Hon. Newsletter Editor:
Peter Edwards
E-mail: beekeepers@stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk

A HAPPY NEW YEAR!  BUT IT MAY NOT BE FOR OUR BEES…

I have written previously about Nosema ceranae in May 2006, March 2007 and November 2007.  I make no apology for returning to it again, as I am convinced that it is going to be a very serious problem.  As one American beekeeper recently put it, ‘This one just snuck up on us!’  And he was right!  Whereas the threat from varroa was known and its arrival predicted over a period of many years, N. ceranae was first identified as a separate species from N. apis in 1995 by Professor Ingemar Fries when he visited China.  Although he subsequently showed that N. ceranae could infect western honeybees, little notice was taken of the finding until 2005 when Dr Dinh Quyet Tam of the Bee Research and Development Centre (BRDC) in Hanoi, Vietnam contacted Dr Robert Paxton at Queen’s University, Belfast about the increased levels of nosema in his bees.  Subsequent research by members of the Queen’s team revealed that the Vietnamese bees were suffering exclusively from N. ceranae.  In the same year it was found in Taiwan.  Just like varroa, it appears to have crossed the species barrier from the Eastern honeybee to the Western honeybee.

Since then, it has moved around the world at a frightening speed; in just ten years it has been spread through four continents - and yet we still import bees!  Dr. Higes discovered widespread infection in Spanish bees in 2005 and massive losses were subsequently reported during the winter of 2005-6.  There is speculation that the huge losses of colonies in France, originally attributed to the use of the pesticide ‘Gaucho’, may well have been due to N. ceranae.  It has also been found in the colonies that have collapsed in America - and may be the cause of CCD.

As Dr Robert Paxton wrote: ‘The implications for beekeeping with the western honey bee Apis mellifera are profound.’ ‘I hope the relevant authorities and beekeepers take note.  Forewarned is forearmed.’

What is ‘Nosema’?

An organism, technically known as a microsporidian, which infects the gut of insects; it is now thought that they should be classed as fungi.  There are many different ‘nosemas’ which are usually specific to a particular host, e.g. N. bombi infects bumblebees.  Our bees are sometimes infected with N. apis and affected colonies usually fail to build up in the spring.  N. ceranae is much more virulent, killing colonies rather than just weakening them because it causes greater damage to the gut lining; it is thought that this damage may also allow the entry of viruses, thus compounding the problem.  Nosema is considered to be a ‘stress disease’ because colonies under stress (e.g. those confined to the hive for moving, or by bad weather) tend to suffer higher levels of nosema; this may be a factor in the loss of colonies in the USA, where large numbers of colonies are constantly moved considerable distances for pollination.

So what is the outlook for the UK?

The NBU has now looked for, and found, N. ceranae in the UK (see report below) - and it is clear that it is already widespread; this is another problem we will have to ‘live with’.

What treatment is available?

Older infected bees defaecate on brood combs and this contamination is subsequently cleaned up by young bees, thus spreading the infection.  Although colonies suffering from N. apis often recover spontaneously, it can be treated successfully by moving colonies on to clean combs (empty comb in good condition can be fumigated with 80% acetic acid) and by feeding syrup containing fumigillin (available as Fumidil β).  Regular comb change is a good way of keeping nosema levels low.  Apparently N. ceranae is also susceptible to fumigillin, so this offers some hope - although it will be yet another expense and will involve additional work.  Keeping bees on clean comb may also reduce levels of N. ceranae infection and is good practice even if it does not.
Peter Edwards

