Firestone, Colo., February 7, 2014 – The National Honey Board has approved funding for eight new research projects focusing on honey bee health. The Board’s Research Committee, with input from an independent panel of experts, selected the projects from 25 proposals received from researchers around the world. The total dollar commitment for the eight projects is $235,646. In addition, the Board’s 2014 budget includes $50,500 for ongoing bee research projects from prior years.
The eight new projects approved for funding in 2014 include:
- “Are virus levels reduced in honey bees from propolis-stimulated hives?,” Dr. Kim Mogen, University of Wisconsin – River Falls.
- “Drought stressed sunflowers: Impacts on pollen nutritional value and concentrations of seed treated pesticides,” Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp, University of Maryland.
- “Probiotic use of Acetobacteriacea Alpha 2.2 for improving honey bee colony health,” Dr. Vanessa Corby-Harris and Dr. Kirk E. Anderson, USDA Carl Hayden Bee Research Center.
- “Evaluating potential of predatory mite (Stratiolaelaps scimitus) as a biological control agent for Varroa mites and testing Amitraz (Apivar) efficacy and mite resistance,” Dr. Ramesh Sagili and Ashrafun Nessa, Oregon State University.
- “A proteomic approach to evaluate effects of fumagillin and discover new target genes for treatment of Nosema ceranae in honey bees,” Dr. Leellen Solter, University of Illinois.
- “Characterizing the contribution of supplemental feeding to honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony strength, Nosema virulence, and detoxification gene activity,” Dr. Daniel Schmehl, University of Florida.
- “Community-based evaluation of a novel resistance mechanism of bees against Varroa,” Dr. Greg Hunt, Purdue University.
- “Field exposure and toxicity of neonicotinoid insecticides to honeybees via flowering field margins: The importance of continual pesticide exposure in bee forage,” Dr. Jonathan Lundgren and Dr. Christina Mogren, USDA-ARS, Brookings, SD. Scott Fausti, South Dakota State University.
Honey bee research projects funded by the National Honey Board are listed on the Board’s website, www.honey.com. Visitors can click on the “Honey Industry” tab and then go to “Honey and Bee Research” for further information on ongoing and completed projects. The call for proposals for 2015 funding is expected to be posted on the Board’s website by the end of August, with proposals due by mid-November.
The National Honey Board is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs.