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FILENAME:  APRAPIS.91
 
 
                    Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter
           Apis--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764)
                      Volume 9, Number 4, April 1991
 
 
                         PACKAGE BEES AND APISTAN (R)
 
Mr. Laurence Cutts, Florida's Chief Apiary Inspector, is trying to determine
whether a need exists for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Affairs to apply for an emergency exemption (Section 18) to use the old
formulation of APISTAN (R) plastic strips to ship package bees. The question
arises because most states, except Florida and Wisconsin, require that package
bees be treated with APISTAN (R) for entry.
 
Florida's package bee industry was devastated in the 1980s by discovery of
tracheal mites, coupled with introduction of Varroa.  It is now a small
enterprise, but as the rest of the states become infested with mites and the
southern tier is invaded by African bees, there may again be opportunity to
develop a package industry.  The use of APISTAN (R) will continue to be
required by other states and would be an asset to any Florida package bee
producer.  However, a label must be applied for and there is a time lag.  The
Department will not apply if there is no demand.  Thus, if there is interest
in securing a label for subsequent shipping seasons (it is too late for this
year), please let Mr. Cutts know through your local bee inspector or directly
at P.O. Box 1269, Gainesville, FL 30602, ph 904/372-3505, ext 128.
 
 
                   AFRICAN BEES--THE CASE OF MISINFORMATION
 
I am continually amazed by misinformation in the media concerning the
African bee.  My mother-in-law sent me an article from the Atlanta
Constitution, April 9, 1991, which is a showcase example of what gets into
print.
 
The title of the article, "The Battle of the Bees," starts things off on a
confusing note.  Does the phrase mean people are battling bees or that there
is internecine warfare among the insects themselves?  The most eyecatching
part of the article is a photograph showing two bees side by side.  The
caption reads:  "Looks deceive:  An Africanized bee (left) and a honeybee
(right) look the same, but are different in temperament."
 
The rather dark photo shows that the insects do look similar, but the
caption implies that the Africanized bee is not a honey bee.  This perpetuates
the myth that African bees are so different, they aren't honey bees at all.
The most problematic thing about the African bee phenomenon is that both are
honey bees and there's really very little difference between them.  If the
African variety had two heads instead of one, and a stinger three inches long,
there wouldn't be the controversy that exists today among different groups
concerning its impact on beekeepers and the rest of society.
 
A few other quotes are worth noting.  "The first signs of an invasion came
last October, when a swarm of 3,000 of the bees crossed from Mexico and tried
to set up a hive near the Texas city of Hidalgo."  To the average person,
3,000 bees is excessive.  Put in perspective, however, the total weight of
that  many bees is less  than a pound.  It takes three times as many
individuals   bees  to make  a  package for shipment through the mail. This
size swarm is the kind that would be classified as marginal and unlikely to
survive by a potential beekeeper collector.
 
"In Texas, the anticipated coming of the bees, which are so aggressive in
their swarming behavior that they are popularly known as 'k----- bees,' has
caused public anxiety."  It's not so much the bees as this statement that
causes anxiety.  Swarming behavior is not aggressive.  Swarms of bees are
passive regardless of their genetics because they have no home to defend.  The
source of this quote is probably that African bees are more aggressive
swarmers, meaning they swarm more than European bees.
 
"A group of African bees escaped from a Brazilian lab and began breeding
with domestic bees, resulting in a fierce hybrid prone to swarming and
delivering multiple stings to victims.  Hordes of the bees have since been
moving north."   Given what we know about the news business these days, it is
understandable that the words "fierce","hordes", and "victims" have been
overemphasized in this article, but the use of "multiple stings" is the most
obvious error.  All honey bees sting only once; the stinger remains in the
victim; the venom is the same.  The term probably came from a source saying
that many more Africanized bees usually attack.  In fact, the article is
accompanied by graphs showing both reaction and cooling off times associated
with the two kinds of bees.  The former is 3 seconds for African bees compared
to 19 seconds for "honeybees" and the latter is 2 to 3 minutes for "honeybees"
but one-half hour or more for Africanized bees.
 
"Africanized bees have been blamed for stinging to death hundreds of
people in Latin America, and have been the subject of at least five horror
movies." No source is credited for the first statement. However, the fact that
the bees have been featured in horror movies seems to be enough justification
for it.  If we continued this line of thought, we might conclude that all
people are just like the crazies featured in other horror movies like
"Psycho", "Friday the Thirteenth", and "Nightmare on Elm Street."
 
