beekeeping/ apiculture · can society of beekeepers™ free on-line class, intermedi-ate beekeeping...

ATTRA is the national sustainable agriculture information service operated by the National Centerfor Appropriate Technology, through a grant from the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S.Department of Agriculture. These organizations do not recommend or endorse products, companies,or individuals. NCAT has offices in Fayetteville, Arkansas (P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702),Butte, Montana, and Davis, California.

By Lance Gegner, NCAT Agriculture SpecialistApril 2003

OTHER LIVESTOCK TOPIC

Beekeeping/Apiculture

Abstract: This publication discusses various aspects of beekeeping or apiculture, including state inspectionprograms, beginning basics, income sources and budgets, insurance, Africanized bees, organic certification, andvarious bee pests and diseases. Information on educational and training opportunities and further resources arealso discussed.

IntroductionThis publication is intended as a guide for anyone inter-

ested in beginning or expanding a beekeeping enterprise.Whether the bees are kept as pollinators for crops or for theincome from their products, producers need to be aware oftheir states apiary laws concerning inspection, registration,and permits, as well as labeling and marketing standards.Producers also need to be aware of pesticide applicationlaws and pesticide notification laws relative to bees. Bothbeginning and experienced beekeepers need to consider li-ability insurance; the possibility of Africanized hybrid beestaking over the hives; and all the pests and diseases thatafflict bees and their colonies.

To maintain a healthy hive and guard against the newpests and diseases that have been introduced in recent years,beekeepers need to continually monitor new developmentsin apiculture. The Further Resources section of this publi-cation lists many websites, USDA Research Facilities, peri-odicals, associations, and books with information on all as-pects of beekeeping.

State Inspection ProgramsIt is important that beekeepers have their bees reg-

istered and inspected as required by law. The Ameri-can Society of Beekeepers free on-line class, Intermedi-ate Beekeeping 201, suggests some excellent steps tofollow when working with your states apiary inspec-tion programs. Lesson Five states:All states have laws regarding apiary inspection. Theregulatory body is usually the Department of Agriculture

Related ATTRA Publications

Alternative Pollinators: Native Bees Phenology Web Links: (1) Sequence

of Bloom, Floral Calendars, Whats inBloom; (2) Birds, Bees, Insects andWeeds

Organic Farm Certification and theNational Organic Program

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mailto:[email protected]?subject=Beekeeping/Apiculturehttp://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/nativebee.pdfhttp://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/phenology.htmlhttp://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/phenology.htmlhttp://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/phenology.htmlhttp://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/organcert.pdfhttp://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/organcert.pdf

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Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................1State Inspection Programs .............................................................................1Beginning Beekeeping Basics ..........................................................................2Beekeeping Income Sources...........................................................................4Budgets ........................................................................................................4Beekeepers Insurance ...................................................................................5Organic Apiculture Standards ........................................................................5Africanized Hybrid Bees ................................................................................6Honey Bee Pests ...........................................................................................7Honey Bee Diseases ....................................................................................13Educational and Training Opportunities ........................................................14Summary ....................................................................................................15References .................................................................................................15Enclosures ..................................................................................................17Further Resources .......................................................................................18Appendix ...................................................................................................22

and some division within it. Some states havefull time staff to handle an apiary section andothers do not. When moving bees from onestate to another, inspection of bees is regu-lated by the receiving state. Many requireprevious inspection before arrival and will dofollow-up inspections once the bees are lo-cated within the new state. If you are plan-ning to make a business of selling queens,bees, or moving bees for pollination, then itis very important to understand the laws inthe states you are dealing with....

It is important therefore to know who has theresponsibility to inspect your bees and un-der what conditions the inspection is done.Inspecting bees is a nice job. One must dealwith all kinds of problems: First, angry bee-keepers (not their bees). Bee inspectors arepeople just like you and me. If treated withrespect, they will respect you as well. Theirjob is to find disease. If your bees have dis-ease and you dont know it, then they havedone you a good service by pointing the dis-ease out to you. On the other hand, theymay require treatment of the bees, which youdo not agree with. Make sure you under-stand the law before sounding off on the beeinspector it is not his/her fault that he/shefound disease in your bees. However, you

have a right to ask that samples be takenand sent to the Beltsville USDA lab for con-firmation of the disease. (American Societyof Beekeepers, No datea) [See instructionson how to ship bees to Beltsville in Appen-dix: Beltsville Free Bee Diagnostic Service].An all-state (and Canadian provincial) State

Apiarist Directory, which includes state bee in-spectors, other regulatory officials with apicul-tural responsibilities, and other professional api-cultural specialists, is available on-line at .

