Editorial

The BeeHolder, April 2011

Well, this is my first stab at the BeeHolder editing job, and so far it has not gone as smoothly as hoped. April 3rd already and the thing is only half done. Still, it has to get easier as I go along, doesn't it?

Is the winter completely over? It certainly came in like a snow leopard but seems to have gone out like a lamb. Talking to other bee keepers it would appear that colony survival was good this winter, and the couple of slightly warmer days which broke up the cold spell in December were enough for the bees to recluster on fresh stores and get through. Having said that, I know of at least two keepers who have lost all their bees, and my own colonies are very weak and still at risk, I would say.

So another bee keeping year awaits, and MBKA have lined up some interesting speakers for meetings, apiary visits and events. Take a bit of time to read through the information on forthcoming events and, if you have some suggestions for other activities or thoughts on how we can improve the ones proposed, don't be too shy to tell us!

Chris Leech

We Welcome as ...

The BeeHolder, April 2011

... New Members

Janet Peacock [nr Montgomery], Cathie Ackroyd and Melfyn Davies [nr Llanidloes], Medina Brock and Richard Roberts [Felindre], Catherine Corbet [nr Montgomery], Catharyn Edwards [Abermule], Dave Evans [Berriew], Christine Gittins [Aberdovey], Andy and Sue Hughes [Meifod], Andrew Jenkins [nr Newtown] and Jane Milner [nr Newtown].

... New Bee Inspectors

Some of you will have noticed that list of bee inspectors has changed slightly. Peter Guthrie has retired as a seasonal bee inspector so that he can spend more time with his bees. This year's regime of seasonal bee inspectors includes John Beavan (East Montgomeryshire), David Coles (South West Montgomeryshire) and Peter Haywood (North West Montgomeryshire). That seems like a lot of bee inspectors for our county, but in fact it works out at well over 7.4 million bees each.

Actually it is because bee inspectors are not attached to bee keeping associations, but operate independently as officers of FERA (Food and Environment Research Agency). Hence the geographical areas covered by bee inspectors do not coincide with the geographical areas of bee associations.

If you are interested in what is involved in becoming a seasonal bee inspector, follow this link.

Go on a safari with John!

The BeeHolder, April 2011

At the last committee meeting, John Beavan suggested the idea of Bee Safaris. A bee safari is a day of bee-related activity, usually moving from hive to hive and site to site. To make these more informative, John suggested that instead of him just going and inspecting three or four hives in a day's work, all of the bee keepers whose hives he is scheduled to inspect will go along too and join in on the inspections.

That way people can pick up on different things, see how others keep their bees and generally have a bee good day out. It is important that we do not spread disease so hive tools & other equipment will be sterilised as we go along.

If you are interested in this idea, please get in touch wiyh a member of the committee.

Chairman's Chat

The BeeHolder, April 2011

It hasn’t been officially confirmed yet but according to rumour, colony losses during this last winter have been much less than in several previous years and less than expected. The Seasonal Bee Inspectors have taken some credit for this saying that the emphasis on disease disease disease has paid off. Bee keepers really are looking after their bees better. Another rumour is that throughout the UK membership of Bee Keeping Associations is down about 25%. That does not mean that there are fewer bee keepers: just that bee keepers are feeling the economic pinch and not rejoining an association. They will be missing out on insurance and the latest knowledge and the consequence of this is that an increase in colony mortality throughout the UK is expected next winter.

We have all to keep costs down and one way is to rely on the internet to send out information. Frankly we just cannot afford to buy so many stamps. From now on information will be sent along with the hard copy of the BeeHolder and updates will be posted regularly on our website. We will also use the phone more. Some of us even have packages that allow us to make free phone calls.

The term “going viral” may strike fear in the hearts of bee keepers when Varroa is mention but when it is about helpful information or an amusing video “Going Viral” is definitely good. Please tell all your contacts about our Grand Opening of the Apiary on 5th June and also about our open Garden day on 26th June. And tell your friends to tell their friends. Distribute via your email contacts list, twitter, Utube Twitter, blogs and Facebook .. whatever..whatever..just gossip... get people to those events; it is all in a good cause ...Bees Abroad and the MBKA.

Andy Brown, our New Members Secretary reports how difficult it is for members with young families to attend meetings. So from now on we will make every effort to have child friendly apiary meetings. As one member reported “I’d love my children to be able to watch me handle bees”. They can do so in safety at our Gregynog apiary and, if they get bored, we will ensure that there is plenty for them to do outside the apiary. So parents please bring your children along. Grandchildren can be brought along too. Make an afternoon out of an apiary visit. We need to whet the appetite of the next generation(s) of bee keepers.

Tony Shaw

MBKA Dinner 17th January 2011

The BeeHolder, April 2011

After lovingly tending their bees and feeding them in the late summer and autumn the members of Montgomeryshire Beekeepers Association took it upon themselves to swarm to Gregynog and feed themselves at their annual dinner and social evening.

No syrup for them; nothing less than a sumptuous and lavish four course meal would suffice for the 60 odd members and guests who were present under the watchful eye of a very capable and humorous MC, Tony Shaw.

Celebrities and others were strategically spread amongst the tables and were introduced by the MC.

Celebrities present were:-

John Bevan, Seasonal Bee Inspector; Charles Miller, Seasonal Bee Inspector; Peter Guthrie, Seasonal Bee Inspector; Karen Armstrong, Warden at Gregynog, (her idea to start an apiary at Gregynog); Steve Griffiths, Gregynog Estate Manager; Mr. & Mrs. Brian Goodwin President of Shrewsbury Flower Show; Paul Edwards, Welsh Oak Frames and supplier of the observation hut for the Gregynog apiary; Graham Winchester host of ‘Who Wants to Nearly Be a Millionaire’ which was conducted during coffee; Jim Crundwell, current president of MBKA; Dennis Cordwell a previous secretary and very capable and innovative beekeeper. (He produced a lot of gadgets, also his cartoons DRAC will go on for ever); Mike Compton, ex member, beekeeper and producer of the BeeHolder.

To the dismay of everyone present, due to plane travel problems, Lembit Opik was unable to join us in person. I say in person because our MC did the next best thing and during coffee we enjoyed Lembit’s presence courtesy of ‘Skype’. He was an even bigger personality on the big screen and members were able to ask him questions which resulted in some witty answers. The banter between Lembit and Tony was much appreciated.

Also during coffee Graham Winchester came into his own and got ‘Who Wants to Nearly Be a Millionaire’ off the ground: this was interspersed with wit and humour. As the game progressed participants fell by the wayside until just one participant (the winner) was left standing, Mrs. Goodwin. As is her nature she made a most generous gesture by donating her winnings to the Gregynog Apiary.

At this point the bar came into its own and everyone was able to mingle and catch up with old friends.

It should not be left unsaid just how nice the room and the setting was with the tables decorated with silver crackers (not the diners!) and the party poppers produced colourful streams of ribbon draped over fellow guests. As one would expect at Gregynog, the table service was super efficient and friendly. In view of the walk from the car park Gregynog Hall even arranged for the rain to keep away. Long live MBKA dinners.

Mike Compton

Thanks for the report, Mike. Please note that plans are afoot for the next Christmas dinner, lightly pencilled in for January 14th 2012 (as Christmas dinners for bee keepers are traditionally held on St Mythelmroyd's Day, or as in this case the nearest Saturday to it). The venue will once again be Gregynog, though we can't guarantee a satellite link with Lembit.

Ed

EU beekeepers stage win against GM crop producers

The BeeHolder, April 2011

The EU's highest court may classify honey containing traces of genetically modified material as "food produced" from modified plants. Such a ruling may enable beekeepers with hives close to GM crops to seek damages.

