Apis-UK January 2005

Weald Division Apiary - Kent Beekeepers' Association Photo: Nick Mengham www.kentbee.com

EDITORIAL Back to top

We start the New Year at Apis-UK with a renewed determination to ensure that this monthly beekeeping newsletter becomes a firm ‘favourite read’ amongst beekeepers worldwide. I am especially encouraged to note that we well exceeded 1000 subscribers in 2004 which according to the experts on magazine and net matters means that we have well over 2000 readers. I hope that this number of subscribers/readers continues to increase and it is my intention to ensure that this is so by providing readers with interesting and timely beekeeping news and information. It is not only up to me and the web master however. We need your input whether a hobbyist or professional. One professional beekeeper of my acquaintance, who runs some 3000 hives remarked to me once that ‘professionals may make the running in the beekeeping industry but it is the hobbyists who have the time and the enthusiasm to observe the bees, and from this observation comes much of our beekeeping knowledge.’ So whoever you are out there, share your observations with us. You never know, one small, insignificant little sighting could provide the key to combating AFB, or breeding a super bee.

In this New Year issue, we are asked to support Bees for Development in their attempts to assist those who have suffered so horribly from the tsunami. We have all heard and seen reports on the TV and radio about this disaster and so no one can possibly claim to be in ignorance. Many people indeed have suffered personal loss in this huge tragedy. So if you can help, please do so and help beekeeping to become a possible life saver for families in the area. (See ‘In the News’).

We haven’t heard mention of GMOs in recent editions but we come back to the issue with a short news report, and in the research news section we hear in two reports of a new pheromone that has been found in bees. A pheromone that effectively plays a major role in controlling the colony. Eaton also gives you a very useful ready reckoner to download. How many litres of paint will you need to cover 100 supers? Find out here. How many nails will you need to make 50 frames? The reckoner will tell you. Amounts of wire needed; queen egg laying rates; mixing amounts for sugar syrup; quantities of syrup needed to draw a given amount of comb and so on. A very handy reference for all beekeepers.

And there is also talk of beer, a subject very much to my liking, and a women’s beer too. I didn’t know there was a difference from what I see in pubs, but see more in the news below.

EU directive on veterinary medicines (See in the news below)
Many beekeepers are naturally upset by the prospect of further EU legislation on medicines used in beekeeping (or any EU legislation for that matter), but when it may affect the running of our hives and for some our businesses it is especially necessary to read what is involved and study the letter of the proposed new laws and not to react without knowing how it will affect us. Personally I don’t think it will make any difference. Vets will have the strips and we get them from them. They aren’t going to come and look at your hives. They wouldn’t have time and I doubt they would know what to look for anyway. I think that they will simply be another (and for many, more convenient) outlet selling Apistan etc and instead of having to order the strips from your nearest stockist (who often isn’t near at all) you can just pop down to the vets and pick up a couple of packs or so. (I am told that veterinary medicines can even now be ordered over the net from on line vets. Do they visit your livestock? No). I know that in Spain, if you order from a vet he can usually get the item overnight making it far easier for me to obtain strips. This contentious issue may well make life easier. I know that to many, this may seem an overly optimistic scenario, but I hope and think that this will be the case. The only possible let down could be pricing. Let us know what you think.

So Welcome to 2005 and to the current issue, which I hope you will enjoy.

David Cramp. Editor.

NEWS Back to top

TSUNAMI APPEAL
Restore livelihoods by means of beekeeping
Bees for Development Trust http://www.beesfordevelopment.org will endeavour to assist with the reconstruction of beekeeping in Tsunami areas. Many people are contacting us to ask what we are planning. Although we do not usually become involved in 'giving equipment’ type projects, this is an exception. Obviously, people will have lost their equipment, and helping them to get started again in beekeeping can quickly help them towards recovering their livelihood. It seems that even the fruit trees are being killed by the salt overdose, and assistance in reforestation will be appropriate. Bees for Development welcomes other bee-related organisations to join with us in this task.

The areas affected by the Tsunami are parts of the world where Bees for Development has enjoyed good links with partner organisations. It may be possible for us to use established local networks for making equipment and distributing local aid to established and new beekeepers and their families.

Please do try to assist us. We are establishing a special Tsunami Appeal bank account, but until we have the new account number, these details are effective:

Bees for Development Trust Tsunami Appeal
Bank: CAFCASH Ltd, UK
Account no. 000825299
Sort code 40-52-40

GMOS BENEFIT WILDLIFE
A recent report from the Broom’s Barn Research Station in Suffolk has claimed that GM beet designed to tolerate herbicides can help birds and other wildlife to thrive. They say that a government farm scale evaluation of the crop showing that it would cause a decline in wildlife (because fewer weeds would produce few seeds) may not show all the facts. They say that by ignoring the manufacturers’ recommendations and changing the timing of application of the herbicide and leaving weeds between the rows of GM crops in spring, they were able to maximise benefits for both wildlife and crop harvests. In fact this change boosted the amount of seeds available for wildlife 16 fold.

THE FIRST BEER FOR WOMEN? A STORY OF LOVE AND BEER
Honey Amber Rose™
An acclaimed inventor/entrepreneur Abby Waters has launched her latest endeavour with the introduction of Honey Amber Rose beer in the USA.

Advertised as the first beer for women™, this microbrew is uniquely flavoured with rosehips and honey and features no preservatives, low carbohydrates and low alcohol content. Rosehips offers many healthful benefits including acting as an anti-oxidant. The beer is brewed at South Florida ’s Indian River Brewing Company, based upon a perfected 200-year old recipe. “For me, Honey Amber Rose has not only been a labour of love,” said Waters, “but a journey of personal love. My business partner Kent Chamberlain came to me with an idea for a new beer, and as we worked together, we realized that there was a market for a beverage for women. Kent would come by my office with a bagel and coffee to discuss our project. Next, it was a bagel and a dozen roses, then he planted me a garden, and then a kiss on my lips. Our passion has been the inspiration for the flavours of Honey Amber Rose and our dedication to this product.”

EARLY BEES INDICATING TROUBLE AHEAD
The drone of bumble bees is in the UK is now a December sound as winters in the UK become milder, indeed, reports indicate that some in the south east of the country now soldiering on through the winter. The UK Penology network report that bumblebees are now breeding some two to three weeks earlier than in the past and this they say will have implications because species need to be in synchronisation. If insects, birds and leaves respond at different times to natures changes, then the whole food chain begins to break down.

HONEY AND MEDICINE
Just down the road from where I work with bees, a New Zealand company (Comvita) in collaboration with a British based manufacturing partner (Brightwake Ltd) have developed and are marketing, wound dressings called ‘Apinate’. These dressings have already been medically certified by the EU and are now being hospital trialled. The dressing uses manuka honey impregnated into an absorbent alginate fibre to create a superior dressing. The dressings are now being used by the UK NHS and the aim is now to get the dressings certified in New Zealand and then globally. Research into Manuka honey began some 20 years ago by the Waikato University in new Zealand and it has been discovered that the non peroxide antibacterial activity of manuka honey has a broad spectrum of activity against several strains of bacteria.

Clinical trials have showed that the dressings had proved superior in many cases to more conventional antibiotics and are particularly effective on Venus ulcers and pressure sores.