The article discusses a few prominent naysayers who have publicly declared
the African bee's reputation to be a "bum rap."  This provides the kind of
controversy that the press revels in.  To give the writer some credit, at
least the fact that honey bees pollinate crops is explained:  "Georgia farmers
and fruit growers use honeybees extensively to pollinate...The colonies are
placed in the field to spread pollen."  Does this indicate the colonies are
the source of pollen, rather than the bees simply transferring it?
 
After having given numerous interviews concerning the African bee
situation, it is easy to commiserate with whomever the sources were that were
contacted by the article's writer.  I do not know how many times my comments
have been misinterpreted and I have been misquoted on this issue.  However, I
continue to provide information in the hope that it will be used effectively.
To this end, I am updating Hint for the Hive #114, "Information on the African
Honey Bee."  If you would like a copy, I'll send you one on request when it is
reprinted.
 
For those who might want to further investigate the situation, a book has
just been published by Westview Press.  It is edited by M. Spivak, D. Fletcher
and M. Breed and is called:  The "African" Honey Bee.  The volume includes
some 424 pages and includes chapters on Systematics and Identification, The
Spread of Africanized Bees and the Africanization Process, Population Biology,
Ecology and Diseases, Defensive Behavior and Beekeeping in South America.
 
The book was published in January, 1991 and is the most up-to-date volume
in its field.  It is available in hardback only and costs $55.00, although a
flier sent to me advertises a reduction of 20% to $44.00.  For information,
contact Westview Press, Customer Service Department, 5500 Central Ave.,
Boulder, CO 80301, ph 303/444-3541.  VISA and MasterCard are accepted.
 
 
                             BEEKEEPERS INSTITUTE
 
It's not too early to plan to attend the Annual Beekeepers Institute at 4-H
Camp Ocala.  The dates are August 22 through 24.  I have invited Dr.
KeithDelaplane, the new Extension Apiculturist at the University of Georgia,
to be our featured guest speaker.  Dr. Delaplane is the author of "Strictly
for the Hobbyist," written monthly in American Bee Journal.   His presence
should add substantially to the Institute.  Brochures advertising the event
along with registration forms will be coming your way shortly.
 
 
                          EAS MEETS IN NORTH CAROLINA
 
If you are in the Carolinas this summer, be sure to take in the Eastern
Apicultural Society's meeting in New Bern, North Carolina.  The meeting is
scheduled for July 22 through 26, 1991.  The first two days will be a short
course in beekeeping followed by two more days of annual meeting.  A host of
speakers has been lined up including Francois Huber, the 18th century Swiss
naturalist and beekeeper, who has elected to return specifically for this
conference.  For registration information, contact Dr. John Ambrose, P.O. Box
7626, NCSU, Raleigh, NC 27695-7626, ph 919/737-8183.
 
                            APIMONDIA IN YUGOSLAVIA
 
This year Apimondia, the thirty-third World Apicultural Congress, will meet in
Split, Yugoslavia on the Adriatic coast.  The dates are September 24 through
October 1, 1991.  I have just received registration information from the
organizers.  If you are interested in a copy, drop me a line.
 
 
                                 HONEY RECIPES
 
The National Honey Board has released two collections of recipes that are
available to the industry for promotional purposes.  The results of the
Woman's Day recipe contest are published in the booklet: "Honey:  The Natural
Winner."  It includes the three top recipes and thirteen runner ups.  This
slick brochure contains information on how to make various breads, muffins,
pies and main courses.  There's even a recipe for fudgesicles. Copies are
available at $.50 each.
 
"Honey, The Golden Touch" is an update of the popular brochure published
by the National Honey Board.  It highlights sauces, toppings and spreads. This
publication of seven recipes is being made available without cost to
assessment-paying supporters of the board.  Each supporter is limited to 1,000
per calendar year.  State and local beekeeping associations may also receive
supplies for fairs, annual meetings and other events.
 
It is suggested that providing a copy of "Honey, The Golden Touch" with
each jar of honey sold is a good way to keep your customers coming back.  For
ordering information on either of the brochures above, contact Gretchen
Frederick, National Honey Board, 421 21st Ave. #203, Longmont, CO 80501-1421,
ph 303/776-2337.
 
