Shropshire Beekeepers' Association

 

 

Newsletter : October 2005

 

 

1. Editorial

The season's indoor meetings got off to a splendid start early in September with Pam Gregory's accounts of her activities in Africa with Bees Abroad. She helped us to understand the economic importance of beekeeping in Cameroon, Malawi and Tanzania. In doing so she also touched on a wide range of topics such as how equipment can be constructed with simple tools, varieties of bees and honeys, wax collection, gender specific activities (the people not the bees!) and so on. The whole talk was lively and entertaining and well illustrated with some excellent slides.

Looking ahead, this Newsletter contains some encouraging information about two issues. One is the partial reversibility of varroa mites' resistance to chemical treatments like Apistan and Bayvarol -and the other the hope that we may yet be spared the inappropriate (and costly) requirement to have all bee "medications" to be dispensed by a vet (and there may even be the possibility of DEFRA reconsidering the gloomy future of the Bee Inspectorate.)

 

2. Next Meeting

Our Annual General Meeting is on Wednesday October 12th. The agenda includes the election of the Officers and Committee to serve for the next twelve months. You are cordially invited to offer the name(s) of anyone who would be interested in joining the Committee and contributing to the development of the Association. We are particularly hoping to recruit members who would be interested in supporting the Secretary and the Treasurer in their tasks, with a view to taking over those positions at an appropriate point. Please give this some serious consideration. As usual, the meeting will be in the Rosa Room at Radbrook College and will commence at 7.30 p.m.

Following the formal business of the meeting there will be a discussion about possible future changes to the Constitution. Such changes can only take place at an AGM or special General Meeting so no decisions are being made at this point. However, it would be very helpful to the Committee to have the views of members on the issues concerned before spending further time on them. Please be at the meeting to give other members the benefit of your views.

 

3. Government Cuts and VMD Campaigns

Letter from Tim Lovatt (BBKA Executive)
I am please to report that good progress is being made with regard to the campaigns in which we are currently involved. Developments have been reported to you and the membership through BBKA News. However, in order to keep you as fully up to date as possible given that BBKA News is published bi-monthly, I hope the following may be of help.

Firstly, there has been good progress on the veterinary medicines issue and our rapport with the VMD itself has prospered after some strong initial exchanges. They are fully aware of their responsibility to deliver on the proposed exemption criteria which would enable bee medicines to continue to be supplied without prescription. This may involve the establishment of a new category of 'suitably qualified person' competent in the supply of these medicines to the end user. Whilst no details have been set down, this may entail representatives from commercial suppliers or beekeeping associations undergoing training to achieve SQP status and the BBKA has indicated that it would be ready to cooperate in any such programme providing that the conditions and requirements are reasonable. We intend to stay close to the VMD over these issues and se them through to conclusion. Perhaps the most positive short-term development has been an invitation to provide a speaker for the UK EU Presidency meeting of animal health regulators later in September. We shall use this as an opportunity to make our point on a range of bee-health issues to the assembled body of regulators from across Europe, not just medicine supply but also brood diseases and the threat posed to bee health by the Defra cuts. This is a major opportunity for us.

Secondly, turning to The Cuts, Associations, their branches and individuals have been doing a great job in writing to MPs and of course gathering signatures at shows. It is proposed that we deliver the petition to Defra during the National Honey Show at the end of October, thus giving a closing date for the petition. We have over 25,000 signatures as I write, but with many shows still to come I would appreciate a major last push to get that figure well over the 30,000 mark. With this in mind, could I ask you to contact you branches/members to make sure no opportunity is lost in this important task, sending all forms to Stoneleigh asap, please. There are signs that Defra has started to listen, but it has not yet understood that the issue is one of diagnostic capacity rather than one of treatment. We hope to meet Defra and ram this point home to them, shortly. Thank you for your support and action.

 

4. US Research on Resistant Varroa

Dr Steve Shepherd of the Department of Entomology at Washington State University, Pullman, WA USA, offers a hint of light at the end of the tunnel in the field of resistance reversal whilst reviewing recent research in the magazine Bee Culture Vol 133 No 3. He writes:

"The rapid development of pesticide resistance by the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor, is well known. Mite resistance to the active ingredient of Apistan, Fluvalinate, is widespread in the United States and many other countries.

In a recent scientific note, two researchers (Elzen and Westervelt, 2004*) provided additional evidence that the process of resistance is somewhat reversible, if a period of "abstinence" from the pesticide can be maintained. To set up the experiment, they started with a population of honeybees from Florida that were highly resistant to Apistan. In initial assays for resistance, only 10% of the mites from this population were killed by fluvalinate.

They established two apiaries of eight colonies each from the population and treated one of the groups twice with Apistan over a nine-month period. The other group was designated as unselected and was not treated with Apistan. After nine months, mites in the twice-treated group were still resistant to Apistan, whereas the mortality of mites in the unselected group of colonies had increased significantly to 50%

The authors considered the increase in susceptibility to be modest. However, the results of this study also suggest that mite control programmes that rely on chemical treatments should most definitely rotate the treatment being used. In cases where a programme can provide an adequate period of non-exposure to the active ingredient fluvalinate, even when mites were known to be previously resistant, there may be death after life for mites that face Apistan."

