Editor’s Note: It’s varroa destructor and the pathogens it spreads, such as Deformed Wing Virus are the primary culprit behind bee health decline, see here. As for neonics, just this week the New Zealand EPA approved a new neonicotinoid-treated seed explaining “the risks to bees from the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin were well below the level of concern.” See here. As for neonicotinoid bans, they’ve hurt farmers while failing to protect bees, see here.
From: AgraEurope
France aims to ban use of neonicotinoids by 2018
By Sanjiv Rana
July 12, 2016
From: Scoop Sci-Tech
Combined seed treatment helps protect NZ crops
A new version of an insecticide used to help protect corn, wheat grass and brassica crops has been approved by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
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What is the risk to bees from this neonicotinoid?
The EPA risk assessment indicated that the risks to bees from the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin were well below the level of concern.
July 11, 2016
From: ABC News | Rural
By Charlie McKillop
Movement restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of the devastating varroa mite could prevent queen bee production by one of Queensland’s largest breeders.
North Queensland apiarist Graham Armstrong sends queen bees to hives across Australia at times when they are not readily available elsewhere.
Mr Armstrong said there was a real possibility the ‘precautionary’ 10-kilometre control zone could be extended and, if that were to be the case, it would have far-reaching implications for the industry.
Read Complete Article
July 8, 2016
From: Crop Protection News
by Crop Protection News Reports
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Jay Evans, who runs the USDA’s bee lab in Beltsville, Maryland, has been looking into the causes behind the massive decline in bees in recent years. He said in a radio interview that the leading cause of honeybee deaths can be attributed to parasites, poor nutrition and the chemicals bees are exposed to.
“There are three major stresses on bees: one is biological – different parasites and pathogens, including the varroa mites, and these have been harder and harder to control,” Evans said. “And we know they are transmitting viruses. They’re actually having a huge impact on bees.”
July 7, 2016
From: ABC News (Australia)
By Matt Watson
Photo: Varroa mites have been discovered at the Townsville Port. (Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry)
The destructive varroa mite has been found in a nest of Asian honey bees in the Port of Townsville, in far north Queensland.
The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) said the single hive was found last week within the hollow metal support of a container stand.
The hive of about 5,000 bees along with two varroa mites, which were detected on two of the bees, were destroyed by staff from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
July 6, 2016
Editor’s Note: A compendium of evidence demonstrating that varroa destructor and its pathogens are the #1 threat to honeybees may be found here.
From: Inside EPA
EPA and pesticide industry intervenors are urging a federal court to end a lawsuit seeking to suspend agency registration of products containing two controversial neonicotinoid pesticides, arguing that advocates have failed to establish standing for some claims, and that the agency’s decision not to cancel the products was backed by evidence.
Read Complete Article [paywall]
July 5, 2016
From: Stratfor
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On the other hand, a Brexit would afford Britain more autonomy over its agricultural practices. The European Union has strict regulations on the use of herbicides, pesticides and genetic modification in agriculture, issues currently voted on by member states and administered by the European Commission and European Food Safety Authority. Until June 28, when the bloc granted an 18-month extension, it appeared that EU officials would let Monsanto’s license for glyphosate, an herbicide and crop desiccant, expire on June 30. But these policies have cost the United Kingdom’s agriculture sector; in 2015, for instance, restrictions on neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides, adversely affected British rapeseed crops. Compared with many of its peers on the Continent, the United Kingdom is more amenable to these processes, and separating from the European Union would certainly open up the market for products treated with them. Even so, since the United Kingdom will likely strive to maintain a close trade relationship with the rest of the Continent, it may not benefit much from its liberalized agricultural policies.
July 1, 2016
From: New York State
June 29, 2016
From: Michigan State University | Department of Entomology
MSU researcher Zachary Huang is working hard to gain insight into the reproductive secrets of one of the world’s tiniest and most destructive parasites – the Varroa mite.
“If you know your enemies better, you can come up with new ways of controlling them,” said Huang, whose research explores the fertility of the notorious mite, a pest that is devastating honey bee populations worldwide. The mite sucks the blood of honeybees and transmits deadly viruses.
Read Complete Article
June 28, 2016
From: USDA | National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Sonny Ramaswamy, Director, NIFA
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The following are a few, recent accomplishments resulting from NIFA funding provided to university, government, and private partners.
- The Bee Informed Partnership (link is external) (BIP), an extension-led consortium of bee researchers and extension specialists, is working closely with beekeepers and queen breeders to demonstrate monitoring techniques for disease and mite management. The partnership is also working with queen breeders to use regionally appropriate practices for selecting mite and disease resistance traits. Recent findings show that beekeepers who follow BIP guidelines to manage varroa mites have a 20.4 percent annual colony loss rate, which is a remarkable improvement.
June 27, 2016
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