From SYSAM@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDUMon May 22 07:17:59 1995 Date: Mon, 22 May 95 08:37:58 EDT From: Aaron Morris To: dicka@cuug.ab.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1992 15:00:05 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Never take a live dragon lightly! 01-Apr-1992 1733 Subject: The uses of propolis I have been searching my back issues of the beekeeping magazines, and my beekeeping reference books, for information on the uses of propolis. There are lots of articles and references on the uses of wax: candles, lotions, polish and such. However, there is a curious lack of data on propolis as a valued hive product. There are some historical references to the use of propolis as a wound dressing, and as a varnish for violins and furniture. Does anyone have information on small scale production of propolis based products? For example, how do you make a propolis based varnish? Even if you do not have any formulation data, I am also interested in historical and contemporary uses of propolis. Any and all references would be appreciated. Thanks, Eric Brierley +-----+ . President - Davie County Beekeepers Assoc. | - |. Mocksville, North Carolina, USA +-----+ . .. . | - | . . * Audience with the Queen? Keep Bees! * +-----+ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1992 08:07:22 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Tom Fisher Subject: Re: The uses of propolis In-Reply-To: <9204012302.AA10480@fieldofdreams.npirs.purdue.edu>; from "Never take a live dragon lightly! 01-Apr-1992 1733" at Apr 1, 92 3:00 pm > > I have been searching my back issues of the beekeeping magazines, > and my beekeeping reference books, for information on the uses of > propolis. There are lots of articles and references on the uses of > wax: candles, lotions, polish and such. However, there is a curious > lack of data on propolis as a valued hive product. There are some > historical references to the use of propolis as a wound dressing, > and as a varnish for violins and furniture. > > Does anyone have information on small scale production of propolis > based products? For example, how do you make a propolis based > varnish? Even if you do not have any formulation data, I am also > interested in historical and contemporary uses of propolis. Any and > all references would be appreciated. > > Thanks, > > Eric Brierley +-----+ . > President - Davie County Beekeepers Assoc. | - |. > Mocksville, North Carolina, USA +-----+ . .. I don't recall where I read this (sorry) but I believe the ancient Egyptians used propolis as an ingredient in their mummyfication process. It is well documented that they were avid beekeepers. ==================================================================== Tom Fisher tfisher@ceris.purdue.edu | "...if by chance we find each Phone (317) 494-6616 | other, it is beautiful." - F. Perls ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1992 10:20:46 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stephen Bambara Subject: no subject (file transmission) If you want historic info on propolis, try the writings of Pliny. If you want to buy the products, try the health food/nutrition centers. The East European countries are big on its benefits and you can purchase it in creams and tinctures. If you want to talk to someone, call Charles Mraz (802) 295-6383. He is more into venom therapy, but I suspect he is up on propolis, too. If you want current literature, Apimondia is the place to go. There are usually presentations on the topic at every meeting. In 1978 they published a collection of papers: PROPOLIS - Scientific data and suggestions concerning its composition, properties and possible use in therapeutics. IBRA was selling this book at some point. I also know a person in England who is studying the effects of propolis on cancer cells, but I can't locate his address. I will look for it. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Stephen Bambara NCSU-Entomology, Box 7626, Raleigh NC 27695-7626 | |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=| | Voice: (919) 515-3140 | INTERNET: sbambara@ent.ncsu.edu | | FAX: (919) 515-7746 | | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1992 15:18:42 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Peter Kevan Subject: Lycopodium spores Has anyone information on a source of spores of Lycopodium in purchasable quantities? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Peter ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1992 15:37:46 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stephen Bambara Subject: Re: Lycopodium spores In-Reply-To: <9204032025.AA02718@ncextc.ces.ncsu.edu>; from "Peter Kevan" at Apr 3, 92 3:18 pm > > Has anyone information on a source of spores of Lycopodium in purchasable > quantities? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Peter > I have seen bees visit this for pollen. How much do you want? I will look around. You might actually try places like drug stores. Lycopodium spores are also used by magicians like flash powder so try magic shops. You can do this trick yourself by shaking the pollen onto the flame of a light match. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Stephen Bambara NCSU-Entomology, Box 7626, Raleigh NC 27695-7626 | |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=| | Voice: (919) 515-3140 | INTERNET: sbambara@ent.ncsu.edu | | FAX: (919) 515-7746 | | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1992 07:54:59 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Peter Subject: Re: Lycopodium spores In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 3 Apr 1992 15:37:46 EST from I'm afraid I need too much to be collected from bees knees. Also, I need it dry, au naturel. The lead to magicians shops will be followed up, though. Thanks. Peter ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1992 11:48:40 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Peter Kevan BEES, POLLINATION, SAFE SEX, AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES Imagine my interest in reading Universite Laval Evenements (the university's newspaper) about safe sex as illustrated by a drone bumblebee visiting a flower! This isn't the first time I have encountered the use of a pollination theme for illustrating the point, but I wonder why? Do insects as the flying intromittent "organisms" of many flower- ing plants convey some message of purity to sexual reproduction? If so, perhaps the myth should be exploded! Pollinators are the vectors of a variety of plant diseases which affect the latters' sexual organs and reproductive success. The most noteworthy is the association of Ustilago violacea with Silene and its pollinating insects. Mummyberry fungus, Monilinia spp. are transmitted to flowers by pollinators. Fire blight may be so transmitted, too. There is an interesting yeast, Metschnikowia reukaufii which inhibits the germination of pollinia of milkweeds and is transmitted by anthophilous insects. Etc. Then, in the words of Shakespeare from A Midsummer Night's Dream dare I quote "Where the bee sucks, There suck I" I think the image noted at the start is interesting. I wonder how it was dreamed up, but it would not seem to be accurate in its implications. Perhaps, one of our correspondents at U Laval would care to reply! Evenements of 12 Mars, 1992 article by Jean Hamann. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 17:02:00 MDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: LDHARDER@UNCAMULT.BITNET Subject: Re: Lycopodium spores In-Reply-To: Message of 4 Apr 92 06:54 MDT from Peter Palynologists regularly use Lycopodium spores to calibrate their pollen counts. I'm sure your local practitioner of this black art would know of suppliers (they come in pellets of relatively constant number). ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 11:49:30 +0200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: EISIK@TAUNOS.BITNET Subject: Re: Lycopodium spores In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 3 Apr 1992 15:18:42 EST Dear sir , I do not have any Lycpodium spores, sorry, did you receive my letter concerning Canola material for Rivka? I got money for her travel ,are you still intrrested that she ll come?. All the best Dini. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 10:31:00 GMT Reply-To: rodders@cix.clink.co.