[Elzen, P and Westervelt, D. 2004 .A scientific note on reversion of fluvalinate resistance to a degree of susceptibility in Varroa Destructor ( Apidologie 35: 519-520)] From Devon BKA Newsletter May-June 2005 courtesy BEES

 

5. Dancing Inherited From Daddy

In the dance world, not all bees are equal. In a colony of bees, at any one moment, each element has a special task, be it laying eggs (the queen), collecting propolis, or scouting for nectar and performing dances (the round dance for nearby forage, the figure of 8 dance if it is more than 100 metres away), to increase her comrades' enthusiasm for a good source or diminish it when the supply is running low. However, some foragers master this type of communication perfectly, while others are noticeably less gifted.

Wolfgang Kirchner and his team, at the university of Bochum in the Ruhr, have discovered, in their research into bee behaviour, that specialisation even extends to the dances. The workers must perform several types of dance, but those that are more gifted for one type of dance are less so for another. The most surprising thing is that this "gift" is hereditary! All the workers in a hive have the same mother, but they may have different fathers. At any given time there will be sisters and half sisters.

Kirchner's team examined the dancers' genes after noting the frequency with which each bee practised one or other of the dances. The result was astonishing! The 17 groups of "true" sisters were noted and sorted according to their preference for each type of dance. The results showed that the predilection for using the figure of 8 dance over the round dance or vice-versa was significantly related to the sibling grouping.

For Kirchner's team, that proves the importance of the genes inherited from the father. According to which father she has, a forager will be more or less specialised in one or other of the dances, more or less assiduous in the performance of two communication codes that are related but different.

If it were not a genetic inheritance, you would have to suppose that true sisters can recognise each other and regroup inside the colony to practise a kind of nepotism in certain activities! "Impossible!", says Kirchner. "How on earth would they manage it?"

This article has been translated and summarised [from 'Abeilles & Fleurs no. 663, July-August 2005, Biologie p.23] by Susan Kershaw, editor of The Aparian, the Newsletter of the South Staffordshire & District BKA.

 

6. Round and About

Ludlow & District BKA: Saturday 22nd October: Leominster Apple Fair.

North Shropshire BKA:Meeting on October 18th at The Raven: Speaker: Pam Gregory: Bees Abroad. Further details: Mike Harris Tel: 01939 232302

Oswestry BKA:For last minute details of the Annual General Meeting and Dinner arrangements (Sat. Oct. 8th) please contact the secretary: Tel: 01691 654448

 

7. Committee Report 6th September 2005

Matter arising from previous minutes:
Hodnet Hall Beekeeping Demonstration & Display - Saturday 9 July - Brian Goodwin reported that there had been a disappointing turnout with only about 15 visitors to the display unit. (Association members attending: himself, Tony Little, Chris and John Perkins).

Correspondence received:

  • From BBKA: (i) Notice & Agenda for Forum meeting on 1st October -passed to Association rep. (Peter Hampson) who will attend; (ii) Nominations for next BBKA President requested, deadline 8th October; (iii) Letter from Tim Lovatt re various proposals - copied to our Newsletter (see above).
  • From Nat. Trust re siting of a hive at Sunnyside in Wellington (already explored & rejected by Steve Watkins)
  • From Shropshire Homes re apiary site - see below.
SBKA Constitution:
Members present agreed that the propositions arising from the questions discussed previously (see last month's Newsletter) must be presented to the full membership at a General Meeting before any amendment can be made to the Constitution. It will, therefore, be necessary for the Chairman to detail any proposed amendments at the AGM. Ray Green suggested that it also would be prudent to contact the Charity Commission for their thoughts on any proposed changes to the Constitution. He will speak to Graham Roberson, SBKA's listed Charity Correspondent, and report back.

Web Site: Peter Hampson gave an update on the latest changes.

2005 Programme:
Brian Goodwin reported winter programme was booked up until Christmas. Consideration needs to be given to Out Apiary venues for next year. After discussion it was agreed we approach other local Associations with a view to sharing some Out Apiary visits.

Shrewsbury Flower Show:
The Chairman reported that this had been well supported by members (especially Ray Memory, Roger Evans and Keith Newman) with help in setting up and taking down but it would be advantageous to have someone in overall control co-ordinating movements in future.

AGM Arrangements: The Chairman advised that he would be unable to attend the AGM as he was away. After discussion members nominated Brian Goodwin to chair the meeting, as at present the post of Vice-Chairman is vacant due to the resignation of John Perkins. Ray Green would prepare a report to be read out to the meeting.

Association Apiary Relocation:
The Chairman reported that he had received a letter from Shropshire Homes Limited requiring us to vacate the present Apiary site by 28 February 2006. Several options are open for relocation as follows:-
  1. Roger Evans had been in contact with Council regarding their Site at The Old Waterworks, Mousecroft Lane, Shrewsbury. Current position uncertain. RE to give update at next meeting.
  2. Move Apiary to land at the front of Radbrook Main College Building by Hockey Pitch. BG reported that this was a possibility if no other firm site obtained by February 2006 but not ideal for the long term.
  3. BG had spoken to Robin Hooper, Chief Executive SABC. The Council has acquired the site at Scott Newman - Potato Processing Plant (Bridgnorth Road off A5). There are several acres of land attached and it is possible the Association may be able to rent a plot of land there. BG to report back at next meeting.


 

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