NEW SUN TAN LOTION
With human kind becoming ever more attuned to 'sunbathing and skin' issues, this piece of news comes as a welcome new addition to our knowledge of how to avoid the dangers of over exposure to the sun. Now that I live in the very area where the research has taken place and now that I work for a company producing manuka honey I thought this small piece a most appropriate addition the Apis-UK. Ed.

This news item takes the place of our ‘cure’ in the recipe section. So if you want to know more…..?

Honey and butter is the answer
The remedy goes back to the ancient Egyptians, who, must have known a thing or two about sunburn (the slaves did anyway) after toiling away building all those pyramids.

Waikato University biochemistry professor Peter Molan promised me he was on the level. After 20 years of research dedicated to the therapeutic properties of honey, he is most serious about it.

Whip up a lotion of two parts butter, one part honey and it will deal with the pain of sunburn and can stop the blistering.

Of course, Molan’s remedies use medical-grade honey rather than your run-of-the mill kitchen spread and his research has identified that manuka honey has more healing properties than most. He has dubbed its elusive special component “unique manuka factor”, or UMF.

He is particularly pleased because he believes he is finally seeing the realisation of one of his great hopes for manuka honey - that it be widely accepted and used as a healing dressing for wounds, including ulcers, abscesses, bed sores, burns and even cracked nipples and chilblains.

It’s been a long haul to shift the perception of honey from folk remedy - “worthless but harmless,” according to one assessment - to scientifically proven pharmaceutical.

But Molan believes the corner has been turned as requests for him to speak at medical conferences increase and honey-impregnated dressings go on the market.

Honey company Comvita launched its first-generation wound dressing in Britain last March and has quietly made the dressings available here. (See news item)

Chief executive Graeme Boyd says the dressings have met the stringent controls of Britain ’s NHS drug tariff system but other regulatory requirements have to be fulfilled before a full global marketing push is made this year.

A $6 billion market beckons and Molan is confident honey’s day in it is coming. The scientific evidence just keeps piling up on honey’s protective, anti-bacterial and healing properties, including its effectiveness against antibiotic-resistant hospital super bugs such as MRSA.

Inevitably, as one generation of products with UMF goes to market, the professor and his colleagues at the Waikato Honey Research Unit are beavering away on more. Molan waves what looks like a piece of honey-coloured fruit leather in front of me and despite his explanation that this, too, is a wound dressing, I have an almost irresistible urge to bite it. It smells great.

The richly scented “leather” is gelled honey and it is a dressing without the cloth. Instead of impregnating a fabric with honey, the plan is for the honey gel to be placed directly on the wound. It doesn’t dissolve at body temperature, doesn’t stick, swells when moist but, left to dry, will return to its original size.

His recommendation for tapping honey’s health properties is to apply it rather than eat it. When eaten the UMF is too diluted to do much good. The ancient Egyptians got it right. Now, we are catching up.

HONEYBEE MEDICATION ON PRECRIPTION
The European Commission plans to make honeybee medications available only on prescription and therefore available only through vets. This new Directive is due to come into force in October 2005, but if the bee lobby acts now it may be possible to obtain an exemption for honeybees.

The plans for honeybee medications to be prescription-only are part of a new EC Directive (EC 2004/28/EC) which will apply to medicines for all food-producing animals. No exceptions have been made or planned, but beekeepers have been so alarmed at the new legislation that lobbying for an exemption for honeybees has begun. Max Watkins, Technical Director of Vita-Europe said "This legislation could be disastrous for beekeeping, honey production and agricultural pollination in Europe. It will lead to an increase in treatment costs, encourage the use of unapproved products and result in the loss of bee colonies across Europe." Dr Watkins continued: "Every beekeeping body I have spoken to oppose the legislation. It is vital that beekeepers in every European Union Member State lobby their relevant government authority to secure an exemption for honeybees from this legislation." The above quoted from: http://www.vita-europe.com/downloads/newsletter2.pdf

CATCH THE BUZZ RETURNS
After an extended delay, Catch The Buzz Returns. All of these changes, to our web page, to our book ordering system and our archive article system have undergone extensive changes and updates...most for the better, some for expediency and some just because our IT people thought it was a good idea. Bee Culture's web page is now a direct part of The Root Candle Company's web page, and as such has gained some extras we did not have before, and lost some of the independence we had before. Such are the tradeoffs. We trust you like our new look and the additional services we can offer. If you have questions or comments, please contact me directly at Kim@BeeCulture.com. I'll try and respond, or at least we will compile comments for future changes. In the meantime, please look forward to our many messages in the future. And thank you for waiting for all of this to finally get finished, and for us to get organized.

With a map of the honeybee's entire genetic code in hand, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are pursuing new ways to manage the welfare and productivity of this important insect.

After all, humans have a vested interest in Apis mellifera; the honeybee's pollination of 90-plus kinds of flowering crops each year results in yield and quality improvements valued at more than $14 billion in the United States alone. And that's not counting honey, the by product of such pollination.

In January, a team led by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas announced the completion of the first rough draft of the honeybee genome, which is about one-tenth the length of that for humans. Jay Evans and Katherine Aronstein, ARS members on the team, are now using information from the advance to identify immune system genes that keep honeybees healthy. Their efforts come at a time when insect pests, parasites and diseases of honeybees cause an estimated $5 million annually in crop-pollination losses.

Of particular interest to Evans, an entomologist in the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., and Aronstein, a molecular biologist in the ARS Honey Bee Research Unit in Weslaco, Texas, is characterizing genes involved in potential resistance to the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, which causes foulbrood disease in the insect's larvae. One tantalizing lead is abaecin, a small protein that may be part of a resistance response in some bees to foulbrood infection.

Mapping the honeybee genome opens up other exciting research avenues as well: identifying genetic markers to speed breeding of bees, such as for better winter survival; modelling host-pathogen interactions to better control honeybee disease organisms; and conducting genome-driven studies to fine-tune honey bee nutrition and pollination. For example, by locating honeybees' olfactory genes, researchers may be able to improve the insect's diet through supplementation or improve its ability to forage for nectar longer.

BEEKEEPING CONVERSIONS AND 'READY RECKONER'
Early 'paper' versions of many of these conversions appeared in:
Beekeepers Bulletin 6(1)84:11-19
Van Eaton, C. (1996) Beekeeping ready reckoners. BeeBiz 2:16-17.

These conversion tables are a combination of straight mathematical conversions that 'can't be argued with' but many also contain some expert knowledge. That is, some involve beekeeping rules of thumb. Obviously, you may not agree with the assumptions! If you're not sure what is being assumed, put a 1 in the first box of a table and calculate it... You can put your 'starting' number into any of the boxes, and the calculation will convert it to the other units...
See webpage: http://www.beekeeping.co.nz/convert.htm

ANOTHER HONEY BEER. BOCK BEER
Bock Beer is now available on tap at about 20 establishments in the USA, said Jon Reynolds, the brewery’s director of marketing and sales. But if sales stay strong, it also will be available in bottles next year, he predicted.

