Friday 17 September 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - Antibiotics Found In Honey, Again...

WINTERING WEBINAR

Our next webinar will have a slightly different format than those you’ve seen in the past. Get comfortable because it will be two hours long. The first hour will focus on overwintering bees. We will discuss location (urban, rural), pests and predators, feeding, temperature extremes, as well as much more. This discussion features  Michael Palmer, a commercial beekeeper in northern Vermont, to help us with the northern climates, and Harry Fulton, retired State Apiarist from Mississippi, who will bring the southern perspective. To fill in the bits and pieces, Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture Magazine will be joining us. That is the first hour. The second hour will be a panel discussion of sorts on all things beekeeping. We have had numerous requests for just an Q;& A session. With this panel, there is not a question they won't be able to answer.

This Webinar is brought to you courtesy of Brushy Mountain Bee Farm

Overwintering bees and Panel Discussion
Date: Sept 21, 2010
Time: 6:00-8:00PM EST
Space is limited. Registration is free so reserve your Webinar seat now at: For more information and registration Click Here

 

CATCH THE BUZZ

By Alan Harman

  

Two international honey brands are claimed to have been found with antibiotic levels well above legal limits.

   India’s Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says Australia’s Capilano Honey Ltd.’s Capilano Pure and Natural Honey brand had three antibiotics detected, while Switzerland-based Narimpex AG’s Nectaflor Natural Blossom Honey brand had five antibiotics.

   The Press Trust of India news agency reports Capilano denies its honey contains higher level of antibiotics than the prescribed standards and suggests the sample may have been counterfeit.

   A Capilano statement says its own test results on the batches of honey identified by the dates on the packaging of the product identified in reports, show no detection of the residues alleged to be in the honey.

   “The company had found counterfeit products previously in Thailand and Indonesia where it had been copied to the extent that it was neither Capilano honey, nor even a product from Australia,” Capilano Managing Director Roger Masters said.

   “Recently, Capilano objected to trademark applications commenced in India to register a look-alike name Capilona.”

   CSE, a public interest research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi, says its pollution monitoring lab tested 12 branded honey samples for six antibiotics and found antibiotics in 11 samples. The tested samples were bought randomly from various markets in Delhi in July 2009. Ten were Indian brands and two were imported brands.

   The six antibiotics that PML looked for were oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, erythromycin, enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin.

   The CSE says Capilano’s sample had 150.8 micrograms per kg of oxytetracycline, 15 times more than the 10 micrograms per kg set by the India Export Inspection Council.

   The sample also had 3.6 micrograms per kg of chloramphenicol, compared to the 0.3 micrograms per kg set by the council.

   The test also found 144.8 micrograms per kg of enrofloxacin, for which the council does not set a limit.

   Narimpex’s sample returned 112 micrograms per kg for oxytetracycline; 3.7 micrograms per kg for chloramphenicol; 614.2 micrograms per kg for ampicillin; 56.1 micrograms per kg for enrofloxacin; and 280.3 micrograms per kg for erythromycin.

   The CSE says the leading Indian honey producers - Dabur, Baidyanath, Patanjali Ayurveda, Khadi, Himalaya – all had two to four antibiotics in their products, much above the stipulated standards.

   But CSE director Sunita Narain says in a statement what is even worse and shows the regulatory double-standards is that the two foreign brands tested by CSE – from Australia and Switzerland – had high levels of antibiotics and would certainly be illegal in their own countries.

   “It is clear that foreign companies are taking advantage of the lack of regulations in India,” Narain says. “After all, if our government does not care about the health of its people, why should these companies care?

   “We have standards for antibiotic contamination in the honey we export. Government even tests and certifies that exported honey meets health and safety regulations. But we do not have any standards for domestic honey. This is clearly unacceptable.”

   “The Capilano Pure & Natural Honey sample was found to contain three antibiotics and was non-compliant with the EIC export standards as well as some standards imposed in Australia itself,” the CSE statement says.

   “The fact that more than one antibiotic was found in the samples indicates the prevalent practice is to collect honey from different sources and then blend them before packing and distributing for sale. This brings into question the issue of traceability of honey.”

   Oxytetracycline was found in 50% of the samples in the range of 27 to 250 micrograms per kg.

   Chloramphenicol, banned by the EU, was found in 25% of the samples with levels nine to 15 times higher than the 0.3 micrograms per kg standard fixed by the EIC.

   Ampicillin was found in 67% of the samples at a concentration of 10 to 614 micrograms per kg. CSE says there is no standard for ampicillin in honey in any country because it is not supposed to be used in beekeeping. It is, therefore, an unauthorized or illegal substance in honey.

