The Heartland Bee Newsletter
November 2020 (2nd edition)
Photo by Amanda Johnson. Submit your favorite bee pictures to be featured here--with credit, of course.
In Case You Missed It: Research Updates
It has been discovered that Varroa mites do not actually feed on hemolymph (bee “blood”), but rather the fat body. The fat body is an organ that helps a bee maintain homeostasis, and is particularly important to survival over the winter. This may explain why colony losses spike as winter approaches.
Bees have a symbiotic relationship with specific gut bacteria that produce the rest of the nutrients they need when overwintering, while they’re subsisting solely on stored honey.
Tropilaelaps mite research in the Philippines is reaching a concerning conclusion: they’re coming. Tropilaelaps are tiny. When feeding on bee larvae, Varroa mites create a single wound from which to feed, whereas Tropilaelaps mites inflict multiple wounds. The scar tissue formed while these sites heal cause deformities in the adult bee, such as immobile joints.
New, out-of-the-box strategies are being studied to battle mites, such as decoy bee larvae.
Colonies with high disease loads bring in more propolis. The USDA is experimenting with rough-bodied hive interiors that encourage bees to copiously seal the inner surfaces with propolis. Results are promising. It is expected that future “trait stocking” will include a preference for heavy propolis users.
Pollinator groups are battling commercial beekeepers over public land usage, citing competition for resources as a factor in the decline of native species. The American Honey Producers Association is leading the charge against them, demanding impact studies before restrictive legislation is passed.
The Rise of Accessibility During the Pandemic
The advent of a deadly global virus has at least one silver lining: participating in the beekeeping community has never been easier. Many state and local beekeeping associations have transitioned to hosting their meetings and events online, effectively removing the burden of travel. This is a great opportunity to explore different perspectives from sister associations, such as the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association, or the Broward Beekeepers Association. The University of Florida, the American Beekeeping Federation, the USDA, and similar organizations are working to provide educational, digital seminars on a variety of useful topics. Connect with resources like these via their websites or social media accounts, and enjoy a calendar packed with beekeeping engagements.