From: Grain Farmers of Ontario
Ontario Pollinator Health Blueprint
The Pollinator Task Force (Task Force) was assembled by Grain Farmers of Ontario in the winter of 2014 to help identify opportunities to enhance pollinator and managed bee health. The Task Force reviewed the results of consultations with over 900 grain farmers across Ontario in early January 2015, collected information from a variety of sources, and met with experts with field experience to formulate recommendations. These recommendations have been compiled into the Ontario Pollinator Health Blueprint.
March 16, 2015
From: The Baltimore Sun | Sharelines
Bee losses probably are caused by a combination of stressors
I am writing to oppose passage of the Pollinator Protection Act in Maryland’s General Assembly this year (“Maryland measure seeks to protect bees from pesticides,” Feb. 17).
I use very few pesticides at my home in Prince Georges County. Those I do use are incorporated as part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. I do use Imidacloprid in my greenhouse during the winter months. I am also a beekeeper and have nesting blocks for native pollinators.
Read Complete Letter
March 13, 2015
From: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Clint J. Perrya, Eirik Søvika, Mary R. Myerscoughd, and Andrew B. Barrona
Significance
Honey bee colony death rates are unsustainably high. While many stressors have been identified that contribute to this problem, we do not know why colonies transition so rapidly from a state of apparent health to failure. It is well known that individual bees react to nutritional and pathogen stresses by foraging precociously: our study explains how colony failure arises from the social responses of individual bees to stress. We used radio tracking to monitor performance of bees and found that workers who begin foraging prematurely perform very poorly. This compounds the stresses on the colony and accelerates failure. We suggest how colonies at risk can be identified early, and the most effective interventions to prevent failure.
March 10, 2015
From: Investigacion y Desarrolo
A group of entrepreneurs Veracruz (east coast state in Mexico) designed a “smart” system to contain the growth of larvae of the mite Varroa destructor among the bee population, which reduces the production of honey for as much as 50 percent when it invades the hives.
The technology called “Electronic Detection System” involves the application of a formula based on thymol and other substances through a spray device of automated steam which removes Varroa destructor larvae from the hives. This offers an integral solution to beekeepers, and thus to the entire food chain, since the pollination by bees affects more than half of current agricultural products.
March 9, 2015
From: IOM Today
Dave Kneale
Official recognition from the European Union that the island’s bee population is free of the deadly varroa mite was almost ten years in the making.
But for 79-year-old beekeeper Harry Owens, it’s the culmination of four decades of work as the island’s bee inspector.
Originally taking the post before the 1988 Bee Disease Act banned bee imports, he’s advised the government’s Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture in beekeeping matters for 37 years.
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March 6, 2015
From: arXiv.org | Cornell Uinversity Library
Joyce de Figueiró Santos, Flávio Codeço Coelho, Pierre Alexandre Bliman
(Submitted on 25 Feb 2015 (v1), last revised 26 Feb 2015 (this version, v2))
Colony Collapse Disorder has become a global problem for beekeepers and for the crops which depend on bee polination. Multiple factors are known to increase the risk of colony colapse, and the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor that parasitizes honey bees is among the main threats to colony health. Although this mite is unlikely to, by itself, cause the collapse of hives, it plays an important role as it is a vector for many viral diseases. Such diseases are among the likely causes for Colony Collapse Disorder.
March 4, 2015
Editor’s Note: On February 19-20, USDA held their 91st annual Agricultural Outlook Forum. This year’s theme was Smart Agriculture in the 21st Century: A Discussion on Innovation, Biotechnology, and Big Data. The “Protecting Our Food Supply” breakout session featured a panel discussion, “What’s the Buzz About Bees?” The following is a dsecription of the panel discussion with links to all three presentations.
From: USDA Agricultural Outlook forum
TRACK: PROTECTING OUR FOOD SUPPLY
March 2, 2015
From: Wisconsin State Farmer
By Jan Shepel
WISCONSIN DELLS
Concern about seed treatments like neonicotinoids and their possible damage to pollinators — especially bees — is a subject farmers should be aware of.
Tom Kroll, seed treatment product manager for Nufarm Americas, Inc., spoke to farmers at the recent Corn/Soy Expo in Wisconsin Dells and mentioned that the concern about seed treatments and their possible impact on bees was largely based on laboratory data.
***
Kroll said studies in the field in Europe have found that CCD “has nothing to do with the insecticide” and is more about the varroa mite, a parasite of honey bees.
February 27, 2015
From: Inside EPA
Cotton growers are urging EPA not to limit pesticide use in states that are crafting plans to protect pollinators, raising concerns that a forthcoming federal strategy for implementing President Obama’s memo on pollinator protection could curb state efforts to protect bees through better communication between growers and beekeepers.
EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are leading a federal Pollinator Health Task Force that is expected to release in the coming weeks a strategy for implementing President Obama’s June 20 memo on stemming pollinator declines by improving their habitat; assessing how pesticides and other stressors contribute to their declines; and acting where appropriate.
February 25, 2015
Editor’s Note: In comments on EPA’s study of the benefits of neonicotinoid-treated soybean seeds, serious concerns were raised that the agency’s study failed to reflect a thorough, systematic review of the relevant literature. The attached External Scientific Report, commissioned by the European Food Safety Authority, contains a “Systematic literature review on the neonicotinoids (namely active substances clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid) and the risks to bees.” Stakeholders now the have the opportunity to review EFSA literature data base. Below is a brief overview of the study.
From: EFSA
February 23, 2015
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