   Similarly, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin, which do not have any standards, are being illegally used.

   The results of the tests on the Indian brands were not a shock. The European Union in June banned Indian honey from entering any of its 27 member countries because consignments were found to be contaminated with antibiotics and heavy metals.

   The CSE says the business of honey collection has changed – from small producers to large cartels of honey producers contracting small producers and pushing for high productivity and profits.

   “The business is no longer that of health,” the CSE says. “Besides the presence of the contaminants, investigations by CSE have also exposed the murky underbelly of the international honey trade, where fraud, deceit and illegal trade practices rule the roost.”

Build an entire bee hive with just a table saw. Go to Garreson Publishing. Books by Peter Sieling.

Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here Protein feeding pays off with better health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.  

FREE -  Kelley Bees Modern Beekeeping Monthly Newsletter Quality Top Bar Hives by

Gold Star Honeybees - good for you, good for your bees, good for the planet.  Check us out at www.goldstarhoneybees.com.

Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

Check out the Biggest Honey Show there is this fall at www.honeyshow.co.uk

 This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.

Read an EXCLUSIVE CHAPTER from Tom Seeley’s new book Honey Bee Democracy, only on Bee Culture’s web page Here!

 

CATCH THE BUZZ - CCD PILOT SURVEY SUMMARY

 

Our next webinar will have a slightly different format than those you’ve seen in the past. Get comfortable because it will be two hours long. The first hour will focus on overwintering bees. We will discuss location (urban, rural), pests and predators, feeding, temperature extremes, as well as much more. This discussion features  Michael Palmer, a commercial beekeeper in northern Vermont, to help us with the northern climates, and Harry Fulton, retired State Apiarist from Mississippi, who will bring the southern perspective. To fill in the bits and pieces, Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture Magazine will be joining us. That is the first hour. The second hour will be a panel discussion of sorts on all things beekeeping. We have had numerous requests for just an Q;& A session. With this panel, there is not a question they won't be able to answer .

This Webinar is brought to you courtesy of Brushy Mountain Bee Farm

Overwintering bees and Panel Discussion
Date: Sept 21, 2010
Time: 6:00-8:00PM EST
Space is limited. Registration is free so reserve your Webinar seat now at: For more information and registration Click Here

 CATCH THE BUZZ

The National Honey Bee Disease and Pest Survey:

2009 – 2010 Pilot Study Summary Report

 ROBYN ROSE USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service   

JERRY HAYES Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry

JEFF PETTIS, KAREN RENNICH, NATHAN RICE, DAWN LOPEZ, JAY EVANS, AND VIC LEVI , USDA Agricultural Research Service

DENNIS VANENGELSDORP, MICHAEL ANDEE, NISHIT PATEL , Pennsylvania State University

Executive summary

This pilot study was conducted to 1) validate and trouble shoot the sample collection process we proposed to use for a national survey effort, 2) assess the infrastructures related to shipping, storing and analyzing the specimens, and 3) gather baseline data for a broader survey of honey bee pests and pathogens that was initiated in 2010.  The participating states were California, Florida, and Hawaii and a total of 87 samples were collected. 

We found that our collection protocol worked well, and found that shipping lives bees is a good and viable alternative to collecting and shipping bees on dry ice; however, the rate of surviving bees decreases dramatically with transit times longer than 5 days. 

 In all, samples from 13 different organisms with known associations with managed honey bees were examined.  We found three viruses, Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV) and Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV) in all surveyed states.  Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV) and Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) were found in both California and Florida, but not in Hawaii.  Slow Paralysis Virus (SPV) was not found in any samples.  While N. ceranae was ubiquitous in all samples, N. apis was notably absent, none being detected in any samples.   Tracheal mites and Tropilaelaps mites were also not found in any samples. Varroa mites were found in all states, and were found particularly abundantly in some Hawaii samples. 

This survey was not designed to be comprehensive representation of the country, and the results should not be interpreted to mean the absence of certain pathogens in the US or in any one particular state.    

Introduction

A pilot survey of honey bee pests and diseases was funded in 2009 by the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and was concluded in 2010.  This survey was conducted in an attempt to document which bee diseases and parasites of honey bees are currently present in the U.S., and to examine all samples for Tropilaelaps, a parasitic mite not thought to be in the U.S.   This pilot survey was initiated to validate and trouble shoot the sample collection process, assess the infrastructures related to shipping, storing and analyzing the specimens, and to gather baseline data for a broader survey of honey bee pests and pathogens that was initiated in 2010. The three states surveyed by this limited effort were California, Hawaii and Florida and a total of 87 apiaries, representing 696 colonies were sampled.  

