MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MSU research reveals that Varroa mites, the most-serious threat to honeybees worldwide, are infiltrating hives by smelling like bees. Credit Photo by Zachary Huang EAST LANSING, Mich. - If there were an international smelling bee, a deadly mite would be a favorite to win. New research has revealed that Varroa mites, the most-serious threat to honeybees worldwide, are …
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has plagued beekeepers since 2006 when it was first reported. In the fallout from CCD, around the time it was first chronicled, adult honeybees simply started disappearing from their hives. Very few dead bees could be found in or around the hives, and high colony losses ensued. This perplexed beekeepers, as the queen and brood (immature bees), …
Honey bees are fascinating creatures that display remarkably complex (and well-coordinated) social behaviors, all in the service of protecting and promoting the vitality of the hive. One of the ways that honey bees practice good "public health" is by social distancing to slow the spread of disease, much in the same way that humans have been encouraged to socially distance …
Denise Attaway, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; Public Service and Agriculture CHARLESTON – A Clemson University graduate student has found adding a little color to watermelon fields can attract pollinators which can help improve quality and increase yields of one of South Carolina’s most important vegetable crops. Miriam “Mimi” Jenkins of Tampa, Florida, has found growing strips of wildflowers near …
Guide includes how to test and treat American and European Foulbrood, new Veterinary Feed Directive rules for using antibiotics, and the importance of being vigilant The Honey Bee Health Coalition unveiled a new resource for beekeepers today — an information sheet for hive management decisions related to American Foulbrood (AFB) and European Foulbrood (EFB). An expert team of beekeepers, entomologists, apiary …
In February 2018, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirmed that the pesticide group of neonicotinoids is harmful to bees. A novel pesticide manufactured by Bayer AG is therefore being discussed as an alternative; it contains flupyradifurone from the class of butenolides. The product goes by the brand name of Sivanto. Sivanto is assumed to be effective against various sucking insects …
A global sampling of honey finds 75% to be contaminated with neonicotinoid pesticides. Of note, the concentrations detected are below the amount authorized by the European Union for human consumption. The situation is more bleak for pollinators, however. Widespread application of neonicotinoids has been identified as a key factor responsible for the global decline in pollinators, particularly bees. Edward A.D. Mitchell …
Poor management practices have enabled spread of bee pathogens, bee researcher argues Entomological Society of America Annapolis, MD; April 4, 2017--In the search for answers to the complex health problems and colony losses experienced by honey bees in recent years, it may be time for professionals and hobbyists in the beekeeping industry to look in the mirror. In a research essay to be …