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The U.S. Treasury has frozen the assets of three honey businesses in Yemen - Al-Nur Honey Press, Al-Shifa Honey Press and Al-Hamati sweets bakeries - among 39 groups and individuals with alleged terrorist links. Yemen's government has since clamped its own asset freeze on Al-Nur and Al-Shifa. Bin Laden's own honey connections reach to Sudan, where he owned a honey factory, the International al-Ikhlas Company, according to court transcripts of testimony by a former bin Laden associate during the U.S. embassy bombing trial. The spread-out nature of the honey business makes it ideal for providing cover to a terrorist network composed of lots of tiny cells across the Middle East and the world, terrorism experts said. "The reason for using honey is it's not just an unusual commodity to export," said Gale, a University of Pennsylvania professor and expert on international terrorism. "It goes all over the world."
A map of the areas of the known AHB quarantine zone is provided at http://agnews.tamu.edu/bees/quaran.htm.
The article also states that because of AHB, mites, and diseases, professional pest controllers are less likely to find beekeepers willing to collect the bees for them. Langston suggests using a solution of one-half to one cup of dishwashing liquid to one gallon of water to treat a honey bee swarm. Starting at the top, mist the bees with the solution, taking care to wet the ones that have fallen to the ground, as well. If they have swarmed on a tree branch, Langston notes that you can then take a black trash bag and slowly put it up around the bees. Close the bag, cut the branch and tie the bag. Then, place the bag on the ground and the bees will be dead in about 40 minutes (although it's also advised that you spray the soapy solution on the bag, in case the bees start chewing through the bag).
"We don't recommend that you use any pesticide on them, because if you do, they'll get upset, bust out and disperse," Langston notes. "With soap and water, they don't feel threatened." It is further suggested that although you may have knocked down most of the population, there may still be foragers and scouts out there. You'll need to come back around dusk to get the nest.
Scott Camazine, an entomologist at Penn State University, isn't convinced that varroa mites are the real culprit in the bee kills. He acknowledges that the mites do adversely affect bee development, but he suspects that they are also triggering a fatal epidemic of viral disease. "Mites are known to carry viruses and other pathogens, causing a condition known as parasitic mite syndrome," Camazine says. The major thrust of his research is to examine the interactions between bees, mites, and viruses. "Ten years ago, we knew that mites decreased the lifespan of honeybees. Today, we often see entire colonies collapse in late fall. Mites aren't a good explanation if their only effect is to shorten the bee's lifespan," he says. One virus carried by varroa mites is known as deformed wing virus. In late August or early September, beekeepers often observe large numbers of bees crawling outside their colonies with misshapen wings, deformed legs, and shortened abdomens. Although many entomologists claim that these maladies result when varroa mites suck hemolymph from the developing bee pupae, studies by Brenda Ball at the Institute of Arable Crops Research--Rothamsted, in England, show that the misshapen bees are infected with high levels of deformed wing virus.
The other mite, the tracheal mite, is seen only as a minor pest these days. Beekeepers effectively control it with grease patties and menthol chips.
The article continues with this material: Originally, varroa mites were found only on a different species of bee, Apis cerana, in southeast Asia. They leaped to the common honeybee around the beginning of the twentieth century and from Asia traveled to Europe and South America. When the United States relaxed its strict honeybee import laws in the 1980s, the mites hitchhiked into the country and were first reported in a Wisconsin apiary in September 1987. They began to spread almost immediately, ultimately reaching all 48 contiguous states. But the real crisis didn't occur until the mid-1990s, when the rapid spread of varroa mites caused native bee colonies, which had little natural resistance to the imported parasites, to crash. Today, apiarists are again importing honeybees, this time to try to breed resistance into the vulnerable North American bees. Bees from Germany and Russia, for example, have developed a natural genetic resistance to varroa mites, and researchers hope that by mating these hardy foreign bees with native bees they can create a more resilient strain. Indeed, when scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Research Unit in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, bred mite-infested bees from Russia with North American honeybees, they found that mite populations in some hives decreased by as much as one-third. Mites in control hives, in which the native inhabitants were not bred with foreign bees, increased as much as fivefold. In the United States, some native bees also show natural resistance to mites. By breeding these varroa-tolerant bees, Erickson has been able to maintain bee colonies with only six or seven mites per 100 bees. He explains that it is not uncommon to find counts of 40 to 50 mites per 100 bees in heavily infested colonies and as many as 100 in moribund colonies, but most beekeepers aim for fewer than 10 mites per 100 bees. A count of five mites per 100 bees is generally enough to impact honey production, but "the loss in dollars is generally not as much as the cost of treatment," he says.