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rod Ellery Subject: Varroa confirmed in UK I received the following this morning:- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Original From: joegriffin@cix.compulink.co.uk We have just heard that Varroa has been found and confirmed in Devon. Thorns (the equipment supplier) have advised their agents that`Varroa has been confirmed in the Torbay Area! We have no further details at the moment, but it is now most important for ALL UK beekeepers to send samples to Luddington for varroa screening. Beekeepers who belong to their county BKA will know what is wanted, but in case any new beekeepers do not, here is what you should do:- Collect the debris scraped off floorboards when you spring clean your colonies. Put the whole lot from your apiary in a paper bag (NOT plastic). Do not use plastic as this will sweat and cause moulds to grow. and send it, together with your name and address, to: Varroa Search, National Beekeeping Unit, Luddington, Warwickshire. If you want a reply, please include an SAE There is no charge for this service. You will, of course, get a reply anyway if you do`have it :-( ------------------------------------------------------------- I have today spoken to Mike Brown at Luddington. He confirms the above and told me that Varroa had been found in 8-9 apiaries in Devon. He pointed out that this means that this means it cannot therefore be treated as an isolated outbreak. All Uk beekeepers are advised to send samples of hive debris to Luddington as described in the included message. If your spring clean has already been done then the debris from a tobacco-smoked hive should be sent. (Use 3mg tobacco). Luddington will try to reply to all but they may be a bit snowed under during the next few weeks. A SAE will improve your chances of a reply. Obviously a positive test will get a reply anyway. At present there is no licensed recommended treatment for Varroa in this country but I am told that a treatment is 'in train' ie on the way. Whether this will be available to individual beekeepers or just to BDI officers is unknown as are the exact timescales. Rod Ellery ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 11:25:35 JST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: adam messer Subject: Re: Lycopodium spores Since Lycopodium spores are under discussion so much recently, it seems worth pointing out that another potential source of this material might be your local pharmacy. The spores are often used to lubricate "dry" condoms during the manufacturing process. Concerned about the potential allergenic potential, though, a number of manufacturers have switched to non-botanical lubricants. Ansell us one of them. There was a paper in Economic Botany about this, probably in mid-1989. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 07:45:20 -0400 Reply-To: MunnPA@cardiff.ac.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dr P A Munn 92 Subject: Re: Varroa in the UK - info pack IBRA have put together an information pack for beekeepers on Varroa. The pack contains copies of selected reviews from the IBRA library, the FAO Varroa Handbook, and the DARG booklet - Living with Varroa. Sold separately, these would retail at about 22 pounds, but we are offering the pack for 12 pounds (including UK postage). Contact IBRA at this address (below), or fax/phone if you are interested. Perhaps you could spread the word to beekeepers not on E-mail that this is available. Pam Munn _____________________________________________________________________________ | E-mail : MunnPA@Cardiff.AC.UK | Mail: IBRA, | | Phone : +44 222 372409 | 18, North Road, | | Fax : +44 222 665522 | Cardiff, | |---------------------------------------| South Glamorgan | | Please state if the message is for | CF1 3DY | | someone else within IBRA | United Kingdom | |_______________________________________|___________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 14:59:34 CET Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Willem N. Ellis" Subject: Lycopodium spores The Amsterdam section that uses Lycopodium spores to estimate the pollen quantity produced by an anther purchases them at: the Department of Quater- nary Geology, Tornavagen 13, S-223 63 Lund, Sweden. Sorry that the information is somewhat meager! Willem ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 17:21:12 CDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Chet Farmer, Asst. Dir., Project IDEALS" Subject: ANNOUNCEMENT OF SAGSET CONF * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ---------------------- * * Call for participation: --------------------- * * ---------------------- Joint 1992 conference: /////////// * * --------------------- S A G S E T * * I S A G A * * Society for the Advancement of Games and \\\\\\\\\\\ * * Simulations in Education and Training * * International Simulation and Gaming Association * * * * Conference theme: Developing transferable skills through * * ---------------- simulation and gaming * * * * 18-21 August, 1992 Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland * * * * For further information: Fred Percival * * ======================= SAGSET/ISAGA Conference Secretary * * Napier University * * 219 Colinton Road * * Telephone: 44 / 31-455-4394 Edinburgh EH14 1DJ * * Facsimile: 44 / 31-455-7989 Scotland * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Chet Farmer, Assistant Director | English / 103 Morgan | | Project IDEALS -- FIPSE, DoE | Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0244 | | University of Alabama | tel 205-348-9494 | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 17:49:58 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Peter Kevan Subject: Brain Transplants Give Bees Instant Memory! Dr. Steve Ray, at Wolverhampton Polytech has used the protein extracts from adult bees to inject into the brains of larvae. The interesting thing is that the larvae, when emerging as adults, seem to have some memory information from the brain-protein donor bee. It seems that bees without the transplant were unable to find their way home from being placed away from their hive, but bees with the transplants could. Perhaps someone in the UK could ask Dr. Ray to send us more inform- ation on this fascinating discovery. I found out about it from The Times (18 Feb, 1992). The article puts me in mind of the Worm Runners Digest of some years ago, when Planaria were supposed to be able to ingest memory with their food and a magazine sprung up on the subject. What ever became of that research? I suppose the proposed treatments for Alzheimers and some other neural/ brain disorders with extracts from healthy brains isn't far removed from the above, conceptually, but chemically it must be rather different. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 11:28:25 -0400 Reply-To: MunnPA@cardiff.ac.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dr P A Munn 92 Subject: Congrees in Beijing Hi there bee-liners I'm putting out a plea to any IBRA members (or anyother kind volunteer!) who is going to attend the entomology congress in Beijing in June. We can't get the funds to send anyone from IBRA and so are hoping a someone will offer to put out some of our promotional literature at the congress (as much or as little as you can take). Anyone able to offer to help - please contact me. Thanks in anticipation. PS re: Peter Kevan's question about memory transfer - I've had a look in the IBRA library but cannot find any mention of Ray's work. All I've found is a 1978 paper by Martin, Martin and Lindauer in J. Comp. Physiol. A 124: 193-201 "Transplantation of a time signal in honey bees". Very interesting work - if its for real! Pam Munn _____________________________________________________________________________ | E-mail : MunnPA@Cardiff.AC.UK | Mail: IBRA, | | Phone : +44 222 372409 | 18, North Road, | | Fax : +44 222 665522 | Cardiff, | |---------------------------------------| South Glamorgan | | Please state if the message is for | CF1 3DY | | someone else within IBRA | United Kingdom | |_______________________________________|___________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 14:18:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: BATSON@FRMNVAX1.BITNET Subject: Re: Brain Transplants Give Bees Instant Memory! I haven't seen the bee article, but here's some information regarding the Planaria "memory-transfer" research. A lot of that work was initiated by a psychologist, James McConnell. Beginning in the 1950's, McConnell reported a number of papers purporting to demonstrate "memory-transfer" in these flatworms. In