Confirmation of Nosema ceranae in England and Wales

Three hundred and nine samples have now been tested for the presence of Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae using real-time PCR [an extremely sensitive technique for the analysis of genetic material. PE].  All positive results were confirmed using published assays for the detection of these pathogens.  Positive results have therefore been confirmed using 2 methods both based on the detection of species specific DNA.  Of these samples 31 samples testing positive for N. apis (10%), 14 for N. ceranae (4.5%) and 3 (1%) testing positive for both Nosema species.  N. ceranae positives were confirmed across seven counties of England (Cornwall, Essex, Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire, Hereford and Worcestershire, Greater London, North Yorkshire) and three in Wales (Glamorgan, Powys, Dyfed).  N. ceranae infections have been reported not to show typical signs of Nosema infection.  Therefore we recommend beekeepers check their colonies for adult bee diseases.  Treatment using the usual veterinary medicine is effective against Nosema infections in honeybee colonies.  It is also important to treat effectively against Varroa mite infestations.  We will carry out a more detailed survey to estimate the prevalence and impact of both Nosema species across England and Wales.  Samples of DNA extracts from the European foul brood study, imported bees and historical samples stored in the NBU labs will be re‑screened.
National Bee Unit, CSL, November 2007

FARMING IN INDIA

As many of you will know, we have taken a great interest in beekeeping in India in recent years and on one trip a friend from the UK, who we met in India, gave me a cutting from a newspaper in which a small farmer replies to an article promoting FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and GM crops.  It makes interesting reading.
Peter Edwards

Farmers and FDI

Small farms can be very profitable and we do not need GM seeds or green revolution or agricultural research to do that.

As an organic farmer with a `minuscule farm' of two acres and a family of five, I would like to point out some inaccuracies in the article as well as submit a different solution to improving the farmer's condition.

First, FDI does not produce justifiable job opportunities in the manufacturing sector.  Most MNC manufacturing units are heavily automated and provide employment only to knowledge and skilled workers.  Most of the farmers in India do not have formal education beyond school level, if at all.  As such they would be unemployable in sectors requiring skilled and semi-skilled workers, leave alone knowledge workers.  We have neither the resources nor the organisation to train over 300 million people (50 per cent of current farmers and farm labourers) as skilled workers.

Besides, the sheer social and political dynamics of migrating 300 million people into our already overcrowded cities will lead to what E.F. Schumacher calls "dual poisoning": the city people mechanise agriculture and rob the villager of his job, the villagers migrate to the city and deplete the city's resources making it unlivable.

Spending on pesticides

The author admits that we need one million rupees (£12,722) of capital to employ one person in the manufacturing sector.  A hundred trillion rupees (£1,272,200,000,000) of FDI is simply not realistic, now or in the future.  However, there is a truly astronomical figure that we ignore: farmers spend close to one trillion rupees (£12,722,000,000) a year on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  If this market is catered to with local small scale units producing vermicompost and herbal pesticides, the employment opportunities in rural areas would greatly increase.

Secondly, most Indian farmers do not need to spend what their city cousins such as textile workers spend on rent, milk, vegetables, food-grains, transportation and other amenities, let alone healthcare and entertainment.  To achieve the comfort level equivalent of what the farmer in the village enjoys with a monthly income of Rs. 2,500 (£31.80) requires at least 5-6 times that much in metro cities (where FDI happens).

In cities like Chennai or Mumbai all the five elements viz. earth, air, water, space and fire (what with looming gas prices) are either unavailable or unaffordable save by the upper and upper-middle classes.  There really is no reason for the farmer to live in crowded unhygienic habitats and subject himself to humiliating loss of dignity and comfort, just to be economically viable to the planners.  He should be psychologically viable to himself.

Contrary to the author's idea, small farms can be very profitable and we do not need GM seeds or green revolution or agricultural research to do that.  A well managed, integrated organic farm (of a minuscule 1.2 hectares size) that uses native, non-hybrid seeds and meets its own nutrient requirements can produce, in a year, a staggering 3,000 kg of rice, 600 kg of pulses, 200 kg of cooking oil, 10,000 litres of milk, 2,000 kg of honey, 15,000 kg of vegetables, 15,000 kg of fruit, 10,000 kg of surplus vermicompost and items like mushroom, herbs, timber and bamboo that have high commercial value.  One can work out the economics of this on the back of an envelope.

An enterprising farmer in Uttar Pradesh is earning an annual income of Rs. 1 million (£12,722) from one hectare! [source: www.downtoearth.org.in]

What they need

What farmers need to improve their life is:

1. Lower input costs (to de-risk and also free them from debt traps)

2. Better share of the end consumer price (currently they get only 40-50 per cent of the retail price) and most importantly,

3. Ecological Security

The solution is organic farming, crop diversity and local marketing.  If a farmer will try to grow most of his food himself and sell the surplus produce to a select few customers in the nearest town (organic produce at market price) he can earn upwards of Rs. 10,000 (£127.22) a month from one hectare of land after meeting most of his family's food requirements.

And what can the government do to improve the farmer's lot? Educate the farmer — just as AIDS cannot be fought except by educating the individual, the farmer can improve his lot only by learning to be self reliant.  Phase out all subsidies — including electricity and fertilizer.  Do not give soft loans or write off loans.  And most importantly do not tempt him with high yielding hybrids and do not threaten his survival with WTO debris like the seed bill.  Enforce stringent environmental legislation so his water is not polluted by industry.

The farmer's capital is his land, seed and water.  Just protect these, show him the way to use these wisely and let him be.
Balaji Shankar

ANNUAL DINNER

Have you booked for the Annual Dinner yet?  Cheques to Will Spencer by 19 January at the very latest please.
Peter Edwards

THE WASPBANE FIELD STUDY RESULTS

I wrote about our trials of WaspBane traps last August and promised to publish the data from previous years.  In the tables below, the counting methodology used was: wasps weighed to nearest average weight for fifty wasps.  Any part thereof or thereafter physically counted.  All other species physically counted.  The traps for 2007 have not yet been analysed, but I suspect that numbers will be lower.  Although the wasps appeared to get away to a very good start during the exceptional early spring, few of our apiaries suffered much from them this year - perhaps because many ground-nesting colonies were affected by the severe weather.  However, I suspect the traps were effective in the mating apiary as even the Apidea mini-nucs survived through to November without being attacked by wasps.

After three years of testing, I can certainly vouch for the efficiency of WaspBane traps.  No wasps escape from the traps to recruit others - a critical requirement for an effective trap.  We have not suffered any losses due to wasps where they have been used.
Peter Edwards

TAPPING THE BEES, as I understand and practice it...

The following was posted to the Irish Beekeeping List on the Internet by Peter Dight of Cambridge and I am grateful to him for permission to reproduce it here. The list was discussing the ‘Apidictor’ - an electronic listening device invented by the late Eddie Woods, a sound engineer, to predict when a colony was preparing to swarm.  There is further information about the Apidictor here:
http://www.beedata.com/data2/listen/listenbees.htm and www.beesource.com/plans/apidictor.htm
Peter Edwards

‘Get your ear right up against the back of your brood box and tap sharply the side of the box, listening carefully to the noise within the hive that your tap provokes.  In a queenright colony the bees (I think guards, but I'm not certain) produce a distinct 'hiss' in response to the tap as though they are sounding an alarm type response.

Now, as a queen fails through fatigue, she does not suddenly stop producing any queen pheromone and the effect of the bees cutting back on feeding her in readiness for her swarm flight, and her stopping laying are not instantly-immediate.  That is to say the process takes some time.  During this time as she cuts back her laying, the hatching bees have less grubs to tend having cleaned their cells as would normally be the case.  So, when you now tap the hive and the guards start up their 'flapping' the juvenile bees, with nothing else to do, join in.  They don't really understand what they are doing, and their new wings, less hardened than the guards, also beat at a slightly different frequency.  The resulting sound is quite different than that made by the queenright colony.  Its pitch is slightly different, which is what the Apidictor picked up electronically, but it is most different in its duration.  The sound has a slightly longer 'attack' as the young bees unwittingly join in, followed by a much longer `decay' as the young bees keep beating their wings long after the guard bees have stopped.

When I first read of this I was sceptical.  I have filled in some of the detail for myself, reading other sources, e.g. some about the Apidictor, and for most of a summer I kept tapping more in hope than conviction it would work for me.  But then one day I tapped and heard the difference for myself.  As I said in my previous email, this method can tell of swarm preparations a full ten days before the first queen cells are drawn.
Peter Dight