Beekeeper Christina Ainsworth and her sister helped quiet the bees, spraying them with smoke from burning pine straw. ``It helps calm them down,'' Ainsworth said. ``It makes them a little dizzy.''
"We made honey, but not as much," said Barry Hart, an employee of the Griffis Honey Co. "I think we'll have 75 percent of a normal crop." Griffis Honey, owned by Josh Griffis, has about 2,500 hives at 40 to 50 sites. The company is located in the remote logging community of Fargo, west of the Okefenokee Swamp. Hart said wildfires linked to the drought also are a big threat to beekeepers, who must be prepared to move their hives quickly. "We've had several fires burning close to our hives," Hart said. "We didn't have to move any, but there has been some danger." Bears have become another problem for the south Georgia bee industry, particularly near the Okefenokee, which is a national wildlife refuge. Sometimes even an electrified fence won't prevent hungry bears from ripping the hives apart and feasting on the honey. "Bears will go through a fence when they realize all it's going to do is shock them," Hart said. "We have a lot of damage every year."
More than 1 million Americans report allergic reactions to insect stings; about 50 people each year die from the stings. Insect sting reactions fall into two categories: immediate and delayed. Immediate reactions occur within four hours of a sting. A normal reaction consists of localized pain, swelling and skin redness, lasting for several hours, at the sting site.
Another type of immediate reaction is called a “large local reaction” because it consists of a large area of swelling surrounding the sting site. “A large local reaction can be accompanied by low grade fever, mild nausea, malaise and fatigue,” Dr. Atkins says. Treatment of local reactions in people without a history of insect sting sensitivity include aspirin for pain and ice to reduce swelling. For those with a history of large local reactions, taking an oral antihistamine (preferably nonsedating) is recommended. “A third type of immediate reaction is the most dreaded: anaphylaxis. These reactions involve multiple organ systems simultaneously and most often begin within minutes of the sting although they can occasionally begin an hour or so later.”
Common signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis are flushing, itching, hives, swelling, sneezing, runny nose, swelling of the throat, breathing difficulties, nausea, abdominal cramping, vomiting and diarrhea. In severe episodes of anaphylaxis, an irregular heartbeat and shock can occur. People who have had severe or anaphylactic reactions in the past should wear a bracelet identifying their insect sting sensitivity, be taught to self-administer injectable epinephrine, and be reminded to keep epinephrine and antihistamines available at all times. After epinephrine and antihistamines are taken following a sting, call 911.
For more information, call LUNG LINE, (800) 222-LUNG, e-mail, lungline@njc.org or visit, www.nationaljewish.org.
Clan Apis Collected Editions
Written and drawn by Jay Hosler Ph.D. Published by Active Synapse.
160 pages, 7" x 10", perfect bound, full color cardstock cover, interior
pages are printed on 60lb paper, black and white interior art, with an ISBN
number on the back. Contains all five issues of Clan Apis plus six pages of
bee facts and the six page SPX mini-comic, Killer Bee. Cover price is $15
dollars (American funds only please) plus shipping.
