#varroa mite treatment

[meyerbees]

Managing Varroa Mite Infestations: Effective Treatment Options For Beekeepers

Varroa mites pose a significant threat to honey bee colonies worldwide, causing devastating effects on bee health and hive productivity. As a responsible beekeeper, understanding varroa mite treatment options is crucial for protecting your bees and ensuring the sustainability of your apiary. In this blog post, we'll explore effective varroa mite treatment strategies and how they can help safeguard your precious bee colonies.

Understanding Varroa Mites: Varroa destructor is a parasitic mite that feeds on the bodily fluids of adult bees and developing bee brood, weakening bees and transmitting harmful viruses. Left untreated, varroa mite infestations can lead to colony collapse and significant losses for beekeepers. Therefore, implementing timely and effective varroa mite treatments is essential for hive survival.

Varroa Mite Treatment Options:

Chemical Treatments: Chemical treatments are one of the most common methods used to control varroa mite infestations. These treatments typically involve the application of synthetic or organic chemicals that target varroa mites while minimizing harm to bees. Common chemical treatments include:

Apivar: Apivar strips contain amitraz, a synthetic acaricide that effectively kills varroa mites while posing minimal risk to bees. It's a popular choice among beekeepers for its efficacy and ease of use.

Formic Acid: Formic acid treatments, such as MiteAway Quick Strips, release formic acid vapor inside the hive, which effectively kills varroa mites. Formic acid treatments are favored for their natural approach and effectiveness against mites.

Biological Controls: Biological controls offer a more natural and environmentally friendly approach to varroa mite treatment. These treatments involve the use of predatory mites or essential oils to control varroa mite populations. Popular biological controls include:

Hive Beetle Traps: Small hive beetle traps can help reduce varroa mite populations indirectly by targeting hive beetles, which compete with varroa mites for resources.

Essential Oils: Essential oils such as thymol and wintergreen oil have shown promise in controlling varroa mites while minimizing harm to bees. These oils are typically applied as vapor or in sugar syrup solutions.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Integrated Pest Management (IPM) combines various treatment methods and preventative measures to manage varroa mite infestations effectively. IPM strategies may include rotating between different chemical treatments, monitoring mite levels regularly, and implementing cultural practices to enhance bee health and resilience.

Choosing the Right Treatment: When selecting a varroa mite treatment for your bee colonies, consider factors such as treatment efficacy, safety for bees, ease of application, and compatibility with your beekeeping practices. It's also essential to follow manufacturer instructions carefully and monitor hive health closely during and after treatment to ensure optimal results.

Varroa mite treatment is a critical aspect of beekeeping that requires careful consideration and proactive management. By utilizing effective treatment options and implementing integrated pest management strategies, beekeepers can mitigate the impact of varroa mites and promote the health and longevity of their bee colonies.

[rederiswrites]

So it's basic knowledge in beekeeping that as little as fifty years ago you could basically set up your hives, check them maybe twice and add supers for the hive to expand, and then harvest in the fall, rinse and repeat. And now it's a pretty highly skilled occupation, with checks at least every month, more during critical times, multiple different pest treatments, careful management of hive layout, and sometimes you lose an entire hive anyway. And by sometimes I mean, statistically, as much as half the time. Because of introduced diseases and pests, pesticides, habitat reduction, varroa mites but really varroa mites plus all the different strains.

And lately I've been thinking about that as applied to gardening. It's not an exact metaphor, because of course the honey bees themselves are an introduced species in my country. But the basic problem is the same--instead of just having one place's problems, now we have a grand panoply of all the problems the world has come up with to date.

I hope it goes without saying that the last 100 years have seen incredible improvements in agriculture in some ways. Modern fertilizers have been seen by the world as a miracle, and despite their drawbacks they are very valuable tools. Likewise farm automation and machinery has relieved hundreds of thousands of people of backbreaking drudgery and genuinely dangerous jobs. I think most here already realize that all that has come at a cost (insert XKCD geochemists comic here maybe), but that's really not what I'm talking about.

I'm just talking about plain ol gardening. Hand dug and hand planted, and yeah you can afford more tools than your ancestors ever did, and that bag of specially formulated rose fertilizer, and maybe a rototiller. And I do love my silly tool collection.

But I spend so so much of my gardening time pulling invasive weeds--indeed, nearly all my weeds are non-native--and so much of my time trying to compensate for the climate-change driven change of weather patterns. For heat extremes I would never have had to deal with here 75 years ago. I'd be far less likely a hundred years ago to find myself trying to plant foundation plantings in raw fucking subsoil used as fill dirt when the house was built. And the insects! Japanese beetle, emerald ash borer, spotted lanternfly, brown marmorated stink bug, dear sweet fuck. Not to mention the tree diseases! And I just think...what if I only had the problems that started here? Wouldn't that be something?

