APIS Volume 5, Number 2, February 1987
In this issue
- Unexplained Bee Kill: Stress Related?
- Sulfa Residues Found in Honey: Caution Requested
- National Pesicide Communications Network
- National Honey Board: Regulations and Suggestions
- Extracted Honey Standards
UNEXPLAINED BEE KILLS
There are reports of unexplained bee kills around Florida. In the panhandle area, a large-scale die off has been reported. Symptoms are diffuse; the bees die with their heads in cells, reminiscent of starvation. The catch is they are dying even with large amounts of food present. Also reported is disappearance of workers. These problems are some of the most difficult to grapple with for researcher and beekeeper alike.
The search for solutions must come, as for human illness, partly from a detailed history of the patient and situation. Unlike humans, bees can't be asked to describe their symptoms. Where do you begin? How do you find the right questions to ask? How do you ask them? Unfortunately the answers to these basic questions are only guesses at best. The best advice is to explore a number of avenues in the hope of arriving at some common answer that will be explanatory.
The situation above is not unique, although the symptomology might be. Other parallel phenomena fill the apicultural literature; witness descriptions of "disappearing disease," "autumn collapse," "May disease," and "spring dwindling." What do these names mean to you? They are descriptions only, but do not adequately address the roots of the problem.
If you suffer large-scale bee loss and can find little reason for it, then carefully document it. I can't express how important it is to write the information down; verbal description leads to fuzzy thinking and cannot be referred to by others. Only in this manner will we at least have a place to begin the difficult search for reasons of unexplained bee loss.
[Editor's Note 5/14/1997--Stress is a leading contributor to colony loss. See the June 1984 and August 1986 issues of APIS.]
WARNING: SULFA RESIDUE CAN BE HARMFUL TO YOUR FINANCIAL HEALTH
There is a situation in Canada that threatens to spill over into the United States. The province of Quebec has recently seized a load of honey which was found to contaminated with sulfa residues, presumably those from use of sulfathiazole. It is not legal to use sulfathiazole to treat for bee disease anywhere in the United States, and contamination of honey with this substance can mean disaster to the unaware beekeeper. Mandatory testing will cost money which the producer must invariably bear, and any publicity concerning such residues in honey may irreparably harm the product's image as a natural, organic food.
Florida has already been affected. One beekeeper who wished to sell his honey to Canada was summarily informed to first have it tested for residues. Although a test for sulfathiazole has recently been published by D.P. Schwartz and J. Sherma, "Practical Screening Procedure for Sulfathiazole in Honey," Journal of the Association of Analytical Chemists (Volume 69, No. 1, 1986), few laboratories appear to be geared up to do sulfathiazole residue analysis.
Should it become routine to test for sulfathiazole residues before honey can be marketed, this could quickly get out of hand, with insistence by processors that other examinations be done. The beekeeper must take a serious look at antibiotic and pesticide use; the tenor of the times indicates that employing any of these substances could be potentially devastating in the form of a condemned honey crop.
NATIONAL PESTICIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK
Recently a National Pesticide Telecommunications Network (NPTN) has been established to provide toll free telephone service concerning a variety of information about pesticides to anyone in the United States, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. The number to call is 1-800-PEST (7378).
The NPTN is designed to provide medical, veterinary, professional and general public interests with information on: pesticide poisonings, toxicology and symptomatic reviews, health and environmental effects of pesticides and referrals for lab analyses, investigation of pesticide incidents and emergency treatment.
Those answering the telephone are well trained and prepared to deal with emergency situations. All pertinent information is recorded by the operator and sources checked carefully. If more expertise is required, human and animal poisonings can be referred via a telephone switching system to poison control centers. The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas is the current provider of this telecommunications service.
A NEW ERA FOR THE HONEY INDUSTRY
The above slogan is found on a brochure recently published by the National Honey Board. Information inside the pamphlet explains what the Honey Research, Promotion and Consumer Information Order is and how the Honey Board oversees the Order.
The Order requires the first handler (a packer, producer-packer or cooperative) to collect one cent ($.01) for each pound of honey entering commercial channels and send it to the Board. All imported honey and that put into the Honey Loan progam will also be assessed the same amount per pound. The Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) and U.S. Customs, respectively will be responsible for collecting those assessments. The assessment is payable monthly to the Board, on or before the 15th day following the end of the month and payment should be submitted along with an assessment report.
The ORDER IS THE LAW; persons failing to pay, collect or remit assessment could be subject to a penalty of up to $5000.00 per violation. Those producing less than 6,000 pounds of honey during the calendar year can claim exemption, but it is NOT AUTOMATIC and must be applied for to the Board. Refunds are also provided, but must be completed on a prescribed form to the National Honey Board within 90 days from the date the assessment becomes payable. Assessment, exemption and refund forms, as well as details on assessment collection are available from the National Honey Board. See their world wide web site for the most current address and phone number.
EXTRACTED HONEY STANDARDS
Is the honey you pack U.S. Grade A, B, C or substandard? This is not a rhetorical question. The above grades exist and are published in the fifth issue, as amended, of the United States Standards for Grades of Extracted Honey published in the Federal Register of April 23, 1985 (50 FR 15861) to become effective May 23, 1985. This supercedes the fourth issue, in effect since April 16, 1951.
Standards are set by a cumulative number of points based on several factors. Color (water white to dark amber) is not used in grading. Two official types of extracted honey exist, filtered and strained. The filtered contains a component for clarity, the strained does not; everything else remains the same for both types.
Two kinds of factors exist to grade honey: analytical (use of an instrument like a refractometer to determine soluble solids), an objective test, and quality (absence of defects, flavor and aroma, clarity), subjective at best. The following is an abbreviated chart to determine grades:
FACTORS GRADE A GRADE B GRADE C SUBSTANDARD
% soluble 81.4 81.4 80.0 Fails grade C
solids
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Absence of Practically Reasonably Fairly Fails grade C
defects free free free
Score points 37-40 34-36 31-33 0-30
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Flavor & Good Reasonably Fairly Fails grade C
aroma good good
Score points 45-50 40-44 35-39 0-34
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Clarity Clear Reasonably Fairly Fails grade C
clear clear
Score points 8-10 6-7 4-5 0-3Notice that percent solids of 81.4 means a moisture content of 18.6. Also if absence of defects or flavor and aroma fall into the substandard category, they cannot be graded any higher regardless of total score.
Those classed as filtered honey and falling into the substandard area with respect to clarity cannot be graded above grade C regardless of total score. Categorizing such samples as strained, however, will get around this problem.
U.S. Grade A has a minimum score of 90 points.
U.S. Grade B has a minimum score of 80 points.
U.S. Grade C has a minimum score of 70 points.
Substandard fails to meet U.S. Grade C requirements.At present the standards are voluntary and available for use by producers, suppliers, buyers and consumers. They also serve as a basis for inspection and grading by the Federal inspection service, the ONLY ACTIVITY AUTHORIZED TO APPROVE the designation of U.S. grades as referenced in the standards. This service is available as on-line (in-plant) or lot inspection and grading of all processed fruit and vegetable products on a fee basis. For more information and to receive a copy of the standards, write the Chief, Processed Products Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Division, AMS, U.S.D.A., Washington, D.C. 20250.
Sincerely,
Malcolm T. Sanford
Bldg 970, Box 110620
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-0620
Phone (352) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: (352)-392-0190
http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis.htm
INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
©1987 M.T. Sanford "All Rights Reserved
