Bee Health Update 2.3 April May 2010

The Bee Health Update is a bi-monthly newsletter which updates current activities around the Bee Health, eXtension.org community content at:

eXtension.org/bee health


Archived newsletters:
Bee Health CoP Updates


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Community fact sheet:
Download and distribute the Bee Health Fact Sheet .pdf


Bee Health funding is provided by:


Contribute:
Would you like to add content to eXtension.org and the Bee Health Update newsletter? Bee Health is accepting research based information articles, FAQ’s, instructional articles and videos, events, news, and any other content that helps us achieve our goal of facilitating knowledge transfer of sustainable bee management practices. Help us to secure continued pollination of our natural and agricultural plant communities by adding your expertise to eXtension.org. Contributions should be coordinated with Michael Wilson, University of Tennessee mailto:mwilso14@utk.edu


Join eXtension.org
Individuals closely associated with Land-Grant Institutions, State colleges, Cooperative Extension, related U.S. Government personnel, or individuals working closely with these personnel in Extension-related organizations are eligible to join eXtension.org. Simply sign-up for an eXtensionID at extension.org/people/signup.

Join the Bee Heatlh CoP
Individuals with an eXtensionID can log in and join the Bee Heatlh Community at extension.org/people/communities/69.


eXtension Newsletter Subscription:
The Bee Health Update is distributed via email. You can be added to the distribution list by subscribing here.


Contents


Video: Honey Bees and Beekeeping

Honey Bees and Beekeeping: A Year in the Life of an Apiary

Now available online, this classic, public TV series by Keith Delaplane and the University of Georgia walks the viewer through the establishment of 10 new hives and a year of management. This basic management information is invaluable for the new beekeeper and a real resource for experienced beekeepers to utilize to share with others. Topics covered range from installing packages and the health of colonies, to more advanced topics like queen rearing and migratory beekeeping. Roughly 4hrs of instruction is presented in an enjoyable format. Much of the series is already online and organized at Honey Bees and Beekeeping: A Year in the Life of an Apiary. Over the next month, the final chapters will be converted and uploaded to the Bee Health YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/beehealth

You do not have the Flash plugin installed, which means you are missing out on great interactive content. Download Flash.

Introduction: Section 1.1: Presented with permission of the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education. To purchase the complete “Honey Bees and Beekeeping” television series on DVD or accompanying book, please call 1-800-359-4040


Instrumental Insemination

Susan Cobey at UC Davis has provided the following materials to the eXtension site.

Diagram of queen insemination.


Instrumental insemination, I.I., is a proven and reliable method of controlled mating, providing an essential tool for honey bee research, bee breeding, and stock maintenance. The ability to control mating allows bee breeders to select stocks for economically valued traits and researchers to explore honey bee behavior and genetics.


CAP Updates

  • Nosema ceranae – The Inside Story, Dr. Tom Webster, Kentucky State University: Apr 2010

    • This information article is added to our library of “Diseases, Pests, and Conditions” section for beekeepers reference.
  • Pesticides Applied to Crops and Honey Bee Toxicity, Dr. Marion Ellis, University of Nebraska, Lincoln: May 2010

    • This is an overview of pesticide issues related to honey bees. For more detail into this subject, you can download Reed Johnson et al.’s review in Apidologie at Marion Ellis’s homepage, see “Publications” and click on “Johnson, R.M., M.D. Ellis, C. Mullin, M. Frazier. 2010. Pesticides and honey bee toxicity – USA. Invited review. Apidologie. DOI: 10.1051/apdio/2110018.”
  • The Stationary Apiary Coordinated Agricultural Project: A View from the Front Lines, Kerry Lynott, Pennsylvania State University: June 2010
    • Read about the logistics of the science battle field in Kerry Lynott’s above article.
  • Breeding Bees for Resistance to Parasites and Diseases, Dr. Greg J. Hunt, Purdue University: July 2010

Dance Language of the Honey Bee

Dance Language of the Honey Bee is a new article assembled from materials from the following people

  • Karl von Frisch
  • Bill Tietjen, Bellarmine University
  • Kirk Visscher, University of California, Riverside

Upcoming Events and a Bee Bookmark

Two important conferences are coming up in the Eastern US where CoP members will be presenting and instructing about broad topics in honey bee health. Presentations and workshops vary across the full spectrum of beekeeping from beginner to advanced and hobby to commercial. During these events, we will be increasing awareness about the eXtension.org project.


The University of Georgia has developed a bookmark to increase awareness of the Bee Health eXtension site and the Managed Pollinator CAP website. 1,500 copies have been printed to date with scheduled distributions so far at.

BeeHealth/CAP bookmark, print version

Pollinator Publication

For as little as $1 each, you can purchase copies of Bee Pollinators in Your Garden published by the American Association for Professional Apiculturists, edited by E.C. Mussen, M. Spivak, D.F. Mayer, and M.T. Sanford. It is an 18 page color booklet that covers the following topics: Why Bees are the Best Pollinators, What is a Bee?, What Bees are Common? Habitat for Bees, Insecticides and Bees, and lists of sources for honey bees, non-Apis bees, bee equipment and references. These make great publications to hand out at your next public event.


Thank you for your time and attention,
Michael Wilson
University of Tennessee