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NC1173: Sustainable Solutions to Problems Affecting Bee Health

Annual/Termination Reports (SAES-422): [02/15/2010] [01/05/2011] [02/13/2012] [02/27/2013]

Date of Annual Report: 02/15/2010

Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 01/14/10 to 01/14/10
  • Period the Report Covers: 10/2008 to 09/2009

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
    Committee chair Marion Ellis calls the meeting to order.

    Mary Purcell addresses the group about changes in NIFA, and the AFRI program.

    Members report on Accomplishments and Impacts of their programs, see attachment.

    Report on Foundation for Preservation of Honey Bees given by Marion Ellis. Members of NC1173 are working with this 501(c)(3) group. Last year it provided $10,000 to students to come to the AAPA meeting and hired a professional grant writer to go out for significant monies for bee work . Marla will be vice chairman this year. One RFP coming out soon for $25,000 for Varroa work.

    Election of Officers: Secretary for the upcoming year will be Frank Drummond. The secretary is responsible for filing annual reports on NIMMS and will become chair the following year. Chair for the upcoming year will be John Skinner, whom is currently Secretary.

    Accomplishments and Impacts: see Copy of minutes


    URL: Copy of minutes

    Accomplishments:
    see Copy of minutes

    Impact Statements:
    1. see Copy of minutes
    Last Modified: 03-Mar-2010

    Date of Annual Report: 01/05/2011

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 01/05/11 to 01/05/11
  • Period the Report Covers: 10/2009 to 09/2010

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
    The meeting started promptly at 5:30 pm and ended at 6:49 pm. Brief presentations were made from state representatives regarding the research and outreach that was conducted over the past year. The following is a brief synopsis of the individual reports. Dr. John Skinner served as secretary and recorded these minutes.

    Accomplishments:
    MA: 1) Focus on native pollinator health. May have evidence for pathogen overflow from honey bees to native pollinators. 2) Assessing factors that determine abundance and diversity of native bees in cranberry landscapes. 3) Assessing pathogen diversity and loads in honey bees that have been exposed to sub-lethal levels of imidacloprid in blueberry flowers.

    ME: 1) Investigating the effects of sub-lethal doses of imidacloprid and acetamiprid on bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) and honey bees. Bumble bee brood rearing is set back initially with exposure to high levels of imidacloprid (applications made during bloom), but by the end of the summer bumble bee colonies that were exposed to imidacloprid residues caught up in population size to those colonies that were not exposed. Exposure of honey bees to sub-lethal doses of imidacloprid and acetamiprid, separately, did not exhibit any long lasting effects going into the winter and there were no differences in overwintering survival of the two treatment groups. CN: Pollen trapping for analysis of pesticide levels in honey bee exposure levels are on going throughout the state.

    MN: 1) Focus of the properties of propolis in regards to its bioactivity against pathogens. 2) Development of honey bee cell culture is progressing well and virus can be grown in culture now for experimentation. 3) Investigating landscape effects on honey bee nutrition and productivity of colonies. 4) Working with queen breeders to develop high quality queens. SC: 1) Continue development of small hive beetle trap. 2) Finish small hive beetle IPM guide.

    PA: 1) Distribution and abundance of viruses in different castes and age classes of honey bees, 2) Relationship between small hive beetle and yeasts in the hive. 3) Impact of viruses on honey bee survival. 4) Pathogen prevalence in Africa. 5) Interactions of viruses with other pests. 5) survey of CCD throughout the U.S. 6) Effects of inert pesticide ingredients on honey bee survival and health. 7) Interactions between fungicides and viruses. 8) Viability of viruses found in pollen. KY: 1) Focus on Nosema ceranae. Development of stains to evaluate viability of spores, investigation of north  south gradients of N. ceranae, and the use and effectiveness of Fumidil for control of N. ceranae. GA: 1) Focus on colony density and varroa infestation levels. 2) Effect of bee pathogens on efficacy of pollination.

    NC: 1) Determine factors that drive mating choice and polyandry. 2) Identify collective behaviors involved in supercedure. 3) Pollination ecology of highbush blueberry.

    USDA/TX: 1) Focus is on Nosema spp. infections and bee survival. 2) Chalkbroos reproduction. 3) Effects of Varroa on bee immune system. 4) Biology of small hive beetle.

    MI: 1) Focus on Nosema spp., effect of pollen nutrition and Nosema infection and consequences of mixed N. ceranae and N. apis infections. 2) Pesticide effects on learning.

    OR: 1) Focus on pollen nutrition and flight, colony growth, and bee physiology. 2) Efficacy of brood pheromone for pollination of non-preferred flowers.

    WA: 1) Focus on germ plasm, genetic diversity, and breeding. 2) Development of ELISA test for Nosema spp. 3) Continue to manage diagnostic lab for Nosema and mites.

    IN: 1) Development of QTL mapping for future brreding for resistance to Varroa and IAPV. 2) Map traits for grooming. 3) Assessed degree of colony loss in 2010 when bees exposed to clothianidin.

