Honeybee-news

Climate change linked to death of 90% of Vancouver Island honeybee population

09 Mar 10 By Kevin Afanasiff
Climate change has contributed to a devastated Vancouver Island honeybee population. Home to a quarter of British Columbia (BC) honeybees, Vancouver Island lost a staggering 90% of its bees this winter. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reports that the bees have been stricken by the varroa mite, which makes them more susceptible to other viruses. A longer summer season also contributed to a longer work season for the bees collecting pollen, which, according to researchers, weakened them for the winter.

Queen Bees free to cross border

09 Mar 10 By Emily Mathieu
Apiculturists, breathe easy. A hold on the importation of queen bees from Hawaii, linked to the discovery of a virulent parasitic mite, is to be lifted. "We are quite relieved," said Heather Clay, chief executive officer with the Canadian Honey Council. "It is business as usual."

Urban Beekeeping: Nectar Over Politics

07 Mar 10 By Vanessa Schipani
White House beekeeper Charlie Brandts has transported more than one thousand bees using Metro -- on more than one occasion. Brandts was the guest speaker at the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation urban beekeeping course last Monday, the second class in a series of four.

Medina County Beekeepers Association is buzzing with activity

05 Mar 10 By Tara Quinn, Sun News
It might seek like a long way off, but the snow in Northeast Ohio will melt one day. And shortly after it does, the honeybees will be back and beekeepers in Medina County will go back to their sweet work. The Medina County Beekeepers Association is made of members from that and surrounding counties. With a rich bee-keeping heritage of the A.I. Root Candle Company dating back to the 1800s, the organization itself traces its modern origins back to 1950. According to president Kim Flottum, it’s going strong.

Researchers seek 'super' bee cure for a deadly disorder

05 Mar 10 By Wayne Anderson
A team of researchers from universities across the nation are urgently trying to develop a strain of "super" honeybees to ward off a mysterious malady that has been decimating U.S. colonies for the past three years. Scientists continue to search for the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a malady that has greatly reduced the U.S. bee population.

A sticky situation

04 Mar 10 By Diane Ivey
The state’s beekeepers are buzzing to gain some independence. A new bill would ensure that small honey producers are able to sell their products at farmers markets, fairs or roadside stands without government regulation. The measure, supporters say, would allow beekeepers to build local networks with consumers, and help grow and maintain the state’s honeybee population. SB 2959, sponsored by Sen. David Luechtefeld (R-Okawville), recognizes raw, unadulterated honey as an agricultural commodity, thus exempting it from the rules and regulations for processed food defined by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Crop insurance sweetened to include honey

24 Feb 10 By CBC News
The Saskatchewan government has extended its crop insurance program to include camelina, soy beans, navy beans — and honey. Agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud announced changes to the crop insurance program Wednesday. "The beekeeping industry is very important to the Saskatchewan economy and accounts for approximately 30% of the honey produced in Canada," said Bjornerud. "As with any other crop, having this coverage will help beekeepers manage their risk. Last year we introduced compensation for beekeepers for damage caused by bears, with these new features I believe the program will better address the needs of beekeepers in Saskatchewan."

Denbighshire villagers' bid to become 'bee friendly'

24 Feb 10 By BBC
A Denbighshire village is planting shrubs and trees in a bid to become "bee-friendly". Villagers in Henllan have been given more than £7,500 through the Welsh Assembly Government's Rural Development Plan. As well as lavender and wild flowers in gardens and community beds, the village school also hopes to plant an orchard. Disease, climate change and pesticide use have been blamed for the decline of honey bees in recent years. Residents formed the Henllan Conservation Group and received £7,510 in funding.

Taunton beekeepers buzzing after £5,000 grant

23 Feb 10 By Alex Cameron
A Taunton community group is buzzing after receiving a £5,000 grant from the County Gazette's £30,000 Giveaway in partnership with Somerset Community Foundation. The Taunton division of the Somerset Beekeepers Association will use the money to enhance its educational and practical opportunities for members at its Heatherton Park Apiary.

Bees in Northern Ireland under threat from parasites

19 Feb 10 By Martin Cassidy
The emergence of a new parasite which originated in eastern honeybees is causing concern to local honey producers. The nosema ceranae parasite attacks the bee's gut and can result in dysentery and death. Some are describing the new parasite as the equivalent of bubonic plague in bees.