No minimum order size. Payment should be made in American funds (checks
and money orders are preferred). Credit card orders are available, but
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expiration date). Your card will be charged when the book is shipped to
you. No credit terms are available at present, but we're willing to discuss
it. Invoicing is available for those that require it.
Orders between $0.01 and $60 (retail) should add $3.75 for shipping &
handling. Orders between $60.01 and $135 should add $5.75 for s&h. Orders
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$210.01 will receive free ground shipping. If you qualify for free
shipping, we will send it ground or credit your desired shipping method for
the price of ground service.
The above should answer most questions about Clan Apis and Active
Synapse. We here at
Active Synapse are willing to work with you in any way that we can, so don't
hesitate to ask. Serving our customers is our highest priority. Please
keep in mind that Active Synapse is, in actuality, just two hard-working
guys with limited time and funds. We might not be able to meet all of your
requests, but we promise to always deal with you as fairly and as honestly
as we can. We would rather have our integrity than your money (screwy, aint
it?).
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"It is chaotic, an absolute mosaic," said Enrique Simo, a biologist for Unio-COAG, an association of Spanish farmers and ranchers. "No one in the government even has a map of what is growing where."
He was sponsored by the Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs, a Washington, D.C.-based, nonprofit organization that undertakes development work in eastern European countries and Africa. He was selected for the program after serving on a national bee and honey committee through the American Farm Bureau.
Piechowski, 59, was a natural choice to conduct the seminars because he has been a beekeeper nearly all of his life, said his wife, Marilyn. His father, Henry Piechowski, started Henry's Honey Farm near Redgranite. Honey from their farm is sold throughout the state. Piechowski's mission was to teach the technology-starved Ukrainian farmers the modern art of beekeeping. He said the country appears to have great agricultural potential, but a poor economy and the wrong attitude about the role honey plays in nutrition stand in the way of successful honey agribusiness.
"They eat only four to five ounces of honey per person per year because it is considered a medicine. That's one of their biggest problems. They have to get over this medicine idea and realize it's a good food," Piechowski said. The soil in Ukraine is rich and fertile, but Piechowski said he was amazed by the poor living and farming conditions, and the lack of equipment and other resources.
``Remember back in the United States when you were a kid living in a rural area? You did well with nothing. The people of the Ukraine get by with less,'' he said. A successful farmer there has a team of horses. An average farmer has perhaps one horse. A poor farmer does without a horse, relying instead on his own strength to work his farm.
The mite was introduced in the United States from Europe in 1987. In 1996, the worst year so far, it destroyed about 60 percent of the nation's bees. "This is a serious problem nationwide," said Grant Stiles, chief bee specialist for New Jersey. In the last 13 years, the state's 900 beekeepers and 10,000 bee colonies have been drastically reduced, said Robert Balaam, director of the Division of Plant Industry in the state's Department of Agriculture. The department did not record statistics before 1990, but anecdotal evidence suggests the varroa mite struck New Jersey hard, he said.
In Pennsylvania, the number of keepers and colonies has dropped by two-thirds since 1987, said James Steinhauser, chief bee inspector for the state. In 1999, 1,700 beekeepers with 30,133 colonies registered with the state. "It just snuck up on them. Beekeepers didn't know what was going on," Steinhauser said.
Bob Harvey of Monroeville, owner of the largest beekeeping business in New Jersey, has watched his colonies shrink by half - to about 2,400 - in the last 25 years. Other factors, such as drought and hurricanes, diminished stock, Harvey said. But by far, the mite has done the most damage. Because cold weather weakens bee colonies, he said, Northern beekeepers now transport bees to warmer climates in the winter. He estimated he spent more than $250,000 last year to transport his bees to Florida. With roughly 4,600 hives rented at about $37 each, it can be hard to make ends meet, he said. About one-third of his business comes from pollination.
