#marla spivak

[sciencespies]

Bee lawns generate national buzz

https://sciencespies.com/biology/bee-lawns-generate-national-buzz/

Bee lawns generate national buzz

Credit: Lilla Frerichs/public domain

Bees are excellent dancers. When a forager bee alights upon an Eden of pollen and nectar, it goes home to tell its hive mates. The greater the intensity of the dance, the richer the source of food being indicated.

In Minnesota, more bees are going to be dancing intensely this spring.

Researchers have found that homeowners who seed their lawns with a special grass mix can feed dozens of species of bees that would otherwise go hungry. So, beginning this spring, Minnesota will pay thousands of residents to plant “bee lawns” under a new state program that has attracted attention from other states. Each homeowner will get as much as $350 to do the work.

“A lot of people are watching this,” said Marla Spivak, the University of Minnesota entomologist who came up with the idea for bee lawns, a mix of traditional lawn grass and low-growing flowers.

The stakes are high: More than 1 in 3 bites of food taken in the United States depends on bees and other pollinators. But bee populations have been declining at unusually high rates in recent years.

According to the most recent data from the Bee Informed Partnership, a nonprofit based in College Park, Md., nearly 38% of managed honey bee colonies in the United States were lost in the winter of 2018-2019. This represents an increase of 7 percentage points above the previous year, and the highest loss recorded since the survey began in 2006.

Minnesota lawmakers last year put $900,000 toward the grant program and this year are weighing a bill to double that amount. Already 10 states have expressed interest in the program, including two states—Wisconsin and Washington—with legislative and agency proposals underway.

But critics say there isn’t enough evidence to justify spending so much.

“Minnesota is already the third- or fourth-highest-taxed state in the nation,” Republican state Sen. Mark Johnson told Stateline. Johnson has co-sponsored legislation that would cut funding for the program by close to $100,000. “What is the return on investment here? We’ve not seen evidence to say this is making an impact on bees.”

Nevertheless, Minnesota policymakers say they have heard from officials in Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Virginia who are interested in bee lawn grants.

At least 28 states have enacted pollinator health laws in recent years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Legislation generally addresses habitat protection, research, pesticides, beekeeping and public awareness.

Nationwide, honey bees pollinate $15 billion worth of crops each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Minnesota alone sold nearly $14 million of honey in 2018, according to the USDA.

“Pollinators sound like they’re cute, but they’re really fundamental—unless you don’t want to eat,” said state Sen. Jim Abeler, a Republican who co-sponsored the bee lawn bill in the Minnesota Senate last year.

Some states took aim at pesticides after bees vanished in droves because of colony collapse disorder—the disappearance of the majority of worker bees in a colony with a few dead bees left behind. But chemical companies and the farming industry have fought chemical regulations. They say pesticides are safe and reject findings that pesticides are responsible for bee population loss.

In Minnesota, for example, then-Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s task force to protect pollinators, which met from 2016 to 2018, got logjammed every time it brought up pesticides, Spivak said. “But everyone could agree on increasing habitat for bees,” she said.

And habitat loss—not pesticides—is the No. 1 cause of bee deaths, according to the National Academy of Sciences. Other factors, such as climate change, also play a role.

In Wisconsin, Democratic state Rep. Melissa Sargent was inspired by her teenage son to propose a bee lawn measure. Bailey Sargent, 19, brought his mother’s attention to the issue two years ago, as he planted bee lawns across Dane County, Wisconsin, for his Eagle Scout project.

“Pollinators are one of the biggest things we can be working on,” the lawmaker said.

Her bill would set aside $500,000 in grants to homeowners and local governments to plant bee lawns. The Wisconsin Legislative Council, which provides legislative analysis for state lawmakers, is expected to study the bill this summer, and Sargent plans to introduce it during the next legislative session.

In Washington state, creating a bee lawn program like the one in Minnesota will be a high priority recommendation of the state’s pollinator health task force, according to Katie Buckley, a coordinator at the Washington State Department of Agriculture. The working group is set to give lawmakers its recommendations in November.

In addition, the Evergreen State is retooling its Department of Fish and Wildlife backyard wildlife habitat program to focus on bee habitat and include patios and porches, according to Taylor Cotten, a conservation manager at the agency. The agency does not currently know how many of the habitat program’s 7,000 certified members provide habitat for bees.

Minnesota last year named an official state bee: The Rusty patched bumblebee, which has been decimated, declining by 87% nationwide in the past 20 years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency in 2017 declared the bee an endangered species.

Minnesota’s bee lawn program will be paid for with lottery revenue. More than 4,000 residents applied for the grants, far more than would be able to receive funding under the current program.

Between 300 and 400 residents will receive the $350 grants this month, said John Bly, director of education at the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Metro Blooms, a state partner that helps administer the program. Recipients can be reimbursed for hiring a contractor or for buying do-it-yourself project materials, Bly said.

Metro Blooms installed its mix of fine fescue turfgrass, self-heal, Dutch white clover and creeping thyme at 15 residences, or more than 3,000 square feet of bee lawns, according to James Wolfin, sustainable land care manager, adding that bee lawns attract more than 60 species of bees, compared with zero for regular turfgrass.

Minnesota Native Landscapes, in Otsego, sold about 160 lawns’ worth of seed mix last year, up from 40 in 2018, according to sales manager Josh Rosinger, adding that he expects to increase sales again this year.

Organic Bob, in Minneapolis, did 15 bee lawn seedings and installations for residents in the Twin Cities area last year, according to Katie Allen, the sales manager. Organic Bob will install bee lawns of about 1,000 square feet for the grant amount, $350, but it will charge more for larger lawns, say $1,500 for a lawn of 6,000 square feet.

“It wasn’t meant to be a boon to the landscaping industry,” said Abeler, the senator who co-sponsored the bee lawn legislation. “Minnesota is a state of do-it-yourselfers. We don’t need to be giving money to people to bring in a lawn service, unless they’re seniors, for heaven’s sake.”

Before expanding the program, Abeler said, he wants to see how the program goes, making sure he doesn’t hear from constituents saying that they’re getting bilked by landscapers over it.