    NE: 1) Floral plantings and native bee diversity. 2) Sub-lethal effects of pesticides on queen fertility. 3) Use of micro-arrays to assess sub-lethal effects of pesticides

    CA: 1) Exposure of honey bees to pesticides in nectar and pollen in citrus. 2) Bee dance language investigations and swarm decision making.

    Discussions followed the state reports about the format for the next annual meeting in 2012 and the nature of a cooperative project proposed by Dr. David Tarpy (NC). Dr. Drummond solicited ideas from the group about possible alternatives for the next annual meeting format. He suggested two potential formats and asked the group to think about other possibilities. The formats proposed were: 1) each NC1173 member to bring a single graph that represents a significant aspect of bee health as a talking point. It was suggested that this manner of presentation might stimulate more discussion among members; and 2) that a group of members be given the task to summarize the state a single topic characterizing bee health so that an in-depth discussion would pursue along this single topic and allow all members to fully appreciate where research has been focused and where research is currently lacking. Dr. Tarpy proposed that a matrix be developed that depicts the fields of investigation that each member is pursuing and where cooperative joint efforts are underway. He agreed to take the lead on initiating this project.

    Impact Statements:
    Last Modified: 07-Dec-2011

    Date of Annual Report: 02/13/2012

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 02/07/12 to 02/07/12
  • Period the Report Covers: 10/2010 to 09/2011

    • Participants:

    URL: Copy of participant list
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:

    URL: Copy of minutes
    Accomplishments:
    1. high-resolution maps of the honey bee genome allowed us to target two key traits for Varroa mite resistance. A chromosomal region was mapped that influences mite-grooming behavior and other regions were mapped for Varroa sensitive hygiene (VSH). Both of these traits are difficult to assay for in breeding programs and molecular markers for the genes could speed breeding for mite resistance. The region identified for grooming behavior included only 19 genes. These genes for hygienic behavior have been mapped as a quantitative trait loci (QTL). 2. quantified synergistic effects of miticides, other pesticides, and antimicrobials and found that many of the recommended miticides put in hives to control Varroa mite interact synergistically with other pesticides such as some fungicides to cause high levels of mortality. 3. local queen breeding has been initiated in both PA and IN 4. mechanism and genetic basis of Nosema pathogenicity&alters behavioral maturation, but not immune response in bee 5. demonstrated that Varroa mite reduces weight and the sugar content in their honey bee larval hosts. In addition, evidence was obtained suggesting that Varroa-infested pupae have reduced content of the key sulfur amino acid, methionine. 6. a novel route of exposure to the insecticide clothianidin was identified. Talc from planters expelled into the environment-contained concentrations of clothianidin a million times higher than the lethal dose (LD50) for honey bees (~3ng). As virtually all corn seed in the Midwest is treated, this represents hundreds of thousands of kilograms of this material entering the environment each year with high potential to expose bees. 7. pollen analysis and within-hive chemical properties showed that pyrethroids are a much greater threat than neonicotinoids as mortality agents of hone bees. 8. select inert ingredients that are incorporated as adjuvants in formulated pesticides have been found to be highly toxic to both adult and larval honey bees. This is highly significant since many of these inerts are used in broad classes of pesticides of which honey bees are exposed. 9. a NC Master Beekeeper Program (MBP) has been started. Its purpose is to provide valuable information to beekeepers and the public through various outreach services.

