Floridamelitto files

Joint publication:

Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

University of Florida/ Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences

VOL 9 | ISSUE 3News for bee lovers

July - September 2015

AFRICAN HONEY BEES have replaced feral European honey bees in many regions of South America, Central America, and Mexico since their introduction into Brazil. Surprisingly, this expansion has occurred by way of unbroken African maternal lineages. Researchers have hypothesized that African maternal lineages have persisted due to advantageous African traits such as rapid colony growth, high swarming rates, frequent absconding, long distance swarm movement, decreased susceptibility to pest and pathogens, and usurpation of established European colonies.

Usurpation occurs when a swarm (containing a mated queen) invades an occupied colony, kills the resident queen, and introduces its own queen who begins to lay eggs. This behavior is not well understood; there has been little systematic study of usurpation and the reported annual frequencies vary from 0 to 30%. Furthermore, very few people have witnessed a usurpation event.

The African honey bee population in the southeastern U.S. is permanently established only in south and central Florida. Furthermore, the African population’s expansion northward has been stable in central Florida since 2005. We hypothesized that usurpation of managed European colonies by African matriline swarms occurs at low frequencies in Florida’s managed apiaries. To test this hypothesis we monitored 288 commercial honey bee colonies for one year.

We used a combination of morphometric (FABIS) and molecular analysis to test

each colony for Africanization in March, June, September, and December. No usurpations were observed which suggests that usurpation does not play a significant role in the perpetuation of African maternal lineages at the northern front of the African population in the southeastern United States.

Hybridization of European queens was detected at each collection time (Table 1). The highest frequency of hybridization was in March then declined through June, September, and December. The pattern of hybridization appears to mirror the honey bee swarming season. Swarming colonies produce virgin queens that mate with regional drones. In areas hosting African drones, such as central Florida, it is likely that the frequency of hybridization would increase during the swarming season.

The central Florida honey bee population offers a unique opportunity for understanding the interactions of African and European honey bee populations and Africanization. We suspect substantial hybridization is occurring in this region. Further experimentation promises to offer valuable insight into the dynamics of the African and European honey bee populations and possible mechanisms contributing to the successful preservation of African maternal lineages and phenotypes in the population.

See the full scientific article here: Mortensen, A, JD Ellis. 2015. The frequency of African (Apis mellifera scutellata) matrilineal usurpation of managed European-derived honey bee (A. mellifera L.) colonies in the southeastern United States. Insectes Sociaux 62 (2): 151-155. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00040-014-0383-1

Are Managed European Honey Bee Colonies Usurped by African Swarms in the SE United States?Ashley Mortensen — University of Florida Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory

Sample month

March

June

September

December

No. hybridized

22

11

11

5

Total no. of colonies

22

11

11

5

Proportion of colonies hybridized (%)

22

11

11

5

Table 1. Frequency of usurpation and hybridization events in commercial European honey bee colonies in central Florida by sample month.

Note: There was a significant effect of sample period on the number of hybridized colonies observed, c2(3, N=1064) = 10.52, p=0.01.

Florida Melitto Files | News for Bee Lovers

GREETINGS from the Bee Informed Partnership! Summer is upon us and it is a hot one! I, however, had the opportunity to travel north to Maine to escape the Florida heat sample honey bee colonies during wild blueberry pollination. I knew wild blueberry production was completely different from our high-bush blueberry farming, but it is quite an experience to see it firsthand.

The main reason for the trip was to continue a project that focuses on monitoring colony health before, during and after pollination to see the possible side effects of pesticide exposure among other factors contributing to the decline in colony health during the summer. Upon arrival I was a bit concerned that the weather would be an issue (I stepped off the plane into rain and a high of 52F). It cleared up but remained cool the rest of the trip.

And, of course, the tables below illustrate data we’ve been seeing this quarter in terms of Varroa and Nosema levels. It would appear the infestation levels are creeping up, so be sure and monitor your colonies and respond accordingly. Happy Summer Solstice!

Bee Informed Partnership ActivitiesLiana Teigen — University of Florida Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory

Photos, clockwise from top left: Honey bees in holding yard for wild blueberry pollination in Maine.Honey bee on blueberry blossom.Bee Informed Partnership Tech-Transfer Team sampling migratory colonies in Maine.

POLLINATORS worldwide — including honey bees, Apis mellifera — are afflicted with bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens that destructively spread throughout a colony and often to nearby colonies. Pathogens are considered one of the leading factors associated with general colony losses. In this study, we hypothesized that non-Apis bees and wasps (Hymenoptera) may encounter pathogens associated with honey bees while visiting flowers, a situation that may be conducive to the transmission of honey bee pathogens. To address our hypothesis, we used molecular techniques to assess the presence of honey bee–associated pathogens among bees and wasps foraging in north central Florida.