More than 2 pounds of Wisconsin honey are added per barrel of bock beer. There are 31 gallons in a barrel. The bock beer is made with chocolate malted barley and Hallertau hops, a German variety. “The honey kind of softens up the delivery,” Reynolds said. The logo being used to promote the beer shows a ram’s head.

Brewmaster Randy Hughes said he and his staff made the first batch of City Honey Bock for the brewery’s employee Christmas party in December 2002; the remainder was served at the City Bier Stube in the City Brewery Hospitality Center . “It got great reviews,” Hughes said, but wasn’t produced in 2003. The brewery made 50 barrels of City Honey Bock for its December 2004 employee Christmas party, and for area bars and restaurants. Consumer reaction has been so good, Reynolds and Hughes said, that another batch of 150 barrels has been made. “That will carry us through the month of March,” Reynolds said. Bock beers typically are sold from late winter to early spring, Hughes said. The brewery produced 1.6 million barrels of beer in 2004, up 14.4 percent from 1.4 million barrels in 2003, Reynolds said. The brewery’s own brands account for about 3 percent of its volume. The rest is made for about two dozen beverage companies under contract. Nice to see honey being used for this sort of thing. Ed.

RESEARCH NEWS Back to top

And now, two reports of research indicating the discovery of a new pheromone in bees which may pull away a curtain covering one of the mysteries of the hive.

THE DIVISION OF LABOUR IN THE HIVE
New Research advances our knowledge. After more than 10 years of searching, researchers in Australia, the US and the UK have identified a compound produced by the senior workers in a honeybee colony that prolongs the time that house bees remain on in house duties.

Most beekeepers already know that honeybee workers spend their first few weeks as young adults tending the colony's brood and then shift jobs to foraging for food outside the colony. Studies had predicted that established foragers pass along a pheromone that slows their younger sisters' career change, according to Gene E. Robinson of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

That pheromone turns out to include ethyl oleate, possibly conveyed to the house bees during mouth-to-mouth food transfer, Robinson and an international team of colleagues report in an upcoming Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The pheromone guides the division of labour. "When we think about this with a human bias, it seems like a problem that requires centralized control. But it's decentralized," says Robinson. Should the colony run low on mature foragers, the supply of grow-slow pheromone dwindles, and young bees mature rapidly to fill in the ranks. When foragers abound, an abundance of the pheromone slows the replacement process.

Bee researcher Francis Ratnieks of the University of Sheffield in England compares organizing colony tasks to "directing traffic through New York City. It's a never-ending challenge, and weird things are always happening." Commenting on the new study, he notes that more than 20 previously identified bee-to-bee signals transfer information chemically or mechanically. Bee dances are famous, but another signal is "a bee standing on top of another bee and giving it a good shaking," he adds.

The earlier tests that had predicted a grow-slow pheromone included, for example, one study finding fast maturation of youngsters within a colony stripped of its foragers. Other experiments that separated younger and older workers with screens suggested that the pheromone spreads by contact rather than airflow.

At least five lines of chemical inquiry dead-ended before the researchers focused on ethyl oleate as a potential pheromone component, Robinson says. They eventually noted that foragers carry some 30 times as much of the chemical as younger bees do.

The researchers fed candy laced with ethyl oleate to bees from two of three age-matched colonies. Young bees eating spiked candy turned to foraging later than those eating plain candy did.

Ben Oldroyd, a bee specialist at the University of Sydney in Australia, calls the work "a step forward, mainly because of the experimental opportunities it offers." He says he'd like to find out how ethyl oleate influences gene expression and hormone activity.

Robinson and other scientists note that the grow-slow pheromone probably contains ingredients besides ethyl oleate. Tanya Pankiw of Texas A&M University in College Station says that experiments in her lab indicate that at least four compounds from foragers affect maturation of other bees. She cautions that genetic makeup and environmental factors also influence foraging.

The researchers and their departments are listed below:
Ben Oldroyd
School of Biological Sciences, A12
University of Sydney
Sydney N.S.W. 2006
Australia

Tanya Pankiw
Department of Entomology
Faculty of Neuroscience
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843

Francis L.W. Ratnieks
Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences
University of Sheffield
Sheffield, S10 2TN
United Kingdom

Gene E. Robinson
Department of Entomology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, IL 61801

NEW PHEROMONE DISCOVERED IN HONEY BEES
In this article we report on a recent discovery that unveils the chemical secret that gives old bees the authority to keep young bees home babysitting instead of going out on the town.

The report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is the first discovery of a primer pheromone produced by adult worker honey bees that is thought to be transferred via food exchange.

A hard-to-detect pheromone explains a phenomenon Michigan State University entomologist Zachary Huang published 12 years ago – that somehow older forager bees exert influence over the younger nurse bees in a hive, keeping them grounded until they are more mature, and thus more ready to handle the demands of buzzing about.

The work that identifies the chemical, “Regulation of Behavioural Maturation in Honey Bees by a New Primer Pheromone” is publishing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science Biological Sciences, Population Biology, Early Edition the week of Nov. 29. “If the older ones don't keep them in check, the young ones can mature too quickly,” Huang said. Huang worked with a team that spanned from the United States , France and Canada to explain how the bees kept an exquisitely consistent balance between the ones that go out to collect nectar and pollen and defend the hive, and those that stay home and nurture the larvae. Huang had documented that this balance is controlled by the elder bees, those that typically spend the final one to three weeks of their five-week lifespan out in the field.

Experiments showed that if a significant number of forager bees didn't come home, the young nurse bees would mature ahead of schedule and head out to become foragers themselves. If the older bees were kept inside more than usual – as in an extended rain shower – fewer young bees would mature, but instead stick to brood care. But the question was always, why? Pheromones are a chemical signal emitted by animals, insects and humans. Some, called releaser pheromones, are like a quick conversation that changes behaviour, such as those that inspire sexual attraction.

Since releasers change behaviours immediately, they historically have been easier to identify. Hundreds of releaser pheromones have been chemically identified, whereas only four (including this new one) have been identified as primer pheromones. Primer pheromones are more difficult to work with because they imparts behavioural changes in a much longer time scale, taking days or sometimes weeks to see an effect.

Huang and his associates spent years futilely searching for a primer pheromone. After many dead ends, the group came upon a crucial difference between forager bees and nurse bees: Forager bees carry a mother load of a chemical called ethyl oleate in the abdominal reservoir in which they store nectar. That, Huang said, led them to identify ethyl oleate as another kind of pheromone – called primer pheromone.

Forager bees load up on ethyl oleate when they're buzzing about gathering food, but don't digest it. The forager bees feed the chemical to the worker bees, and the ethyl oleate keeps them in a teenage state, sort of like being grounded to watch the younger siblings. As the old bees die off, the chemical no longer is fed to nurse bees. Eliminate ethyl oleate and the bees mature into foragers.

“This provides clear insight into how a bee colony works,” said Gene Robinson, G. William Arends professor of integrative biology and director of the neuroscience program at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. “What's most impressive about a honey bee colony is it is able to respond to changing conditions and alter its division of labour. When you think of that type of flexibility and adaptability, you immediately think, ‘who's in charge'? People from many scientific and engineering endeavours are fascinated by localized decentralized decision making.”