Minnesota state Rep. Kelly Morrison, of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, says the volume of applicants speaks to the popularity of the program and its likely success in boosting bee populations.

Morrison proposes to double the funding for the bee lawns program this year in a bill she introduced last month.

“Restoring habitat for honey bees and our native pollinators is one of the most important conservation concerns of our lifetime,” said Elsa Gallagher, a biologist at the Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund, a nonprofit that has planted 82 larger-scale projects in Minnesota. Some are residential, but all are larger than a typical bee lawn.

“Bees don’t care what the land is called,” said Clint Otto, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey stationed at the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in North Dakota, adding that bee lawns do need to be cared for.

“Managed properly, high-diversity mixes routinely generate more bee visits, and are aesthetically pleasing,” Otto said.

Bee lawns debuted at four parks in Minneapolis last year, and scientists such as Hannah Ramer and Kristen Nelson at the University of Minnesota surveyed park visitors for their reactions and published their findings in a 2019 article in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning.

Only 1% of children and 3% of adults in the United States are allergic to bee stings. But Ramer and Nelson found that more than half of visitors to Minneapolis parks with bee lawns last year said they were worried about bee stings. Still, visitors overwhelmingly (more than 95%) approved of the bee lawns.

“Bees are aggressive when defending their hive; not when out foraging on flowers,” said Washington state’s Buckley, adding that it once took her and her fellow researchers half an hour of harassing a bee to get it to sting one of them.

Scientists found in a 2015 article in the Journal of Asthma and Allergy that bees sting only “as a defensive maneuver,” unlike wasps.

Other Minneapolis respondents objected to the look of bee lawns, with one saying they “could look trashy.” Buckley disagrees. “Personally, I happen to like flowers and think they’re pretty,” she said.

In the legislature, according to the lead sponsor of the Minnesota bee lawns bill, state Rep. Rick Hansen of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, opponents mocked bees as unimportant and unworthy of spending. But Hansen said he was confident bee lawns would expand in Minnesota and around the country.

“We have more people who support the bill,” Hansen said, “and we will prevail.”

Explore further

Backyard gardeners can act to help bee populations

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#Biology

[tuschpennan]

Gestaltningen: rädda bina!!!

I och med uppgiften kring upphovsrätt har jag inte hunnit lägga jättemycket tid på gestaltningen denna vecka, men jag tog mig tiden att titta på två korta youtube-videos igår: “A World Without Bees” och “Marla Spivak: Why bees are disappearing”. Dessa fick igång min hjärnverksamhet och inspiration, så jag antecknade ner informationen jag tog del av, samt skissade ihop en snabb överblick över dragspelsboken.

Det jag tänker är att den som sagt ska (från vänster) börja med ett dött bi, som ska omringas av ett fält fullt av spannmål och ett allmänt färglöst landskap. Detta eftersom att det är vad vår diet till stor del kommer behöva bestå utav om bina försvinner.

Sedan vill jag på något sätt skildra användandet av bekämpningsmedel som även skadar bina: dels genom att helt enkelt ta död på dem, men också genom att göra de förvirrade och svaga - vilket i sin tur gör det svårt för dem att hitta hem till bikupan. Men anledningen till att antalet bin minskar är komplicerat och antas bero på ett antal faktorer, så utöver bekämpningsmedel är monokulturer (bild 3) inom jordbruket och syntetiskt gödsel bidragande.

Jag vet redan nu att, till skillnad från den här första skissen, vill jag ha mjukare övergångar i panoramalandskapet. Något jag också funderar på, efter att ha kollat i en dragspelsbok jag har hemma (lägger inte upp den här iom upphovsrättsliga skäl, men kanske kan visa den på handledningen?), är att utnyttja båda sidorna av boken. I såna fall tänker jag att den ena sidan kan skildra det jag skissat på nu, ett panoramalandskap utan någon som helst beskrivande text som med enkelhet går att läsa från båda hållen. Medan den andra sidan kan vara mer konkret informativ: typ ge lite fakta om den rådande situationen och tips på hur en kan hjälpa bina.

Ikväll ska jag skissa vidare och tänker arbeta lite med binas karaktärsdesign. Jag har tänkt mycket på det Hedvig sa, huruvida det ska besjälas eller förmänskligas, och jag tror svaret är ja. Men vi får se vad jag kommer fram till under dagen.

[bakechickenrecipess]

Weltall honey sweet baked Alaska. In honor of dandelion honey pastry contest on Wed… Weltall honey sweet baked Alaska. In honor of @thebeezkneezhoney dandelion honey pastry contest on Wednesday, I made Honey & Saffron ice cream and topped it in Honey Meringue. Lucky me gets to judge the contest with Ann Bancroft, @beth_dooley Marla Spivak AND @dessa will be emcee and I'm a huge fan. #NoSugar

[womenforwomenmx]

Marla Spivak es una entomóloga estadounidense y profesora distinguida de la Universidad McKnight en la Universidad de Minnesota especializada en apicultura e insectos sociales. Checa su Ted Talk sobre la situación de las abejas. 

[evoldir]