Beekeepers with hives close to fields of Monsanto genetically modified maize can't sell their honey in the European Union without regulatory approval, an adviser to the European Court of Justice has said. The presence in honey "even of a minute quantity of pollen" from the maize is reason enough to restrict its sale, Advocate General Yves Bot told the court last week.

This would be a huge success for "anyone wanting to prevent food and animal feed from being more and more contaminated with genetically modified material," said Achim Willand, a lawyer representing food producers. "Beekeepers are especially susceptible because bees collect the pollen of GM plants within a radius of three to five kilometers," he told Deutsche Welle.

Monsanto's genetically modified corn type MON 810 has not been authorized for sale on the European food market. If new regulations are established, making it impossible for beekeepers to sell their product because it has been contaminated by pollen from MON 810 crops, the beekeepers may be able to claim damages from Monsanto.

Beekeeper Karl-Heinz Bablok, from Kaisheim near Augsburg in Southern Germany, originally brought the case to court. His hives were two kilometers away from fields where research was being conducted with Monsanto's MON 810 maize. He went to court trying to get the research stopped or get protection for his produce. Researchers argued that the bees weren’t interested in pollen from maize.

In an attempt to prove the researchers wrong, Bablok put his hives 500 meters away from the maize fields. He had to throw away the honey his bees produced, because he found it was contaminated with traces of GM pollen.

The new rule wouldn't just affect beekeepers, it would have implications on granting GM plant growth permissions in general. Thomas Radetzki of the beekeepers' action group said beekeepers who have hives close to GM crop fields have not had enough protection, despite the existence of protective laws.

Currently, Monsanto is banned from testing its maize in Germany. Meanwhile, the beekeepers case is being watched closely by the agricultural sector. "If we're successful, others may follow, and then the matter may be brought to other national courts too," said Radetzki.

Achim Willand, the lawyer representing food producers, said the Advocate General's suggested ruling could have implications for anyone seeking permission to grow genetically modified plants in the EU. But Thomas Radetzki said, while opponents of GM crops may be pleased at the moment, the case hadn’t been won yet. Advocate General Yves Bot based his suggested ruling on laws which are in place right now. Radetzki warned that, even if the EU tribunal were to follow Bot's advice, "the EU Commission can always change its laws. Then we'd have to start from scratch."

Author: Nina Haase (Bloomberg, taz)
Editor: Saroja Coelho

Reports on Meetings

The BeeHolder, April 2011

Annual General Meeting - February 24th

As in the past three years the AGM was well attended. The bribe of a free raffle ticket for a National Hive was undoubtedly successful. This year the hive was won by Dr Jim Pratt who has now given up bee keeping and announced that he would donate the hive to our training Apiary at Gregynog. Another reason for high attendance might have been the custom of getting the formal business over in about 10 minutes. Doug Wood stood down as chairman, and the Bennetts stood down as joint secretary. Many thanks for all of their hard work over the past years. The new chairman (Tony Shaw) announced some administrative changes (splitting the rôle of secretary) and got unanimous agreement from those present that personal information such as address and telephone number could be shared with other members of the Association. Several members volunteered as committee members, but the assignment of rôles was deferred to the first meeting of the new committee.

With the formal part of the meeting quickly over, John Beavan gave an interesting and amusing report on the IBRA Varroa conference which he attended earlier in the month. The remaining part of the evening was in the style of Gardeners' Question Time, but about bee keeping with John Beavan and Jim Crundwell answering a multitude of seasonal questions.

Note: At the first committee meeting it was decided to go cautiously with the amount of information shared. There was concern that the location of apiaries might be of interest to persons of larcenous intent, and so this information should not necessarily be circulated to all members. Yet it would be very useful for people to know who their immediate bee keeping neighbours are for bee safaris (see page 5), car pooling or even just for help with bee problems, swarms etc. It was decided that a straw poll of the membership by means of a questionnaire would be the best approach.