general, one group of worms would learn something that theoretically caused intracellular chemical changes..."memory" as it was based in chemical form. Presumably, naive recipients of this chemical (never identified, but fed, with the entire ground-up "learner", to new flatworms) later showed some evidence of the memory themselves. McConnell gained quite some notoriety as a result of these startling findings, and his research stimulated much other research for years. However, like the proverbial can of worms, the further researchers delved into this issue the more confusing the results became. Eventually, alternative (and less interesting) explanations of the data appeared, and people lost interest in the possibility that memories have unique chemical correlates. In fact, in a quick survey of half a dozen texts on physiological psychology, only one even mentions the research or McConnell's name, and in that case only for historical reasons. The "Worm Runner's Digest", a spoof of a journal with some hilarious "research" articles, died a similar death some years ago. McConnell, I hear, also passed away from a heart attack. John Batson Psychology - Furman University Greenville, SC BATSON@FRMNVAX1 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 15:16:47 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Glen B. Glater" Subject: Alternate Bee Hives--New Technology In preparing hives for this summer, I've noticed that the technology of the hive hasn't changed much for about 100 years. How has modern technology been incorporated into Bee Keeping? Also, I've heard about European hives made of styrofoam that are much more disease resistant then the ones used in the US, but that the FDA won't allow their import. Does anyone have any info? Glen ************************************************************* Glen B. Glater Phone: (617) 494-1999 Technical Support Engineer Fax: (617) 494-5167 Cayman Systems Inc. Internet: glen@cayman.com 26 Landsdowne Street AppleLink: CAYMAN.TECH Cambridge, MA 02139 SneakerNet: 3rd cube on the left ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 06:19:14 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Darryl G. Hosford" Subject: Swarm Control I am wondering if anyone has ever thought of adding suppers to the bottom of the hive with a queen excluder between the brood and the super as a method of swarm control. I would turn the queen excluder to a queen "includer" forcing her to stay in the hive.... Any thoughts? Darryl ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 06:22:27 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Darryl G. Hosford" Subject: more workers I recently caught a swarm to start a new hive. The swarm was rather small. Since I am just starting, I am wondering about any dangers of getting another swarm, and putting then into a hive, and then with news- paper between, merge the two hives.... Is there any risk in this thought? Any suggestions? Darryl ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 10:13:35 -0400 Reply-To: MunnPA@cardiff.ac.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dr P A Munn 92 Subject: Easter hols IBRA will be closed over the Easter vacation, so any messages, although they will be received and stored, will not be read. So, IBRA will be closed from 17 April - 22 April. Happy Easter to all Bee-liners Pam Munn _____________________________________________________________________________ | E-mail : MunnPA@Cardiff.AC.UK | Mail: IBRA, | | Phone : +44 222 372409 | 18, North Road, | | Fax : +44 222 665522 | Cardiff, | |---------------------------------------| South Glamorgan | | Please state if the message is for | CF1 3DY | | someone else within IBRA | United Kingdom | |_______________________________________|___________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 16:56:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jeffri H Frontz +1 614 860 2797 Subject: To wire or not to wire I'm just about to finish assembling my hive. The last thing I have to do is install the foundation in the frames. Everything that I've read says that frames that I plan to use for extraction should be vertically and horizontally wired. However, different people seem to have different opinions about the necessity of horizontal wires for brood frames. Can I get away with just vertical (pre-wired) foundation and clips on the side for my brood frames? Will (as some have warned) I suffer from sagging comb unless I cross-wire? Thanks, Jeff --- Jeff Frontz Work: +1 614 860 2797 AT&T-Bell Labs (CB 0A-119) Cornet: 353-2797 att!jeff.frontz jeff.frontz@att.com Home: +1 614 924 2205 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 10:33:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Seosamh Mac Carthaigh Subject: Re: more workers Darryl, >I recently caught a swarm to start a new hive. The swarm was rather >small. Since I am just starting, I am wondering about any dangers of >getting another swarm, and putting then into a hive, and then with news- >paper between, merge the two hives.... >Is there any risk in this thought? this is exactly the method I read about recently, though I have never tried it. If you give it a go would you mai the list with the results? seos ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> .______________. Seos. Mac Carthaigh | The man is: | Guthan: 091 24411 x 3070 Seirbhisi Riomhaireachta | "Schoss" | Facs : 091 25700 Collaiste na hOllscoile `--------------' Post-L: csemaccartha@bodkin.ucg.ie Gaillimh Eire ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 07:58:47 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Peter & Sherrene Subject: Re: To wire or not to wire In-Reply-To: Message of Mon, 13 Apr 1992 16:56:00 EDT from Horizontal wires add strength. If you don't use them, the extract with care and keep the comb warm. You can get away without any foundation at all, if you want. I experimented, and continue to do so, with waxed-wire frames. The technique is to put two or three (3 is better) coat-hanger guage wires horizontally in each frame and to coat them with bees' wax. The bees will build comb hanging down from the strip of bees' wax on the underside of the top-bar and from each of the wires. As the combs grow downwards, they coalesce into a complete frame of comb. The resulting combs are strong enough to run through both tangential and radial extractors. The main problem is that you must keep the hives exactly horizontal accross (along doesn't matter) the frames so that the combs hang exactly vertically as the bees build them. If the combs hang askew to the end bars, then the comb isn't flat and you may get a mess. I do warn you, that bees, as perverse as they are, may not follow your waxed-wire instructions. But, it has worked for me, most of the time! I learned this trick from a beekeeper near LaBufa, Chihuahua, Mexico. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 08:40:11 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Doug Cutler Subject: Re: more workers In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 15 Apr 1992 10:33:00 GMT from I had a small swarm from my one hive this weekend, it settled in a holly bush at ground level. Placed a hive with a few frames infront of it, smoked the bees and swept them towards the hive, they mostly all went in ( about a dozen stayed flying around). Latter in the day put the hive body ontop of my main hive with a layer of newspaper between. As I have been at work for the last few days don't know if they have swarmed again but it looks like normal activity in the main hive. Doug. Cutler Office of Information Technology, VM Systems Programmer University of North Carolina. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 08:05:41 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rich Pelikan Subject: To wire or not to wire In-Reply-To: In reply to your message of MON 13 APR 1992 14:56:00 CST > Can I get away with just vertical (pre-wired) foundation and > clips on the side for my brood frames? Will (as some have > warned) I suffer from sagging comb unless I cross-wire? > Hi Jeff My grandfather never used wired frame. He would put the frames in with the foundation wax tacked to the frame. The harvest then consisted of simply running a knife around the inside of the frame and chunking the comb. So the question you have to answer is how you want to harvest. 860 279 Spun or chunk. 