[honeycomb-butch]

A biotech company in Georgia has received conditional approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the first vaccine for honeybees, a move scientists say could help pave the way for controlling a range of viruses and pests that have decimated the global population. It is the first vaccine approved for any insect in the United States.

The company, Dalan Animal Health, which is based in Athens, Ga., developed a prophylactic vaccine that protects honeybees from American foulbrood, an aggressive bacterium that can spread quickly from hive to hive. Previous treatments included burning infected colonies and all of the associated equipment, or using antibiotics.

[...]

Before you start imagining a tiny syringe being inserted into a bee, the vaccine, which contains dead versions of the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, comes in the form of food. The vaccine is incorporated into royal jelly, a sugar feed given to queen bees. Once they ingest it, the vaccine is then deposited in their ovaries, giving developing larvae immunity as they hatch.

Scientists long assumed that insects could not acquire immunity because they lacked antibodies, the proteins that help many animals’ immune systems recognize and fight bacteria and viruses. Once scientists understood that insects could indeed acquire immunity and pass it to their offspring, Dr. Freitak set about answering the question of how they did so. In 2015, she and two other researchers identified the specific protein that prompts an immune response in the offspring and realized they could cultivate immunity in a bee population with a single queen.

Their first goal was tackling American foulbrood, a bacterial disease that turns larvae dark brown and makes the hive give off a rotting smell. The disease ran rampant during the 1800s and the early 1900s in bee colonies in parts of the United States. While American foulbrood is not as destructive as Varroa mites, the bacterium can easily wipe out colonies of 60,000 bees.

[...]

Chris Hiatt, who keeps bees in North Dakota and California and is the president of the American Honey Producers Association, participated in the vaccine trial over the summer with about 800 queen bees in North Dakota.

“For beekeepers, you just don’t want to be reliant on antibiotics,” which most beekeepers give once a year or when there are flare-ups, he said. “Antibiotics can wipe out some of the beneficial microbes. This has the potential to add other things, too.”

Annette Kleiser, the chief executive of Dalan, called the vaccine “a huge breakthrough.”

“Bees are livestock and should have the same modern tools to care for them and protect them that we have for our chickens, cats, dogs and so on,” Ms. Kleiser said. [...] “When we started, there was no regulatory path,” she said. “No one has ever developed an insect vaccine — they’re wild animals who fly around,” compared to domesticated livestock and pets with vaccine protocols. She added, “We’re really hoping we’re going to change the industry now.”

[horseshoecrabman]

hey guys!!!!! you might not have seen the post, but a few days ago me and my dad set up a beehive with around 3,000+ bees in it! my friends were interested in hearing bee updates, so here it is!

but before i start all of that, here’s some general information on how beehives operate and how to take care of one under the read more!!

expect an actual update on information about the hive dad and i have specifically in a day or so!!!!! thank you!!! :)

(this is by no means a step by step guide, it’s more of just something informative and fun!!!)

jobs bee have in their hives

bees commonly have different jobs in a beehive, the most important being worker bees, drone bees, and the queen bee.

worker bees are the ones you see out and about, pollinating and such. they are also responsible for feeding bee larvae, some also do things such as guard the hive and nurse injured bees! they do have stingers, but it is very true that bees do not sting unless they feel threatened.

queen bees basically control everything in the hive with their pheromones. they will also only leave the hive once in their lives, to find a drone bee and mate with it. once they return and start producing eggs, they can produce eggs for life and will lose their wings and remain in the hive for the rest of their life. worker bees are responsible for feeding the queen, and if a queen isn’t producing enough eggs for the hive or not producing enough pheromones, worker bees can cultivate a new queen by selecting any larvae and by feeding it special honey that they convert themselves, turns it into a queen, and then kill the old one.

drone bees are the ones queens mate with. this is their only purpose, and they also don’t leave the hive. in winter or times where a hive isn’t getting enough to feed everyone, they will be kicked out as they are practically useless.

here’s a picture of how to tell the difference between them!

brood is the official word for bee larvae, and applies to all bees, no matter the type!!! here’s a diagram :)

common pests bees encounter:

just like any animal, it always has a predator to eat it!

aside from things like birds or any insect eating reptile or amphibian are other bugs that are parasites that leech off bees!