Postdoc:UMinnesota.PlantPollinatorInteractions

--94eb2c1a0aba921e620552f9fb1e Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" We seek to hire a motivated and conceptually driven post-doctoral associate to work in the lab and field to understand the impact of environmental nitrogen, sodium, heavy metal, and insecticide supply on plant chemistry (leaves, nectar, and pollen), physiology, and plant-insect interactions. This position is part of a larger collaborative group project studying the impacts of road traffic on roadside vegetation and pollinators. This work will focus on, but not necessarily be limited to, investigating the role of elemental (nutrient and metal) supply rates or ratios on plant chemistry, growth, allocation to defense, and rates of herbivory, and examining the relevance of predictions from ecological stoichiometry for interpreting empirical results. The successful applicant will work within a collaborative research team of faculty and graduate students that includes empirical expertise in pollinator (bee and butterfly) biology and behavior (Emilie Snell-Rood, Marla Spivak, Dan Cariveau, Karen Oberhauser), molecular mechanisms of plant nectar and pollen production (Clay Carter), and plant-animal-environment interactions (Elizabeth Borer). We are particularly interested in applicants with a strong background in ecological stoichiometry, plant physiological ecology, or ecological responses to nutrients by plants and arthropods. Demonstration of excellent writing skills is an essential qualification for this position. The appointment is initially for one year, but may be renewed annually. Starting date is negotiable and may begin as soon as October 1, 2017 and as late as March 1, 2018. Application review will begin August 1, 2017. Salary is $47,500. *Essential Qualifications* Advanced degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in ecology, plant physiological ecology, plant-insect interactions, or a closely related discipline and excellent writing skills. Successful candidates will have demonstrated empirical and analytical skills necessary to design experiments and analyze complex data, the field skills needed for leading a large-scale field experiment as well as some lab chemistry experience. *Preferred Qualifications: *Demonstrated capacity for leadership and ability to manage multiple projects effectively. Strong communication skills and ability to work comfortably with a diverse group of researchers. Scientific creativity, reliability, and independence in research. Ability to think on their feet, identify important research questions, and manage and work with heterogeneous data. To apply, submit a CV along with a cover letter detailing career/postdoc goals, your interest in the project, and a list of three references. Apply through http://bit.ly/2k9WEgf (Job ID# 318176). For questions, please contact Emilie Snell-Rood (emilies@umn.edu) or Elizabeth Borer (borer@umn.edu) --94eb2c1a0aba921e620552f9fb1e Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

We seek to hire a motivated and conceptually driven post-doctoral associate to work in the lab and field to understand the impact of environmental nitrogen, sodium, heavy metal, and insecticide supply on plant chemistry (leaves, nectar, and pollen), physiology, and plant-insect interactions. This position is part of a larger collaborative group project studying the impacts of road traffic on roadside vegetation and pollinators. 

This work will focus on, but not necessarily be limited to, investigating the role of elemental (nutrient and metal) supply rates or ratios on plant chemistry, growth, allocation to defense, and rates of herbivory, and examining the relevance of predictions from ecological stoichiometry for interpreting empirical results. The successful applicant will work within a collaborative research team of faculty and graduate students that includes empirical expertise in pollinator (bee and butterfly) biology and behavior (Emilie Snell-Rood, Marla Spivak, Dan Cariveau, Karen Oberhauser), molecular mechanisms of plant nectar and pollen production (Clay Carter), and plant-animal-environment interactions (Elizabeth Borer). We are particularly interested in applicants with a strong background in ecological stoichiometry, plant physiological ecology, or ecological responses to nutrients by plants and arthropods. Demonstration of excellent writing skills is an essential qualification for this position. 

The appointment is initially for one year, but may be renewed annually. Starting date is negotiable and may begin as soon as October 1, 2017 and as late as March 1, 2018. Application review will begin August 1, 2017. Salary is $47,500. 

Essential Qualifications Advanced degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in ecology, plant physiological ecology, plant-insect interactions, or a closely related discipline and excellent writing skills. Successful candidates will have demonstrated empirical and analytical skills necessary to design experiments and analyze complex data, the field skills needed for leading a large-scale field experiment as well as some lab chemistry experience.  

  Preferred Qualifications:  Demonstrated capacity for leadership and ability to manage multiple projects effectively. Strong communication skills and ability to work comfortably with a diverse group of researchers. Scientific creativity, reliability, and independence in research.  Ability to think on their feet, identify important research questions, and manage and work with heterogeneous data. 

To apply, submit a CV along with a cover letter detailing career/postdoc goals, your interest in the project, and a list of three references. Apply through http://bit.ly/2t05xuIemployment/ (Job ID# 318176). For questions, please contact Emilie Snell-Rood (emilies@umn.edu) or Elizabeth Borer (borer@umn.edu)

--94eb2c1a0aba921e620552f9fb1 via Gmail

[science-wiser-blog]

Blog Post #15

                    If I had the money, time, power, and resources that are required to lessen or reverse the effects of human impact on declining bee populations I would make several changes, all of which include government involvement.   The main things that are causing the declining bee populations are in the same way the answers and solutions to what needs to be done in order to sustain this ecological issue. The use of harmful pesticides and neonicotinoids, chemical treatments for bees and their hives, climate change, pollution, loss of habitats, and loss of food sources are the major causes of the declining bee population—all of which are the result of human impact.                      In order to realistically develop a solution to this ecological issue, not only do the bees need to be considered but the needs of the people causing the impact on their declining populations have to be taken into account as well.  Positive changes towards reversing the declining bee populations could benefit the bees but at the same time, those changes could cause negative impacts. For example, neonicotinoids and similar insecticides are a major cause of declining bee populations. Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides that are commonly used in crops and urban landscapes. Neonicotinoids are toxic to bees and they are affected by them through ingestion or direct contact. Plants that absorb insecticides which can systemically be present in pollen and nectar which is bees’ main source of food. Bees can also be exposed to the dust and residues from planting seeds treated or coated with insecticides. Many of the bees live on or near the farms using these pesticides, and therefore can easily become exposed to these chemicals. Neonicotinoid exposure (even at small doses) affects bees by causing problems with their flight and navigational abilities, reducing their immune systems ability to fight against diseases, impairing their ability to forage for food, increasing mortality, reduces consumption of food, reduces reproduction, and leaves bees lethargic and incapable of maintaining their nest—all of which are factors that may inhibit colony growth and lead to colony collapse. One might suggest to simply ban the use of neonicotinoids in Canada, however, that solution causes problems for those who need to use those chemicals. Insecticides have an important purpose for farmers, without the use of them crops will be more susceptible to pests and ultimately yield less food supply. The solution needs to account for the fact that farmers will continue to require effective methods of pest control including the use of insecticides while also protecting bees. There needs to be a balance, simply banning neonicotinoids alone is not enough of a solution as it leaves farmers with no alternatives.                                 As a solution to this problem, my plan is to have new insecticide formulas developed that are not harmful to bees but are still effective for pest control. Once new insecticide formulas are developed and available to use as an alternative—banning the use of harmful neonicotinoids from Canada becomes a much more realistic possibility. In order to execute this plan, the government of Canada will need to team up and work with large companies that are currently developing harmful insecticides such as Bayer CropScience. In order to effectively do this, the government will need to decide to change the laws and phase out the use of harmful insecticides like neonicotinoids within a time frame.  By putting pressure on these companies, the government can then make an offer to supply Bayer CropScience with funding to develop new insecticide formulas that are not harmful to bees. Having government involvement would ensure production companies are more inclined to accept this sort of partnership because banning the production and use of harmful insecticides without warning or an opportunity like this to mitigate these changes could potentially ruin a company like Bayer CropScience. Working in partnership with the government would give Bayer CropScience and other production companies time to prepare for implementing these new laws without significant financial loss. By having the government ban neonicotinoids but also offer to cover the costs of these companies to develop a new formula that is safe for bees does not give not much of an alternative to production companies. This solution takes into consideration the needs of the people causing the impact on the bee population as well as the bees.