Beginning BeekeepingBasics

It is usually wise to start small, learn efficientmanagement techniques, and expand the bee-keeping operation as time, experience, and fi-nances permit. Initial outlay can reach $200 perhive, and other equipment, such as a smoker,veil, gloves, feeding equipment, honey extractor,etc., will add to the expense.

Anyone interested in becoming a beekeeperneeds to study published information (see Fur-ther Resources: Books, Websites, Periodicals), but

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many beekeeping skills are best learned by work-ing with an experienced beekeeper. The AlbertaAgriculture, Food, and Rural Development pub-lication Commercial Honey Industry states: Onlythrough hands-on experience can new entrantsgain the basic skills required for opening hives,removing frames, identifying queens, recogniz-ing the difference between brood and honeycappings, and recognizing the difference betweenhoney and pollen in a cell (Dey, 2001).

The American Society of Beekeepers makethe following suggestions in the final lesson oftheir Beekeeping 101 class:

One way to find other beekeepers who canhelp you with problems you encounter is tojoin a local bee club or state organization.Bee Culture Magazine publishes a Whos whoin beekeeping each spring. You could checkthe listing for the state in which you live andcontact the individuals listed. Ask them forinformation about bee clubs and who youneed to contact. The person listed under theDepartment of Agriculture responsible for in-spection should have a good idea. They areoften called upon to speak at local meetings.The State Extension service should also bea good source. If you purchase either majorbee magazine each carries a calendar ofevents. You can get an idea of where thenearest bee meeting is to you. These aregenerally state or regional meetings. (Ameri-can Society of Beekeepers, no dateb)Beekeeping can be labor-intensive during cer-

tain times of the year. Working with bees re-quires a gentle touch and calm disposition. Italso requires a basic understanding of the honeybees behavior during the various seasons andduring handling and moving.

Beekeeping can be undertaken by anyone whohas enough ability and determination to lookafter the bees properly, enough courage towork with bees, and enough money to buybees and equipment. Please note: Beforeyou get into beekeeping, you should checkto make sure local zoning laws allow you tokeep honey bees and what your reaction isto bee stings. (American Society of Beekeep-ers, no datec)Beekeeping is not a seasonal enterprise, but

requires year-round management. The beginningbeekeeper needs to consider his or her availablelabor limitations, and keep the enterprise at aneasily managed size. The enclosed Mid-AtlanticApiculture Research and Extension Consortium(MAAREC) publication Summary of Management

Practices Around the Calendar provides manage-ment suggestions, and is also available at .

The Mississippi State University publicationGetting Started in Beekeeping provides an excel-lent summary of what is required to begin. Thepublication suggests:

If you decided that you wanted to get startedin beekeeping, you would need the basic com-ponents of the hive, a source of bees, pro-tective gear, ancillary gear, and equipmentfor handling the honey crop. The hive is theman-made structure in which the honey beecolony lives. New bee equipment is gener-ally unassembled when purchased. Assem-bly directions furnished by bee supply deal-ers are usually easy to follow. It is importantfor beginners to purchase their equipmentearly so that it will be ready to use when thebees arrive. Some beekeepers find they cansave money by making their own equipmentor purchasing used equipment. With bothapproaches, it is important that the equip-ment is standard size. Purchasing used equip-ment can present problems and is not rec-ommended for the beginner. Initially you mayhave problems simply in locating a source ofused equipment and determining its value orworth. In addition, secondhand equipmentmay be contaminated with pathogens thatcause various bee diseases. Always ask foran inspection certificate indicating that theapiary inspector did not find any evidence ofdisease.

There are several different ways of gettingstarted in the bee business: buying packagebees; purchasing a nucleus colony (nuc);buying established colonies; collectingswarms; and taking bees out of trees andwalls. Most beginners start with either a pack-age or a nuc. Packages are the preferred way.In purchasing nuclei and colonies you mightbe buying other beekeepers problems, suchas mites or disease. Collecting swarms andtransferring bees is difficult and not recom-mended for the beginner. The best time tostart with bees [is] in the spring or early sum-mer.