varroa mites: varroa mites are small mites, but they are disastrous for a beehive. any beehive will always have a certain number of them, but it is possible to control their numbers with the proper treatments and care. mites will often feast on the fat of adult bees and the larvae, making adult bees weaker and killing larvae. there is a special test to see how many mites you have, typically performed every month or so, where you scoop up around 20 bees and put them in an “alcohol wash” and however many mites you can see in the alcohol indicates if you have an infestation or not. more than 5-10 mites, you have a problem, other than that, you’re safe. the reason its such a small number as 5-10 is because varroa mites reproduce very quickly. the bees you scooped do die because of this, which is really sad, but bees are really smart! they understand when sacrificing some bees will help the entire hive.

hive beetles: hive beetles will crawl into hives and essentially steal their resources! a strong hive can fight them off but a weaker hive will usually die off and if a human owns said hive, they can use certain bee-safe pesticides to kill the hive beetles specifically!

on the topic of pesticides, i just want to say that bees are very endangered. because of things like pesticides as well as general dislike for bees, and fear that they will sting people, they aren’t well liked. i really hope me talking about bees helps people understand that bees are friends and really do benefit the ecosystem and are just as excited about them as i am!!!!!!!!

how to take care of and monitor a hive

one of the many things to keep in mind is that it costs a lot to obtain and maintain a hive, definitely over thousands of dollars, and you might not get much honey from it to make up for this, so if you really do want to have a hive or multiple hives of your own, please keep this in mind.

the first thing you will need is equipment. the first thing is an actual hive for them to be in, one looking something like this:

ours has 6 individual frames in it, where bees build places to store honey (honeycombs) as well as places to store larvae, but the number of frames can vary between how small or big the hive box itself is!

this is what a typical beehive frame looks like !!!

in the photo, you can also see someone wearing a bee protection suit, which protects you from getting stung by any bees that might get mad at you going through their hive. there are other things you can do to calm bees down as well, such as using a smoker!

this is what a typical smoker looks like, they can vary in design, but this one is pretty common! you can put anything flammable in there and light it, i prefer using pine straw, as it doesnt smell bad and its easy to obtain, and squeeze the clamp part to help the fire inside the container spread and use the smoke on the hive.

what does the smoke do?

it basically does two things:

- masks the scent of pheromones for the bees, making them not mad

- distracts the bees from you by making them think something is on fire and focusing their attention on that

it does seem a little scary to know that the bees get panicked, but if you do it in the right amount and not too often they will be completely fine and calm down shortly!!!

alright, that’s all that i have for now, thank you for reading this far!!!!! if you have any questions dont hesitate to send me an ask!!!!

for posts like this and future asks, i’ll use the tag #bee updates to sort it all!!!!

thank you again!!!! 🐝🌻💛

[captainjonnitkessler]

Winter beekeeping is mostly just being like “i miss my bees i wish i could do something with my bees i wonder how the bees are doing i wish i could open the beehive” right up until it’s the ONLY day warm enough to do an oxalic acid treatment and it’s pouring rain and miserable outside, at which point it’s like ‘how important is treating for varroa mite really anyway’

But unfortunately the answer is ‘very’, because it does look like I lost a hive to mites :( There’s still a few bees hanging out in there so I did a treatment on them anyway but it’s almost certainly too late to make a difference. It’s 100% my fault - I didn’t treat in the fall like I should have because their mite count was just below the treatment threshold. I’ve learned my lesson now but it’s still kind of a bummer! Fortunately the other hive is doing much better, so hopefully they’ll pull through.

[woodsbee]

Exposure To Honey Bee Supplies: Finding The Suitable Products

In the beekeeping universe, it is important to have high quality honey bee supplies so that bees will live well and honey will be gathered in abundance. This is independent of whether you are an experienced beekeeper or you have just started bee farming but you must grasp the must-haves and where they can be found. The blog will guide you on all that concerns honey bee supplies, from must-have tools to companies and firms where these products are found.

Knowing essential honey bee supplies

Before discussing the location of supplies for honey bees, let us first describe every beekeeper's indispensable items:

1. Hive Components

Hive Bodies and Supers: Boxes where bees dwell and store honey.

Frames and Foundation: Frames allow for a certain degree of organization in the hive, and the foundation aids bees in the construction of their comb.

2. Protective Gear

Bee Suits: Jackets, Full-body suits, and veils saves beekeepers from stings.

Gloves: Known to handle frames and hive components safely.

3. Implements

Smokers: The function is to calm bees during hive inspections.

Hive Tools: In the list, there are also hive tools to pry apart frames and hive components.

4. Harvesting Equipment

Extractors: Extract honey from frames using extractors.

Filters and Strainers: Strain and bottle honey with filters.

5. Health Products

Varroa mite treatments: These are essential to control the common hive pests.

Feeding supplements: Pollen patties or sugar syrup for bees during lean times.

Selecting the appropriate honey bee supply company

Before selecting the appropriate honey bee supply company,you need to consider these factors.

