Monday, August 9, 2010

July 20, 2010: Honey Bee Research Experts participate in bee health symposium

Posted Jul 19, 2010 @ 12:02 PM
A condition known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) continues to affect beekeeping, a $15 billion-a-year industry in the United States. Experts will gather Thursday at the Alfred State College of Technology's Orvis Activities Center to talk about CCD, the latest findings and the ongoing impact on Western New York agriculture. Presentations will be made from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m.
The symposium is free and open to the public. People must register in advance by e-mailing the New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group at nysawg@gmail.com or by calling Judy Einach (716) 316-5839. Organizers say there is plenty of space available and no set limit on the number of reservations.
Two presenters are from the Pennsylvania State University Center for Pollinator Research. Maryann Frazier, Penn State extension entomologist, will talk about “A survey of recent research findings regarding honeybee health” and Dr. James Frazier, professor, Department of Entomology, will speak about “Synergistic and sublethal effects of pesticides on honeybees.” Other speakers are from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Services Honey Bee Pollination Lab in Tucson, Ariz. They are Dr. Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, research director, who will discuss the question, “Do pesticide contaminants alter the microflora in healthy honeybee colonies?”; Dr. Diana Sammataro will discuss “Beneficial lactic acid bacteria microflora of honeybees”; Dr. Kirk Anderson will address “Microbiota in the stored food sources of social insects” and Dr. Mark Carroll will talk about “Varroa mite attractants; potential solution for varroa mite/viral challenges to honeybees.”
About 90 percent of all crops in North America and in Western New York rely on honeybee pollination, according to the NYSAWG.
“It is not hard to imagine that as honeybees and other pollinator species continue to disappear, our food security is at risk,” NYSAWG members said. “We are just beginning to learn about the causes and the effects of CCD.”
The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced a new national survey to identify honeybee pests and diseases. It hopes will help scientists to determine the prevalence of parasites and disease-causing microorganisms that may be contributing to the nationwide decline of honeybee colonies. CCD may be caused by a variety of factors. Among the factors now being profiled are the impacts on honeybees, and other pollinator species by human-manufactured toxins including pesticides, fungicides, and GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
The symposium is sponsored by Alfred State SUNY College of Technology, Western New York Honey Producers Association, NYSAWG in partnership with the USDA Risk Management Agency, the Learning Sustainability,,, Campaign and Bee Culture, The Magazine of American Beekeeping. For those wishing to bring a picnic lunch, a designated area will be announced at the meeting. Other lunch options will be available on campus and in town.
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