Please complete the questionnaire enclosed in your copy of the BeeHolder and return it either at the next bee meeting you attend (save a stamp) or by post as directed on the questionnaire. (I'll try and get a questionnaire on the web site too).

At the first committee meeting, the old position of secretary was resolved into three separate rôles. Joe Bidwell will act as Secretary, the point of first contact for people outside the association on top of his rôle as Education Officer. Jane Frank as Minutes Secretary will record the meetings and Michelle Boudin as Membership Secretary will handle the initial contact and signing up of new members.

Climate Change and Bees - March 24th

Dr Rob McCall of the Welsh Climate unit was expected to talk on Climate Change and Bees, but cancelled due to “..the impact of travel on the environment ..I’m sure you’ll understand.” Since he commutes between Bangor and Newport we had hoped he would just find a way to pop in on his route.. But it was not to be. He had sent a copy of his PowerPoint Presentation which Tony attempted, without much conviction, to deliver. Graham Winchester, who is fast getting a reputation as Montgomeryshire’s professional sceptic on all climate change issues, did his best to upset the speaker with giggles, blusters and poignant heckles. I didn’t know our chairman could stutter and blush so much. However there was a lively discussion between many of the audience and some very interesting anecdotes from Jim Crundwell. The consensus seemed to be that Dr McCall was obviously not a bee keeper. If he had attended we would probably have been too polite to heckle him and the participation in discussion would have been far less.

At the end of the meeting Jim Crundwell announced that he was downsizing his apiary and donating many of his interesting collection of hives to our Training Apiary. This is really fantastic news.

To bee or not to bee

The BeeHolder, April 2011

by William Shakespeare

This little known piece was written by Shakespeare in the late 1570s when he was in his teens and shows an amazing maturity of style. It has been largely forgotten since his adaptation of it to Hamlet about 20 years later. Shakespeare was much taken with the drama of the hive, queen flight and the personality of drones. He, with his contemporaries, believed that all female bee-keepers were known by their bees as ‘Ophelia’ but recent bee neuro-science shows that there is regional variation, with ‘Loveday’ occurring in the south-west and Nuala among Irish bees, so we have adopted a more generic name here.

Nick Tregenza
An Hes, The Newsletter of the West Cornwall BKA

Future meetings

The BeeHolder, April 2011

Courses on Varroa Management

Please note that the we have two varroa management courses from 10am till 1pm on the 17th and from 1pm to 4pm on the 30th April. The first is for novices and the second for more experienced bee keepers. Both sessions will be lead by SBI John Beavan and there is a charge of £5 for the day. There will be an open apiary session from 2pm on 17th April when everyone will be welcome whether they attended the course or not.

There are still places left for each course. Please contact the secretary if you are interested.

Open Apiary Days

Formal Open Apiary Days at the Gregynog Apiary are on April 17th and May 15Th and August 28th. We hope to make each of these Family Friendly events where children and friends will be welcome to play and picnic outside the apiary whilst the bee keeper is working the hives inside the Apiary. Please bring a contribution to the picnic. If it is raining we will be holding a meeting inside Gregynog Hall.

Catch the SBI at the Apiary

SBI John Beavan will be at the Gregynog Apiary every two weeks on Saturdays. He will be talking and demonstrating bee keeping techniques to any member who turns up. However it will be best to check with John first because he can only help a few bee keepers at a time - e-mail or see the contact page for other contact details.