Quality: Guarantee quality by ensuring the durability of what is offered and its appropriateness to your requirements.

Reviews of the customers: You can also check the customer reviews to see how reputed the company is.

Services and shipping: Utilize firms that have good services and good shipping.

Favorable support: It would be better to opt for firms offering designs aimed at informing and advising apiarists regardless of their stage.

Wrapping Up

If you want to be successful, select the correct honey bee supplies companies and invest in quality equipment for yourself. If you wish to begin beekeeping or expand your apiary, it is mandatory that you have reliable supplies so that your bees can have a good life and your harvest can be of good quality.

[rnomics]

Insects, Vol. 15, Pages 539: Beekeepers Support the Use of #RNA Interference (#RNAi) to Control Varroa destructor

Current Varroa mite management strategies rely heavily on the use of pesticides, adversely affecting honey bee health and leaving toxic residues in hive products. To explore the likelihood of #RNAi technology being utilised as an alternative control method for pests like Varroa, the opinions of beekeepers on the use of this new biotechnology were obtained using a mixed-methodology approach. In-person surveys and focus groups using the Q method were conducted to discover the willingness of beekeepers to utilise Varroa-targeting #RNAi treatments in their hives, and to gain feedback to inform decisions before the implementation of this new technology. Overall, the beekeepers saw potential in #RNAi being used to control Varroa in their hives and were eager to have access to an alternative to pesticide treatments. Participants raised concerns about unknown long-term effects on bees and other non-target species, and the potential of an uninformed public preventing them from accessing a new Varroa treatment. While further research and discussion is needed before #RNAi treatments for Varroa become commercially available, #RNAi technology presents a promising, species-specific and non-toxic solution for Varroa management. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/7/539?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[mobilenotary24524]

Overcoming Challenges in 5-Frame Nuc Management: Practical Solutions for Beekeepers

Introduction While 5-frame nucleus colonies (nucs) offer an excellent starting point for beekeepers 5 frame nucs for sale, they also present unique challenges that require careful attention and proactive management. From issues related to colony establishment to maintaining optimal hive conditions, beekeepers must be equipped with practical solutions to overcome these challenges effectively. In this article, we explore common challenges encountered in 5-frame nuc management and provide actionable strategies for addressing them.

1. Colony Establishment and Queen Acceptance One of the primary challenges in 5-frame nuc management is ensuring successful colony establishment and queen acceptance. To mitigate this challenge, introduce the nuc to its new hive environment during periods of favorable weather and abundant forage. Provide ample ventilation and minimize disturbances during the initial integration process to encourage queen acceptance and colony cohesion.

2. Varroa Mite Infestations Varroa mites pose a significant threat to the health and longevity of 5-frame nucs, particularly during the critical early stages of colony development. Implement integrated pest management (IPM) strategies such as screened bottom boards, drone brood trapping, and organic miticide treatments to mitigate varroa mite infestations effectively. Monitor mite levels regularly and intervene promptly to prevent population outbreaks.

3. Maintaining Hive Strength and Population Maintaining optimal hive strength and population is essential for the long-term success of 5-frame nucs. Monitor brood patterns, population dynamics, and honey stores regularly to assess colony health and productivity. Provide supplemental feeding and hive expansion as needed to support population growth and ensure sufficient resources for colony development.

4. Queen Health and Productivity The health and productivity of the queen bee are critical factors influencing the performance of 5-frame nucs. Monitor queen activity, egg-laying patterns, and brood quality to assess queen health and productivity. Requeen colonies exhibiting signs of queen failure or diminished performance to maintain colony vigor and productivity.

5. Resource Management and Forage Availability Effective resource management and access to abundant forage are essential for sustaining 5-frame nuc colonies. Plant bee-friendly flora and cultivate diverse forage sources in close proximity to the apiary to ensure a continuous supply of nectar and pollen. Monitor local floral blooms and weather patterns to anticipate forage availability and adjust management practices accordingly.

6. Environmental Stressors and External Threats External stressors and threats such as adverse weather conditions, pesticide exposure, and habitat loss can negatively impact the health and resilience of 5-frame nuc colonies. Minimize environmental stressors by siting hives in sheltered locations away from potential sources of contamination and disturbance. Implement measures to mitigate pesticide exposure and promote habitat conservation to support bee health and biodiversity.

7. Education and Continuous Improvement Continual education and skill development are essential for overcoming challenges in 5-frame nuc management effectively. Stay informed about current research, best practices, and emerging trends in beekeeping through participation in workshops, seminars, and online forums. Cultivate a network of experienced beekeepers and mentors for guidance and support in navigating challenges and refining management techniques.