    Impact Statements:
    1. " beekeepers all over the U.S. are participating in a national FDA trial on using RNAi technology to control Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus in honey bee colonies. This particular study has laid the foundation for RNAi control of nosema and varroa (series of projects underway now) and may fundamentally change the strategies used to control pests and pathogens in honey bee colonies.
    2. " a comprehensive study of synergistic interactions between drugs and miticides used in beekeeping was completed and made available to beekeepers. The study provides beekeepers a research-based guide for avoiding harmful synergistic interactions when honey bees are exposed to more than one drug or miticide. The study also included how varroacides interact with selected fungicides applied to orchard crops.
    3. " the CAP project has focused on publishing a Best Management Practices guide, educational videos, and health bulletins for beekeepers at the eXtension.org site - a repository of peer-reviewed information at [ http://www.extension.org/bee_health ]
    4. " developed toxicology methodologies are being used by state, national, and international agencies that regulate the use of pesticides. For example, in 2011 I attended a SETAC Pellston Conference on pesticide risk assessments. During this conference, scientists, regulators, government officials, and industry representatives worked to standardize risk assessment measures for pesticides, thus affecting a change in pesticide registration.
    5. " Mid-west Extension efforts are underway to change planting methods of corn using talc in the planting box to minimize exposure to neonicotinoid seed treatments. This impact will have immediate effects on the way that corn growers in the mid-west plant corn. Also, public concern about the way corn is planted has led to a re-examination of the issue by the EPA.
    6. " because of our efforts and research the NC Master Beekeeping Program now has over 6,400 members and ~50% have been active (i.e., have shown some progress in their educational training) in the last 8 years. The active participants of the MBP have accounted for thousands of hours in volunteer time and services, promoting the value of honey bees to North Carolina agriculture and saving taxpayers an estimated $5.6M in extension-related activities since 2003. In addition to increasing the overall number of beekeepers in the state (see above), we have attracted dozens of large- and small-scale beekeepers to provide pollination services to NC growers.
    7. " the selection for mite-grooming behavior at Purdue benefitted from a partnership with the Indiana State Beekeepers Association and Clover Blossom Honey Company. Approximately 1,500 queens from the program were used in hives in Indiana. Coordination with local beekeeping associations aided distribution of queen cells. It will now be possible to expand the population base for selection and incorporate multiple resistance traits to decrease loss of hives from Varroa mite parasitism.
    8. grants - " 2010 "Behavioral, physiological and molecular effects of multiple factors impacting honey bee health". PDs: Christina Grozinger and Jim Tumlinson USDA-AFRI, $398,871. " 2010 Epigenetic gene regulation in the social bee, Apis mellifera. PDs: Soojin Yi and Michael Goodismen (Georgia Tech University), Co-PD: Christina Grozinger, NSF-MCB grant $260,779 (to Penn State).
    9. grants - " 2010 "Sustainable Solutions for Preserving Pollinator Health in East Africa". PDs: Jim Tumlinson, Jim Frazier, Maryann Frazier, Christina Grozinger, Harland Patch (Penn State) and Eluid Muli and Dan Masiga (icipe, Nairobi, Kenya) have received an NSF-BREAD Grant $397,181. " 2010 Exploring using RNAi as a method for controlling Varroa destructor. PDs: Huang, Z.Y. and Z. Xi. The Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, Inc, $14,850.
    10. grants - " 2010 Exploring using RNAi as a method for controlling Varroa destructor. PDs: Huang, Z.Y. and Z. Xi. National Honey Board, $20,190, " 2010 Exploring using RNAi as a method for controlling Varroa destructor. PDs: Huang, Z.Y. and Z. Xi. Almond Board of California, $17,000. " 2010 Toxicity of various pyrethroid insecticides to Varroa mites. PDs: Huang, Z.Y., K. Dong, Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs, MSU, $30,000.
    11. grants - " 2010 Effect of endoparasites, Nosema spp, on honey bee behavior and physiology, PD: Huang, Z.Y. Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs, MSU, $15,000. " 2010 Determining the Role of and Limiting Factors Facing Native Pollinators in Assuring Quality Apple Production in Pennsylvania; a Model for the Mid-Atlantic Tree Fruit Industry. PD  D. Biddinger & E. Rajotte, Co-PIs: M. Frazier, J. Schupp, D. Mortenson, J. Frazier, C. Mullin, T. Leslie, & M. Vaughn.  USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative 3-year Research & Extension Grant, $1,380,000.
    12. grants - " 2011 Pesticide nosema interactions across developmental stages of honey bees, PD: Huang, Z.Y. Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs, MSU, $12,000. " 2011 Are workers previously exposed as larvae to pesticides more susceptible to Nosema ceranae?, PD: Huang, Z.Y. 2011, National Honey Board, $13,080. " 2011. Field exposure to propiconazole fungicides in blueberry, PI: F. Drummond, Wyman & Sons, $10,000.
    13. grants - " 2011 Molecular and behavioral studies of host-parasite interactions in honey bees. PI: H. Holt. Mentor: C. Grozinger. NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. $121,500. " 2011 Developing Information for Vegetable Growers on the Squash Bee and on Floral Resources for Pollinators. PI: K. Stoner, Natural Resource Conservation Service - CT office Conservation Improvement Grant. $75,000. " 2011 Quantifying routes of exposure of honeybees to neonicotinoid seed treatments of corn. PIs: Christian Krupke, Greg Hunt, and Brian Eitzer. NAPCC, $9,000.
    14. grants - " 2011 "Multifunctional cover crop cocktails for organic systems" PI Jason Kaye and Co-PIs M. Barbercheck, S. Cornelisse, T. DuPont, D. Hartman, M. Hautau, D. Luthe, D. Mortensen, M. Schipanski, and C. White, USDA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative Grant, $2,300,000. " 2011 Native Pollinators of Eastern Apple Orchards and How to Conserve Them. Northeast IPM Center IPM Partnership PD John Losey  Cornell University, PIs  Cornell  A. Agnello & M. Park, Penn State University  D. Biddinger & E. Rajotte. Northeast IPM Center IPM Partnership, $19,923.
    15. grants - " 2011 National Conservation Innovation Grant. PDs: David Biddinger and Ed Rajotte, USDA-NRCS in partnership with the Xerces Society, $45,000. " 2011 Honey bee toxic interactions with formulation inerts and pesticide residues frequently found in U.S. apiaries. PDs: Mullin, C. A.; Frazier, J. L.; Frazier, M. T., USDA/AFRI Competitive Grant, $297,000.
    Last Modified: 11-Apr-2012

    Date of Annual Report: 02/27/2013

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 01/10/13 to 01/11/13
  • Period the Report Covers: 10/2011 to 09/2013

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
    Please see attached "Copy of Minutes" file for NC1173's recent meeting minutes and full 2012 annual report.


    URL: Copy of minutes

    Accomplishments:

    Impact Statements:
    Last Modified: 28-Feb-2013
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