Gregynog Apiary Grand Opening

This will be on Sunday June 5th and will co-incide with the first Gregynog Garden Festival. Entry will be free for MBKA Members (don't forget to bring your membership card). There will be lots of celebrities there. We will have our marquee filled with bee themed stalls, workshops, a male voice choir conducted by master beekeeper Brian Goodwin and the Welshpool High School jazz band. We will be making a collection for Bees Abroad and ourselves. Pam Gregory of Bees Abroad will be bringing a stall talking about the work of Bees Abroad. The garden festival itself will have its own range of stalls and attractions. For this, the first year of the Gregynog Garden Festival, we are giving out free stalls to worthy bee themed enterprises. These stalls will be in the MBKA Marquee and in the Music Room of Gregynog Hall. However places are limited, please contact the secretary with an explanation about what you want to do on your stall. The MBKA committee will decide on the worthiness of your application. This will be a big day for the MBKA and we will be asking for volunteers to help. Keep a watch on our website for updates about this event.

Midsummer Open Garden Day

Midsummer Open Garden Day in aid of Bees Abroad and our MBKA June 26th by kind permission of Dr Beverly Evans-Britt (pictured right being interviewed by Derek Brockways for his TV series Gardening in the Extremes). There will be a bouncy castle and other things to amuse the family while the serious gardeners look round this fabulous garden.

Two years ago we did some stewarding in this garden in return for all the money from Plant Sales, which was very rewarding for the Association. This year all of the proceeds will be for MBKA to share with Bees Abroad. Do volunteer for stewarding duties, help in making the teas etc. Volunteers don't have to pay admission, and we need all the volunteers we can get! For a report of our last adventure in this garden see BeeHolder July 2009.

At 5 o'clock we will shoo away the public and have our private MBKA open hive meeting followed by a BBQ and social at 6pm. At 1,350 feet, Capel Deildre is reputed to be the highest apiary in Wales.

Please start collecting plants that can be sold at this event. We all have something that grows too well in our own garden yet is thought of as a gem in another’s.

July Apiary Visit

Saturday 23rd July is the day we visit Graham Winchester’s Apiary in Newtown because Graham said that members should see a warts-and-all apiary because there is limited learning in the sort of professional Apiary where nobody makes any of the kind of mistakes that you or I do.

Glanseven Garden Festival

This year the Glanseven Garden Festival is on September 2 and 3rd is another occasion where we need volunteers to man our bee tent and displays. We make money and have fun, with the added bonus that volunteers helping will have free admission and a chance to see and sample the interesting and varied stands. Watch the website for further information.

Coach Trip to Tropical Forest Products

A coach trip to Tropical Forest Products, Nr Aberystwyth is on Sunday 25th September. This is a large commercial honey farm as well as a company importing and packing honeys from Africa. We will be seeing the production facilities and also getting a talk from Director David Wainright about his work with the Honey producers of Africa. The plan is to have the coach start from Newtown with several stops en route, and then to have a meal afterwards. We have not worked out the price of the coach yet; keep a watch on the website.

Apiary Report

The BeeHolder, April 2011

Those visiting recently (see pictures on the back cover) will have noticed the gorgeous daffodils in the apiary and the bright paint on the hives. We found that despite putting new hives into the apiary they were looking a bit tatty after the winter. It was getting difficult to tell the new from the old. This will make it easier for us to stock the apiary for now we can receive old hives, sterilise them and then paint them in jolly colours. So any spare hives or other equipment you may have would be gratefully received to help stock up this new and valuable asset for the MBKA!

Apart from the painting, nothing else has been changed over the winter period. The new viewing hut has been delivered in kit form and we are just waiting for some bureaucratic form filling to be completed (planning permissions). Then we will need a rush team of helpers to wheelbarrow concrete into the trenches, some strong arms to hold the first few uprights and then some nimble fingers to help tack the safety wire into place. Please volunteer your services to Dave Bennett.

The MBKA is responsible for slating the roof. Weathered slates are preferred and unfortunately we have had no success in getting any. Has anybody an idea to help here? Any source of free or cheap slates?

Please remember that car parking at Gregynog is free for MBKA members. If you haven’t got your Car Park Pass yet just announce yourself to Reception who will give you one valid for a month.