Conclusion Successfully managing 5-frame nucleus colonies requires a combination of knowledge, skill, and proactive intervention to overcome common challenges effectively. By addressing issues related to colony establishment, varroa mite infestations, hive strength and population, queen health and productivity, resource management, environmental stressors, and ongoing education, beekeepers can cultivate thriving and resilient apiaries capable of weathering challenges and sustaining healthy bee populations for years to come.

[beekeepingfiji]

How I Use Amitraz For Control Of Varroa In Fiji

New Post has been published on https://www.beekeepingfiji.com/?p=4907

How I Use Amitraz For Control Of Varroa In Fiji

By John Caldeira

Amitraz is a low-cost and highly effective way to control varroa mites in bee hives if used correctly. This note describes a method that has worked well for me.

Paper Towel Method

Mix 2 ml or 3 ml 12.5% Amitraz with 4 of 5 ml cooking oil in a plastic bag large enough to receive the paper towels.

When the liquid is mixed, add the paper towels into the bag and allow them to soak up the liquid.

Treat hives shortly after mixing, as the chemical degrades rapidly.

Place one rolled-up paper towel (containing 2-3 ml Amitraz and 4-5 ml oil) across the top bars in the middle of the brood nest.

Repeat the treatment after two weeks and again after four weeks.

Approximately half the mites in a hive are in sealed brood cells and Amitraz does not kill those.

Thus the 2nd and 3rd applications are important as the Amitraz is only effective for a few days.

The 2nd and 3rd applications are needed to kill those mites after they emerge from the brood cells.

TIPS

1) Estimate mite loads using a soap wash on a sample of hives before treatment and again after treatment. Soap washes before treating will confirm the need for treatment. Soap washes after treatment measures its effectiveness.

2) Treat every hive in an apiary at the same time, so there are fewer drifting bees re-introducing mites to the hive.

3) When working with Amitraz, wear eye protection and avoid Amitraz contact with skin. Nitrile gloves provide good protection.

4) Use the dosage described on the Amitraz instructions. Do not overdose.

At the time the Amitraz label was designed for Fiji, more than one year ago, treatment had been tested only using strips of wood with a specific amounts of Amitraz soaked into each one.

Two ml of 12.5% Amitraz proved effective in killing mites with no adverse affect on the bees’ breeding or behaviour.

Since then, further research suggested that mixing Amitraz with cooking oil preserved the effectiveness of Amitraz in the hive, and soaking it into paper towels instead of wood strips allowed the bees to remove it from the hive.

Paper towels are also more readily available than wood strips.

Thus this update.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FijiBeekeepers/posts/1977982919223098/

[meyerbees]

Simplifying Hive Health: A Comprehensive Guide To Varroa Easy Check Mite Testing Kit

In the intricate world of beekeeping, maintaining hive health is a top priority for conscientious beekeepers. One of the critical challenges they face is Varroa mite infestations, a menace that can jeopardize the well-being of honeybee colonies. This blog explores the significance of Varroa mite testing and introduces a valuable tool for beekeepers – the Varroa Easy Check Mite Testing Kit.

Understanding the Varroa Threat: Varroa destructor, the notorious Varroa mite, poses a significant threat to honeybee colonies worldwide. These tiny parasitic mites attach themselves to bees, feeding on their bodily fluids and transmitting harmful viruses. Left untreated, Varroa mite infestations can lead to weakened colonies, compromised immune systems, and, ultimately, colony collapse.

Importance of Regular Varroa Mite Testing: Regular monitoring of Varroa mite levels is a fundamental aspect of responsible beekeeping. Timely detection allows beekeepers to implement effective Varroa mite treatment measures before infestations escalate. The Varroa Easy Check Mite Testing Kit emerges as an invaluable tool in this regard, offering a user-friendly and accurate method for assessing mite levels within the hive.

Features of the Varroa Easy Check Mite Testing Kit:

Simplicity and Accessibility: The Varroa Easy Check Kit is designed with ease of use in mind. Beekeepers, regardless of their experience level, can swiftly and confidently perform mite checks with minimal intrusion into the hive.

Accuracy and Reliability: The kit provides accurate mite counts, allowing beekeepers to make informed decisions about Varroa mite treatment. By regularly using the Varroa Easy Check Kit, beekeepers can establish a baseline for mite levels and track changes over time.

Efficiency in Monitoring: The Varroa Easy Check Kit streamlines the monitoring process, enabling beekeepers to conduct mite checks efficiently. Quick and reliable results empower beekeepers to take proactive measures, reducing the risk of Varroa-related issues.

Steps to Using the Varroa Easy Check Mite Testing Kit:

Insert the White Sheet: Place the white sheet included in the kit at the bottom of the hive under the screened bottom board.