                 Another major cause of the declining bee population is energy production, pollution, and climate change. Non-renewable energy sources can be extremely harmful to bees due to pollution from burning fossil fuels, loss of bee habitats and food supply from areas that are used to produce, obtain or extract fossil fuels from the Earth. Humans burn fossil fuels and create pollution when producing electricity, heating our homes, and burning fuel during transportation.  Pollution not only harms the bees directly but as a result of pollution we experience climate change.  Climate change can cause unusual or extreme weather conditions that may jeopardize the survival of a bee colony. Not only could weather conditions affect bee’s survival, but it also affects the vegetation that is paramount to nutritionally sustain the colony of bees feeding off of their pollen and nectar. To put that into perspective- if a harsh winter or a cold-wet spring doesn’t produce enough bee-friendly plants they likely will not have enough of a food source to survive the winter and would starve.                  In order to improve or begin to reverse the effects of non-renewable energy production, pollution, and climate change the focus needs to be on producing and consuming more renewable energy sources. Renewable sources of energy production are not only crucial to sustaining the Earth’s non-renewable resources, conserving our natural environments, and sustaining our climate change issues, but it is also an important factor in solving the problems that are causing the declining bee population. Hydroelectric energy, wind-powered energy, and solar energy are all renewable sources of energy that when being generated do not create any forms of pollution that non-renewable resources do, and do not negatively affect the lives of bees.                      My solution to this problem begins with Dr. Marla Spivak at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab who has thought of an extremely efficient solution focusing on both renewable energy and the declining bee population.  Solar power energy is gaining popularity and it’s becoming more common for landowners and farmers to use a portion of their property for large scale solar installations. The only problem with ground-mounted solar installations is that it requires space, and not much else can be utilized in that space. Dr. Spivak has suggested an idea that much more efficiently uses the space and protects bees.  Dr. Spivak is knowledgeable about the problem and understands that not only is pollution and climate change a factor in the declining bee population but a loss of habitat and loss of food source are too. Bees food sources are from pollinator-friendly flowers which are low-growing and thrive in shaded areas which makes ground-mounted solar panels an extremely ideal location for planting. Planting pollinator-friendly flowers in areas being used for large-scale solar installations not only provides a protected sanctuary for the bee habitats, but it also provides a source of food for bees.               Ontario has a lot of farmland of which has the potential to be used for large-scale installations of solar panels. Not only does this benefit the province by producing more renewable sources of energy, but it benefits the bee populations in Ontario because of pollution from extracting and burning non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels), a loss of habitat and lack of food source due to deforestation and growing urban developments are a large cause of their decline.              

                      The next part of my plan focuses on building more solar farms that are also equipped with pollinator-friendly flowers because it would help save and protect the bee population as well as contribute to energy conservation via renewable solar energy. Ontario has greatly been affected by the declining bee population, without putting in place more initiatives to help sustain this issue, we will continue to put not only our bee populations at further risk—but we also put our own food supply, and natural environments at risk. Aside from the global declining bee population, the world at large needs to be producing more renewable energy then it produces in non-renewable energy. Having the option to couple two solutions for two separate ecological issues onto one land-use area to me is a very practical and environmentally responsible plan of action towards maintaining the sustainability of both issues.                      This solution will require a few things to become a possibility. Large scale solar installations can be quite costly to assemble, there also needs to be designated areas of land in order for them to be placed on. The money will need to be invested in forming an environmental group, installing solar farms, as well as the land they are being placed on. Because the usage of non-renewable resources, pollution, and climate change are not the results of a single source and nearly everyone in our country contributes to these issues to some degree—I feel this solution should be government-funded. That being said, investors are welcome to sponsor costs, land, or supply solar panels, and on top of that ongoing funds will be raised by donations through the environmental group formed on this issue’s behalf. Investors or those donating large amounts towards this cause will be promoted by the environmental group, as well as have the option to have the names of the solar farms and the pollinator-friendly gardens dedicated to them. Many of those investors will benefit from having their company’s name associated with contributions towards renewable energy sources as well as their part in protecting and saving the bee populations.                       New government-funded environmental groups must be formed to educate people on how non-renewable resources, pollution, climate change, and loss of habitat/food source are major causes of the declining bee population. The environmental group will also educate the public on the importance of energy conservation through renewable energy sources and how by doing so it not only contributes to sustaining our life on earth but the survival of our bee populations. The group will focus heavily on educating the public on how to conserve energy and why it will help reverse the issue of declining bee populations. This group will have the ability to promote their need for the public to get involved in contributing to the solution by volunteering to help establish pollinator-friendly gardens in new or already existing solar farms. Because this environmental group will be government-funded it will be able to grow and provide free pollinator-friendly plants to volunteers that are part of the group across the country.                                         The government would have more success with putting in place an incentive for landowners to receive a rebate or a tax break if they provide a portion of their land for solar panels equipped with pollinator-friendly gardens. By landowners using some of their own lands it takes some of the pressure off of finding usable land to purchase or lease for installing new solar farms. Like all non-renewable resources, land is not unlimited and must be used sustainably. By having the opportunity to use open land that was only designated “unusable” due to a resident’s ownership of it provides a much more sustainable option than using up more resources (land) to effectively execute this plan of action. On top of all of this, the government will form a law requiring all new and existing ground-mounted solar installations to be equipped with pollinator-friendly gardens planted under and around them.                   Because these problems are not the result of a single source it is important to understand how our actions as man-kind is also affecting our chances of surviving as a whole. Action must be taken in order to reverse the damage we’ve caused to our ecosystems and bee populations.