Jerry J. Bromenshenk, speaking at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said that researchers now hope to exploit this remarkable talent of the honeybee to identify areas that have been mined and, perhaps, even pinpoint individual mines. "Honeybees can pick up traces of all sorts of contaminants," said Bromenshenk, a researcher at the University of Montana in Missoula. "Our studies have shown that they can distinguish individual explosive compounds." Under a contract with the Army, Bromenshenk and a group of researchers have already shown that by putting sensors inside beehives they can tell if a bee foraging in the field has detected an explosive compound and carried traces of it back to the hive.
Beth was describing her work in understanding how bees prepare to forage. They take pre-flights to learn the landscape.
For unabashed editorializations and rambling, try The Nachbaur Papers. You can get there from here.
Demand from the cosmetics industry remains healthy, but the use of beeswax in candles, which was very strong a few years ago, has dropped considerably as consumer interest has shall we say, flickered. Or burned out.
Produced naturally by some ants as a defense against predators, formic acid can be dangerous in large quantities if handled improperly. And it must be reapplied frequently to be effective against bee mites, according to the article's lead author, Jan Kochansky, Ph.D., of the USDA's Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville.
Two compounds are widely used in the United States to control bee mites: the pesticide fluvalinate used for varroa mites and menthol used for tracheal mites. While menthol remains effective against tracheal mites, varroa mites in some regions of the United States have developed resistance to fluvalinate, as has already occurred in parts of Europe. "The migratory nature of commercial beekeeping means that this resistance will spread rapidly to most areas of the country," claims Kochansky. Another compound, coumaphos, is used in some states to help control fluvalinate-resistant varroa mites, he notes.
A patent for the formic acid gel is pending; a manufacturing license has been issued to BetterBee, Inc. of Greenwich, N.Y. EPA registered the gel in August.
The article by Joe Humphreys further states, " Attacking the bee's immune system, varroa leaves it crippled and susceptible to viruses. If a colony becomes infected it will collapse, sending the survivors out in search of another hive, thus spreading the parasite further." For many years, Ireland was the only country in Europe free from the mite having introduced a ban on bee importations in 1980. "Our big fear was that a swarm would come across on the ferry in the back of a truck," said Mr. Don Feeley, a senior inspector with the Department. "Unfortunately, what happened was someone deliberately brought in bees from England, ignoring the ban." He said the Department had identified three different individuals responsible for breaches of the law, one of whom distributed infected bees throughout County Sligo, leaving a trail behind him. The Department had considered taking legal action but "it's impossible to prove anything".
"We anesthetize the bees with carbon dioxide and then glue tags onto their backs," explains Ronald Gilbert, who is testing the technology at the Pacific Northwest Nation-al Laboratory, in Richland, Washington. The tags contain radio-frequency-emitting chips, much like the ones stores put on clothes to thwart shoplifters. The laboratory's workers shrank the tags to half the size of a grain of rice. Antennas at the entrance to the hive pick up radio frequency signals from the tag. A computer analyzes the data to tell whether bees are coming or going. Upon returning to the hive, each bee is identified by its tag and greeted with a puff of air. The air sweeps molecules into a mass spectrometer, which measures their atomic weights and compares the results with those for TNT. If the explosive is identified, the computer system updates its map of known minefields. Police then post warning signs for as long as it takes sappers to remove the mines.
Tom Theobald, president of the Boulder County Beekeepers Association and owner of the Niwot Honey Farm, said that based on a 1996 survey of beekeepers, half the losses beekeepers report are directly attributable to pesticides. The number of colonies in Colorado until 1996 was 45,000, and now it is between 22,000 and 32,000, he said.
"Toxic Pollen From Widely Planted, Genetically Modified Corn Can Kill Monarch Butterflies, Cornell Study Shows" An increasingly popular commercial corn, genetically engineered to produce a bacterial toxin to protect against corn pests, has an unwanted side effect: Its pollen kills monarch butterfly larvae in laboratory tests, according to a report by Cornell University researchers.