Tony Shaw

The Gregynog Apiary - a bee's eye view

Using the link below you can download the jpeg image in order to print it off using photograph or other image editing software. Contact the web manager if you have trouble doing this.

Genetic weapon against bee killer

The BeeHolder, April 2011

Researchers have developed a genetic technique, which could revitalise the fight against the honeybee's worst enemy - the Varroa mite. The method enables researchers to "switch off" genes in the Varroa mite, a parasite that targets the honeybee. The scientists say this could eventually be used to force the mites to "self-destruct". The treatment is now at an early, experimental stage but could be developed into an anti-Varroa medicine.

Varroa destructor is widely accepted to be the major pest affecting the European honeybee, and has been linked to a worldwide decline in these important pollinating insects. Dr Giles Budge from the National Bee Unit in York, who was involved in the study, said the mites operated a particularly "severe form of parasitism". The human equivalent, he illustrated, would be having "an organism on your back that's about the size of a dinner plate, which creates a hole through which it can feed and through which its family can feed". "The hole doesn't seal up - they drink blood through it and inject viruses into it."

To tackle this particularly nasty pest, bee researchers and parasite specialists came together to harness a method called RNA interference (RNAi). This involves putting a tiny chunk of genetic code into an organism. This code cancels out a specific gene, essentially switching it off. The researchers added this piece of genetic material to a solution that they soaked the Varroa mites in. They described in the journal Parasites and Vectors that, via this soaking, their experimental treatment found its way into the mites and switched off the gene they were targeting.

Dr Alan Bowman from the University of Aberdeen led the research. He told BBC News that the approach "fooled the immune system of the mite" into attacking itself.

Dr Budge explained that this proved it was possible to "control gene expression in the mite. In the experiment, we've targeted a non-lethal gene, because we were able to monitor if we has successfully silenced it. Now, we'll be looking to target genes which, when we silence them, the mite won't be able to function."

In the coming years, the researchers hope to develop this into a medicine, which could be added to the bees' food in order to protect them against Varroa. "The mites hide in the food that is being provided by the other bees in the colony for honeybee larvae," Dr Budge explained. "They will hide for several days in that food, so [a beekeeper could] put the treatment into the brood food and the mite, through its normal behaviour, would come into contact with that treatment." This could solve a conundrum for beekeepers - how to tackle the mites without damaging the bees they live so intimately with.

Currently, beekeepers use chemicals, or mitocides, in carefully controlled doses to control the parasite. They even use trapping methods - physically removing mites from hives. Dr Bowman said: "This [new method] can target the mite in the hive. It would be completely selective - it wouldn't target the bees and wouldn't affect any other pollinating insects, such as ladybirds."

Professor Francis Ratnieks, a bee researcher from the University of Sussex cautioned that it would be a long time before this technique could be applied in the control of Varroa. "It may be possible to use gene knockout techniques such as RNAi to learn more about the physiology of pests and to use this to develop ways of controlling them, maybe by the development and application of novel pesticides," he said. "But to do this is a huge undertaking involving [many years] of testing and certification."

By Victoria Gill, Science and nature reporter, BBC News
© BBC MMX

Dancing inherited from Daddy

The BeeHolder, April 2011

In the dance world, not all bees are equal. In a colony of bees at any one moment, each element has a special task, be it laying of eggs (the queen) collecting propolis, or scouting for nectar and performing dances (the round dance for nearby forage, the figure of 8 dance if it is more than 100 metres away), to increase her comrades enthusiasm for a good source or diminish it when the supply is running low. However some foragers master this type of communication perfectly, while others are noticeably less gifted.

Wolfgang Kirchner and his team, at the university of Bochum in the Ruhr have discovered in their research into bee behaviour that specialisation even extends to the dances. The workers must perform several types of dance, but those that are more gifted for one type of dance are less so for another.