              Without bees, many of our different ecosystems across Canada would not be sustainable. Not just in Canada, but nearly all the ecosystems in the world are affected by the very important services which bees provide. Bees are a vital component of the biodiversity exhibited in our various ecosystems. Our natural environments depend substantially on them because they are responsible for the pollination of wild plants, weeds, flowers, and even some trees. Without bees, these habitats and the thousands of species living there because of them would not flourish or survive. Consequently, a number of other species that depend on bees for more than just the pollination of their habitats would suffer. Bees themselves, and their honey, both provide a source of supply to many other insects and animals in the food chain, their disappearance would greatly affect the survival of several species.                   Not only are bees a necessity to sustain our diverse ecological environments, but they are also a major contribution to our farming industry. In Canada, and especially here in Ontario where farming is at large, we depend on bees for more than just honey. Bees are most commonly used in our agricultural practices for the purpose of cross-pollinating food crops. This process is so essential to the growth and quality of our food.   Bees attribute to the pollination of 1/3rd of our food supply. Without their help, not many of our crops like blueberries, cherries, squash, canola, apples, pumpkins, sunflowers, cucumbers, and a long list of several other fruits, seeds, nuts, and berries would not bear any yields and could cease to exist. Part of the reason why the government needs to be heavily involved in supporting and promoting this plan is because our country as a whole will need to contribute to this solution, the government cannot assume full responsibility. Our chances of survival on earth depend on the survival of bee populations, there is no way around having to make these changes to sustain this issue, our world can not afford to risk losing our bee populations altogether.

                    The third part of my plan focuses on the bee populations themselves. Because of the serious decline in their populations—banning neonicotinoids, conserving energy usage, creating less pollution, reversing climate change, and protecting the surviving colonies may not be enough support to ensure the bee populations increase again. In order for the bee populations to increase more beekeepers may be a requirement. In this case, the government or the previously mentioned environmental group will create beekeeping courses or workshops to train more people to become beekeepers and assist them with the cost associated with starting breeding programs. With the government putting an emphasis on the high demand for more beekeepers and breeding programs, and by providing education, training, and offering funds to assist with the costs, I’m certain this incentive would attract a large number of people all over the country that would want to be involved. In conclusion, there is not just one small solution to reversing this ecological issue, it must be done in multiple stages and through many methods with the help of not only the government but the individual citizens of our country.

Sources : Article By Helen Thompson, for National Geographic, Published October 5, 2013 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/10/131003-fuel-exhaust-scent-disrupts-signals-honeybees/ Bee Culture, Can Solar Sites Help Save The Bees? –  Rob Davis, July 25, 2016 https://www.beeculture.com/can-solar-sites-help-save-bees/ Research Gate , How Neonicotinoids Can Kill Bees , Publisher: Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312191957_How_Neonicotinoids_Can_Kill_Bees

[friendsofthehoneybee]

Marla Spivak: Why bees are disappearing?

[ezatluba]

With a Sniff and a Signal, These Dogs Hunt Down Threats to Bees

In Maryland, a state employee is training dogs to inspect hives for harmful bacteria — a crucial job as honeybees are sent around the country to pollinate crops.

By Tejal Rao

July 3, 2018

Cybil Preston stretched her bare hands into a noisy beehive and pulled out a frame of honeycomb, its waxy cells filled with nectar, its surface alive with bees.

“This girl right here was just born,” she said, pointing out a bee with a silvery thorax. “See how her hair is still matted down like a teddy bear?”

Ms. Preston, the chief apiary inspector for the Maryland Department of Agriculture, was on a routine survey of registered colonies northeast of Baltimore. “I’m always looking for signs and signals,” she said, as she examined a worker bee with a misshapen wing. “It’s like ‘CSI.’”

Honeybees are a vital, invisible work force in the food industry, pollinating about a third of the nation’s crops, and Ms. Preston leads a team that tracks their well-being. She pays close attention to Maryland’s commercial colonies, which beekeepers lease out to work blooms across the country — almonds in California, blueberries in Maine and New Jersey, citrus in Florida.

Ms. Preston, 45, certifies that each beehive crossing the state line is free of American foulbrood, bacteria that are harmless to humans but can spread quickly from hive to hive, decimating bee populations.

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“Everything else that can go wrong with the hives is fixable,” she said, “but not that.”

Four years ago, Ms. Preston trained a dog to help her find foulbrood, figuring it out as she went along. She recently received a grant through the federal farm bill to expand her canine detection program, which could serve as a model for other states.

Unlike human inspectors, dogs don’t need the hives opened up to check them for foulbrood. They can trot by, sniffing at the comb, and tell if the bacteria have killed off any larvae. Four people working full time cover less than half of what her dog can, Ms. Preston said.

Her Labrador retriever, Mack, inspected about 1,700 honeybee colonies last fall and winter. In the cold, when the bees were clustered and the comb was hard to inspect visually, Mack used his nose. This allowed Ms. Preston to continue certifying hives for shipment to warmer climates.

“If I didn’t have dogs, these bees just wouldn’t be able to move,” she said.

On a recent Friday morning, on the green slopes behind her home here in Jarrettsville, Ms. Preston tossed a toy around for Tukka, a young springer spaniel she had just adopted.

At first glance, it didn’t look like a workday. But that toy had been sealed in a plastic bag with foulbrood, and Ms. Preston was in the early stages of training Tukka on the scent. With any luck, he will join her team before the end of the year.

“You want Foulbrood Bunny?” she asked, throwing the fuzzy gray toy across the field.

Tukka caught the toy in a frenzy, salivating at the smell of it, chewing it with delirious pleasure. “This is what I want to see,” Ms. Preston said.