Add the Powdered Sugar: Sprinkle powdered sugar on the bees through the screened bottom board. This encourages the bees to groom themselves, dislodging mites in the process.

Collect Fallen Mites: After a set period, collect the fallen mites on the white sheet. The Varroa Easy Check Kit comes with a magnifying glass to facilitate a closer inspection of the mites.

The Varroa Easy Check Mite Testing Kit emerges as an indispensable tool for beekeepers committed to ensuring the health and vitality of their honeybee colonies. By incorporating regular Varroa mite testing into their hive management practices, beekeepers can detect issues early and implement targeted Varroa mite treatment, contributing to the overall resilience and sustainability of their hives. Simplify hive health management with the Varroa Easy Check Kit – a small investment that yields significant benefits for both beekeepers and their beloved colonies.

[neyatimes]

How the Tech Behind a COVID-19 Vaccine is Helping Save Bees

Pouring GreenLight treatment in a bee hive. An RNA-enriched sugar syrup is poured into a beehive as part of the trial for a new varroa mite treatment that could pave the way for an agricultural revolution when it comes to treating for pests. Credit – Peter Essick After more than a decade in the industry, commercial beekeeper Liana Teigen Moreno thought she knew what she was doing when it came to…

[blackmagicspecialist786-blog]

U.S.D.A. Approves First Vaccine for Honeybees

A Georgia-based biotech company has been granted conditional approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a vaccine for honeybees. Scientists believe this will help in the fight against a variety of pests and viruses that have decimated the world's population. It is the first approved vaccine for any insect in America. The prophylactic vaccine was developed by Dalan Animal Health. It protects honeybees against American foulbrood. This is an aggressive bacterium which can quickly spread from hive-to-hive. The previous treatments used antibiotics or burned infected colonies. The conditional license is held by Diamond Animal Health, which is working with Dalan. Dalail Freitak is an associate professor in honeybee science at the Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Austria, and chief science officer for Dalan. He said that the vaccine could change how scientists approach animal health. She said that there are millions upon millions of beehives around the globe, but they don't have access to a health care system comparable to other animals. "We now have the tools to increase their resistance to diseases." The vaccine, which is made up of dead forms of the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, comes as food. Royal jelly is a sugar-based food that the vaccine is added to. The vaccine is then ingested by the queen bees, and deposited in their ovaries. This gives them immunity for developing larvae as they hatch. Scientists believed that insects couldn't acquire immunity. This was because they lack antibodies, proteins that aid animals' immune systems to recognize and fight viruses and bacteria. Dr. Freitak began to investigate how insects can acquire immunity and pass it on to their offspring after scientists realized this. She and two other researchers discovered the protein that triggers the immune response in offspring in 2015 and were able to cultivate immunity in bee populations with just one queen. American foulbrood was their first goal. This is a bacterial infection that makes larvae turn dark brown and gives off a rotting odor in the hive. In some colonies of bees in the United States, the disease was rampant in the 1800s and early 1900s. Although American foulbrood may not be as destructive as Varroa mites it can wipe out colonies of up to 60,000 bees. Introduced a vaccine at a crucial time for honeybees. They are essential to the global food system, but are also in decline globally due to climate change, pesticides and habitat loss. "There is no magic bullet, but there are toxic stews of causation and some of those include diseases that are new or familiar," Keith Delaplane, an entomologist at the University of Georgia, said. He is also the director of the honeybee program which was used as research ground for Dalan. It's death by a thousand cuts. Honeybees are responsible for pollinating most of the US food crops. They also eat pollen and nectar and produce approximately $15 billion in crops each year. Many beekeepers rent their hives to pollinate almonds, pears and cherries across the country. To produce seeds and fruit, at least three quarters of all flowering plants need the help of pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Chris Hiatt, who has bees in North Dakota, California, and is president of the American Honey Producers Association participated in the vaccine test over the summer along with approximately 800 queen bees from North Dakota. He said, "Beekeepers don't want be dependent on antibiotics." Most beekeepers only give them once a year, or when they have flare-ups. "Antibiotics can wipe some of the beneficial microbes out. This can also add other benefits. Annette Kleiser was the chief executive at Dalan and called the vaccine a "huge breakthrough." Ms. Kleiser stated that bees are livestock. They should have the same tools and protections as our dogs, cats, and chickens. Ms. Kleiser stated that the conditional approval allows companies to expedite approval of vaccines if there is a high unmet demand in the market. Ms. Kleiser stated that "the agency recognizes that these tools are necessary in the market to change practices," and that the U.S.D.A. The U.S.D.A. had suggested that the company follow a conditional route "to get this product out on the market as quickly as possible." Ms. Kleiser stated that approval was required for the company to prove safety, purity, and certain levels of efficacy. The company will continue to collect data until it has received full approval. Dalan hopes to use the American foulbrood vaccination as a template to develop vaccines against other diseases that can affect honeybees. She said that there was no regulatory pathway when we began. "No one has ever created an insect vaccine -- they are wild animals that fly around," she said. This contrasts with domesticated livestock and pets who have vaccine protocols. She said, "We really hope we're changing the industry now." Dr. Delaplane was the University of Georgia's entomologist. He said that "someday" he could make a cocktail that solved a lot bee problems. That would be the holy Grail. Read the full article

