APIS Volume 12, Number 10, October 1994
In this issue
- APIS on World Wide Web
- Second Annual Panhandle Beekeeping Seminar
- African Honey Bee in Puerto Rico
- Nutritional Labeling and the Small Honey Producer
- Varroa Switch--From Drone to Worker Brood in the Fall
- Research on Vegetable Oil and Tracheal Mite Control
APIS AND THE WORLD WIDE WEB
Back in the mid 1980s, I first reported that this newsletter was available through BITNET, an academic computing network. It was a real advance for me at the time. Later, the Internet came into being and the newsletter was put up on that network as well as a remote bulletin board system (RBBS). Then, in January 1994, and almost in shock, I wrote that APIS was available on the Internet through File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Gopher, something I found serendipitously while searching what is known as "gopherspace." In May 1994, I reported that the last two years of this newsletter were placed on The Ohio State University's Gopher and made key-word searchable.
Well, the accelerator on the information superhighway has been pressed again! The University of Florida campus information system has become a reality and so has Alachua County Freenet, giving any local citizen free access to the Internet. The IFAS Online information facility, which used to only be accessible to those with accounts on our college of agriculture minicomputer, has also been "gopherized," and is now available to the electronic world. (gopher://gnv.ifas.ufl.edu/11gopher_root3%3a%5bdatabase$5d).
Meanwhile, a program capable of searching or browsing the Internet using all the present electronic tools (FTP, GOPHER), plus its own interface which includes graphics and sound, has taken the Internet by storm. It's called Mosaic, and uses a language that helps link documents together. Because of the linking feature, Mosaic gives us a new way of looking at information via what is called the World-Wide Web (WWW).
Fortunately, besides Mosaic, a free program for those who know how to get it, several alternatives are available that support graphics (i.e. Cello) or just text (i.e. Lynx). Either way, WWW is fast becoming the preferred way to get on the information superhighway. This is accomplished through uniform resource locators or URLs. And APIS now has its own URL:
http://gnv.ifas.ufl.edu/~entweb/apis/apis.htm
I look forward to comments from those using this resource. You can contact me electronically at mts@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu or use the traditional address or telephone number at the end of this and all issues of APIS.
SECOND ANNUAL SEMINAR A SUCCESS
By any measure, the second annual beekeeping seminar in Florida's Panhandle at Blackwater State Forest Training Center in Santa Rosa County exceeded expectations. Some fifty-five eager beekeepers attended the event, expanded from last year to include Friday evening. As always, the open-hive demonstrations were the highlight.
This seminar also boasted the attendance of Dr. Jim Tew, Extension Apiculturist at The Ohio State University, and Dr. Evan Sugden who is affiliated with Kentucky State University. The organizers, especially one of Florida's newest bee inspectors, Joe Robinson, should be congratulated for putting together a well-run, informative event. Others interested in developing local beekeeping training events of this nature would do well to contact the organizers for their ideas.
AHB IN PUERTO RICO
Although there may be some good news for Florida beekeepers reported in the July 1994 APIS about the African honey bee (AHB) stalling in Texas, there was some disquieting news from Puerto Rico. Because of a number of recent finds often near ports, the island may soon be declared infested by the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The message is clear. AHB can be introduced via ships, and Florida beekeepers and regulators should not let their guard down in trying to detect introductions of this successful biological pioneer.
NEW NUTRITION LABEL: WHO IS EXEMPT?
Who has not seen the new nutrition label that was implemented earlier this year? The idea is to make nutritional information as simple as possible while ensuring that most foods have both a label and list of ingredients. Time will tell whether this goal will be met.
Meanwhile, the immediate question arose as to whether small- scale honey marketers fall under this food-labeling legislation. The good news is that outfits doing less than $500,000 per year gross sales are automatically exempt from nutritional labeling requirements. And those exceeding this gross sales figure, but doing less than $50,000 in food sales, are also exempt. The exemptions are automatic and require no notification of either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
There is one big caveat, however. Any nutritional claims about a product void these exemptions. Thus, advice that something is "healthy," "packed with energy," or "low in fat" automatically requires full nutritional labeling. To be safe, the best bet is to only say the product is "pure honey." Although a good sales tool, this phrase is redundant because by definition any product labeled as honey must be "pure"--that is, not adulterated in any way. Any labels that are even a little questionable should be faxed to Ms. Betsy Woodward, Chief, Food and Residue Laboratories, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, ph 904/488-0670, FAX 904/487-6573, for her opinion.
A label change for Florida that many may not yet know about is that a dual English/metric declaration is now required on honey products [i.e. 1lb (454g)]. Ms. Woodward will be providing up-to- date labeling information at the Florida State Beekeepers Association meeting in Ft. Myers in late October. Questions about labeling for the FDA should go to the Office of Food Labeling at the FDA's Center for Foods, ph 202/205-5229.