Soon, she will move on to putting foulbrood inside a small rubber toy and throwing it farther, or in an unexpected direction, to see if Tukka can sniff it out. Then she will hide the scent in the training installation she built exactly for this purpose — tubes mounted close together at various heights on an industrial plastic pallet.

If the exercises are successful, Tukka will learn to find even small traces of the scent, and communicate that to Ms. Preston by pointing with his nose, then sitting down.

She trained Mack the same way, bonding with the dog through games and repetition, building up his confidence and trust, all the while teaching him the basics of his important new job. That training took nine months.

“I had to learn to trust him,” Ms. Preston said.

Mack was a year and a half old when she found him living in a garage. Ms. Preston adopted him on the spot and took him to Mark Flynn, the K-9 unit commander at the state’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, to get his opinion.

Mr. Flynn trains dogs to associate scents with play. “We’re looking for those dogs that’ll jump into water to get the ball, the ones completely obsessed with their toys,” he said. “Because when a dog is searching, he believes in his heart he’s trying to find his toy.”

This applies whether the dog is looking for contraband cellphones and drugs in prison cells, or foulbrood in beehives.

Many of the dogs Mr. Flynn trains are adopted through rescue organizations, exhibiting the kind of high-energy behavior and hunting instincts that make them unlikely to be adopted as family pets, but ideal for scent work.

Mack’s drive was low. “But there is this phenomenon where you can actually build up drive in a dog,” Mr. Flynn said. And through play, reward and repetition, that’s just what Ms. Preston did.

She goes home in the middle of her busy workdays to train Tukka, a rescue dog she adopted through Mr. Flynn, because Tukka requires sessions at least four times a day. It’s a lot of time, but Ms. Preston reminds herself that once Tukka is up to speed, he will help her team cover more ground, work faster and more meticulously, and protect more honeybees.

The hive of a single healthy colony may hold around 30,000 bees in the late fall, and closer to 20,000 by the end of the winter. This time of year, as the bees gear back up and forage, each hive could be buzzing with up to 60,000 bees. The tractor-trailers that carry hives across the country to pollinate crops are typically moving about seven million bees at a time. They are all vulnerable.

Marla Spivak, a professor in the entomology department at the University of Minnesota, has been working for more than a decade to understand why honeybee populations are dwindling.

She said it may be a result of environmental stress, weakened genetics, a lack of good nutrition from pollen (which affects bee immune systems) and a host of other reasons that interact with one another. Foulbrood, which has been reported in  the United States since at least the 1930s, is particularly devastating now because bee health is so fragile.

“It’s super-complicated,” said Dr. Spivak, who noted that, paradoxically, as colonies are becoming harder to keep alive through regular management techniques, more amateurs are becoming backyard beekeepers.

If someone with even a single hive loses the colony to foulbrood and lets the empty hive sit around, other bees in the area will quickly move in, loot its resources and inadvertently carry the dangerous, spore-laden honey back to feed their larvae. As Ms. Preston put it, “It’s in every bee’s nature to rob.”

This makes even one hive a risk. “If there are foulbrood spores in the comb, they stay in the comb for probably a hundred years,” Dr. Spivak said. “The only solution is to burn the comb and equipment, and that’s harsh.”

Outbreaks are preventable, but beekeepers have to know what they’re looking for.

“Dogs are great because they can sniff it out at such low levels,”  Dr. Spivak said. But they are also rare in the business, in part because of the investment in training them. She has seen a dog working among hives only once, and that was almost 30 years ago.

Maryland has run a canine detection program since the 1980s. But when Ms. Preston took over the department, both the dog handler and his dog retired at the same time. It took almost a year, but she built the program back up from scratch.

“All beekeepers are having trouble keeping their bees alive,” she said. “If they’re putting the effort in, I want to put the effort in.”

The hives are quiet when the dogs work, so they’re not in danger of stings as they pad around without the veils that protect beekeepers. Mack has been stung only once or twice.  And on long summer days, when the hives are busy with bees flying in and out to forage, Mack is cautious. He keeps his distance.

“He’s a couch potato,” Ms. Preston said.

Just as she was throwing the scent-soaked toy for Tukka, Mack leapt up from his sunny spot in the grass and charged at the other dog full-speed, only to delicately lick the Department of Agriculture’s newest employee right on his snout.

“You’re working with another living creature,” said Ms. Preston. “There’s no protocol here. We’re all just flying by the seat of our pants.”  

[caseinpoints]

Pine Gate Renewables, Old Sol Apiaries create largest solar farm apiary in America

Utility-scale solar developer Pine Gate Renewables, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is pleased to announce that honey bees are now living on Eagle Point solar farm in Jackson County, Oregon, thanks to the company’s SolarCulture initiative. SolarCulture is a Pine Gate environmental stewardship initiative that promotes sustainable agriculture and collaborations with the community to support research for smarter solar development.

After examining the site’s seed mix, vegetation management plan, and early growth of native flowers and grasses, John Jacob of Old Sol Apiaries determined the site would offer safe refuge for his 48 hives of honey bees.

“In 2016/17, Oregon beekeepers reported losing nearly one-third of all honey bee colonies statewide,” said Jacob. “The pollinator-friendly solar sites Pine Gate Renewables is developing can play an important role in helping address the population crisis among our managed and native pollinators.”

Data from the UK shows that pollinator-friendly solar arrays result in increased abundance of bees and other insects, which can provide important pollination and pest management services to crops. “Examining the Potential for Agricultural Benefits from Pollinator Habitat at Solar Facilities in the United States,” a recent peer-reviewed study published in Environmental Science & Technology, identified more than 16,000 acres of pollinator-dependent crops in proximity of 204 megawatts of solar arrays throughout Oregon.

Praised by several of the nation’s most prominent entomologists, including MacArthur “Genius” award recipient Dr. Marla Spivak and Presidential Medal of Science recipient Dr. May Berenbaum, pollinator-friendly solar arrays are different than traditional arrays. Pollinator- friendly solar sites use low-growing meadows of native flowers and grasses to enrich top soils, capture storm water, and benefit pollinators. All SolarCulture sites meet the specific criteria established by entomologists to qualify as pollinator-friendly.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the premier renewable and sustainable energy research lab, is studying pollinator-friendly solar arrays that use low-impact design and engineering methods, like Pine Gate’s SolarCulture sites, in order to be co-located with agricultural functions.