353-279 On the brood frame you can also either. My preferance is to use vertical 924 220 and horizontal wire, because when exchaning old brood with new foundation I spin the honey from the outside brood frames and move frames around placing the replacement in the middleof the box. Richard A. Pelikan, A275CCR Southeast Missouri State University BITNET: A275CCR@SEMOVM INTERNET: A275CCR@SEMOVM.SEMO.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 21:10:30 GMT+0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: SPEAR@KELVIN.JPL.NASA.GOV Subject: new to beekeeping ive had a hive since last summer. it started with one full size super and one medium super. ive added two more mediums over the last year. the top super is showing a lot of activity and im wondering whether its time to split this hive - what do i look for to decide this? i havent pulled any honey from this hive yet - i was told to allow a store of honey to build up the first season. i havent examined the whole hive yet this spring, but i intend to soon. any suggestions? regards --- richard spear@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 18:06:14 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Paul C. Cheng" Subject: Which end up? Hi netters, A quick question. Can anyone out there definitively tell me the positioning of the honey bee egg as it passes by the spermatheca? Since the egg is oviposited cephalic-end-up, past research has made sense in stating that the egg travels down the reproductive tract caudal-end first. But from looking at the morphology of the reproductive tract, it makes more sense to have the egg travel down cephalic-end first. Certainly, the egg can't do a 180...can it? Thanks for any help! Paul ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 09:05:40 CET Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Willem N. Ellis" Subject: honeybees as competitors to wild bee species Dear List people In The Netherlands there seems to be a growing awareness among those involved in nature conservation, that honeybees are serious competitors of wild bees. In several parks beekeeping is no longer allowed altogether. Recently, a colleague of mine was asked for an advice related to this matter, concerning a coastal heather area. Beekeepers used to have permission to place an unlimited number of hives there. The board of the park, while not intending to ban beekeeping altogether, would like to limit the number of hives now to a level that would not unduly interfere with the wild bee populations. The big question: how to establish that level? I can hardly expect that anyone of you could give a quick and fast rule (although I would like to be informed if any existed!), but my question to you is more down-to-earth: could you help me in finding references to studies where the effects of honeybee keeping on wild bee populations is described, and possibly quantified? Many thanks in advance Willem ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 07:37:53 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Gene Spears Subject: Re: honeybees as competitors to wild bee species In-Reply-To: ; from "Willem N. Ellis" at Apr 17, 92 9:05 am Below are a few references on competitive interactions between Apis and wild bee species. Unfortunately, most of these are a bit out-of-date. Tepedino, Vincent J. 1981. The pollination efficiency of the squash bee (Peponapis pruniosa) and the honey bee (Apis mellifera) on summer squash. J. Kansas Entom. Soc. 54(2): 357-377. Schaffer, W.M., et al. 1979. Competition, foraging energetics, and the cost of sociality in three species of bees. Ecology 60(5): 976-987. Free, J. B. 1968. The foraging behaviour of honeybees (Apis mellifera) and bumblebees (Bombus, sp.) on blackcurrant, raspberry, and strawberry flowers. J. Applied Ecology 5:157-168. Johnson, L.K. and S.P. Hubbell. 1975. Contrasting foraging strategies and coexistance of two bee species on a single resource. Ecology 56: 1398-1406. Hope this is of some use. Gene Spears (spears@andy.lmc.edu) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 09:44:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: di5 Subject: Re: honeybees as competitors to wild bee species In-Reply-To: <9204170707.AA09058@umailsrv0.UMD.EDU> Here's another reference about interactions between native bees and introduced honeybees: Sugden, E. A., and G. H. Pyke. 1991. Effects of honey bees on colonies of Exoneura asimillima, an Australian native bee. Australian Journal of Ecology 16:171-181. It cites some other appropriate references, including: Roubik, D. W. 1978. Competitive interactions between Neotropical pollinators and Africanized honey bees. Science 201:1030-1032. Roubik, D. W. 1983. Experimental community studies: time-series tests of competition between African and Neotropical bees. Ecology 64:971-978. David Inouye Dept. of Zoology University of Maryland ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 09:42:10 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "James D. Thomson" Subject: Re: honeybees as competitors to wild bee species In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 17 Apr 1992 09:05:40 CET from One place where this question has been investigated is in Australia, where the native pollinators that may be affected by Apis include honeyeater birds. David Paton of the University of Adelaide is perhaps the best source for information; Graham Pyke of the Sydney Museum has also worked on this question. I konw that some reports have been filed, but my impression is that most of these studies remain unpublished. James Thomson ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 09:23:28 S Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: WEBB@CHES.CS.VIMS.EDU Subject: re: honeybees as competitors to wild bee species Msg for Willem N. Ellis and others interested in wild bees vs honeybees. The four references provide by Gene Spears potentially provide an easy access to the current literature on the subject, e.g. a Dialog computer search could produce all the papers from the scientific literature which cite these papers. Or a manual search can be done with Science Citation Index, hard copies of which should be available in most university libraries. Cheers, Ken Webb ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 14:31:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: more on bee competition Another reference to wildbee vs honey bee pollination is C.W. Westerkamp, Honeybees are poor pollinators--Why? Pl. Syst. Evol. 177:71-75 (1991)...I quote the abstract: "Contrary to most other bee species honeybees are highly eusocial and hold extremely long-lived societies. Their all-season activities force them to use whatever plants available and prevent any specific adaptations--in the flowers, in honeybees, and in all competing bees. This flexible behaviour in flowers has been a pre condition for perennial colony life. But as bees eavde becoming contaminated with by pollen their visits often do not result in pollination. Honeybee monocultures thus must be avoided by all means." The English could be cleaned up a bit, but the point gets across. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tom Sanford Extension Apiculturist University of Florida Mailing Address: Bldg 970, Hull Rd., Gainesville, FL 32611-0620 Voice phone 904/392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX 904/3920190 INTERNET: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU BITNET: MTS@IFASGNV +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 14:22:09 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Peter Kevan Subject: Re: honeybees as competitors to wild bee species In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 17 Apr 1992 09:42:10 EDT from Jim is quite right that Dave Paton is the best informed on the Australian situation. You should watch for a paper in BioScience by him. I expect it will be published soon. Graham Pyke and his co-workers have also studied the problem in Australia and would be good resources to tap. There is a paper by Camargo and co-workers from Brazil published in Apidologie last year. That discusses the africanized bee and its impact. Other Brazilian work is in preparation as well. I'm sorry that I don't recall the actual reference. I can not remember if the recent reviews in Bee World (a series of 3 articles by Sally Corbet, Ingrid Williams, and Juliette Osborne) discuss the issue you raise. I am sure that they would reply over BEE-L themselves if they could help. To some extent the shoe has been on the other foot in S. Ontario, with apiculturalists asking about the effect of non-honeybees on the honey crop and the well being of honeybees. Some of us here have had some interest in the importance of honeybees in the abundance and foraging behaviour of other anthophiles, but I have not been able to find time to follow up with any research. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 15:43:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: APRIL ISSUE OF APIS FILENAME: APRAPIS.92 Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter Apis--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764) Volume 10, Number 4, April 1992 REGISTRATION LAW PASSES It is now official. Effective July 1, 1992, Florida's Beekeeper Registration Fee will go into effect. The bill implementing the fee was passed by the legislature and the Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is now setting up a proposed fee structure. The final fee schedule will be somewhat different than that published in the October 1991 APIS, beginning with a $5.00 fee for one to five hives and capped by a $100.00 charge for 5,000 or more colonies. Once the Commissioner of Agriculture approves the proposed fee schedule, it will be published for comment in Florida Weekly. In addition, the Honey Bee Technical Council will be asked to submit comments. If you are interested in the final wording, contact any member on the Council (I am one). For a list of members and/or more information, contact Mr. Laurence Cutts, Chief Apiary Inspector, Division of Plant Industry, P.O. Box 147100, Gainesville, FL 32614-7100, ph 904/372-3505, ext. 128. LYME DISEASE UPDATE According to the newsletter of the Florida Mosquito Control Association (Buzz Words, April, 1992), there were 9344 cases of Lyme disease reported in 1991 versus 7943 in 1990. In Florida, the number of diagnoses went from seven in 1990 to 35 in 1991. However, the Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta does not consider the disease endemic in Florida and it is not yet a reportable disease in the state. Lyme disease continues to be poorly understood and little research on potential vectors is being conducted. As the active tick season approaches in Florida, beekeepers should keep in mind that the disease is tick borne and know its symptoms. The February, 1992 issue of APIS contains detailed information on Lyme disease. VARROA DETECTION The rest of the United States is starting to realize what many beekeepers in Florida have learned in the last two years. Varroa mites are here to stay and monitoring the mite population is the best way to keep parasite populations low. Dr. Eric Mussen in his January/February 1992 issue of From the UC Apiaries published a piece called "Varroa Getting Nasty." It seems many beekeepers in California got a surprise when their colonies collapsed last fall. The symptoms at first seemed to be classical for tracheal mites: 1. rapid loss of adults; 2. tiny clusters of bees with a queen; and 3. abundance of stored honey and pollen. Not characteristic was varying amounts of capped brood. The latter revealed that something else was going on; the adults were not being replaced. Developing pupae were killed in their capped cells by mites and never emerged. To prevent colony collapse, Dr. Mussen suggests checking bees for Varroa two to four times per year. Finding a mite or two doesn't mean the colony is in immediate jeopardy, but it will require treatment sooner or later. And if another check, not too much later, turns up a lot of mites, then you are the unlucky recipient of someone else's failure to detect a problem. Choose your method of colony examination (ether roll, tobacco smoke, Apistan), he concludes, early detection is critical to colony protection. "Looking for trouble," is the way Dr. Roger Morse categorizes the perpetual hunt for Varroa in the April, 1992 issue of Gleanings in Bee Culture. He concludes, "...in all probability every beekeeper in the continental U.S. and Canada will have infested hives within two to four years." He recommends, therefore, that beekeepers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico check colonies for Varroa at least twice a year. Although it has been reported that colonies sometimes take years to die after being infested with Varroa, there are exceptions. Dr. Morse speaks of a New York beekeeper whose hives produced over 100 pounds of honey in July and August, yet were dead by late fall. And Dr. Mussen describes a California beekeeper, who after a good producing season, saw 75% of his colonies severely damaged or dead by Christmas. That beekeeper is no longer in business and had to sell out at submarket prices. These cases may be because of drift by bees from nearby heavily infested apiaries that were not treated. Also the fact that mites are hidden and protected in capped brood cells may mean a serious undercount in those found on adults or in bottomboard debris. Fortunately, detecting Varroa is a fairly simple process. A number of methods are described by Dr. Morse, including: examining brood or adults; sorting through bottomboard debris; and using the ether roll. These are well documented in Varroa Mite Detection, VT 249, produced here at the University of Florida. I can have a copy made and sent upon receipt of a blank VHS videotape. The technology to determine when a Varroa infestation reaches a treatable level by any detection method currently in use has not been well worked out. Detection results may vary and are dependent on bee/mite population dynamics. For example, in the fall, Dr. Morse says, with little or no brood, you are more likely to find mites on adults, whereas in the spring they will be easier to find in brood. Practical experience by the Florida Division of Plant Industry indicates that when 20 mites in an ether roll of approximately 300 adult bees are found, a colony should be treated with Apistan. However, Dr. Harvey Cromroy of the Entomology- Nematology faculty, University of Florida, believes more than five mites is a treatable level. Dr. Morse concludes finding 30 to 40 mites per hundred bees (ether roll) is serious and the colony may be beyond saving. The ability to correlate ether roll with other detection methods is not presently available. FLUVALINATE PROS AND CONS Recently, I've taken to answering questions about the impact of Varroa in Florida by saying there is no problem. This raises a few eyebrows, but in fact with widespread use of Apistan (R), the Varroa problem is under control. And if colonies are not treated by a beekeeper, he/she very shortly has no bees and is also eliminated from the "problem" category (see the article above). Beekeepers in the U.S. and elsewhere, especially where Varroa was introduced from 1987 on, are extremely lucky. That's because by that year a technology to effectively treat colonies for mites was developed. The formulation was fairly benign to humans and had little potential to contaminate honey. In summary, the development of fluvalinate-impregnated Apistan (R) plastic strips has caused a predicted disaster in beekeeping to become no more than another, admittedly onerous and expensive, management task. A recent article, however, by Israeli authors Yossi Slabezki, Hani Gal and Yaacov Lensky in Bee Science suggests that Varroa control based on fluvalinate is not without its problems. Writing in Volume 1, No. 4 of the October, 1991 issue, the authors discuss effects of long-range usage of fluvalinate with reference to honey contamination and sub-lethal effects on bee populations. Two procedures in the study were used that are not legal in the U.S. and so will have little direct correlation with methods used in this country: (1) colony infestation level was established by fumigation with fluvalinate smoke strips; and (2) treatment was with Mavrik (R)-soaked plywood inserts, not Apistan (R). In spite of this, however, the study has direct implications for beekeeping in the U.S. Here are some of the recorded observations: "In most colonies the mite infestation level was reduced from several hundred to 0-10 mites/colony. However, out of each group of 30-40 colonies, one or two still had 30-60 mites/colony." "Mite populations increased during eight months in all three climatic zones, reaching the highest levels in the hottest region. The different population levels of Varroa mites, however, may not only be due to temperature but to the availability of nectar and colony strength at a particular site." "Monitoring Varroa populations in a bee yard was useful for subsequent selective control only in heavily infested colonies...If