Writing in the latest issue (May 20) of the journal "Nature", the Cornell researchers note that this hybrid crop, known as" Bt"-corn, has genes from the bacterium" Bacillus thuringiensis" ("Bt") spliced into the plant genes. These hybrids are very effective against the ravenous European corn borer, a major corn pest that is destroyed by the plant's toxic tissue. The engineered corn is safe for human consumption.
Unlike many pesticides, the "Bt"-corn has been shown to have no effect on many "nontarget" organisms -- pollinators such as honeybees or beneficial predators of pests like ladybugs. But the "Bt-"modified corn produces pollen containing crystalline endotoxin from the bacterium genes. When this corn pollen is dispersed by the wind, it lands on other plants, including milkweed, the exclusive food of monarch caterpillars and commonly found around cornfields.
Says John E. Losey, Cornell assistant professor of entomology and the primary investigator on the study: "We need to look at the big picture here. Pollen from "Bt"-corn could represent a serious risk to populations of monarchs and other butterflies, but we can't predict how serious the risk is until we have a lot more data. And we can't forget that Bt-corn and other transgenic crops have a huge potential for reducing pesticide use and increasing yields. This study is just the first step, we need to do more research and then objectively weigh the risks versus the benefits of this new technology."
The web version of this release, including any accompanying photos, may be found at http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/May99/Butterflies.bpf.html.
"www.AgricultureLaw.com is a new web site devoted to providing the most complete source of information and ideas on agricultural policy and to reporting daily news on agricultural issues. We are not advancing a particular viewpoint -- we seek to encourage dialogue and sharing of agriculture-related information from a diverse spectrum of perspectives from all responsible parties."
We also got the following from Mr. William Olivadoti:
"Our company manufactures an electronic instrument which detects insects and transmits information indicative of that insect to a computer for analysis. Please visit my website at: http://www.fizzix.com/siliconvalley/biometrics." The device apparently triggers an alarm everytime an insect comes near.
Philadelphia Inquirer, picked up by AP.
NEW YORK -- Bees are thriving in seven high-rise hives.
Bears are nonexistent. Skunks are rare. Rats, pigeons and humans,
though plentiful, are reluctant to approach.
New York City, it turns out, is a great place to be a bee.
"They do really well here," said David Graves, who has hundreds of
thousands of honeybees in seven hives in Brooklyn, the Bronx and
Manhattan. "There are so many parks, and gardens, and rooftop flowerpots.
Even if it's dry, they can get the water they need from the East River."
They mind their own beeswax, too, and don't go around stinging sidewalk-
bound New Yorkers, Graves insisted. The hives are on rooftops -- as high
as 12 stories -- to keep them undisturbed. Each of Graves' hives can produce
50 pounds of honey a year, which he sells for $5 per half-pound at the
city's greenmarkets. His ordinary New England honey is $3.
Graves, 48, has been raising bees for 15 years. He got the up-on-the-roof
idea one spring after black bears raided hives near his Becket, Mass., home.
Dear colleagues: I am beginning a study on the parasitic fly genus
Melaloncha that attacks stingless bees in the New World tropics. I am
looking for collaborators in the Neotropical Region who would be willing to
help me. I need people who can direct me to nests of as many stingless bee
species as possible. Once I know where the nests are located, I can search
for the parasitic flies, which often are found around the nest entrance. By
the way, the flies also attack honey bees and can be a major source of
mortality for these insects.
If anyone has an interest in this project, please contact Brian Brown - bbrown@nhm.org.
-Brian says thanks.
Researchers, led by Dr. Tom Rinderer, had expected mite populations to increase by a factor of about 12 during the test period, but on the Russian stock, populations only grew about 3 times from the original mite counts. Although other factors may be involved, the results - that a genetic resistance to varroa mites may be discovered - are very encouraging! The complete Science News article is on the web.