The most surprising thing is that this 'gift' is hereditary! All the workers in a hive have the same mother but they may have different fathers. At any given time there will be sisters and half sisters. Kirchner's team examined the dancers' genes after noting the frequency with which each bee practised one or other of the dances. The result was astonishing! The 17 groups of 'true' sisters were noted and sorted according to their preference for each type of dance. The results showed that the predilection for using the figure of 8 dance over the round dance or vice-versa was significantly related to the sibling grouping.

For Kirchner's team, that proves the importance of genes inherited from the father. According to which father she has, a forager will be more or less specialised in one or other of the dances, more or less assiduous in the performance of two communication codes that are related but different. If it were not the genetic inheritance, you would have to suppose that true sisters can recognise each other and regroup inside the colony to practise a kind of nepotism in certain activities!

Impossible! says Kirchner. How on earth would they manage it?

Article from Huntingdonshire BKA, AMC and courtesy of BEES

The Drone Family Tree Riddle

The BeeHolder, April 2011

The drone is a male bee.
He develops from an unfertilised egg.
He has a Mother but no Father.
He has but one Grandfather.
He cannot have sons but he can have daughters.
He may have grandsons.
Can he have granddaughters?

Don't be fooled into thinking that the information to answer the question is included in the riddle. Just enjoy the sensation of your brain writhing in discomfort.

An Hes, The Newsletter of the West Cornwall BKA

Acquiring Bees

The BeeHolder, April 2011

Remember when making or acquiring nukes that there is a standard (leaflet available from the BBKA website). Also it is the policy of BBKA and WBKA to encourage people to acquire 'local' bees as far as possible to reduce the chances of the introduction of disease and to maximise the chances of the bees being able to survive in our climate. While your on the BBKA website, why not have a look round – there seems to be a wealth of useful information there.

Pesticides Ban Campaign

The BeeHolder, April 2011

Gordon Banks, MP for Ochil and South Perthshire has submitted an 'Early Day Motion' to the House of Commons to ban all Neo-Nicotinoid Pesticides from use in the UK. This follows hot on the heels of the Avaaz petition to ban neonicotinoids in Europe and America. It all seems to be based on unpublished research in America but has obviously opened up the debate once more.

The EDM is quoted below and you may wish to write to your MP in support of this motion.

IMPACT OF NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDES ON BEES AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES 12.01.2011

“That this House is gravely concerned by the contents of a recently leaked memo from the US Environment Protection Agency whose scientists warn that bees and other non-target invertebrates are at risk from a new neonicotinoid pesticide and that tests in the US approval process are insufficient to detect the environmental damage caused; acknowledges that these findings reflect the conclusions of a 2009 `Buglife' report that identified similar inadequacies in the European approval regime with regard to neonicotinoids; notes reports that bee populations have soared in four European countries that have banned these chemicals; and therefore calls on the Government to act urgently to suspend all existing approvals for products containing neonicotinoids and fipronil pending more exhaustive tests and the development of international methodologies for properly assessing the long-term effects of systemic pesticides on invertebrate populations.“

Buglife have produced a draft letter which is available on their website and the website for the Avaaz petition is here. Clearly, the sooner the American research is published the better!

Theresa Simkin

picture by courtesy of Helen Hastings

Statement from the BBKA on Neonicotinoid Pesticides

The BBKA shares the concerns expressed relating to reports of possible harm to honey bees that may be caused by the neonicotinoid group of pesticides. It calls for an urgent review of all the available data on the effects of these compounds. The BBKA has consistently urged for more research into this group of compounds as evidenced in its paper Honey Bee Health Research Concepts (Jan 2009) and earlier papers submitted to Government. The BBKA itself is funding research on pesticide residues in bee colonies at Keele University.

This urgent review, based not only on existing literature but also encompassing any new and as yet unpublished data, should involve a thorough re-evaluation and up to date risk assessment of these agents and their effects on honey bees by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate in the UK and competent European authorities, the outcome of which must lead to appropriate action.