FLORIDA BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION MEETS IN FT. MYERS
The Florida State Beekeepers Association will be meeting October 27-29, at the Lani Kai Island Resort, 1400 Estero Blvd, Ft. Myers Beach, FL 33931, ph 813/463-3111. The traditional barbecue is set for Thursday evening. A baking contest will also take place; entries should be delivered to the registration desk by 4:00 p.m. Thursday, October 27. Friday will consist of the program, a luncheon (bring a "BEE" related gift) and the annual banquet. Finally, the business meeting will conclude the event on Saturday, October 29.
The cutoff time for early registration is October 15 at $20 (after that it costs $25). Send checks to E. Cutts, 2237 N.W. 16th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32605, ph 904/378-7719. The special hotel rates are $49.95 single or double (king or double beds) or the efficiency room, including a small kitchen, for $59.95. These rates are for the Florida State Beekeepers Association meeting only (regular prices are almost double). Rooms are limited and reservations should be made as soon as possible.
THE VARROA SWITCH
Dr. Roger Hoopingarner in his September B-Plus Newsletter from Michigan State University discusses a concept he calls the "Varroa mite switch." In the late summer and fall, as honey bee colonies stop rearing drones, Varroa mites find their preferred hosts in short supply. Mite predation, therefore, generally "switches" from drone to worker brood. As Dr. Hoopingarner says, "This switch occurs the last part of August and September... If the same life shortening effect (it is thought Varroa predation reduces worker life expectancy by as much as one-third!) occurs in these 'winter bees' that affects bees during the summer then the colony will lose many bees early in the winter cycle."
Although writing for his part of the country, the "Varroa switch" probably plays the same role throughout the United States. Even sunny Florida is not immune. Winter bees are just as important in the South, even more so in areas where little forage is available. Although workers have more flying time, they may be using valuable capital (energy and longevity) that their northern sisters are happily conserving in their winter cluster. Dr. Hoopingarner says the only way to increase individual and, thus, colonial longevity, is to treat for mites when winter bees are being produced. This means August and September in Michigan. Beekeepers waiting longer until a colony is broodless risk their bees being heavily damaged by mite predation, leading to less overwintering success.
Dr. Hoopingarner also suggests leaving the strips in for the maximum period at this time to kill as many exposed mites as possible. The bottom line in Michigan, he concludes, is protecting winter bees. Then beekeepers only have to worry about nosema and adequate food. In Florida, broodless times are all too rare, even in November and December, and the same advice applies. Short circuiting the Varroa switch gives the bees the best opportunity to come through winter ready for spring buildup.
VEGETABLE OIL AND TRACHEAL MITES
In the September 1994 issue of APIS, I discussed Terramycin (R) use in extender patties. Vegetable oil is used mainly for controlling American foulbrood by "carrying" the antibiotic, oxytetracycline, into the bee colony. However, there is evidence that patties in and of themselves will also help control tracheal mite infestation. This led to an investigation by Diana Sammataro and colleagues at The Ohio State University reported in the Journal of Economic Entomology, Vol. 87, No. 4, August 1994, pp. 910-916. Two experiments were conducted: 1) summer application of oil patties in 1991 to see if mite levels in the subsequent fall were affected and 2) continuous exposure of colonies throughout the 1992-1993 season.
In the first study, a two-time (6 June and 23 July) application of oil patties did not affect mite populations. Mite levels were the same in treated colonies as in controls (not treated). The authors concluded that "well populated, established colonies already infested with mites gained no protection from oil patties when fed twice at peak bee populations."
The second test was undertaken at two sites to see if continuous application would fare any better. Here significantly lower levels of mites were found in treated colonies than in controls. Mite populations in untreated colonies peaked between November and February, sometimes exceeding 30 percent. In treated colonies, the mite level rarely exceeded 10 percent.
Some general observations during the second experiment merit reflection. There were differences seen between the two sites. Site one had greater loss of untreated colonies (four out of six). One colony died of starvation and three with heavy fecal soiling appeared to have had high levels of nosema as well as mites. The nectar flows were also poorer at this location.
At the second site, two untreated colonies had low mite levels throughout the year. This may have been because they were manipulated (split and requeened) later than other colonies. Two more survived the winter despite high (51 percent-92 percent) mite levels, and only one died.
Of the queens dissected at Site 2, some had blackened tracheae, considered caused by mite feeding, whereas others had light to no infestation. Two queens were also found to be heavily infested with amoebae (Malpighamoeba mellificae Prell).
An overriding observation in this study was that in colonies that survived winter infestation, mite levels appeared to decline as the bee population rose in spring. This suggests an analogy to the situation discussed above for Varroa mites. The graphical representations also show that most differences in tracheal mite levels between treated and untreated groups were from August through February, critical times for colonies to successfully winter. The authors conclude: "Our study shows that oil treatment interferes with one or more aspects of the mite's life cycle. The continuous presence of an oil patty with or without Terramycin helped lower tracheal mite populations and increased colony survivorship."
Malcolm T. Sanford
Bldg 970, Box 110620
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-0620
Phone (904) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: 904-392-0190
INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