Garth Cambray of Camdini Apiaries, South Africa, says that they will not infect a hive unless something is already badly wrong with it. If the hive is killed by pesticides, or has it's population dramatically reduced so it cannot defend itself against beetles, the beetles will hammer the hive.
More on the life cycle, longevity, and control of the hive beetle is located here.
The introduction states in part: "This report updates information on honey production, pollination and the relationship of the U.S. beekeeping industry to agriculture and the environment. The study was mandated in the Committee report that accompanied the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act of 1987. The mandate resulted from concern by beekeepers and members of Congress about problems, issues, and challenges that emerged during the 1980's with the potential to significantly alter the beekeeping industry. These concerns included northward migration of the Africanized honeybee, infestations of colonies by tracheal and Varroa mites, the widespread use of highly toxic pesticides, increasing honey imports, and efforts to discontinue the honey price support program."
This report is an extremely valuable lobbying document. The authors should be congratulated for providing the industry with these facts and figures. The beekeeping community now has plenty of ammunition to back up its arguments for public support in many arenas. However, the time and expense to produce this document will go for naught, if those in the beekeeping industry do not actively use the information to its fullest potential. To obtain a copy call toll free 800/999-6779 in U.S. and Canada (other areas 703/834-0125) and ask for AER-680. The cost is $12.00 payable by Visa or MasterCard. To order a copy by first-class mail, send a check for $12.00 ($15.00 for Canada or elsewhere) made payable to ERS-NASS, 341 Victory Drive, Herndon, VA 22070.
United Press International, also in April, 1998, carried a similar story, citing the "killing (of) millions of honeybees in western France." The syndrome was termed 'mad bee' because the honeybees, apparently poisoned by an insecticide designed to injure an insect's neurological system, causes bees to loose their cognitive abilities, resulting in (among other things) bees which can not find their way home. Beekeepers claim the problem is the insecticied Gaucho, produced by German agrichemical giant Bayer. It was designed to protect sunflowers from parasites. French Ministry spokesman Andre Lesireux described his department's research: "The research will tell us why the bees turn crazy and die."
Texas Department of Agriculture Dismisses Free Speech Case Against Beekeeper
After a two and a half year legal battle, the Texas Department of Agriculture has dropped charges that beekeeper John Caldeira broke the law simply by talking about pesticides on the Internet.
In 1995, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) sent beekeeper John Caldeira a letter in the mail claiming that he broke the law when he discussed the merits of Mavrik, a pesticide, in controlling varroa mites in beehives on Prodigy's bee hobbyist bulletin board. Under Texas law, a pesticide distributor can lose his license for "recommending" a pesticide inconsistent with its labeling or approved EPA use. But Caldeira wasn't a distributor of pesticides or even a commercial beekeeper. He was just a hobbyist repeating what he'd learned from USDA researchers at beekeeping conventions.
The TDA went after him anyway, claiming that his Prodigy posts "gave the impression" that he was a knowledgeable commercial beekeeper whose "advice and suggestions would have a significant impact in encouraging illegal use of Mavrik." They inspected Caldeira's hives and found no violations of the law. Still, they pursued Caldeira, seeking to fine him $600. Caldeira countered that his comments were factually accurate, harmed no one and were protected by the First Amendment.
After bringing his case to the readers of Fight-Censorship, an electronic mailing list, attorney Jennifer Granick put Caldeira in contact with Texas attorney McGready Richeson. Richeson, representing Caldeira pro bono, moved to challenge the TDA's actions on First Amendment grounds, filed for a stay of the proceedings and prepared to file a declaratory action to determine the constitutionality of the statute.
In response, TDA drafted a statement for Caldeira to post "one time per month for three months" to Prodigy, parroting the TDA's position on pesticide use, in exchange for dropping the fine. Richeson rejected the offer, stating that no offer which forced Caldeira either to remain silent or to speak would be acceptable.