Target hymenopteran species were collected from the forage landscape and, using PCR, were screened for chalkbrood (Ascosphaera apis), American foulbrood (Paenibacillus larvae), European foulbrood (Melissococcus pluton), Nosema spp. (N. apis, N. bombi, and N. ceranae), and seven viruses: acute bee paralysis

Florida Pathogen Association StudyAshlyn Wedde — University of Florida Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory

virus, or ABPV, black queen cell virus, or BQCV, chronic bee paralysis virus, or CBPV, deformed wing virus, or DWV, Israeli acute paralysis virus, or IAPV, Kashmir bee virus, or KBV, and sacbrood virus, or SBV. Pathogen association with the bees and wasps was compared to that with local honey bees collected using the same techniques at the same collection sites.

More than half of the adult bee and wasp samples collected were associated with one or more of the pathogens, with a large number of those being honey bees. Pathogen frequency varied greatly among the collection sites. The diverse species of bees and wasps also had different levels of association with the various pathogens. Understanding the distribution of honey bee pathogens in the local forage landscape will help direct future research addressing the honey bee pathosphere in an ecological context.

Further information will be available from this study later this year. We look forwarding to sharing the results with you!

Bee with DWV

Nosema spores

Chalkbrood

Photo of honey bee with deformed wing virus and photo of dead bees were taken by Shawn Caza.Nosema spores photo was taken by Michael Palmer. Chalkbrood photo was taken by Stephen Ausmus, USDA/ARS.

August 14-15

July - September 2015

I Have a Hive! I Am a Beekeeper! Now, How Do I Make it Official?Caitlin Gill — Apiary Inspection Supervisor and District 13 Inspector, FDACS

YOU HAVE THE HIVE, you have the equipment, and you signed up for UF Bee College, but what is next? To make your beekeeper status legal you must register with the state of Florida. We have surpassed 3,850 registered beekeepers in the state of Florida and are continuing to grow! We have a wealth of information on our Fresh from Florida1 website. Here you can locate your inspector, find regulations for beekeeping, and other general information.

Becoming a registered beekeeper is a fairly simple process. You must submit an Application for Beekeeping Registration with your signature, along with a check or money order for the number of colonies that you own. This information can be accessed on the beekeeping registration2 web page.

After submission of payment and the application to the Division of Plant Industry Gainesville office, you will become registered in our system and your inspector will contact you for an annual inspection. Your Certification of Registration will arrive in the mail approximately three to four weeks after submission of your application.

This Certificate of Registration will indicate your Florida Registration Number. This number must be place on each hive in letters at least half an inch tall on the face of the brood chamber. This will indicate that this hive belongs and is registered to you. You will want to keep a copy of this certificate in the vehicle if you are transporting hives within the state of Florida should you need to prove that you are a registered beekeeper to law enforcement.

There is an additional number on this certificate that is your Firm Number. You can use this number to set up an account online to pay your annual fee when it arrives in the mail. The annual fee invoice will arrive to your mailing address similar to a yellow postcard.

If there are ever any questions about the fee payment process or inspection process, you can always contact your local inspector or the Apiary Inspection Office in Gainesville at (352)395-4633. Good luck with your beekeeping endeavor!

1 http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Plant-Industry/Bureaus-and-Services/Bureau-of-Plant-and-Apiary-Inspection/Apiary-Inspection

2 http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Plant-Industry/Business-Services/Registrations-and-Certifications/Beekeeper-Registration

Florida Melitto Files | News for Bee Lovers

Please join us for the 3rd Annual South Florida Bee CollegeSFBC is a two-day educational event that offers classes for beekeepers of all ages and experience levels, gardeners, naturalists, county agents, and anyone else interested in honey bees. You do not have to keep bees to attend; the only prerequisite is your interest in the subject!

Even if you have attended a UF Bee College before, we are sure you will find the South Florida Bee College in Broward County just as fulfilling. SFBC is filled with food, fun, and plenty of hands-on learning experiences at the Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center in Davie, Florida. Visit them online at http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/.

There will be live hives, beekeeping gear, informational lectures, hands-on workshops, beekeeping vendors, and a wide variety of classes to choose from. There will also be a 21-class Honey Show, where you can enter your honey, crafts, art, and more for awards and the title of “best honey in South Florida!”

The venue is only 20 minutes from beautiful Ft. Lauderdale Beach. What a great way to spend a long weekend on the coast — learning about honey bees with some of the country’s experts! Register online TODAY!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/south-florida-bee-college-2015-registration-14898666312

August 14-15, 2015 Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center3205 College Avenue Davie, Florida 33314

July - September 2015

Introducing New Postdocs At the Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

Dr. Joshua CampbelltDear bee enthusiasts: I grew up in the great state of Alabama, where I found a love for insects, animals, rocks and anything else found in the woods. I completed my undergraduate degrees in zoology and geology at Auburn University, and my PhD in entomology at the University of Georgia, where I examined forest management practices (e.g. prescribed burns) on pollinator abundance and richness. After graduating I began teaching entomology and ecology classes at High Point University in North Carolina. Although I enjoyed teaching, I decided that I wanted to switch career paths and focus on bee research.

