| Project Apis m. Funds Honey Bee Research Posted: 22 Jan 2009 01:16 PM PST  Project Apis m. (PAm) is a nonprofit organization established in December 2006 to fund and direct research aimed at improving both the health of honey bee colonies and crop production. Active parties include representatives of the American Honey Producers Association (APHA), the American Beekeeping Federation (ABF), the National Honey Board (NHB), California State Beekeepers Association (CSBA), and California almond farmers.
Following are some highlights from the latest newsletter, available on the group’s “new and improved” website (www.projectapism.org) :
- Project Research — PAm is studying the movement of neonicotinoid insecticides into pollen and nectar, and helping to fund a Bee Diagnostics Center at Washington State University (WSU).
- Follow a 4-Step Program for keeping bees healthy — Dr. Marla Spivak, Apiculture and Social Insect Professor at UMN, promotes a 4-Step Program to keep bees healthy. These four steps include:
- Knowledge – know the clinical symptoms of bee diseases and pests and their life cycle as they relate to honey bees,
- Prevention – how can YOU, the beekeeper, take control in areas where you can thwart pest and disease transmission (i.e., replace combs, locate colonies in remote areas, feed bees well in times of dearth),
- Prevention – what can BEES themselves do on their own to limit pest and disease transmission (use bees selected for resistant traits), and
- Control – use chemical controls only as a last resort.
- New virus discovery in US honeybees — Varroa Destructor Virus 1 (VDV-1) has been discovered in US honeybees. This virus was discovered among bees in Europe in 2006. It is carried by both honey bees and varroa mites.
The group’s emphasis is on research studies with “realistic and practical usefulness for beekeeping businesses,” and the News and Research sections will be of some interest to beekeepers in general. Post from: Central Beekeepers Alliance  |
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