Huang said the system makes sense for the health of the hive. Young bees – those in the first two to three weeks of life – are biologically better suited for brood care, thanks to some boosted blood protein. Bees forced out too early aren't great navigators, and since foraging is dangerous, they risk dying before their time.

“Our idea has never been disproved, but the lack of mechanism drove me crazy,” said Huang. “Now we know the specific chemical that controls the behaviour of honey bees for the good of the whole population.”

GLOBAL BIRD POPULATIONS FACE DRAMATIC DECLINE IN COMING DECADES
Global Bird Populations Face Dramatic Decline In Coming Decades. With an estimated ten percent of all bird species likely to disappear by the year 2100, and another 15 percent could be on the brink of extinction, according to a new study by Stanford University biologists in the USA . This dramatic loss is expected to have a negative impact on forest ecosystems and agriculture worldwide and may even encourage the spread of human diseases, according to the study published in the Online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in December.

“Our projections indicate that, by 2100, up to 14 percent of all bird species may be extinct and that as many as one out of four may be functionally extinct-that is, critically endangered or extinct in the wild,” said researcher Cagan H. Sekercioglu of the Stanford Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) and lead author of the PNAS study. “Important ecosystem processes, particularly decomposition, pollination and seed dispersal, will likely decline as a result.” These findings come on the heels of the November 2004 Global Species Assessment by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), which found that 12 percent of all bird species are already threatened with extinction, along with nearly one-fourth of the world’s mammals, one-third of the amphibians and 42 percent of all turtles and tortoises.

“Even though only 1.3 percent of bird species have gone extinct since 1500, the global number of individual birds is estimated to have experienced a 20 to 25 percent reduction during the same period,” wrote Sekercioglu and CCB co-authors Gretchen C. Daily and Paul R. Ehrlich. “Given the momentum of climate change, widespread habitat loss and increasing numbers of invasive species, avian declines and extinctions are predicted to continue unabated in the near future.”

Future scenarios
The study was based on a painstaking analysis of all 9,787 living and 129 extinct bird species. Eight researchers spent a year collecting data on the conservation, distribution, ecological function and life history of every species-more than 600,000 computer entries in total. “The result is one of the most comprehensive databases of a class of organisms ever compiled,” Sekercioglu said.

To forecast probable rates of extinction, he and his colleagues entered the data into a computer program designed to simulate best-case, intermediate-case and worst-case scenarios for the future.

The best case was based on the assumption that conservation measures in the next 100 years would be sufficient to prevent additional bird species from becoming threatened with extinction. For the worst case, the researchers assumed that the number of threatened species will increase by about 1 percent per decade-that is, 1 percent in 2010, 2 percent in 2020, 3 percent in 2030, etc. “These assumptions are conservative, since it is estimated that, every year, natural habitats and dependent vertebrate populations decrease by an average of 1.1 percent,” the authors wrote. For the intermediate scenario, the scientists used statistics from 1994 through 2003 as a basis for calculating the likelihood that a non-threatened species would become threatened after a decade. The results of the three future scenarios were dramatic. The computer forecast that between 6 and 14 percent of all bird species will be extinct by 2100, and that 700 to 2,500 species will be critically endangered or extinct in the wild. Even the middle-of-the-road intermediate scenario revealed that one in 10 species will disappear a century from now, and that approximately 1,200 species will be functionally extinct. The study cited several reasons for the expected decline in bird populations, including habitat loss, disease, climate change, competition from introduced species and exploitation for food or the pet trade.

“ Island birds are particularly at risk,” the authors said, noting that one-third to one-half of all oceanic island species will be extinct or on the brink of extinction by 2100. Birds with highly specialized diets are predicted to experience more extinctions than average, they wrote, adding that some plant species also face extinction if their primary pollinators and seed-dispersers vanish. “It’s hard to imagine the disappearance of a bird species making much difference to human well-being,” said Daily, an associate professor (research) in Stanford’s Department of Biological Sciences and director of the CCB Tropical Research Program. “Yet consider the case of the passenger pigeon. Besides mail becoming a lot less fun to receive, its loss is thought to have made Lyme disease the huge problem it is today. When passenger pigeons were abundant-and they used to occur in unimaginably large flocks of hundreds of millions of birds-the acorns on which they specialized would have been too scarce to support large populations of deer mice, the main reservoir of Lyme disease, that thrive on them today.”

Scavengers and insectivores
More than a third of all scavengers and fish-eaters are extinction-prone, according to the study, yet little is known about the potential consequences of their widespread disappearance. “Since most scavenging birds are highly specialized to rapidly dispose of the bodies of large animals, these birds are important in the recycling of nutrients, leading other scavengers to dead animals and limiting the spread of diseases to human communities as a result of slowly decomposing carcasses,” the authors wrote. As an example, the researchers pointed to India , where the collapse of the vulture population in the 1990s was followed by an explosion of rabid feral dogs and rats. In 1997 alone, more than 30,000 people died of rabies in India , more than half of the world’s total rabies deaths that year.

Insect control is another important ecosystem service performed by birds, yet the study found that more insect-eating bird species are prone to extinction than any other group. “Exclusions of insectivorous birds from apple trees, coffee shrubs, oak trees and other plants have resulted in significant increases in insect pests and consequent plant damage,” the authors wrote, adding that the extreme specializations of many insectivorous birds, especially in the tropics, make it unlikely that other organisms will be able to replace the birds’ crucial role in controlling pests. “The societal importance of ecosystem services is often appreciated only upon their loss,” the authors wrote. “Disconcertingly, avian declines may in fact portray a best-case scenario, since fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals are 1.7 to 2.5 times more threatened [than birds].” Invertebrates, which may be even more ecologically significant than animals, also are disappearing, they noted. Therefore, “investments in understanding and preventing declines in populations of birds and other organisms will pay off only while there is still time to act,” the authors concluded.

THE ANTI-ARTHRITIC EFFECTS OF BEE VENOM
Study Reveals How Melittin In Venom Blocks Inflammation
Most beekeepers have heard of the power of bee venom in preventing arthritis and there is a mountain of anecdotal evidence and folklore on the subject.

Who has not heard a beekeeper saying that ‘beekeepers never get arthritis’. Well, now, evidence is emerging that once again, folklore may be fact. The Anti-arthritic Effects Of Bee Venom: Study Reveals How Melittin In Venom Blocks Inflammation.

Since ancient times, healers have practiced apitherapy, the use of honeybee products for curative purposes. Within the last few decades, conventional doctors have joined holistic practitioners in exploring the potential of bee venom for treating a wide variety of conditions from acute tendonitis to chronic back pain to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). While research has established anti-arthritic effects of bee venom, much about the way bee venom work remains a mystery.

A team of researchers in South Korea recently conducted an investigation into the molecular mechanisms behind bee venom’s therapeutic impact on RA, a chronic, destructive inflammatory disease. The November 2004 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/arthritis) presents their insights into melittin, a major component of bee venom and a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.

