David VanderDussen (NOD Apiary Products) has prepared a Summary of “Take Home Messages” on Mite Control, Nosema, and an IPM Strategy for Canada. The article, written for Hivelights and reproduced on the CHC website, gives an overview of presentations made at the Colony Health Symposium at the Canadian Honey Council AGM (January 2008).

Here’s a quick “summary of the summary” —
For details, please see David VanderDussen’s article at http://www.honeycouncil.ca/users/folder.asp?FolderID=6171.

Dennis vanEngelsdorp:
Update on CCD in America

“The current situation in the US is in flux, but there are reports of up to 90% colony losses in CA in colonies staged for 2008 almond pollination, occurring over a 2-week period,” Dennis vanEngelsdorp reported. “No single factor explains CCD, and multi-factor analysis has been initiated to see which factors in combination may cause collapse.”

He noted that residues of the active ingredients in Apistan® and Checkmite+® (i.e., fluvalinate and coumaphos respectively) can build up in both wax and pollen within the hive, reaching levels where the pollen becomes toxic to bees.

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Farm Focus reports this week that 97% of bee hives in Nova Scotia have been opened and checked, now, and the over wintered colonies in that province are looking strong.

Joanne Moran, secretary of the NS Beekeepers Association, told Farm Focus that beekeepers took extra care with management last year, and in preparing their bees for winter. “And the weather co-operated.”

Moran attributes Nova Scotia’s winterkill of 18.4% to starvation, ineffective mite managements, and/or the effects of Nosema ceranae, which has “taken over” from Nosema apis in that province.

See:
• NS Bees Look Good by Heather Jones
  Farm Focus of Atlantic Canada: 8 May 2008

Colony Collapse Disorder, the mysterious bee ailment that has led to the disappearance of millions of bees in the United States alone, “and in a worst-case scenario could be a threat to the food chain that humans depend on for life, has made its way to Utah,” according to a report yesterday in The Salt Lake Tribune.

Until recently, however, the state of Utah seemed to be successfully dodging CCD.

The Tribune story tells of commercial beekeeper Gary Dutson, whose family has kept bees for more than 70 years. He built up to 4000 hives last fall , then unexplained die-offs cost him half of the colonies. As a result, Dutson says he has had to sell of 500 acres of the family farm.

The replacement cost of the lost colonies is estimated at $130,000 USD, and Dutson says he has just barely enough hives to meet his pollination commitments to the Utah orchards. Any further losses may put him out of business.

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Chris Maund, Integrated Pest Management Specialist (Entomologist) and Provincial Apiarist for New Brunswick, tells us that winter losses for the province’s beekeepers are significantly down from the last couple of years, averaging around 20-25% for colonies over-wintered outdoors and 15-20% for those indoors.

Please note that these are preliminary averages and the amounts may change as more people are able to inspect their hives.

Here’s something light for a weekend…

Urban Honey is a 4-minute documentary video by student filmmaker Matt Fisher, about an unconventional San Francisco man who keeps bees in his urban backyard.

Jon Rolston originally wanted to raise chickens, but thought they might attract rats and rile up the neighbours… so he settled for a hive of bees. Rolston’s approach to apiculture, not to mention some of his beekeeping methods, may raise a few eyebrows among more experienced beekeepers, but the video itself is nicely crafted with some beautiful close-up shots of the backyard hive.

Enjoy!

Thanks to Michael Martine for spotting this video and sending in the link.