Archives – September, 2012
In evaluating the petition EPA must ensure that all data and reports to support the petition that EPA considers and relies on comply with the Data Quality Act (DQA). Moreover, section II of this comment outlines studies used by the petitioners that are clearly not compliant with the DQA and therefore EPA shall not consider the studies in evaluating the petition.
Finally, a substantial number of recent scientific studies conclude that Varroa Mites are the major cause of bee health decline, not clothianidin. Consequently there is no basis for suspending the registration of clothianidin.
September 29, 2012
From: ScienceCodex.com
The parasitic mite Varroa destructor is a major contributor to the recent mysterious death of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. New research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Genome Biology finds that specific proteins, released by damaged larvae and in the antennae of adult honey bees, can drive hygienic behavior of the adults and promote the removal of infected larvae from the hive.
September 28, 2012
From: Digital Journal
By Leigh Goessl
It has been confirmed an amateur beekeeper in Washington state has found “zombie bees” on his property. This is the first time “zombees” have been identified in Washington state.
At first the man didn’t realize the bees were infected by the condition caused by parasitic flies, however, he collected some samples and has been tracking to see what happens. So far, he is seeing classic signs of the strange phenomenon.
September 25, 2012
From: The Telegraph (Georgia)
By CHRISTINA M. WRIGHT
Bees are, well, the bee’s knees.
“Nine times out of 10, you’re wearing a cotton shirt,” said Bear Kelley, president of the Heart of Georgia Beekeepers. “You can thank the bees for that. Because they pollinated the cotton. Thirty percent of what we as humans consume is pollinated by bees.”
Perry Mayor Jimmy Faircloth said that’s why City Council is considering an ordinance to allow — but regulate — urban beekeeping. Beekeepers have spent recent months explaining the importance of honeybees, the precarious state of the honeybee population and why a growing number of people want hives in their yards.
September 24, 2012
Editor’s Note: Sloppy science is not going to make it in the review of bee health decline. US regulatory agencies must meet the requirements of the Data Quality Act; even in the absence of the Act, responsible scientists in Europe are rejecting biased, off the cuff studies as noted in the article below. The EPA SAP and the Department of Agriculture in their upcoming reviews will benefit from these analyses.
CRE has under consideration a project to perform a detailed review of the British and French studies. Any of our readers who have views on this matter please contact us here.
September 21, 2012
Editor’s Note: The paper published in Ecology and Evolution, “Host adaptations reduce the reproductive success of Varroa destructor in two distinct European honey bee populations” by Barbara Locke, Yves Le Conte, Didier Crauser & Ingemar Fries is attached here.
Abstract
September 21, 2012
From: Lafayette Online
By Phillip Fiorini, Purdue University News Service
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Purdue University entomologist will speak Thursday (Sept. 20) about research efforts to breed hardier, parasite-resistant honeybees in North America and Europe at the next Science on Tap.
Honeybee specialist Greg Hunt, a professor of behavioral genetics and author, will speak at 6:00pm in the upstairs of the Lafayette Brewing Company, 622 Main St., Lafayette. His talk is titled “What’s Bugging our Bees? Bee Health, Parasitic Mites and Breeding for Hardy, Resistant Bees.”
September 19, 2012
Weight of the Evidence and Models
Weight of the Evidence
Weight of the evidence and the use of models were two very significant topics addressed today.
From the onset, weight of the evidence and the requirements set forth the Data Quality Act could be on a collision course—all dependent upon how weight of the evidence is implemented.
If the weight of the evidence is implemented in a “Lazy Susan” manner, meaning that each reviewer tastes a morsel of data spun around a circular table and then opines on the merits of the information, such an approach is probably inconsistent with the DQA because the end result could not be replicated.
September 14, 2012
From: AgWeekly
By Maurice Hladik
Growing up on the farm, my father had a few beehives so when I recently watched the documentary What Are the Bees Telling Us? it brought back fond childhood memories. For those who want an introduction to beekeeping, it does a fine job on many fronts. However, based largely on opinions of those interviewed, it presents the colony collapse disorder (CCD) as a disaster for the honey industry and indeed for our entire food supply. It also lays most of the blame for this phenomenon on monoculture crops, genetically modified food plants and pesticides. A little research has uncovered some interesting facts that are quite the opposite of many claims made in the film.
September 14, 2012
Sitting through hours of informed discussions, one has to be impressed with the very extensive body of research dedicated to bees. It is also obvious that if one is going to wade into this pool it is best they do their homework.
Dr. Potter opined that there is a need for a reassessment of alternative pathways such as drinking water and dust. He appeared to question the usefulness of high levels of loadings for input evaluation.
Dr. Pettis commented on how to incorporate queens into Tier I tests and concluded, in our opinion, that standardized tests are not presently available.
September 13, 2012
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