantine" should not be construed as "no bee
movement," but translated as "orderly bee movement."  In other
parts of the document, this word has been replaced where possible
by "regulated area."  When an area becomes "Africanized," and
declared "regulated," all managed colonies will be allowed to move
out for a period of three months without colonies needing to be
certified as European.  Beekeepers staying after that period who
might wish to move out in the future, should mark or clip all
queens or face additional criteria for European certification as
noted below.  Those who wish to remain in the regulated area can do
so indefinitely without restrictions.
 
     CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR EUROPEAN HONEY BEES  - Colonies
without clipped or marked queens in regulated areas will be
permitted to move from a regulated zone to a non-regulated zone if
requeened with (1) certified breeder queens; (2) queens produced
from certified breeder queens (to be called certified production
queens); or (3) certified queen cells.  Colonies may also be
certified to move using the current USDA identification method
known as FABIS or USDA-ID.
 
     A certified breeder queen is one in which the progeny can be
certified as European by: a) Fast Africanized Bee Identification
System (FABIS); b) Official Universal System for the Detection of
Africanized honey bees (USDA-ID); and c) any other APHIS-approved
identification technique.  Queens produced and mated in areas free
of Africanized honey bees will not require certification.  All
certified breeder queens must be clipped and marked.  These queens
can be used to produce other certified breeder queens or drone-
producing colonies.
 
     A certified production queen is one produced from larvae of a
certified breeder queen.  Certified production queens cannot be
used to produce other certified production queens, but can be used
as drone-producing colonies.
 
     A certified queen cell is any containing a larva from a
certified breeder queen.  The resulting queen emerging from a
certified production cell is a certified production queen.
 
     Several categories of beekeepers affected by certification
were discussed in St. Louis.  Each is treated somewhat differently:
 
     Intrastate Beekeepers - Except where special regulations may
require, beekeepers remaining inside one particular state will not
need certification if located in non-regulated areas and not moving
to regulated areas in the same state.  Those in regulated areas
also need not be certified unless providing queens, package bees,
brood, nucleus or full-sized colonies, and/or drone semen to
beekeepers in non-regulated areas.
 
     Interstate (Migratory) Beekeepers - Except where special
regulations may require, beekeepers migrating across state lines in
non-regulated areas will not require certification.   Those in
regulated areas must requeen or make splits using certified queens
or cells.
 
     Queen and Package Bee Producers - Except where special
regulations may require, queen and package bee producers will not
require certification in non-regulated areas.  Those in regulated
areas must use certified breeder queens for cell and queen
production and requeen or make splits using certified queens or
cells.  It is strongly recommended that all certified production
queens be marked and clipped for ready identification.
 
     Producers of Certified Breeder Queens - Certified breeder
queens are to be certified by state regulatory agencies using FABIS
or USDA-ID.  Other methods of certification must be approved by
USDA/APHIS.  Certification is based on emerging worker progeny or
examination of worker bees collected at the entrance at least six
weeks after successful queen introduction.  Certified breeder
queens must be marked and clipped to be readily identified by bee
inspectors and other regulatory officials.
 
     Mating Yard Procedures - A minimum of 60 European drone-source
colonies must be established for each 1,000 or fewer mating nuclei.
All such drone-source colonies should be located within 1/4 mile
radius of the mating yard.  No drones may be introduced into
colonies and mating nuclei unless originating from certified
breeder queens or certified production queens.  Producers of either
certified breeder or production queens must requeen drone-producing
colonies annually.
 
     Swarms - The practice of catching swarms and using them in
beekeeping operations is no longer justifiable in regulated areas.
All swarms captured in regulated areas must be destroyed.
 
     Abandoned Apiaries - All abandoned apiaries located within two
miles of queen rearing yards must be destroyed.
 
     Semen Certification - Drone semen from regulated areas can be
certified by progeny tests of worker bees.  No certification will
be required for semen obtained from non-regulated areas.
 