Martin Smith
President
24th January 2011

Toby's Top Tip

The BeeHolder, April 2011

"When you are not using your hive tool try to keep it in the pocket of your bee suit or in your hand. If you put them down they are easy to lose."
Toby Beavan

This is the first of what we hope to be a regular contribution from Toby Beavan. See the back of The Welsh Beekeeper, Spring 2011 for an article about Toby. You're never too old to learn or too young to teach.

Please note that the picture is not of Toby but a stock picture from the internet.

Plus ca change?

The BeeHolder, April 2011

The history (and future?) of bee diseases and their treatment in a nutshell.

1800 AD - Here, use this root.

1850 AD - That root is heathen – use a prayer.

1900 AD - That prayer is superstition – use this potion.

1950 AD - That potion is taboo – try this remedy.

2000 AD - That remedy is ineffective – try this miticide.

2050 AD? - That miticide has produced resistant mites – here, use this root.

Courtesy of eBees

Obituary: Dave A. Cushman

The BeeHolder, April 2011

Dave was a generous man who produced a website to help beekeepers. Throughout the world Dave’s website became the first port of call when needing bee advice. Rather than extol his virtue let this piece of writing by Dave himself serve as his memorial. His site is being preserved and will remain a treasure for beekeepers everywhere.

Tony Shaw

The usefulness of Internet information

Many beginning beekeepers use the internet as their first port of call when looking for information, but all beekeepers use the internet at some time or other. This can give some misleading information to the unwary as, indeed, can many books and research papers which can sometimes give a narrowly focused view.

Let me explain that bee research is carried out in many different parts of the world, mainly using the bees that are locally available to the researchers. Bees are not all the same, all races have different characteristics and behaviour and exist in various degrees of racial purity, so information gathered and conclusions drawn in any particular study cannot be applied universally to all other bees and circumstances.

The UK and Ireland have a population that contains a large proportion of Dark European Honey Bee genes and as such are very different in behaviour to the majority of bees commonly studied by scientists, so we have to be particularly careful about interpreting and applying information that we read in books and gather from the internet.

When reading papers and books you should try to fix in your mind where the bees concerned were and what racial type they may have been. For instance, in USA the bees are generally a mixture of Italian and Carniolan types, with less than three percent Dark European Honey Bee genes; parts of Germany can be Carniolan or Dark European; Slovenia and Czech Republic are almost exclusively Carniolan – and many parts of South America are Africanised.

There is another problem with online information, in that the internet is not policed, so Joe beekeeper can promote his favourite theory just as easily as a university researcher can publish genuine research. There are no checks as to whether the information is right or wrong so that someone who is a glib writer may easily promote misinformation just as easily as accurate data. Books pose other, additional problems in interpretation. During the period either side of year 1900, many of the beekeeping authors were members of the clergy, some of whom imparted a religious or moral 'spin' to their information. However the main problem with books is the propagation of inaccurate information, which in turn is repeated in subsequent books written by others that have done their learning from the earlier books. The fact that said piece of inaccurate information occurs in several books then lends weight for such information to be believed. There is another tendency with belief of printed texts and that is that 'it must be true because it has been published'.

I cannot give you any method of sorting the wheat from the chaff other than by improving your own education on bee matters. The best way of achieving this is by attending meetings, lectures and conferences and getting to know the researchers and lecturers themselves, so that you can ask them direct questions. This requires an investment in time and sometimes incurs travel costs, but over a few years you will gain enough knowledge to make sensible judgment on what you are reading. This process is also fun and you will meet many beekeepers in the process. I visit many conferences every year. I also get to meet many beekeepers as I also do a bit of lecturing. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last ten years, during which I have attended hundreds of conferences and have met thousands of beekeepers from all over the world. I hope you all get as much enjoyment from your own self education as I have had during mine.

(the late) Dave A. Cushman
Leicestershire & Rutland Beekeepers Association
Newsletter, via eBEES.