To gain a better understanding of bee venom’s potential benefits for RA patients, the researchers examined its action in rat treated to induce inflammatory arthritis. For rats with advanced RA, treatment with bee venom at very low doses resulted in dramatic reductions of tissue swelling and osteophyte formation on affected paws. “Although the issue for determination of an effective dose is needed for further study, say the research team, data show that the anti-arthritic effects of bee venom are related to the anti-inflammatory effects of bee venom. In the next phase of their study, researchers examined the anti-inflammatory effects of bee venom on synovial cells – cells lining the joints – obtained from human RA patients. Their experiments focused on melittin, bee venom’s principal peptide. They observed melittin’s power to block the expression of inflammatory genes, much like COX-2 inhibitor drugs used to treat RA. Melittin effectively reduces inflammation by inhibiting the critical DNA binding activity of NF-kB (Nuclear Factor kappa B), which directly controls a number of genes involved in immune reactions. Thus, Melittin’s targeted inactivation of inflammation may hold the key to the anti-arthritic effects of bee venom.

“The potency of melittin in the inhibition of the inflammatory response may be of great benefit in degenerative and inflammatory diseases such as RA,” concludes Dr. Hong who leads the research team. “The extent of inhibitory effects of melittin in most parameters determined in the present study is similar to or greater than bee venom itself, suggesting that melittin may be a major causative component in the pharmacologic effects of bee venom.”

VARROA UPDATE
Can Screened Bottom Boards help reduce the mite?
This month we take a look at the efficacy of bottom board traps in varroa control. Many beekeepers have advocated the use of screened underfloor traps, or mesh floors, which allow mites to fall through them but not bees. The mites are then trapped (or have fallen out of the hive all together) and are therefore unable to reinfest the colony.

In one piece of research, scientists at the Kentucky State University in the USA studied hives with or without screened bottom boards on the underfloor. The hives were studied for 14 months to determine their effectiveness in controlling the mite. 24 hives were studied; 12 with screened bottom boards and 12 without. Both groups had an equivalent mite infestation at the start of the study in the month of June. All hives were treated with coumaphos in the October/November period. Sticky boards were used periodically for 10 day sampling periods to estimate mite infestation. By the August period, the colonies with traps had a mean daily mite fall of 3.5 while those without traps had a fall of 11.7, a 70% difference.

In a second study, the researchers’ studied mites that was fluvalinate resistant. They found that live mites collected during fluvalinate treatment were less sensitive to fluvalinate (the mites were exposed to it in glass phials), than those collected before treatment. This suggests that many of the live mites that fall during fluvalinate treatment are incipient fluvalinate resistant members of the population. They are eliminated though with the use of the screened bottom board trap.

THE BEE PRESS Back to top

BEECRAFT
Beecraft January 2005 Volume 87 Number 1
Claire Waring Editor. www.bee-craft.com
Contents: A year in the apiary: in the beginning David Aston, PhD, NDB; Honey bee beginnings (part 2) Celia Davis, NDB; Food for thought at Hillsborough Michael Young, Des Blaire, Eric Whitlad and Philip Askham; The BeeCraft Directory 2005; Beehives for ornamental use (part 2) Ernest Weston; In the Apiary: having fun with bees (part 10) Karl Showler; Slovenia revisited Brian Milward; BBKA goes to Denmark Raymond Chamberlain; From the North Colin Weightman; Bees on the Internet Steve Turner; Fireblight controls and beehives Chris Barker and more...
Editorial: Have you made any New Year resolutions? If so, I wonder how long they will last! The start of a new year certainly gives us a chance to just sit back for a few moments and think. We can look back over the past 12 months and see what went right and what went wrong. We can build on the things that were good, determine to learn from things that weren't and move on. What are your beekeeping plans this year? Will you make an effort to stop them swarming to that you can maximise your honey crop (and avoid annoying the neighbours)? Are you going to rear some queens from the lovely quiet colony you have? Are you going to try out some Integrated Pest Management techniques sot hat you are ready if your varroa mites become resistant to pyrethroids? Are you going to test for resistant mites to give your bees the best chance of survival? That's one of the nice things about beekeeping. You can be a beekeeper at so many different levels. We must all make particular efforts to maintain healthy colonies, but if you have tried something like queen rearing before why not give it a go this year? Replacing your worst queens with better ones that you have reared yourself is doubly satisfying. For those looking for a beekeeping course, our popular BeeCraft directory is on page 23 and on our website (see left). Why not find a course that suits you? Many thanks to all who wrote to their MPs regarding the Defra cuts. They have certainly been taken aback by the level of correspondence. Don't stop now! Your help is needed to campaign against legislation making all bee medicines available only on prescription (see page 45). As well as our bumper issue this month, we have lots of exciting things planned for 2005, so watch this space! Claire Waring

Bad Beekeeping By Ron Miksha
"Once you start reading, you will be hard pushed to put the book away" Bee Craft February 2005 Available from Northern Bee Books at £19.50 post paid URL: http://www.beedata.com/beebooks.htm

BEES AND MAGNETIC FIELDS (Part 2 of 3) Part 1 in the December 2004 Isssue
Those of us who took 'Science' in our formative years, will already know that iron filings scattered upon a piece of white paper with a magnet beneath, take up the alignment of the magnetic field. By using a small compass and plotting its directional changes, a similar picture may be created. The following magnetic field diagrams were produced in this manner. The red horizontal lines are 2 inches apart and depict the direction of the Earth's magnetic field, South to North, when not influenced by the horseshoe magnet. The black lines indicate the resultant magnetic field of both Earth and magnet.

From the 3 diagrams above it may be seen that at 3/4, 3 and 4 1/2 inches below the magnet the influence of the Earth's field is minimal. However from the 3 diagrams below at 6 1/2, 10 and 16 inches beneath the magnet, this is no longer the case and the field lines start to rotate in a clockwise direction until almost parallel to the normal South - North alignment. The magnet's field strength weakens with the increase of distance, and at 20 inches the rotation is complete.

It was decided therefore that the magnet should be suspended 6 inches above the roof of the inner hive which would subject the first 10 inches of comb to a varying directional field as indicated in the last three diagrams. We have therefore within the inner hive a magnetic field that runs almost South - North in an East - West direction, slowly rotating clockwise, to run South - North in a South - North alignment. If the swarm, when introduced, builds comb to a direction dependent upon magnetic field alignment one might expect the comb to twist or at least be at right angles initially to a comb produced without the provision of the magnet. The swarm is introduced. We shall wait.
Ian Rumsey

OF DUBIOUS ANCESTRY
I was doing some family history research the other day when I came across the following document in the Archives in Winchester concerning one of my ancestors which was lodged with the family papers for the Jervoise family who were the local landowners and JPs for the village of Herriard in Hampshire in the 18th century.

“Information of John Thorp, yeoman, of Preston Candover concerning theft of bees and equipment, of which he suspects John Oliver, George Oliver, Thomas Nicolson, Joseph Allen, Elizabeth Hobly, 24 July 1783..”

John was my great great great great grandfather. Perhaps I should offer the present day Thorps some honey as compensation. Judging by the number of suspects, John Thorp was either casting a wide net or there was an awful lot of skeps involved. I wonder if the Justice examined them for bee-stings?