     The above pertains to the African honey bee, however, the
document also deals with other issues.  These are the requirements
for disease certification:
 
     Brood Diseases - Present state procedures will remain in
effect and are considered adequate for intrastate beekeepers.
Requirements for interstate beekeepers are that no bees be refused
entry because of presence of American foulbrood.   However,
beekeepers exceeding 3% levels of American foulbrood infestation
for two consecutive years will not be issued permits to move.  No
certification of European foulbrood or chalkbrood is required.
 
     Other Diseases -  No changes are proposed and present state
procedures will remain in effect.
 
     Tracheal Mite - Tracheal mites are to be deregulated.
 
     Varroa Mite  - For interstate beekeepers, no individual colony
examination for Varroa will be required for entry.  Instead,
certification will be based on: (a) proof of purchase of sufficient
EPA registered material to treat the number of colonies to be
moved; (b) treatment must have been completed within the last 45
days before initial shipment date; or (c) treatment is present in
colonies at time of entry.  Return shipments do not require re-
treatment.
 
     For interstate queen or package bee shippers, no inspection is
required for source colonies of package bees and queens, however,
in states where Varroa is established, all source colonies of
queens, package bees and mating nuclei should be treated according
to state regulations with EPA registered materials.  In addition,
shippers must indicate on cages the exact date of treatment
initiation and those receiving package bees or queens should not
install them until the treatment time has passed.
 
     Two final areas covered in the document concern cooperative
agreements and information collection.  The model plan encourages
states to cooperate with each other to promote the orderly movement
of bee colonies.  It also urges collection of data on honey bee
diseases, mites and range expansion of the Africanized honey bee.
Those interested in seeing the full plan, can get a copy by writing
to me.
 
                   COMMENTS ON THE MODEL PLAN
 
     Only time will tell how effectively this model plan will be
implemented.  The workshop organizers are hoping that many state
legislatures meeting this spring will enact its provisions into
local statutes.  One problem is the amount of
interaction/cooperation there will be between federal and state
regulatory agencies as the bee occupies more territory.  Many at
the workshop believed that the concept would work much better if
there were strong leadership at the federal level.  However, the
document only gives USDA/APHIS a role in providing training and
technical assistance.  Perhaps more important, the published plan
provides no guidelines on how implementation is to be funded by
states, most beset by significant budgetary problems.
 
     Although based on current "best" information, there also
continue to be questions about the plan's specifics.  Dr. Eric
Mussen in his November/December issue of From the U.C. Apiaries
included some editorial remarks in his analysis:
 
1.  Virgin European queens mating in areas where there are AHB
colonies only need mate with 20-30% Africanized drones before
becoming defensive.
 
2.  There is no need to restrict identification of Africanization
to any specific method.
 
3.  Sixty European drone source colonies per 1,000 mating nuclei
are not enough and no mention is made of using drone foundation.
 
4.  Semen certification does not seem to concern itself enough with
the question of drift.
 
5.  Varroa treatment at any other time than when brood is at its
lowest level may not be effective and chemical treatment before
mites are shown to be present should not be condoned.
 
     Nevertheless, in spite of his reservations, Dr. Mussen
concluded:  "...much of the plan will make sense and state programs
will become similar to it."
 
     The plan as published also seems to indicate that we know more
about Africanized honey bees than we really do.  This is well
described in Africanized Honey Bee Conference Report, published
November, 1991 and compiled by James Bach, President of the Apiary
Inspectors of America and Dr. Eric Mussen, President of the
American Association of Professional Apiculturists.  Sixty-two
questions about Africanized bees were put to reigning experts and
followed up with a meeting of 44 persons "...known to have
conducted studies..." on the insect.
 
     Broad categories in the questionnaire included:
identification methods and economics;  detection, surveys and
trapping; designation of areas as Africanized; utilization of bait
stations;  determination of temperament and behavior; general
management strategy in Latin America and colony size.  There were
no answers, or insufficient information, on a distressing number of
specific questions in this report that relate directly to
implementing any certification plan.  For a full copy, send a check
for $3.50 payable to Department of Entomology/Nematology.  The
report is due to be published sometime soon in the journals.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 
Malcolm T. Sanford
0740 IFAS, Bldg 970
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-0740
Phone (904) 392-1801, Ext. 143
FAX: 904-392-0190
BITNET Address: MTS@IFASGNV
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