                            PANHANDLE FEEDING STUDY
 
"A Florida Honey-Bee Feeding Study Using the Beltsville Bee Diet (R)" has just
been published in Bee Science, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp 72-76.  This study was done
with the cooperation of Warren Johnson, bee inspector for the Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.  It was an outgrowth of the
unexplained bee loss suffered in the Panhandle area from 1986-1988.  The
abstract reads as follows:
 
"Large-scale honey bee colony dieoffs (up to 90%) occurred during 1986, 1987
and 1988 in Florida's panhandle near Tallahassee.  Causes for these events
were unknown, but the honey bee tracheal mite (recently introduced), chronic
pollen shortage and other factors were suspected.  A feeding study was
designed to test for nutritional deficits.  Sixty-nine pairs of colonies were
selected by beekeepers in the area and managed identically except that one of
each pair was fed the Beltsville Bee Diet (R).  The majority of colonies fed
the diet consumed it, but the data gathered were inconclusive concerning the
effects of the experimental treatment. Many factors may have influenced the
results, including incomplete reporting by beekeeper-participants.  Cloudy
wing virus was found in one and chronic paralysis virus in two of eight
samples examined from colonies in the process of dieoff."
 
The paper provides a summary of the problems encountered and a detailed
explanation of the research methods and results.  If you would like a copy,
drop me a line.
 
 
                              CITIZEN AMBASSADORS
 
The Citizen Ambassador Program is looking for a few good beekeepers.  An
international delegation to China is planned for August.  The goal is to
provide opportunities to develop interactions that would be productive to
beekeepers and scientists of both China and the U.S.  Specific topics of
interest include: comparing apicultural research and management procedures in
both countries and developing avenues of information exchange.
 
Dr. Jim Tew, Extension Apiculturist, The Ohio State University will lead
the tour.  It is scheduled for August 11 through 29, 1991.  Estimated cost per
person is $4950.  The tour will travel to Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai,
Hangzhou, and Hong Kong.  For more information, contact Max Gerber, Director
Agricultural Projects, Citizen Ambassador Program, Dwight D. Eisenhower Bldg.,
Spokane, WA 99202, ph 509/534-0430 or Dr. Jim Tew, Agricultural Technical
Institute, Wooster, OH 44691, ph 216/345-8336.
 
 
                           BEEKEEPING SHORT COURSES
 
Three short courses in beekeeping are being offered by the Agricultural
Technical Institute, Wooster, OH this summer:  Basic Beekeeping (May 3-4),
Diseases (June 7-8) and Queen Production (June 21-22).  These classes can be
taken for credit or without credit.  For information, contact Sherry Ferrell,
OSU Cooperative Extension Service, ATI, Wooster, OH 44691, ph 216/264-3911.
 
 
                                  BEE SCIENCE
 
A new journal dedicated to bees and beekeeping is now being published by
Wicwas Press.  It's entitled Bee Science and will be published quarterly. This
will be a bonafide scientific journal; papers in Bee Science will be peer
reviewed.  The publication will also contain special features, including a
section on understanding bee science which will try to bridge the gap between
scientists and non-scientists.  It will also report on industry news and
events.
 
    This is the first "all bee" scientific journal to be published in North
America.  According to Dr. Connor, there is an increase in the number of
papers being published about bees and pollination, reflecting the fascination
many scientists have with bees and the pressure to study critical problem
areas.  Bee Science will provide the necessary space to rapidly get these
papers into print.  The focus of the publication is speed and as such, the
editor asks for copy to be sent on computer diskette. be published quarterly
The subscription cost of Bee Science is a reasonable $20.00.  It is a must for
those who want sophisticated, yet comprehensible information on the honey bee
and other related hymenoptera.  For up-to-date information on ordering,
contact Wicwas Press, P.O. Box 817-L, Cheshire, CT 60410-0817, ph 203/250-
7575.  Credit cards are accepted.
 
                              EVENTS AT THE IBRA
 
Some of you may not yet know that there has been a leadership change at the
International Bee Research Association (IBRA).  The new Director is Mr. Andrew
Matheson from New Zealand.  Mr. Matheson brings a good deal of experience to
the job according to a recent profile in Bee World.  He was responsible for
managing all the Ministry of Agricultural Fisheries (MAF) beekeeping services
in New Zealand.  These included inspection, consultation and education of
beekeepers, as well as supervising the management of many colonies under MAF's
control.
 
The IBRA is the world's center of beekeeping information.  It publishes Bee
World, Journal of Apicultural Research, and Apicultural Abstracts.  Presently,
the Association is located in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.  Mr. Matheson's
first priority will be to strengthen the Association's financial base.  He
also will be involved in organizing symposia and conferences.  IBRA is now in
the planning stages for the next conference on apiculture in tropical climates
to be held on the island of Trinidad in 1992.
 
 
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
INTERNET Address: [log in to unmask]

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