The Cost of Colony Collapse Disorder, as You've Never Seen it Calculated Before

20 Feb 10 By Kim Flottum
The cost of colony collapse disorder adds up for beekeepers, putting many out of business. Here's how the costs add up.
When the media or researchers talk about how many colonies, how many bees, how many beekeepers have been affected by colony collapse disorder this year, or last year, or the year before, they talk in terms of percent loss... 24% of the bees that died last year perished due to colony collapse disorder, or some such figure. And those who write about this malady toss around those percentages with ease and without pain. It's easy to do because most of us don't really know what those numbers mean.

Bulgaria MPs Agree GMO Amendments to Protect Organic Farmland

17 Feb 10 By novinite.com
The Bulgarian Parliamentary Committee on the Environment has agreed that GMOs will not be allowed within 7 kms of organic farmland, and 10 kms away from permanent, registered beehive clusters. They also adopted a five-year ban on the cultivation of GMOs for commercial and scientific research in the field. The document was voted before the new law on GMOs was adopted on second reading. The committee has accepted these changes to the Law on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) at the proposal of Evdokiya Maneva, Deputy Minister of Environment and Water.

Bees Can Say 'Stop'

16 Feb 10 By Larry O'Hanlon
Honeybees don't only waggle dance to tell hive-mates the whereabouts of good eats, they also bump and beep to warn others when big trouble awaits at some of those floral diners. The discovery of the "stop" signal is the first negative or "inhibitory" message ever found in bees.

2010 American Honey Queen Hails From Indiana

15 Feb 10 By Gary Truit
The American Beekeeping Federation is proud to announce that Lisa Schluttenhofer was selected as the 2010 American Honey Queen at its annual January convention in Orlando, FL. Lisa is the 19-year-old daughter of Mike and Roberta Schluttenhofer of Thorntown, IN and the granddaughter of John and Mildred Schluttenhofer of Fowler, IN and of Alice Sheldon of Remington, IN. Lisa is a sophomore at Purdue University where she is majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Science. At Purdue, she is active in the College of Agriculture Dean’s Scholars Program and activities at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. She has been a beekeeper for eight years.

Durham based company donates $100,000.00 towards honey bee research.

15 Feb 10 By Jimmy Chalmers
Durham, NC based Burt's Bees has donated $100k towards honey bee research. The UK branch of the Durham based natural body care products manufacturer gave this generous gift to the University of Sussex. These funds will be used to further the study of "disappearing" and diseased honey bees in the UK and Western Europe. Show your appreciation by using and purchasing their products. I have a tube of Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm in my pocket now.

Apiarists hope to breed a better bee

06 Feb 10 By Rob Rogers
After losing as many as a third of their bees in the past two years, Marin County's beekeepers are taking radical steps - including breeding a better bee - to save their remaining hives from destruction. "The shift in population has been staggeringly negative," said M.E.A. McNeil-Draper, a San Anselmo beekeeper. "We need to be more vigilant about what we're doing, in less chemical ways."

Expect to Pay More — a Lot More — for Almonds This Year

06 Feb 10 By Kim Flottum
Honey bees are more scarce than at any point in three bad years, which means almond growers are paying top dollar for pollination ... which means you'll pay top dollar for almonds.

For more than 50 years, beekeepers have been taking bees to the almond orchards of California. For the first 25 years or so, almonds were simply a place to go for California beekeepers early in the season. A few from nearby states came over too, pollinated, and left. When done, they took a pittance for their trouble and went home. It was a simple game.

Beekeepers Turn Out to Support Repeal of NYC Bee Ban

04 Feb 10 By Ilene Rosen
Local beekeepers have been abuzz since the Board of Health decided to consider overturning the city's decade-old ban on beekeeping, and on Wednesday they got the chance to make their case. Since 1999, honeybees have been on a list with prohibited animals along with wolves, pumas and venomous snakes, and hive owners faced fines of up to $2,000. This past December, the board considered amending the ban after a study said honeybees posed a limited risk for New Yorkers.

Good news for honeybees - Colony collapse disorder update

04 Feb 10 By FRITZ MAYER
REGION — Thinking about raising honeybees this year? If so, you’re not alone. One beneficial effect of colony collapse disorder (CCD), that mysterious malady that has been causing honeybees to abandon their hives never to return, is that extensive media coverage over the past couple of years has prompted many people to give the natural world a boost by keeping a few hives of their own.

Sugar gives bee brains a buzz

02 Feb 10 By ABC Rural
Trained bees may be part of the future of horticulture. A study by the Brain Institute at the University of Queensland has found the honey bee's brain works by committing important smells to memory, and forgetting the rest.