Within Dr. Jamie Ellis’s lab I will be working on two projects. The first project, “Operation Pollinator,” is examining small wildflower plots and how they potentially impact native bee and other insect abundances and richness. This research will give landowners information about how planting wildflower plots could impact their nearby crops and other ornamentals. The second project is looking at a new pesticide, Sivanto, designed to kill the recently introduced Asian citrus psyllid bug. I will be running a field trial using buckwheat to determine whether Sivanto poses any threat to honey bees and other beneficial insects.

I am very happy to be at the University of Florida accomplishing exciting research and working with great people. I look forward to meeting other bee enthusiasts at meetings and other beekeeping events.

Dr. Amin EimanifartI obtained my Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in 2004 from Urmia University, Iran. During my professional veterinary training, I gained extensive knowledge on zoology, biology and diseases of different animals, including honey bees. Over time, I became interested in learning more about arthropods, including their pattern of speciation and evolutionary history.

Those interests led me to pursue my veterinary dissertation in the world of molecular marker technologies. For this purpose, I chose a tiny crustacean, the brine shrimp Artemia (Arthropoda, Anostraca, Crustacea), as a model organism to address various questions of interest to me. This led me to pursue and received my Ph.D. degree in biology and natural sciences from Heidelberg University, Germany, in 2014.

Recently, I accepted a position as a postdoctoral research associate in Dr. James Ellis’ group at the Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory (HBREL), University of Florida. Over my career, I have conducted numerous research projects that involved application of molecular marker techniques toward a greater understanding of genetic diversity, population genetic structure and phylogeography of non-model and model organisms.

My extensive activities have resulted in numerous publications in international peer-reviewed journals. Major themes of my efforts are to apply population genetic (RFLP’s, RAPD’s, ISSR’s and multiplex microsatellite) and DNA sequencing approaches (mtDNA sequencing, SNPs genotyping and NGS-RAD sequencing) to reconstruct phylogenetic trees, determine population differentiation patterns and elucidate the evolutionary history and diversification patterns of organisms inhabiting diverse ecosystems.

In my current appointment at UF, I am concentrating on the genetic diversity, genetic structure, and evolutionary genomics of Cape and African honey bee populations. The primary purpose of my project is to support the development of a genetic technique that can be used to identify potentially invasive honey bee species and subspecies.

Florida Melitto Files | News for Bee Lovers

DACS-P-01492

David WesterveltBureau of Plant and Apiary InspectionDivision of Plant Industry

1911 SW 34th StreetPO Box 147100Gainesville, FL 32614-7100352-395-4635David.Westervelt@freshfromflorida.com

http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Agriculture-Industry/Search-by-Industry/Bees-Apiary/Apiary-Inspection

Jamie Ellis, Ph.D.University of Florida Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences

Bldg. 970, Natural Area DrivePO Box 110620Gainesville, FL 32611-0620352-273-3924jdellis@ufl.edu

www.Afbee.comwww.ufhoneybee.comhttp://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/

Follow us on twitter @UFhoneybeelab

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The reclusive beekeeper who co-founded Burt’s Bees, and whose face and wild beard appeared on labels for the natural cosmetics, died on Sunday, July 5. Burt Shavitz was 80.

A spokeswoman for Burt’s Bees said in an emailed statement Shavtiz died of respiratory complications in Bangor, Maine, surrounded by family and friends.

Shavitz was a hippie making a living by selling honey when his life was altered by a chance encounter with a hitchhiking Roxanne Quimby. She was a single mother and a back-to-the-lander who impressed Shavitz with her ingenuity and self-sufficiency.

In the 1980s she began making products from his beeswax, and they became partners.

The business partnership ended after Quimby moved the company to North Carolina in 1994. The company continued to expand, but Shavitz moved back to Maine. He has said he was forced out after having an affair with an employee. In 2007, Clorox purchased Burt’s Bees for $925 million.

“Burt was an enigma; my mentor and my muse. I am deeply saddened,” Quimby told The Associated Press in an email.

Shavitz received an undisclosed settlement — and 37 acres in remote corner of Maine. He also continued to make appearances on behalf of the company.

“What I have in this situation is no regret,” he said last year while sitting in a rocking chair in his home in Parkman. “The bottom line is she’s got her world and I’ve got mine, and we let it go at that.”

Though he is known for being a character from the backwoods of Maine, Shavitz grew up around New York, served in the Army in Germany and shot photos for Time-Life before leaving the city.

He tried leaving Maine once before, spending a winter on a warm island, but was drawn back to the state. The reclusive former beekeeper was the subject of a documentary, “Burt’s Buzz.”

“Burt was a complex man who sought a simple life in pace with the seasons of nature on his land,” the company said in a statement. “If there is one thing we will remember from Burt’s life, in our fast-paced, high-tech culture, it’s to never lose sight of our relationship with nature.”

In recent years, Shavitz lived in a cluttered house with no running water. A converted turkey coop that used to be his home remained on his property. He liked passing the time by watching wildlife.

Death of Beekeeping Legend Burt ShavitzPhoto of Burt Shavitz by Robert F. Bukaty