The vegetation plan for the project was created by Colorado-based ecological services firm Regenerate, a key partner in Pine Gate’s SolarCulture initiative, and depicts a solar array with native flowering plants and native bunchgrasses throughout the site. By Spring 2019, the 41-acre site is anticipated to provide pollinator habitat equivalent to approximately 24,800 homes planting 6’ x 12’ pollinator gardens, and then maintaining them for 25 years.

The Center for Pollinators and Energy at Minnesota-based nonprofit Fresh Energy, tracks information about pollinator-friendly solar and apiaries nationwide. “Old Sol’s apiary at Eagle Point solar is the largest solar farm apiary in America,” said Rob Davis, who leads the Center.

An adaptive agriculture management approach is pivotal within SolarCulture, where site conditions are continuously assessed to identify areas of native vegetation successes or failures, and strategies altered based on those observations. “We’re thrilled to see the adaptive management approach recommended by Regenerate, and put into practice by Lomakatsi Restoration Project, showing benefits to pollinator habitat so quickly after beginning the SolarCulture initiative onsite,” says Pine Gate environmental manager Julianne Wooten. As a clear benefit of this approach, native flowering plants such as blow wives, common camas, and hairy paintbrush have already attained native cover on portions of the site.

Eagle Point is the first of four Oregon sites currently incorporating Pine Gate’s SolarCulture initiative to produce pollinator habitat but it’s only a matter of time before the other sites begin to blossom.

News item from Pine Gate Renewables

The post Pine Gate Renewables, Old Sol Apiaries create largest solar farm apiary in America appeared first on Solar Power World.

[summitcountybeekeepers-blog]

I have always enjoyed Ted Talks and I found Marla Spivak to be an outstanding and captivating speaker of bees! This is well worth the 16 minutes. 

Wish it were longer....:) 

[spreadcasts]

Episode 30 of the Original Transplants Podcast features Satoyama Homestead stewards Sarah and Will discussing late autumn happenings on the homestead. Will gives tips for winter preparation in the bee yard, including combining colonies for overwintering population, treating, feeding, and hive wrapping. Sarah recounts her experience harvesting their three original laying hens and reflects on the timing of Mayapple's broody and chick rearing cycle, pullets coming into lay, and the slaughter of the older chickens. Sarah and Will explain how they are preserving a surplus of green tomatoes for winter sustenance, recall a visit from Ursinus College's Environmental Studies senior capstone class, and join the fight against the invasive and damaging spotted lanternfly. Learn more at spreadcasts.tumblr.com and www.satoyamahs.org.

Resources

Bee yard winter preparation

Bush, Michael. (2009).  Wintering [bee hives].  Bush Farms.

Newspaper method of combining honeybee colonies. eXtension Ask an Expert. 

Requeening by newspaper combining (Ask Phil).  Bee Culture.

Reuter, Gary S. & Spivak, Marla. (2010, Jan. 15). Wrapping a colony for a northern winter.  eXtension.

Harvesting backyard chickens

Hartman-Caverly, Sarah. (2017). Intimate slaughter: A dark comedy of humane killing and human fallibility.  Spreadcasts.  Satoyama Homestead.

Luttman & Luttman. (1976). Chickens in your backyard: A beginner’s guide.

Megyesi, Jennifer.  (2015).  The joy of keeping chickens: The ultimate guide to keeping poultry for fun or profit.

Mettler, John. (1985). Basic butchering of livestock & game.

Oxfam. (2015). Lives on the line: The human cost of cheap chicken. (Immersive website.)

Preserving green tomatoes

Ball complete book of home preserving, 2015.

Bombogenesis

NOAA.  (2017, Oct. 10). What is bombogenesis?

Spotted lanternfly

Gruber, Phillip.  (2017, Oct. 21).  Spotted lanternfly ramps up onslaught.  Lancaster Farming.

PennState Extension.  What to do if you find spotted lanternfly.

[thatssorue]

Meeting Marla Spivak

Marla Spivak is just as lovely a person as she appears to be on her TED talk. When I've listened to her TED talk, as I have many times, I have thought that she's someone I'd like to just sit with and have a conversation. At the same time, I know that the TED talk presenters are highly rehearsed and well-trained, so I didn't really know how she'd be in person. I had the opportunity to meet her in person, to listen to her give three talks, and to hang out with her at our sort of "after gathering" in the hotel lobby on Friday night of the GBA conference in Griffin, GA. And she is a lovely person. Her talks at GBA covered any number of topics. On Friday night, she talked about the changes in the landscape - the fields that no longer have weeds, the lawns that are treated, etc. and that accompanying impact on the nutrition of the bee. On Saturday her talks were more about the work of her graduate students. She talked on Saturday about an interesting program that her students began and which have now blossomed into a much larger operation. Called tech transfer teams, her students act as consultants to commercial beekeepers to help them maximize the success of their hives. They travel to the commercial migratory operations and work directly with the beekeepers and their bees. The openness of the way this research morphed into a consulting project made me in awe of how she works with her students. Every example of a student project reflected how well she supports and encourages innovative thinking in her students. I have a PhD in psychology, not entomology, but I remember professors in my graduate program and how hard it was to get supportive minds for individual research. I found myself envious of her students who get to work with someone who is generous, giving and very open-minded in thinking outside of the box. Her last talk was the most interesting to me. She talked about the propolis in the bee hive. In trees, the bees completely coat the interior of a hollow tree in which they build their hive with propolis. In our Langstroth boxes, this is not the case. The bees find the surface of the wood of the hive box too smooth to coat with propolis. One of Marla's students cut up those plastic propolis traps and lined the inside of hive boxes with them. The result was that they had to remove one frame and run nine frame boxes instead of ten to accommodate the space used by the propolis traps on all sides. But with the installed traps on the walls, again the bees coated the walls with propolis. She made the point that the propolis serves a purpose in the tree for the bees' health and when they can't do it in a hive box, something important is missing. She indicated that unless we had rough wood interiors, the bees were unlikely to coat our Langstroth boxes. Made me wonder about top bar hives again and the rough way that they are often constructed in Africa. I wonder if they are coated with propolis? And I wonder how much healthier our bees would be if it were easy for them to cover the walls with propolis? from Nature's Incredible! http://ift.tt/2lFLT6B via Nature & Insects