It seems the Olivers were an extremely dodgy crowd. Between May 1756 and February 1805 they were in Court frequently for assault, for housebreaking and theft (by Rebecca Oliver in 1772) when the goods were found in the house of George and Elizabeth Oliver – they were John Oliver’s parents; theft and concealment of timber, two cheeses stolen from Daniel Baldon’s cart at Magdelen Fair on 3 rd August, 1778, bastardy examinations against Martha Oliver in 1780 and again in 1792 (she got around a bit obviously), theft of turnips, complaint against James Oliver (John’s son) for “deserting his work”, maintenance order for Mary Oliver (a pauper) for £2 7s (1796), bastardy examination against Sarah Oliver in 1803 and finally James Oliver in trouble again in 1805 for “entering a wood with intent to steal.”

Surprisingly by the early 1800s John Oliver’s son, John jnr, and John’s son William Oliver were churchwardens and upright citizens at Weston Patrick.

William was also a beekeeper apparently and sold honey to the Duke of Wellington who owned land in the area given to him by a grateful nation after Waterloo . William’s brother George served as a private in the 2nd Foot at Talavera and was also at Waterloo.

William’s son James, my great great grandfather came to Woodside (Croydon) in 1875 to work in the brickfields and was the biggest beekeeper in the area. He kept his bees in what is now Dickenson’s Place but at that time was land on the edge of the brickfields. The Beehive public house in Woodside was so named because it was at the road end of this apiary.

His son, my grandfather, William Ernest Oliver who died in 1954, kept bees in his garden in Cobden Road and had a reputation for being a local nut. (Bit like me I suppose.) He was a sniper in the Great War and lost a leg when he was blown up at Ypres in 1917. He spent the rest of his life on crutches, worked as a night-watchman and shoe mender and had a useful sideline in conning customers of the Spread Eagle pub out of free beer by pretending he couldn’t play darts and then thrashing them into the ground. I remember him sitting on a bench in his front garden and making loud comments on his neighbours’ state of dress as they passed. He was always immaculate in a three piece black worsted suit and white shirt every day of the year and wore a bowler hat when he was beekeeping.

My father did not keep bees though he often helped granddad. Granddad’s hives were inherited by my Uncle Ted who kept them till he died in 1980 and they passed to his daughter Shirley, who kept them until September last year when she presented me with two strong colonies and some very old WBC equipment and of course (as a true Oliver and bandit) tried to charge me a small fortune for them.

She has kept all the records my great grandfather, grandfather and uncle kept meticulously and has promised me photocopies. Within those two colonies it seems that there is an unbroken line of bees right back to 1875 (who knows if James brought bees up from Hampshire with him before that?) and although my own beekeeping came about completely separately I am delighted to carry on the tradition. My 6 year old grandson (who is unfortunately a Chisholm) and my nutty nephew Steven, who is a Cruickshank, both want to keep bees so that will keep the tradition going for a while. I wonder how much I can charge them for the bees? Mike Oliver

In this considered article, John Yates discusses the merits and demerits of using the two queen system in beekeeping.

TWO QUEEN SYSTEMS
It has been claimed that when one requires large bee volumes to maximize honey crops then one should use a two queen system. Such thinking arises because of the widely held view that a large unit will gather more honey when compared with two units of lesser size. Over the years the idea has become widely established to join up two small colonies into one big one or deliberately developing a large special unit having two laying queens in order to obtain large crops of honey.

Joining two small colonies is not, in my opinion, an option. The colonies are small because of failing/scrub queens or they are affected by disease.

Developing a two queen system with two fecund queens is also, in my opinion, not a solution. It is particularly labour intensive and impracticable because of the vertical height of the unit if it is successful. Couple this with managing colonies with varroa (integrated pest management - IPM) and the impracticality is magnified even more. It is not proposed to discuss here how to develop such a unit but it involves 2 or 3 brood chambers with a lot of supers piled on top which becomes unmanageably high for normal manipulations. For those who may be interested, a good description may be found in Dadant’s “The hive and the honey bee” pages 404 to 410 or to a lesser extent in Brown’s “Beekeeping – A seasonal guide” pages 64 to 67.

In a good year, in Devon, with prolific queens it is not unusual for a BS brood box to have 5 supers which means lifting a top super at a height of about 5 feet. Dawn and I can manage this but it is not easy. I leave it to the reader’s imagination of what a two queen unit might offer in a good season.

In 1996 when Dawn and I were preparing our Study Notes (Modules 5, 6, 7 & 8) for publication we wrote as follows:

This section in our book goes on to demonstrate that the most important factor in maximising honey yields is the prevention of swarming throughout the active season.

The important piece of research by Matheson has not been given the publicity it deserves and clearly shows that two small colonies would provide the same honey yield as one colony of equivalent size. In the absence of any proof that a large colony will yield a better honey crop than two small ones, one can only regard this as yet another one of the many bits of misinformation which are all too prevalent in the beekeeping world and should be despatched to the garbage bin with all haste.

For this reason and the fact that two queen units are impracticable for general hive manipulation it is always better to use single queen colonies in any enterprise whether commercial or amateur. And so another beekeeping myth is laid to rest. Happy New Year! JDY.

Recipe:
500g of white button mushrooms.
12 garlic cloves.
2 tablespoons of a strongly flavoured honey.
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar.
1 sprig of thyme. (Dried is ok too).

Method:
Fry the mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until the garlic is golden and the mushrooms lightly browned. Add the honey, vinegar and thyme and simmer for 5 minutes.

And that is it. A quick, nutritious and delicious dish that can be used as a tapa, or starter or a side dish.

In this brief article, Chad Cryer informs us of a syndrome that could affect many beekeepers. We should all be aware!

DO YOU SUFFER FROM HONEY GUILT?
Do you ever get that niggling doubt as you enter your apiary, a mildly disturbing feeling that returns to you in the early hours of the morning? This article attempts to shed some light on the origins of this particularly unpleasant disorder that is nationally affecting more and more bee-keepers.

It does seem rather unfair, that 50,000 worker bees spend all summer working to produce a necessary reserve to see them through the winter, until one day, we come along, dressed-up in a ridiculous outfit, puffing smoke everywhere, just to take the honey away without so much as a by-your-leave. Indeed, my wife believes strongly that producing honey is so fundamentally unjust that she will not have anything to do with my honey, as she considers it to be stolen produce.

Victorian diarists of that time record some bee-keepers displaying symptoms of honey guilt, such as sleeplessness, mild depression and in the worst cases, bed-wetting. Professor Swift of Melksham State University, Ohio explains, 'These effects can be easily relieved through leaving a greater proportion of honey in the hive, or in more serious cases, replacing honey in the hive from which it was originally taken. A similar yet not so pronounced disorder is seen in chicken farmers who regularly suffer from Poulter's Finger, brought on by the guilt felt after taking eggs from hens.

At a recent debate looking into the ethics of bee-keeping Dr. Tilley, speaking on a panel promoting bee-keeping, conceded, ‘....it is theft, there' s no two ways about it… deep down in our psyche we know it is wrong and some individuals are reacting to this feeling. I must admit, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little uneasy about this practice. 'However, he went on to add that he allays his own guilt by saying thank you as he leaves his apiary.

SYNDROMES
In this month’s Apis UK , we take a look at a couple of what are known as ‘syndromes’. A syndrome is the name for something that scientists don’t know much about. Not enough that is to call it something definite. That probably isn’t the correct definition, but to me, all syndromes appear a bit vague. Ed.

