Review of Bee Health

Hawaii honey bee die-off points to likely culprits—Not pesticides, but varroa and viruses

From: Genetic Literacy Project

Andrew Porterfield

Although honey bee numbers are no longer in decline—overall numbers have been trending up for the past four years and are at record global highs—their health globally is still impacted by significant pressures. That’s led some environmental groups to blame pesticides for regional bee population declines. However, a number of recent reports points away from pesticides toward a viral cause.

Leave a Comment June 10, 2016

Social apoptosis in honey bee superorganisms

From: Nature | Scientific Reports

Paul Page, Zheguang Lin, Ninat Buawangpong, Huoqing Zheng, Fuliang Hu, Peter Neumann, Panuwan Chantawannakul & Vincent Dietemann

Leave a Comment June 9, 2016

Mites could play role in variable bee losses

From: Manitoba Co-Operator

Honeybee losses are all over the map in Manitoba this year, as experts eye the impact of the varroa mite

By Shannon VanRaes

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A recently released study by researchers from the University of Maryland and the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that parasites like the varroa mite, as well as fungal nosema, may play a larger role than previously thought when it comes to colony decline, particularly over the winter months.

Leave a Comment June 8, 2016

Kauai Braces for Varroa Onslaught

From: The Garden Island | Kauai’s newspaper since 1901

Leave a Comment June 7, 2016

Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) Parasitism and Climate Differentially Influence the Prevalence, Levels, and Overt Infections of Deformed Wing Virus in Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

From: Journal of Insect Science

Ricardo Anguiano-Baez, Ernesto Guzman-Novoa, Mollah Md. Hamiduzzaman, Laura G. Espinosa-Montaño, Adriana Correa-Benítez

Leave a Comment June 6, 2016

ND Ag Commissioner Goehring announces new bee map, reminds beekeepers of regulation changes

From: Farm & Ranch Guide

BISMARCK, N.D. –Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring announced the availability of a new interactive web-based map to facilitate contact between landowners, beekeepers and pesticide applicators.

“The new bee map helps ensure the continued success of the North Dakota Pollinator Plan,” said Goehring. “The goal of the plan is to reduce honey bee exposure to pesticides while ensuring that farmers can continue to use the tools they need to be successful.”

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Leave a Comment June 3, 2016

Estimates of honey bee losses vary among agencies

From: The Argus Observer [Ontario]

Larry Meyer

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The Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, in a recent report, quoted U.S. Department of Agriculture figures that show 28 percent of honey bees died last winter, 6 percent more than in 2015.

But the USDA says there are more honey bees now than there were 10 years go when there was concern about die-offs in the hives, the association said.

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Leave a Comment June 2, 2016

Ontario farmers use Twitter to blast provincial neonicotinoid regulations

From: Crop Protection News

by Crop Protection News Reports

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“These proposed regulations represent a departure from science based decision making to a precautionary approach,” Grain Farmers of Ontario wrote in a paper opposing the regulation. “In doing so, they lack defendable evidence for positively impacting pollinator health and will result in significant negative impacts to the economy, farmer safety, and the environment.”

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Leave a Comment June 1, 2016

Deciphering the Mysterious Decline of Honey Bees

From: AlterNet

Honey bees are still dying at troubling rates; a bee expert explains why.

By Elina El Niño / The Conversation

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As an extension apiculturist for the University of California Cooperative Extension, I talk to many people, from beekeepers and growers to members of the general public, about honey bees. Most of my audiences are concerned about how honey bee losses could affect the security of our food supply. While the massive and sudden colony collapses that occurred a decade ago have abated, honey bees are still dying at troubling rates. Laboratories like mine are working to understand the many factors stressing bees and develop strategies for protecting them.

Leave a Comment May 31, 2016

Further Debunking of a Highly Buzzed about Study

From: The Daily Progress | Charlottesville, Virgina

BY TONIA MOXLEY

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Leave a Comment May 27, 2016