[horseshoecrabman]

8/11/24

bee update 7:

today dad and i went to investigate the hive!

content warning: pictures/videos of bees, mentions of dead bees, mentions of bee stings

school just started, so before dad and i got too busy, we wanted to administer the hive beetle pesticide and do an alcohol wash to check for varroa mites.

we put on our bee gear and did our usual check, pulling out frames and inspecting them. they were very lively, we saw many combs filled with larvae and honey. we also saw drones, aka male bees, which is a good sign since typically drones are not necessary to the functioning of a hive.

the item to get rid of hive beetles is a little plastic container that we put apple cider vinegar in, which attracts the beetles, and then they fall into a different liquid that kills them. there arent many beetles left, but we hope this will kill them for good.

we also did an alcohol wash, where you dump some bees into a container, and the ones that don't fly away (nurse bees and drones) get scooped up and put in a small container with alcohol in it, then you shake it to shed any varroa mites clinging to your bees, and count how many mites there are, to see if you need to treat the bees or not.

this process does unfortunately kill the bees, but it is necessary to do it, or else the entire hive can get killed out by varroa mites.

there were about 30-50 bees and only 9 mites, which is a very good sign. we don't need to buy any treatment! hooray!

after the alcohol wash, we buried the bees (i personally feel like we should be respectful to the dead, even if it's a small bug) and packed up everything. i did notice a drone amongst them, which i took out because i like to preserve bugs, and also to demonstrate what the difference between a drone and worker bee is!

you may remember daisy, the worker bee that had when she died, but i did preserve her! here is daisy:

and here is the drone, which i named poppy:

drone's eyes are much larger than worker bees, and the same can be said for their physical size!

daisy is the top container and poppy is the bottom container :)

here's two other stories, the first is:

while i was obtaining poppy the drone bee, a worker bee was also in the pile and stuck to the drone. I figured I would preserve both of them, until i noticed the female was alive!

i theorized that she had been at the top of the container we did the alcohol wash in, and me removing her had given her the ability to recover and survive, since it's the drowning that usually kills the bees during an alcohol wash.

i thought maybe she would die soon, so i separated her from the drone (which i made sure was 100% dead) and let her be outside for a period of time, to she if she would die.

it turns out, the exact opposite happened! the female, which i named buttercup, was very energetic indeed, crawling around and letting herself dry off.

it was when she started flying that i decided she was alive and well, and should be returned to her hive. i put her in a container and gently returned to her hive! in the process, two workers had landed on me, so it was a bit of a doozy trying to get them to also return to their hive, but in the end i was successful!

i then went back inside to preserve my drone, but i noticed something odd. there was a dismembered bee leg in the container. i thoroughly checked the drone, but he had all six legs. i was stumped, until i reviewed the videos i had taken of buttercup, and upon noticing she did in fact only have five legs, i realized that in the process of separating her from the drone (she wasn't letting go of the drone for some reason) i had accidentally removed her leg.

and i just felt so bad!!! i really didnt mean to :(

i honestly think that if even after that she could still be so energetic, that buttercup really is a feisty and tough bee!

here's a video of her after i caught her again, about to return her home! seriously energetic for two near-death experiences in one day!

the second story:

when we were about to put our things back in the garage, and dad returned from getting our equipment he may have brought two very angry bees with him......

in short, he got stung on the eyelid and i got stung on my left thumb! it hurt so bad and you know what made it even worse! it started raining!!

but it was all okay, i removed the stinger from dad's eyelid with a tweezer, and gave him an ice pack, and we healed in a few days. the reason why this took so long to put out is because it was hard to do much with my left hand with all the swelling, let alone type full paragraphs. lesson learned: dont mess with angry bees!

i would tell you all a fun fact about bee stingers, but this is getting pretty long so i'll end it here. next time though!

that's all from me! sorry this update is so late, life has been very busy!

thank you for reading 🐝💛🌻 !

[mandarb]

Before you start imagining a tiny syringe being inserted into a bee, the vaccine — which contains dead versions of Paenibacillus larvae, the bacterium that causes American foulbrood — comes in the form of food. The vaccine is incorporated into royal jelly, a sugar feed given to queen bees. Once they ingest it, the vaccine is then deposited in their ovaries, giving developing larvae immunity as they hatch.