Parasitic Mite Syndrome (or Honey Bee Parasitic Mite Syndrome, (HBPMS), is theorised to be caused by Varroa probably vectoring the Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV) and possibly other viruses into honey bee larvae. It looks remarkably like many other things.

Brood Symptoms:
Symptoms difficult to interpret. Similar to those of Foul Brood and/or Sac Brood, but no ropiness or bad odour. Scales are easy to remove. If necessary, use an available commercial field test for AFB.
Affected larvae die in pre-pupal or late larval stage.
Larvae are found stretched out in the cell with the head raised. (Like Sac Brood).
Early on, larvae are dull white in colour and deflated. Later, grey with brownish spots.
Cappings are often perforated or uncapped by the bees. (Like AFB).
If stirred with a match, the larva is globular not ropey. (Like EFB).
Affected brood can be of any age and anywhere in the comb.
Adult symptoms (More difficult to determine accurately).
Crawling/moribund bees may be seen.
The adult population is much reduced. This occurs rapidly. Vague, vague, vague.

Treatment
The use of Varroa treatments (Suggests close link to the presence of Varroa).
Some authorities suggest that feeding sugar syrup benefits the colony.
If you keep your colonies strong and treated for varroa, this syndrome should not appear. Do not leave treatment for mites too late.

Remember in all cases, Varroa is present.
The pre-pupal stage dies after the cell is capped.
Larvae commonly infected with one or more viruses.
If you do seethe symptoms above check first for AFB or EFB and sac brood.
Autumn collapse of the colony is common if the syndrome is not checked. If you wait until the syndrome is advanced, you will not be able to treat the colony successfully.

NB. This syndrome exhibits symptoms similar to several other diseases and careful checks should be carried out to ensure that no confusion arises. Commercial AFB and EFB field tests now exist.

Now for something even more vague. Half Moon Syndrome
I saw this for the first time today, looked it up on the internet and found nothing of substance on it except on Dave Cushman ’s comprehensive beekeeping web site. (And even he appeared baffled). It looks exactly like EFB. Exactly. I know it wasn’t because there is no EFB in New Zealand and all tests on this syndrome confirm that it isn’t EFB. How many beekeepers I wonder have had hives destroyed in the UK and elsewhere because they have EFB when in fact they haven’t? My advice is to get yourself one of the EFB testing kits designed by Vita (Europe) and the CSL and make sure of matters. (Ed).

ON THE BREEDING OF BEES BY THE REV. JOHN THORLEY OF OXON 1742
The breeding of bees and the mating of bees has until recent years always been somewhat of a mystery to beekeepers and scientists of old and we have reported on many occasions their old beliefs as to the nature of this mystery. But after a queen has mated, what happens then. Here, the Rev John Thorley a noted 18 th century beekeeper and bee observer tells us about this aspect and outlines for us the work of the drones.

‘It has been observed, that the queen is the mother of the Bees: she begins laying her eggs (if she killed her drones early in the preceding summer) in the beginning of February, unless the weather be very cold, and she very weak. This is about the time of their gathering from snow drops; though some will lay no eggs until after gathering from the willow.

Close under the honey, at the upper part of the combs at the bottom of the void cells, is the place where she first begins to lay her eggs, which are about the bigness of those that the butterfly leaves upon the cabbage; but they are of a different colour, those of the butterfly being yellow, but those of the bee are white. She first puts in her head to examine the cell, and, if void, she lays her egg, and so goes on, from one cell to another until an egg be laid in every upper cell.

Dear Editor,
Re Chad Cryer’s article in the December edition of Apis-uk, I was electrified by the photo of the deceased remains what could possibly be one of my bees that he had scraped off the front of his motorcycle. I have suspected for some time that somebody has been driving around murdering innocent bees – in fact I said as much on my weekly visit to the Police Station whilst reporting the latest incident of Martian radio-waves attacking the aluminium-foil lined walls of my nuclear fall-out shelter.

Naturally the desk sergeant was very interested as always and offered to boil my head which, apparently, is a recommended safeguard in the new Met. Police Anti-Alien Handbook.

I then rushed to my apiary and counted my bees. Of course, as you will guess by now, one of them Freda the 441 st was absent and none of the other bees could report having seeing her foraging. I sadly marked her down as “Missing – believed murdered by C. Cryer”

Chad will be hearing from my solicitors in due course, since I am suing on behalf of the distressed mother, sisters and half-sisters (the drones just carried on watching the TV and playing poker.*) I support my claim with 49,561 witness statements.

PS I had a complaint from one of my drones that December’s Apis (UK) Newsletter was too big to go through the mouse-guard – Editor, please note. Mike Oliver

Dear Cramp,
I am happy to read your notes on the website today. I am a beekeeper over here in the easthern side of the country Nigeria. I got to know about beekeeping through a personal interest and search that led me to writing letters to Canada - Farguson Farm Radio, and the IBRA and now to Beekeeping and Development journals from them I bought some books. As a result of reading those materials I ventured into traditional honey hunting and now into modern Beekeeping. However, I still need some formal academic study through which I will get some certificates to enable apply for aids in the government system here and overseas bodies/NGO"S. I wish to request that you help linked me up to those institutions that can offer me distance lectures either by post or Internet. If you know of any organisation which can fund my beekeeping projects I will so much appreciate it. I hope you would not mind for my tasking mail with these requests, I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thanks, Yours for beekeeping, Israel I. Onyemaechi. E-mail:davicon2000 @ yahoo.com

'If anyone can help this adventurous beekeeper please email him with suggestions.' Ed.

Dear Mr. Cramp,
My name is Niki Rooney, and i study at Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland. I'm in my third year of my degree in Film, Photography and Digital Imaging, and currently working on the pre-production for a short film entitled 'Tell the Bees'.

I used to work in a honey shop, and became a little obsessed with bees and their funny little habits, and so the film has been inspired by this. I came across your newsletter online while I was researching further information for the script, and you sound like a man who knows an awful lot about bees.

The Internet, although a usually useful tool, has presented a great deal of contrasting information about the mating habits of bees. I read somewhere that the Queen Bee eats or rips off the wings of the drone after mating, is this true? It seems incredibly gruesome, but I thought you'd be the man to ask if there's any truth in it.

Thanks for taking the time to read my email, I hope you can help! Your newsletter is wonderful, and full of information that I’ve found most helpful. Thanks again, Niki Rooney. BA3 Photography, Film and Digital Imaging. Napier University, Edinburgh. Email: daisyeatsspoons @ hotmail.com

'I've replied to Niki with the even more gruesome truth of the matter.' Ed.

Dear Mr. Cramp,
I will graduate this spring from Harvard College with a degree in Mediterranean Studies. I have spent most of my class time studying religions and languages – I speak Italian and Arabic and read Latin and French. I have also developed an enthusiasm for apiculture. I have helped several friends care for their beehives and collect honey in the spring; I read books on beekeeping very regularly. I am intrigued by your accounts of beekeeping in Spain and wonder if you could give me some ideas about how to learn more about beekeeping there.

