Category: Bee Health

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Honey Bee Health Coalition Varroa Management

Varroa Management

Honey Bee Health Coalition Varroa Management

Honey Bee Health Coalition Unveils Videos to Help Beekeepers Combat Devastating Parasites

Videos Complement Coalition’s Tools for Varroa Management Guide, Provides Step-By-Step Demonstrations of Utilizing an Integrated Pest Management Strategy of Monitoring and Treatment

KEYSTONE, CO, Nov. 28, 2016 — The Honey Bee Health Coalition released a series of videos today to help beekeepers promote colony health and combat costly and destructive Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) infestations. The videos can be found …

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Honey Bee Tracheal Mites: Gone? But not for Good

Authors: Philip A. Moore, Michael E. Wilson, John A. Skinner
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN
Originally Published: August 4, 2015

Introduction

The honey bee tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi) was first described in 1921 by Rennie, who believed the mite was the cause of the Isle of Wight Disease, after dissecting infected honey bees (Apis mellifera) from colonies on the island off the coast of England (Henderson and Morse 1990). Between …

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Integrated Crop Pollination

What is Integrated Crop Pollination?

Integrated crop pollination is the combined use of multiple pollinator species, habitat augmentation, and crop management practices to provide reliable and economical pollination of crops. Pollinator species can include managed honey bees, alternative managed bees, and many different types of wild bees. Habitat augmentation refers to adding floral and nesting resources to farms (e.g. wildflower strip, meadows, and hedgerows). Crop management practices that support pollination include modifying pest management practices to reduce risks to pollinators, …

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2017 Bee Health Webinar Series: Ensuring Crop Pollination in US Specialty Crops

Webinar banner

This webinar series will provide an overview of pollination requirements and strategies to ensure pollination of different specialty crops. Farmers and gardeners rely on crop pollinators, including honey bees, alternative managed bees like the blue orchard bee, and wild bees. Pollination experts will discuss how to support these pollinators in almond, blueberry, tree fruit, pumpkin, and watermelon. Webinars will take place on selected Tuesdays at 11a.m. Pacific time, noon Mountain time, 1 p.m. Central time, 2 p.m. Eastern time.  Registration …

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Why do newly installed packages of bees seem to abscond more than well-established hives?

The difference between a newly installed package of bees and an established hive has to do with the comb (an established have has drawn the comb out and has stores and brood) and the existence of brood in an established hive. Between the drawn comb and the presence of brood bees are very likely to stay put. Installing a package is usually pretty simple and successful. NC State Cooperative Extension has a series of Beekeeping Notes, one of which is …

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Does honey have nutritional value?

Honey consists primarily of glucose and fructose (both are carbohydrates) and 17-18% water. Unlike other sweeteners, honey has trace vitamins and minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin and zinc. Antioxidants are also found in honey. Flavanoids and phenolic acids found in honey act as antioxidants scavenging and eliminating free radicals. Darker honeys tend to have higher quantities of antioxidants. Honey also makes an effective antimicrobial agent for treating sore throats and other bacterial …

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What is raw honey?

It is assumed that raw honey is neither heated nor filtered. As there is no official or legal definition of raw honey, it is possible that a product labeled raw honey may have been heated or filtered. – Nancy Ostiguy, Pennsylvania State University…

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If honey becomes crystallized (solid) has it gone ‘bad’?

Honey does not spoil. Crystallized honey is caused by the glucose in liquid honey becoming a solid. Honey can be consumed in its crystallized form or you can warm the honey to dissolve the crystals by placing the jar in warm water and stirring until the crystals disappear. Do not boil or scorch the honey. – Nancy Ostiguy, Pennsylvania State University…

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What is Nosema disease?

Nosema disease in honey bees is caused by two species of pathogens, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Nosema apis was the only known microsporidian honey bee pathogen until 1996, when a second species, Nosema ceranae, was identified from the Asian honey bee. Nosema ceranae appears to be the dominant species in the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) in many parts of the world, including in Europe and the United States. Both of these pathogens cause chronic deleterious effects in the …

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How is Nosema disease treated?

Nosema disease can be treated successfully with Fumigillin (trade name Fumidil). Colonies are usually treated in the fall, spring, or both. Follow the directions on the label and feed the correct dosage in 50% sugar syrup (1:1 sugar:water, with antibiotic dissolved in 5-10 ml warm water then mixed into the syrup) in the spring, 66% in the fall. Nosema ceranae also responds to Fumidil treatment, but may require a higher dosage. The antibiotic does not kill the spores, but disrupts …

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