Meanwhile, the TDA's case was in trouble. On January 12, 1998, Administrative Law Judge Barbara C. Marquardt granted Richeson's Motion to Continue, stating that "the nature of this action is problematic. While it is filed against a Texas resident, it concerns information he placed on the Internet, and no harm was done to Texas residents... Thus, the ALJ would prefer that a district court address the constitutional issues." That same day, the TDA dropped their case against Caldeira.
The largest honey marketing co-operative in the USA estimate honey sales are up about 10 per cent over last year (mostly in increased sales of lower value industural bulk honey). Members delivered about 36,400,000 pounds of honey from their 1997 crop, nearly twenty per cent of the total US production.
This book...
-Serves as a comprehensive introduction for beginners and a valuable
reference for the experienced beekeeper;
-Is illustrated with 90 original black-and-white drawings and 23 tables;
-Outlines alternative options for each operation within beekeeping,
listing advantages and disadvantages of each alternative;
-Provides easy-to-follow directions and diagrams;
-Includes glossary and updated bibliography suggesting more detailed
information on the topics discussed.
This 224 page Comstock Book, can be ordered from Cornell University Press (US 24.95) by calling 607-277-2211, by faxing 1-800-688-2877, or by e-mailing orderbook@cupserv.org. By mail, orders should go to Cornell University Press, PO Box 6525, Ithaca, NY 14851-6525. People can also order through the Cornell Press Website.
Province and floral source not given:
extra white, ($US) 75 cents per pound, duty and crossing charges extra.
US Domestic honey has recently ranged from 59 cents to 83 cents US per pound, with prices varying by floral source, contract terms, and delivery and container arrangements. A median price for high quality white honey seems to be about 70 cents.
At 91, Professor Harry Laidlaw has put a great deal of himself into his latest book, Queen Rearing and Bee Breeding. He considers it his best book on queen rearing and an introduction to bee breeding. Professor Rob Page has added considerably to the genetics section, yet kept it readable for most beekeepers. FYI: Queen rearing and bee breeding, 224 pages, softcover, large format, (US Funds) $25 plus $2.50 surface postage worldwide. Discounts available for quantity purchases.
Larry Connor Ph.D. Editor and Publisher Wicwas Press LLC PO Box 817 Cheshire CT 06410 phone and fax 203 250 7575 mailto:ljconnor@aol.com
1. How many colonies went out on pollination? ______
2. Cost per colonie for commercial pollination _________
3. Number of Acres pollinated _________
Wisconsin beekeepers can answer this survey, title the email...WHPA Pollination Survey and send it to Monica M. Piechowski.
There is a little more mite news floating around the country. Apparently, an efficacy experiment in a southern US state involving ten-year old Apistan strips (sold in 1989) demonstrated that the old strips were much better at killing varroa than strips produced today. The apparent recent loss in Apistan strip effectiveness is believed to be due to formulation changes in the host material (the plastic that holds the miticide in the strip), which no longer releases the chemical correctly. There had been speculation that some strains of mites were developing resistance to the Fluvalinate, but it now appears (according to our sources in the south) that the strips just aren't working as they once did. In tests conducted by the producers of Apistan, it has been indicated that the product continues to be at least 95% effective in killing mites - if used correctly. Unfortunately, a correct application would require about five times the number of individual strips per hive than what beekeepers typically use. The resulting cost could finacially destroy some beekeepers (then who would buy the strips?)... It is important for producers of any commodity to keep prices at a level that customers will not go broke making purchases, or, worse turn into mavericks!
Russia, Moscow. 127349,
Leskova St., 10-b, 270,
phone 909-61-72,
fax 241-11-51 ( for E. Betin).
CANADA -Manitoba
clover 73 water white
ARGENTINA light amber
mixed flower 69-89 E. Coast white-lt amber
mixed flower 93 W. Coast white
MEXICO Mixed 61-62 light amber
Texas Tallow 64 light amber
Louisiana Tallow 64 light amber
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