[evoldir]

Postdoc: University of North Carolina at Greensboro - Chemical

--001a1140ab1ef2c3060546f76f98 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 A highly motivated postdoctoral research fellow is sought for a collaborative project to study the signals that elicit hygienic behavior of honey bees towards brood to combat Varroa mites. This natural defense against the most detrimental parasite is critical for improving honey bee health and ensuring the sustainability of apiculture and its pollination services. The primary location for this project will be the Rueppell lab at UNCG and the project will be performed in collaboration with Marla Spivak (University of Minnesota), Coby Schal (North Carolina State University) and Jocelyn Millar (University of California at Riverside). We seek an independent scientist who is interested in working with us on experiments at the interface between chemical ecology and fundamental and applied apicultural research. While the primary responsibility of this position is the identification of chemical elicitors of hygienic behavior, including bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts and/or volatile mixtures, testing the bioactivity of candidate substances, and advancing potential practical applications of the results, the candidate may initiate experiments to realize related research ideas. An excellent track record of research productivity, willingness to travel, analytical thinking, team working, and good English communication skills are essential. Practical experience with insect behavioral assays, expertise in chemical ecology, and an interest in honey bee health are preferred. The Rueppell lab currently consists of two postdocs and multiple graduate and undergraduate students who work in honey bees on a variety of topics. The advertised position is full-time and salary will be commensurate with experience. The position is pending financial approval from USDA and will have a likely start date of March 2017 in the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. It will be initially offered for one year, with potential renewals for two additional years. *To learn more or to apply for this position please visit the UNCGjobsearch website at http://bit.ly/1p8Hd1x and review position #999099.* UNCG is an EEO/AA employer with a strong commitment to increasing diversity. EOE AA/M/F/D/V. --001a1140ab1ef2c3060546f76f98 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

A highly motivated postdoctoral research fellow is sought for a collaborative project to study the signals that elicit hygienic behavior of honey bees towards brood to combat Varroa mites. This natural defense against the most detrimental parasite is critical for improving honey bee health and ensuring the sustainability of apiculture and its pollination services. The primary location for this project will be the Rueppell lab at UNCG and the project will be performed in collaboration with Marla Spivak (University of Minnesota), Coby Schal (North Carolina State University) and Jocelyn Millar (University of California at Riverside). We seek an independent scientist who is interested in working with us on experiments at th e interface between chemical ecology and fundamental and applied apicultural research.  While the primary responsibility of this position is the identification of chemical elicitors of hygienic behavior, including bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts and/or volatile mixtures, testing the bioactivity of candidate substances, and advancing potential practical applications of the results, the candidate may initiate experiments to realize related research ideas. An excellent track record of research productivity, willingness to travel, analytical thinking, team working, and good English communication skills are essential. Practical experience with insect behavioral assays, expertise in chemical ecology, and an interest in honey bee health are preferred.  The Rueppell lab currently consists of two postdocs and multiple graduate and undergraduate students who work in honey bees on a variety of topics. The advertised position is full-time and salary will be commensurat e with experience. The position is pending financial approval from USDA and will have a likely start date of March 2017 in the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. It will be initially offered for one year, with potential renewals for two additional years.

To learn more or to apply for this position please visit the UNCGjobsearch website at http://bit.ly/1p8Hd1x=C2=A0and review position #999099.

UNCG is an EEO/AA employer with a strong commitment to increasing diversity. EOE AA/M/F/D/V.

--001a1140ab1ef2c3060546f76f9 via Gmail

[profsalcedo]

Field Technician: Nutrition of Roadside Plants for Pollinators

We are seeking a field technician for a state-funded project on the nutrition of roadside plants for bumblebees and monarchs. The technician would be responsible for surveying roadside sites, harvesting and processing plant material and pollinator specimens, organizing data, and coordinating research assistants. Funding is guaranteed for at least two months. Pending state legislature approval (May 2017), the position would be funded for an entire year. The position would start July 1, 2017. Salary: $42,000, approximately 40 hrs/week. The applicant must have a bachelor’s of science in a related field (e.g., biology, entomology, plant sciences), relevant research experience, a valid driver’s license, ability to use GPS to locate established points, and ability to communicate well both orally and in writing. An ideal candidate would have experience conducting and coordinating field research, expertise in plant and pollinator identification, and familiarity with methods for pollen and nectar collection. Field work will require long hours working along roadsides under variable weather conditions. The technician will join a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota, including Emilie Snell-Rood (primary supervisor), Marla Spivak, Dan Cariveau, Karen Oberhauser, Elizabeth Borer and Clay Carter. To apply, please submit a CV, a 1-2 page personal statement (e.g., relevant experience and how this position would support your long-term career goals), and contact information for 2-3 references. Applicants should apply through http://humanresources.umn.edu/jobs Job ID# 315299. Review of applications will begin March 15th, with a decision by April 1st. For questions, please contact Emilie Snell-Rood, emilies@umn.edu. More background on the research itself can be found at: http://www.lccmr.leg.mn/proposals/2017/original/152-f.pdf http://twitter.com/SnellRoodLab 

Note from Dr. Salcedo: Dr. Snell-Rood is a friend of mine. I’m advertising this because she advertised it with a listserv I’m on, but also because she’s a friend - I find her to be incredibly smart and thoughtful, and also just a nice all-around person. I’ve never worked with her in a job like this, but her involvement makes me think it’s a great opportunity.

[ninuphar]

[ummbeeblog]

A very insightful Ted Talk with the U of M TC’s Marla Spivak, a leader in honey bee research at the U of M Bee Lab. While it’s not very recent, it does a great job of encompassing the issue of Colony Collapse Disorder and the threats being posed to bee populations. Take a look!