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2/26/2011
1
The Plight
of the
Honey Bee
Just how important arehoney bees?
U.S. Honey Industry (2010)
• 200,000 beekeepers (1,500 commercial)
• Produced 144 million pounds of honey valued at nearly $ 250 million
Value of Other U.S. Crops
Crop Millions of Dollars
Asparagus 200
Leaf lettuce 244
H 250Honey 250
Garlic 260
Celery 270
Pecans 400
Cranberries 450
Mushrooms 900
Almonds > 1,000
Honey Production/Consumption (2010)
Country Production (1,000 tons) Consumption (lbs./person)
China 303 0.2
Argentina 81 0.3g
United States 72 1.2
Mexico 54 0.2
Brazil 35 0.3
Canada 31 1.7
Spain 31 0.8
Germany 14 3.4
What is the Importance of Honey Bees to
Cultivated Crops in the U.S. ?
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Common statements…
“One‐third of all the food we eat is pollinated by honey bees.”
“ hi d bi f f d i lli d b“Every third bite of food we eat is pollinated by honey bees.”
“One‐third of all crops are pollinated by honey bees.”
One‐third of what?
What is the Dollar Value of Honey Bee
Pollination of Cultivated Crops in the United States?
$ 14,600,000,000
R.A. Morse and N.W. Calderone. The Value of Honey Bees as Pollinators of U.S. Crops in 2000. Cornell University Press (2006)
Colorado Fruits and Vegetables
Dependent Upon Honey Bees Benefit From Honey Bees
Apples Cucumbers Apricots Strawberries
Cherries Asparagus Peaches CantaloupeCherries Asparagus Peaches Cantaloupe
Pumpkins Celery Pears Watermelon
Broccoli Onions Nectarines Sugar beets
Carrots Cauliflower Plums Lima beans
Squash Eggplant Blackberries
Raspberries
Additional Honey Bee Pollination in Colorado
Forage Plants Oil Crops Herbs/Spices
Oregano
Alfalfa Sunflower Chives
Clover Rapeseed Coriander
Vetch Soybean Dill
Fennel
Mint
Lavender
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Pollination of Non‐Cultivated Crops
Pollinators strongly influence…
–Ecological relationships
–Ecosystem conservation and stability
Dollar Value ??
Why do honey b t i k?bees get sick?
Pesticides
Predators/Pests
Diseases
Parasitic mites
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)
Pesticides“Insecticides kill insects and honey bees are insects.”
More toxic: organophosphates, carbamatesg p p ,
Less toxic: pyrethroids
Contact insecticides: Affect worker bees sprayed directly
Systemic insecticides: Contaminate nectar and pollen…kill bees within the hive
More hazardous: Dusts, wettable powders
Less hazardous: Solutions, emulsifiable concentrates
Predators/Pests
Wasps (e.g., Western yellow jacket)
A tAnts
Wax moth (Galleria mellonela)
Small Hive Beetle
DiseaseBacterial
Fungalg
Microsporidia
Viral
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Bacterial Diseases
American foulbrood
European foulbrood
American Foulbrood
Colony has a characteristic sour odor
Spotty brood pattern
Perforated sunken cappingsPerforated, sunken cappings
Resultant black scales; “tongue line”
Control measures: Terramycin®
Burning of infected hives
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5
s
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Fungal Disease
ChalkbroodChalkbrood
Chalkbrood
Infected brood become brittle and look like pieces of chalk
Weakens colonyWeakens colony
Spread mainly by beekeepers
Control measures: No chemical controls
Re‐queening
Microsporidia
Nosema
NosemaDisease of adult bees
Pathogen infects gut
Symptoms include unhooked wings, distended bd b h li dabdomen, bees that are crawling and disoriented in front of the hive
Leads to reduction in honey crop
Control measure: Fumagillin
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Parasitic Mites
VarroaVarroa
Tracheal mite
VarroaExternal parasite of adults and brood ; feeds on hemolymph
If unchecked, kills colony in 1‐2 years
Control measures: Chemicals
Resistant strains of bees
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Tracheal Mite
Internal parasite of adults; feeds on hemolymph
Completes its entire life cycle in the respiratory system of the honey beesystem of the honey bee
Control measures: Chemicals
Resistant strains of bees
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10
Colony Collapse Disorder
Bees appear healthy as few as three weeks prior to collapse…then, adults bees disappear!
Dead bees not found within hive or on ground
Small hive beetles, wax moths, and nearby honey bees ignore empty hive
Not a totally new phenomenon (over the past 60 years, have had disorders called: spring dwindle, fall dwindle, autumn collapse, May disease and disappearing disease)
Honey Bee Losses in the U.S. During the Past Five Years*
October through April*—
2006‐2007 32%
2007‐2008 36%
2008‐2009 29%
2009‐2010 34%
* Does not account for summer losses, which can be significant
* 22% of 2.4 million colonies were surveyed
Possible Causes of CCD
• Traditional bee pests and diseases• Bee management• Queen sourceCh i l i b l i• Chemical use in bee colonies
• Chemical toxins in the environment• Genetically modified crops• Parasitic mites• Nutritional stresses• Undiscovered or new pests and diseases
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What Can We Do to Help Protect Honey Bees?
• Utilize IPM– Follow label directions
– Use pesticides that are less toxic to honey bees
• Encourage organic farmingEncourage organic farming
• Utilize biological and cultural control methods, and support organizations who promote this (e.g., Palisade Insectary)
• Promote biodiversity by planting flowers and crops that benefit honey bees and other beneficial insects
What Can We Do to Help Protect Honey Bees?
• Plant alternative crops that have multiple benefits… (e.g., lavender)
• Grows well in Colorado
D ht t l t i l th t i d ti f 10• Drought‐tolerant perennial that is productive for 10 years
• Looks nice, smells nice (good for us, good for agri‐tourism)
• Provides income in and of itself (oil, dried flowers)
• By‐products (e.g., lavender honey)
• Source of supplemental income (e.g., vineyards)
• Few insect pests, hence reduced pesticide use
• Good for honey bees and other beneficial insects
What Can We Do to Help Protect Honey Bees?
• Encourage and promote education about honey bees and beekeeping via schools, 4‐H, FFA county fairs etcFFA, county fairs, etc.
• Support local beekeepers by purchasing honey and/or pollination services.
• Always remember that many of the wholesome foods we eat every day came from plants that were pollinated by honey bees!