California, Florida and Hawaii were chosen because they represent high-risk areas that have many potential ports of entry, long growing seasons, and diverse agricultural crops.  Twenty-five samples were collected from different voluntary apiaries throughout Florida, and fourteen samples from Hawaii.  Forty eight samples were collected from California, twenty seven from hives originating in that state and twenty one from migratory beekeepers who were in California under pollination contracts or other reasons.

Coordination of this survey is in collaboration with USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Bee Research Lab (BRL) in Beltsville, MD, Pennsylvania State University (PSU), the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and USDA APHIS.  

 Survey Description

Live samples taken in the field were sent to USDA BRL and immediately frozen at -800C upon arrival.  The frozen samples were held until molecular analysis was conducted.  Molecular testing of the samples was focused on identifying the following viruses, and pathogens:

1. Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV)

2. Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV)

3. Deformed Wing Virus (DWV)

4. Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV)

5. Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV)

6. Slow Paralysis Virus (SPV)

7. Trypanosome sp.

8. Nosema ceranae

9. Nosema apis

The samples taken at the apiaries and preserved in alcohol were later inspected using microscopic analysis at Pennsylvania State University and USDA BRL to:

1. Quantify Nosema spores

2. Quantify Tracheal Mites loads

3. Detect Tropilaelaps Mites

4. Quantify Varroa Mite loads

Beekeepers participating in this survey were provided with a summary report on the average apiary level Nosema, tracheal mites, and Varroa loads in addition to the presence or absence of

Tropilaelaps.  This report was also furnished to each state-level apiary specialist. A separate report that presented the results from the molecular analysis of the sampled bees was distributed to the participating beekeepers and state-level apiary specialists. This report provided the participant with a positive or negative result for the six bee viruses targeted, the two Nosema species targeted, and the presence or absence of Trypanosome in the sampled apiary.

Part of the survey included a visual inspection of the hives before sampling; therefore, the presence of the following symptoms, pests and brood diseases was also recorded, but not analyzed, at the apiaries for each sample taken:

1. American Foul Brood

2. Black Shiny Bees

3. Chalkbrood

4. Deformed Wing Virus

5. European Foul Brood

6. Parasitic Mite Syndrome

7. Sac Brood

8. Small Hive Beetle Adults/Larvae

9. Wax Moth Adults/Larvae

Evaluation of sampling protocol

Live bees were shipped via the U.S. Postal service from each apiary to Beltsville, MD for molecular testing.  In each live bee ‘kit’ was a petri dish that contained both a small amount of water and some hard “queen” candy for food for the bees. This kit contained approximately 12000 live adult bees at sampling time. The percentage of bees lost in transit was directly affected by the length of time samples were in transit.  There was a noticeable decline in the percentage of live bees surviving in sampling boxes when they took 5 days or longer to arrive.  It is not known whether this was due to temperatures experienced during shipping or a lack of food or water or a combination of all three variables. Survivability ranged from 90 – 100% after only 2 days in the mail, to  0 – less than 20% after 6 days in the mail.

Samples were drawn from south, central and northern California, and south, central northern and panhandle area of Florida.

Average Varroa load in all bees sampled was just over 2 mites/hundred bees, but the range was from 0 – 19 mites/100 bees. Nosema ceranae spore counts averaged just over a half million spores/bee, but ranged from 0 – over 4 million spores/bee.  Only moderate levels of IAPV, KBV, ABPV CBPV were found, buy average levels of DWV, Nosema ceranae and especially Trypansomes sp. Were elevated. No tracheal mites or tropilaelaps mites were found in any samples.

Conclusions

The sample protocol developed worked well and the shipping and storage methods were sufficiently robust to justify the initiation of a national effort. The sample size and sampling effort were not robust enough to make any categorical statements about the absence of parasites in the US.  So, while no Tropilaelaps mites were found in these efforts, neither were honey bee tracheal mites nor Nosema apis, both of which are known to be present.

Build an entire bee hive with just a table saw. Go to Garreson Publishing. Books by Peter Sieling.

Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Protein feeding pays off with better health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.  

FREE -  Kelley Bees Modern Beekeeping Monthly Newsletter

Quality Top Bar Hives by Gold Star Honeybees - good for you, good for your bees, good for the planet.  Check us out at www.goldstarhoneybees.com.

Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

Check out the Biggest Honey Show there is this fall at www.honeyshow.co.uk

 This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.

Read an EXCLUSIVE CHAPTER from Tom Seeley’s new book Honey Bee Democracy, only on Bee Culture’s web page Here!