the three (most heavily infested) colonies had then been selectively treated against Varroa, the build-up to a population reaching an average of 256 (+/- 21.3)/colony (in the other hives) might have been prevented." "Long-term treatment (6 to 8 months) with fluvalinate inserts ...resulted in an almost zero level of Varroa ...Short-term (6 weeks) exposure resulted in increased mite populations. There were no significant differences in the populations of brood and adult bees between the colonies that were exposed to (fluvalinate) 6 weeks or 6 to 8 months. However, the average honey yields per colony were 7 to 15 kilograms (1kg = 2.2 lbs) higher from colonies...exposed to fluvalinate for the shorter interval." "No detectable residues were found in samples of honey removed from colonies exposed to fluvalinate for 6 weeks. However, in honey samples removed from colonies exposed...for 6 months, the level...reached 0.06 +/-0.05 ppm (parts per million)...above the level established in the U.S. by the EPA." "In beeswax, fluvalinate residues were higher than found in honey. They reached 0.83 +/-0.77 ppm...in colonies exposed to fluvalinate for 6 months, compared to 0.54 +/-0.21 ppm in wax samples obtained from colonies exposed to fluvalinate for six weeks." "The placement of fluvalinate inserts at the entrance or inside the brood nest resulted in efficient Varroa mite control in both treatment groups. By placing fluvalinate inserts at some distance from the brood nest combs and by removing them after six weeks, we minimized or eliminated fluvalinate contamination of honey and beeswax." "Under the subtropical conditions of Israel, where egg-laying and brood rearing by honey bees is year-round...two treatments per colony per year are sufficient to keep Varroa mites below a level of economic damage." "By monitoring colonies for mite populations...we were able to selectively treat only highly infested colonies...to reduce both the number of treatments and the amount of acaricide used in the apiary." "Sublethal doses of...insecticides, including pyrethroids (fluvalinate is classed as a synthetic pyrethroid) have been shown to modify mating, feeding, and other insect behavior." "While a beekeeper may feel that extended treatment might provide prolonged protection from Varroa mites, our data indicate that it will result in reduced honey yields and honey and beeswax contamination at levels above established tolerances." "Fluvalinate residues in wax from bee colonies that had previously been treated with two Apistan (R) strips...may be due to the increased surface area...250mm X 30mm X 2 strips, which is about five times greater than that of a plywood insert (180mm X 20mm) as well as increased amounts of active ingredient per treatment." "In Israel, honey is extracted only from full-depth supers that are separated from the brood nest by a queen excluder. Even though fluvalinate has been used for three and a half years, no traces of the compound have been found in samples of honey in the marketplace." The authors conclude that beekeepers should be able to reduce the frequency of fluvalinate treatments by carefully monitoring their colonies for mites and only treating those which exceed a certain threshold level. They also state that the possibility of reducing strip surface area and placing strips at the colony entrance could lead to changes in fluvalinate treatment practices. The closing statement: "...development of alternate acaricides, especially those from plant origin, would permit the beekeeper to alternate treatment products, thus extending the life of fluvalinate as a part of an integrated control program for Varroa jacobsoni." If anyone wishes to read the full text of the paper, I will mail one on request. As an epilogue to this study, several qualifying statements must be made. Work at the University of Florida suggests that treatment strips (plywood or plastic) on the bottom board are prone to get wet, even wash away, during rainstorms; placement on the top bars has not been found to be effective. Although less active ingredient is found in Mavrik (R)-soaked plywood inserts, there is evidence that more fluvalinate is released from the wood strips earlier and less later as treatment proceeds. This suggests that plywood, or treatment using any other carrier (e.g. paper toweling), is much more variable than Apistan (R) formulated on slow-release plastic. The above study reveals, for example, that colonies treated for six weeks with plywood inserts had a resurgence in mite populations and the treatment was not uniform in killing mites in all colonies. As far as I can tell "established tolerances" referred to in the study have yet to be fully determined. Although many continue to believe that they are paying too much for Apistan (R), the benefits beekeepers are enjoying (research and development costs as well as expenses involved in making the material legal to use) are very real. It means a lot to the industry to have a material that, when used according to the label, is certified effective for mite control as well as safe in protecting the honey crop from contamination. As the authors of the above study conclude: "Because beeswax retains fluvalinate residues, because honey and section-honey enjoy a 'natural food' image and because Varroa mites may develop resistance...in the future, it is in the beekeeper's best interest to carefully apply fluvalinate." Sincerely, Malcolm T. Sanford Entomology-Nematology, Bldg 970 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611-0620 Phone (904) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: 904-392-0190 BITNET Address: MTS@IFASGNV INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Apr 1992 09:14:02 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Gene Spears Subject: Re: honeybees as competitors to wild bee species In-Reply-To: ; from "Peter Kevan" at Apr 17, 92 2:22 pm Although hardly an expert on Africanized honeybees, I gather from my readings that Africanized Apis may have different competitive impacts on native hymenoptera than the European honeybees. European bees seem to concentrate on abundant floral resources, often ignoring scattered or less abundant flowers. This leaves unexploited resources available to the native hymenopterans, albeit at a reduced abundance. Isn't it true that the Africanized bee is able to more fully exploit the floral resource spectrum, making it a potentially more dangerous invader than european honeybees? I remember reading or hearing somewhere that one reason european Apis had not been very successful in the tropics was their inability to use the more diverse and scattered floral resources there. This apparently hasn't been a problem for the Africanized honeybee. It may not be valid, therefore, to compare the impact of African invasion to the impact of introducing European honeybee hives. If the above is true, it also suggests that the impact of the African invasion in the southern US will further disrupt the native bee populations, above and beyond the effect of the several century old invasion of european Apis. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Apr 1992 14:53:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Stephen J. Clark" Subject: Re: Which end up? As to the orientation of the egg at the time of fertilzation: It was my understanding that the reproductive tract was shaped so that the micropyle is aligned exactly opposite the opening of the spermathecal duct (Wigglesworth, 1953), and that muscular contractions press the egg up against the spermathecal duct as it passes (Yakhontov, 1961). However, I believe this information applies to insects "in general". How applicable (Apisicable?) it is to bees .... Steve Clark Vassar College Wigglesworth, V.B. 1953. The Principles of Insect Physiology (fifth edition). Methuen, London. Yankhontov, V.V. 1961. Notes on the role of the oviductus communis in the fertilization of insect's eggs. Verhandlungen XI. internationalen Kongress Ent. Wein 1960 1:346-347. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1992 11:18:00 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: This message was sent with PMDF 4.0 From: PVE@KUB.NL Subject: Re: more workers Darryl, >I recently caught a swarm to start a new hive. The swarm was rather >small. Since I am just starting, I am wondering about any dangers of >getting another swarm, and putting then into a hive, and then with news- >paper between, merge the two hives.... >Is there any risk in this thought? The problem of merging swarms is that they have different smells. Each swarm thinks that the other swarms is an intruder an they fight for there lives, so thats the reason that you have to put a newspaper between them. They eat a way to eachother and get used to that other smell. I know an old beekeeper who said that only a newspaper is not enough. "They wont smell eachother when the paper is complet, but when there is one simple hole its 'Hell in Hive'. No, you need jenever!! Sprinkle some jenever over the paper so the whole hive has a pleasant other smell. Now the bees wont fight but have a party." And the beekeeper drunk always the rest of the bottle because he hoped at a good end. Succes. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1992 12:13:14 BST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: SAC2@PHOENIX.CAMBRIDGE.AC.UK Subject: Re: honeybees as competitors to wild bee species In-Reply-To: -unspecified- Our reviews in Bee World raise the question about the impact of honeybees on other pollinators, but do not answer it. We are therefore very glad to glean the harvest of references from this correspondence! Sally Corbet ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1992 08:33:40 CET Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Willem N. Ellis" Subject: honeybee competition to wild bees Dear bee-listers many thanks to all those who kindly sent references and suggestions! Willem ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1992 10:19:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: di5 Subject: hot bees An article in New Scientist (21 March, p.20) reports work published recently in Naturwissenschaften (78:471) showing that a honeybee worker that finds a good food source elevates its temperature when dancing back at the hive. Dancing bees had temperatures of about 43 C, compared to 35 C for other bees in the hive. Body temperature reflected quality of the food source the bee had discovered. Another paper (Oecologia 89:113) mentioned in the same article reported on a study of honeybees using a repellent pheromone to mark flowers they had just visited. This apparently helps to increase the efficiency of foraging by preventing them from visiting flowers that have been emptied recently. David Inouye University of Maryland ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1992 14:18:40 +1000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Schwarz@ZOOM.LATROBE.EDU.AU Subject: honeybees as competitors to native bees Dear List People, The question of resource competition between honeybees and native bees has been a rather hot potato in Australia for a couple of years, with the most recent work by Pyke and Balzar (1982), and Sugden and Pyke (1991). Currently, several states are in the process of restricting bee-keeper access to National Parks, mainly through non-renewel of site licenses. However, several aspects (mainly experimental design) of the previously published work has been criticised, and the situation re competition is not yet clear. Beekeepers in Australia are very organized and are lobbying the land-management groups effectively (although they are also funding basic research into resource competition between honeybees and native nectarivorous and pollenivorus fauna). Since honey constitutes a reasonably large export item for Australia, the issue of curtailing bee-keeper access in these times of recession is rather thorny! We have been funded by WWF to look at resource competition between honeybees and native allodapine bees. One allodapine, Exoneura bicolor, is particularly suitable (in at least some respects) because we can move nests from area to area (with minimal adult mortality) and therefore we can set up our 'test bees' in control and experimental sites utlizing a homogeneous source population. We have carried out 3 experiments based on non-simulated and typical beekeeper practices (approx. 120 hives per site over a period of approx. 10 weeks during eucalyptus honey-flow conditions), and 8 experiments looking at 'feral honeybee density' conditions (feral populations were augmented by 6 hives per experimental site, since it is impossible to locate and remove all existing feral hives). In both experimental types, native bees are moved into an area, left for 2 - 6 months and then analysed. Periods of placement and termination are set to avoid confounding effects of dispersal after brood maturity, and to look for effects that may be specific to particular colony development periods. We have utilized 4 experimental and 4 control sites, with approx. 80-100 Exoneura nests per site per experiment. We have looked at colony survival, colony size, brood number and brood developmental rates, as well as secondary occupation by other alodapines, non-Exoneura insects, etc. Surprisingly, we have found NO evidence at all that honeybees depress brood rearing efficiency (either brood number, age, dry weight, etc.). Pollen analyses show that there is a very large (probably complete) overlap in pollen utilization, so we would expect to find evidence of competition if it occurs. However, we have found in nearly all experiments that colony survival of Exoneura is significantly higher in experimental sites. We suspect that this may be due to predator satiation by Apis. We are currently trying to address the possibility that predator satiation in one season may lead to enhanced predator presence in following seasons (when honeybees have been moved away and floral resources may be more limiting) We have a couple of manuscripts in prep, but would welcome any ideas/responses from others at this point. I have a new PhD student, Allan Spessa, who is beginning a similar study, but using short-tongued Hylaeus bees. Since Exoneura is highly polylectic, results based on it may not be applicable to the colletids, which form the dominant family in the bee fauna of Australia and are often restricted to the Myrtacea. Allan will write further to outline his approach. We would be most interested to hear from any others who have recently addressed these problems, and particularly whether evidence for predator satiation has been found. Michael Schwarz (La Trobe Univ. Australia) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Michael Schwarz Zoology Dept La Trobe University Ph +61 3 479-2201 Fax +61 3 479-1188 Internet Schwarz@latrobe.edu.au ================================================================= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1992 10:31:28 +1000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: zooas@ZOOM.LATROBE.EDU.AU Subject: native-bees vs honeybees Dear Bee Netters My PhD project will be looking at possible resource competition between honeybees and native Hylaeus bees. It is similar in design to Michael Schwarz and team' s project on resource competition between feral honeybees and native Exoneura bees. I will run an experiment examining the impact of feral honeybees by setting up a number of control and experimental sites. Each site will contain 60- 80 Hylaeus nests (stems of fronds of the tree- fern - Cyathea australis). Since it is impossible to establish control sites that have no feral honeybees because of their widespread occurrence throughout most forests, the effect of honeybees will be assessed by slightly increasing the presence of honeybees in experimental sites. That is, by placing 6 honeybee hives at each of these sites. The following data will be collected from control and experimental nests at the termination of the experiments, and at approximately, every four weeks throughout the experiments using supplemental nests: the number and species of each adult bee, number and developmental stages (that is, eggs, larval stage, prepupae and pupae) of immature brood, total dry weight of brood; sex of mature brood and number, nest lengths, species of other nest occupants (for example, predators and parasitoids) and duration of nest occupation. Destructive samples of pollen will also be taken from brood cells within nests. Floral density and phenology will be assessed by conducting two 50m vegetation transects at each site every 2- 3 weeks throughout the Spring and Summer and every four weeks at other times. A pollen library will be constructed from pollen samples taken from nests to help keep track of resource utilization throughout the season. Hylaeus adults have the convenient habit of sealing brood and pollen supplies in a linear series of cells along the length of a nest. This sequential construction