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A biotech company in Georgia has received conditional approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the first vaccine for honeybees, a move scientists say could help pave the way for controlling a range of viruses and pests that have decimated the global population. It is the first vaccine approved for any insect in the United States.

The company, Dalan Animal Health, which is based in Athens, Ga., developed a prophylactic vaccine that protects honeybees from American foulbrood, an aggressive bacterium that can spread quickly from hive to hive. Previous treatments included burning infected colonies and all of the associated equipment, or using antibiotics. Diamond Animal Health, a manufacturer that is collaborating with Dalan, holds the conditional license.

Dalail Freitak, an associate professor in honeybee research at the Karl-Franzens University of Graz in Austria and chief science officer for Dalan, said the vaccine could help change the way scientists approach animal health.

“There are millions of beehives all over the world, and they don’t have a good health care system compared to other animals,” she said. “Now we have the tools to improve their resistance against diseases.”

Before you start imagining a tiny syringe being inserted into a bee, the vaccine — which contains dead versions of Paenibacillus larvae, the bacterium that causes American foulbrood — comes in the form of food. The vaccine is incorporated into royal jelly, a sugar feed given to queen bees. Once they ingest it, the vaccine is then deposited in their ovaries, giving developing larvae immunity as they hatch.

Scientists long assumed that insects could not acquire immunity because they lacked antibodies, the proteins that help many animals’ immune systems recognize and fight bacteria and viruses. Once scientists understood that insects could indeed acquire immunity and pass it to their offspring, Dr. Freitak set about answering the question of how they did so. In 2015, she and two other researchers identified the specific protein that prompts an immune response in the offspring and realized they could cultivate immunity in a bee population with a single queen.

Their first goal was tackling American foulbrood, a bacterial disease that turns larvae dark brown and makes the hive give off a rotting smell. The disease ran rampant during the 1800s and the early 1900s in bee colonies in parts of the United States. While American foulbrood is not as destructive as varroa mites, the bacterium can easily wipe out colonies of 60,000 bees.

The introduction of a vaccine comes at a critical moment for honeybees, which are vital to the world’s food system but are also declining globally because of climate change, pesticides, habitat loss and disease.

“There is no silver bullet, but there is a toxic stew of causation, and some of that includes diseases that are new and some that are old and familiar,” said Keith Delaplane, a professor of entomology at the University of Georgia and the director of its honeybee program, which provided research grounds for Dalan. “It’s death by a thousand cuts.”

By pollinating food as they feed on pollen and nectar, honeybees pollinate about one-third of the food crops in the United States and help produce an estimated $15 billion worth of crops in the United States each year. Many beekeepers lease their hives across the country to assist in pollination of almonds, pears, cherries, apples and other types of produce.

At least three-quarters of flowering plants require the assistance of pollinators, including bees, butterflies and moths, to produce fruit and seeds.

Chris Hiatt, who keeps bees in North Dakota and California and is the president of the American Honey Producers Association, participated in the vaccine trial over the summer with about 800 queen bees in North Dakota.

“For beekeepers, you just don’t want to be reliant on antibiotics,” which most beekeepers give once a year or when there are flare-ups, he said. “Antibiotics can wipe out some of the beneficial microbes. This has the potential to add other things, too.”

Annette Kleiser, the chief executive of Dalan, called the vaccine “a huge breakthrough.”

“Bees are livestock and should have the same modern tools to care for them and protect them that we have for our chickens, cats, dogs and so on,” Ms. Kleiser said.

The conditional approval provides a mechanism that allows companies to accelerate approval for vaccines if they demonstrate there is a high, unmet need in the market, Ms. Kleiser said.

“The agency realizes that these new tools are needed in the market to help change practices,” Ms. Kleiser said, adding that the U.S.D.A. had recommended that the company pursue a conditional path “to get this out onto the marketplace as quickly as possible.”

Ms. Kleiser said that the company had to show proof of “safety, purity and certain degrees of efficacy” to gain approval and that it planned to continue collecting data while it applied for full approval. Dalan also hopes to use the American foulbrood vaccine as a map to produce vaccines for other diseases that affect honeybees.

“When we started, there was no regulatory path,” she said. “No one has ever developed an insect vaccine — they’re wild animals who fly around,” compared to domesticated livestock and pets with vaccine protocols. She added, “We’re really hoping we’re going to change the industry now.”

Dr. Delaplane, the entomologist at the University of Georgia, agreed.

“Someday,” he said, “we could have a cocktail that solves a lot of bee problems — that would be the holy grail.”

Vaccine for bees!