I am interested in the modern applications of beekeeping in the Mediterranean world. I hope you could give me some suggestions about agencies that may have use for an eager young beekeeper? I believe I could be of use in an apiculture program, especially since I will not need to be paid. I expect to receive funding from Harvard to travel and study apiculture over the next year. I would be happy to do any sort of work for an apiculture program, but would be especially interested in education and outreach projects, especially if there are any programs centered on women’s apiculture projects. I really just want to learn more about the craft and about the 'culture' of apiculture in the modern Mediterranean world. Please let me know if there might be any place for me you can think of. I anticipate working very hard and learning as much as possible from this experience. Please contact me as soon as possible. Best wishes, Sarah Burke E-mail:sburke @ fas.harvard.edu (508) 367-4219 101 Pforzheimer Mail Center 56 Linnaean Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA.

'I've replied to Sarah giving as many contacts as I could. If anyone else can help her, please email her.' Ed.

Dear David,
Regarding lettuce in Greek salads. I was very interested to read in the December issue of 'Apis UK ' the short article on why Greeks do not use lettuce in their salads, with reference to an early Greek myth.

It is very true that lettuce is not an ingredient of the commonly called Greek salad ie the village salad "horiatiki" as this usually consists of tomato, onion, olives, feta cheese, olive oil and perhaps green peppers. However, most restaurants do indeed serve "marouli" - lettuce salad - on it's own, finely chopped with oil and sometimes vinegar. It is a good, sharp and light salad to eat with fish - especially a plate of freshly-caught "gavros" or whitebait.

Lettuce is also a constituent of a 'green salad' and the taverna's speciality or chef's salad. Lettuce is widely grown in Greece and is used enormously by all those who have access to a garden. John Phipps Neochori, Kalamata, Greece.

Respected sir,
Happy New Year ! Thank for your guidance about the history of honeybees and its background. sir, I have a need of full length papers about male reproductive system of honeybee and its related references and papers. Please send as quickly as possible. Ok Thank you sir Mr. Arun Sawarkar E-mail:arun_sawarkar @ yahoo.co.in.

Dear David,
Enjoy the read - keep up the good work. Peter Smith

Dear David,
Many thanks for the notification of the December Magazine. In passing may I say how much I enjoy this on line magazine. You and the editor are both doing a first rate job. Many thanks for your hard work. David Foster

BEEKEEPING COURSES Back to top

Beginners Course at Halifax
Beekeeping beginners course to be run by Halifax and District Beekeepers Association. The course consists of 8 weekly classes of approx 2 hours duration commencing Thursday March 3rd 2005 at 7.30pm. Contact Edna Phillips Secretary on 01422 882144 or email:farshepherdhousefarm @ btopenworld.com.

Beginners Course at Tonbridge
A Beginners course at Tonbridge will run again starting on 24th February, Thursday evenings 7.30 - 9.30 p.m. for 6 weeks. Venue Adult Education Centre, Tonbridge cost £32, there are concessions. Syllabus BBKA Basic. Tutor Peter Hutton. Details from Peter Hutton on 01892 530688 evenings, 07941 375589 mobile or Tonbridge Adult Education Centre 0845 606 5606 daytime and quote course 7035 TON-04-A. A second class is being arranged during the same weeks, please state your preferred evening, Mon,Tues,Wed or Thursdays also advise Peter Hutton or E-mail:peter.hutton @ btinternet.com.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Back to top

Event organisers are welcome to forward dates and details of their events to the editor (by e-mail) for incorporation on this page.

Saturday 26th February 2005 - West Sussex Beekeepers Association Integrated Pest Management Workshop. At Brinsbury College, North Heath, Pulborough, West Sussex (on A29). From 9.30am until 4pm. Lecturers include James Morton, Alan Byham and Richard Ball. Tickets £5 in advance from Andrew Shelley, Oakfield, Cox Green, Rudgewick, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 3DD. £6 on the Door if there is space. Download the Programme PDF. Contact: John Hunt E-mail: john_bateman_hunt @ hotmail.com.

1st, 2nd April 2005 - Ulster Beekeepers' Association 61st Annual Conference
Greenmount Campus, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, Antrim. This year we have a new panel of speakers from Scotland, Ireland and England, headed by Willie Robson an extensive honey farmer and popular conference speaker, from Berwick-on Tweed in Scotland. We also have trade stands where you may buy your supplies for the New Season. The conference will commence at 7.30pm on Friday 1 st April with two lectures: “Our Bees in Winter”, Claire Chavasse. “Preparing for Spring”, Willie Robson. It will continue from 9am Saturday, 2 nd April with: “ Queens and Honey from the same Hive”, Ben Harden. “Effects of EC regulations on Beekeepers”, Food Standards Agency. “New Products”, Paul Smith (Thorne s). “EXO-MITEtm Apis”, Clive Newitt. “Harvesting and Marketing the Honey Crop”, Willie Robson. “Open Forum”, Panel of experts. The Conference will conclude with the AGM of the UBKA commencing at 4.15pm. Admission, including tea/coffee on Saturday: both days, £15 per person, £25 per family, Friday only, £10 per person, £15 per family, pay at the door. For on-site accommodation contact Jim Fletcher on 028 9167 2163, for other accommodation contact Walter McNeill on 028 9446 4648. A warm invitation to everyone.

Saturday 9th April 2005 - The Yorkshire Beekeepers Association conference at Bishop Burton College, Beverley East Riding of Yorkshire. "Making the best of beekeeping knowledge to improve your practical skills" Lectures by Michael Badger MBE, Dr Dewey Caron and Ian Craig.
Download Full Programme and Booking Form PDF

21st - 26th August 2005 - Apimondia held in Dublin, Ireland.
Further details from http://www.apimondia2005.com/

Editor: David Cramp Submissions contact the Editor
Web Editor: Steven Turner

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH Back to top

Quote last month
The quote for last month of course was by R.O.B Manley, one of the greats of modern British beekeeping. Manley was a farmer who turned honey farmer in the thirties becoming successful because he opted for practical beekeeping methods that would earn him a profit with the least amount of trouble. Skeps, WBCs, arguments about warm and cold ways and political infighting within the beekeeping establishment were an anathema to him. All this was for the hobbyist or for those who talked a lot but actually knew very little. Modern bee farming using Langstroth hives and the latest methods from the USA allowed him to become an authority on earning a living from a bee farm and his classic book ‘Honey Farming’ written and published during the second world war became an inspiration for many, including myself. It was this book that decided me upon my second career, which of course was in bees and honey farming. The book is of course dated in many ways now. Few beekeepers or scientists knew very much of bee diseases and viral infections, or bee pheromones in those days and the rubbish that many of them shovelled into their hives to ‘cure’ or prevent various ailments seems laughable to us now in the light of modern scientific research, but Manley always questioned these remedies and diagnoses and did his best to overcome them. His book is still in print and published by Northern Bee Books and is well worth a read. Many of his ideas and thoughts were and still are ahead of many beekeepers, even now. Ed.

Quote of this month
For this month, we have a quote from another of the greats. See if you can decide who said this:

“I have determined in writing this book, to give facts, however wonderful, just as they are; confident that in due time they will be universally received; and hoping that the many wonders of the economy of the honey-bee will not only excite a wider interest in its culture, but lead those who observe them to adore the wisdom of Him who gave them such admirable instincts.”

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