of cells allows the gathering of data relating to pollen usage as well as, immature development, rates of provisioning and brood success throughout the season. If I'm lucky, I may also be able to conduct a 'control- experimental site' experiment to examine resource competition due to typical bee- keeping practices. This is also being investigated by Schwarz et al. However, I will only be able to do this if and when 'honey- bee' conditions in forests that are accessible to me, occur; and if I can gain collaboration from the Victorian Apriarists Association. There are a number of differences between Hylaeus and Exonuera- the subject of Schwarz et. al' s project. Comparitively nothing is known about Hylaeus biology including its sociality. Apparently they' re solitary.....but wethinks they may not. Does anyone have any information in this regard? Solitary bees may be more vulnerable to competitive pressures because decreased foraging efficiency by the adult may result in either her death which will invariably spell the end for her brood or more likely, longer foraging trips which will place the nest at greater risk from predators and parasitoids. Due to their short- tongues, Hylaeines (and the Colletines and Euroglossines for that matter) are largely restricted to the shallow-cupped flowers of the Myrtacae, which could well explain their predominance in the Australian bee fauna. (BTW. Didn't Michener (1965) rate the Australian bee fauna as the most distinctive in the world, primarily because most of the genera and over half of the named species of bees belong to the family Colletidae). Anyway, this degree of oligolecty could be a problem as Eucalypts are known to be intensively worked by commercial and feral honeybees during honey- flow conditions. Unfortunately, I doubt very much that I will get a handle on the foraging behaviour of Hylaeus. Eucalypts have a tendency to be slightly taller than most net- wielding entomologists. Measuring trip durations to the nest may however, yield some indirect data on foraging behaviour. Would anyone like to comment on pollen utilization, pollinating behaviour or foraging beaviour by Hylaeus ? or Colletids in general ? Do Hylaeus actually transfer pollen even though they do not possess scopae? I am open to any suggestions regarding the project and Hylaeus (or Colletids, generally). I would also be interested in obtaining references to recent theoretical work (including math. modelling) on species invasions of native communities, competition and tri- trophic interactions (specifically host- pollinator- predator interactions). Thanks Allan C. Spessa ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1992 07:48:46 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Gene Spears Subject: Re: native-bees vs honeybees In-Reply-To: ; from "zooas@ZOOM.LATROBE.EDU.AU" at Apr 28, 92 10:31 am The dissertation topic described by Allan Spessa is ambitious and nicely designed, and should yield some very interesting data. I raise three points that you (Allan) might want to consider (no e-mail address, hence the general posting). 1) You might want to collect some data to determine whether resources- pollen (nectar?) - are limited under conditions of high Apis concentration. This could be done by sampling flowers at the end of thier insect-attracting phase and measuring pollen remaining in the flowers. Measuring nectar availability is more involved, but still possible. 2) Will the availability of brood-sites affect your results? If resources aren't the major limiting factor, brood-sites might be. I'm sure you've already considered this, and will control accordingly. 3) Finally, if your study sugests that competition is not a limiting factor to Hylaeus populations, this doesn't preclude the possibility of past competitive interactions. In other words, the existing community of colletid bees may be a "ghost of competition past". The introduced Apis may have eliminated some native species that were direct competitors, and the existing populations may still exist because they had little niche overlap with the Apis populations. Any evidence for colletid extinctions since Apis has been introduced? Best of luck with the study, and keep us posted as your results come in. Gene Spears spears@andy.lmc.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1992 16:14:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: G7JKTL@IRISHMVS.BITNET Subject: Nasonov[ pheromone Can anybody tell me were I can buy[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[Dhere I can buy "Naso nov Phero[Cone" or the chemicals to make the pheromone ( as listed in J.B.Free's Book) pheromones of social bees ? Harald Esch G7jktl@irishmvs.cc.nd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1992 12:46:48 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: SISC92@ITESO.BITNET Subject: 3th Week of Computing Systems Engineering... Hello!! everybody: We are a group of students of Computer Systems Engineering at ITESO University, in Guadalajara Mexico. Each year a symposium of subjects, items and tutorials related to our studies is organized by students of this career, supported by our University, Corporations and Institutes (like IEEE of Mexico) to make it possible, and this year is our turn. With this goal, we are using this media to get in touch with people related to or interested in computers, to ask them for some help and/or support in contacting conferencists or people that give tutorials. The topics that we are focused in are : * Multimedia * Networks * Virus * CASE Tools * OOP * Unix * Etc.. This event will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico from September 21 to 25 of the present Year. If you want to help us or you know someone that would and could, please contact us. Thank you in advance for your atention and colaboration. Sincerely, Jose M. Rodarte M. Committe of conferences. SISC92@Iteso.Bitnet SISC92@Itesocci.gdl.iteso.mx ITESO University. Guadalajara, Mexico. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1992 20:46:46 PDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Darryl G. Hosford" Subject: Merging hives - first hand! Hello there bee keepers! I have written a message about merging two hives to increase hive strength. Several of you responded, with caution it is possible to do it would seem. One bee lister asked that I share my results if I were to do it. Today (4-29-92) I caught another swarm. The caught swarm was larger than the new hive that I was wanting to strengthen...This is what I have seen so far... I took two sheets of newspaper, and placed some syrup inbetween the paper, and some on the outside. (The syrup was my idea....) I placed the paper over the frames of the newly established hive and put a new body above it. (The two bodies were separated with the paper ) I put some frames in the upper body, and brushed the swarm bees into the top body. After a bit I put on the lid. So far so good. I noticed the workers that were flying around before I put the lid on try to gain access to the hive entrance. The established hive guards have been kept out all new bees. I noticed fighting and stinging. Now I am hoping that when they make it through the news paper that they will be of a much better disposition. Both queens are present, so I expect only one of them to survive. At this point, I am wondering if this was a good idea.... I will keep you posted. Darryl ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1992 09:18:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: Re: Nasonov[ pheromone Dr. Orley Taylor routinely deals in this material. He uses it in traps for African bees. He is at the Department fo of Entomology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 ph 913/864-4051. Tom Sanford Extension Apiculturist University of Florida ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1992 12:20:31 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Edward E Southwick Subject: Nasanov phermone OD OD omone I have a trap with an atractant which I think is similar to Nasanov pheromone. It is commercially available but I borrowed my trap from Steve Buchmann at USDA in Tucson. I think he may know the source of pheromones... ================================================================== º Edward E. Southwick Department of Biology º º Phone 716-395-5743 State University of New York º º FAX 716-395-2416 Brockport, New York 14420 º º BITNET SOUTHWIK@BROCK1P U.S.A. º ==================================================================