Ancillary equipment includes the bee smokerand hive tool, which are essential for work-ing bees. Bee veils should be worn at all timesto protect the face and neck from stings. Be-ginners who fear being stung should wearcanvas or leather gloves. Many experiencedbeekeepers who find gloves too cumbersome

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decide to risk a few stings for the sake ofeasier handling. White or tan clothing is mostsuitable when working bees. (Collison, 1996)Some of the many other decisions that begin-

ning and experienced beekeepers need to con-sider are: Location of hivesHives should not be lo-

cated near homes or areas used for recreation.Hives need to be near nectar and pollensources and fresh water; protected frompredators, vandals, and adverse weather con-ditions; and accessible throughout the year.

Processing honey and other bee productsFollow state and federal regulations for pro-cessing, labeling, and handling food products.

Marketing honey and other bee productsTypes of products and marketing strategies Will you market to consumers at farmersmarkets or on-farm, to retailers, to a honeycooperative, or to honey packers?

Beekeeping IncomeSources

Depending on the part of the country andother environmental factors, a typical colony ofbees can produce 80 to 120 pounds of surplus(harvestable) honey and 10 to 18 pounds of pol-len in an average year (Deeby, 2002d). Besidesselling honey and other bee productssuch asbeeswax, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, bee venom,or queensbeekeepers can also provide pollina-tion services (hive rentals) to farmers and orchard-ists (ERS/NASS, no date).

In 1999, commercial beekeepers in the PacificNorthwestaveraging about 2,000 hiveseachwere charging from $20 to $40 perhive for pollination services, dependingon the crop. In addition, they were trans-porting and renting these hives aboutthree different times during the year todifferent parts of the country. Those rent-als provided roughly 65% of the commer-cial beekeepers incomes (Burgett, 1999).

On a more modest scale, keeping justa few hives can generate some income,especially with creative retailing of honey,honeycomb, wax, and pollen. In addition,a bee colony can provide valuable polli-nation on the producers own farm.

Small-scale beekeepers often ask howthey should determine a price for their

honey. Prices around the country vary. In June2002, the USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service/National Honey Report listed prices for honeyranging from $0.83 per pound in Florida to $1.00per pound in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Mon-tana (USDA/AMS, 2002) (See Further Resources:Periodicals on how to obtain these monthly re-ports). However, these reports reflect the priceof honey that is being produced by large-scalebeekeepers and do not indicate what small bee-keepers should charge for their honey (Wenning,1999). The best sources of local price informa-tion will probably be other local beekeepers. Andsome consumers are willing to pay more for value-added productssuch as flavored honeys, honeywine, honey beer (mead), and packaged honeygiftsthan for plain honey.

BudgetsThe Pennsylvania State University Coopera-

tive Extension Agriculture Alternatives publica-tion Beekeeping (enclosed) contains an annual bee-keeping budget that summarizes the receipts,costs, and net returns for 10 mature bee colonies.The publication notes that successful side-lineoperations typically maintain 50 to 500 colonies.It also states that There will be no receipts froman operation until the second year (Frazier etal., 1998). The sample Excel budget is availableat .

Several detailed commercial beekeeping bud-gets for honey and pollination operations areavailable in the Alberta Agriculture, Food, andRural Development Ministry publication Commer-

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cial Honey Industry. It should be rememberedthat dollar amounts are stated in Canadian dol-lars (about 64 cents to the U.S. dollar at the timeof this writing). The publication can be viewedat .

These budgets were de-signed as aids for evaluatinga beekeeping enterprise. Thesample budget presents aworkable combination of in-puts that will produce a givenoutput. This combination ofinputs probably doesnt rep-resent any given beekeepingoperation, and the actual costsof inputs are likely differentfor each operation. Whilethere may be hundreds ofcombinations of variable andfixed costs, as well as incomepotentials, each budget givesonly one combination. Different production andmanagement practices, as well as various mar-keting opportunities, can make the beekeepersactual budget quite different from these budgets.

Beekeepers InsuranceBeekeepers need to consider insurance for

personal injury, property damage, and circum-stantial liability. In an article in the American BeeJournal, the author comments:

Insurance! The very word sends shivers downthe readers spine. Or if not shivers, at leastannoyance at putting out so much money overso many years, and getting so little in return.But what does insurance have to do with bee-keeping, you ask? Only thisas a seller ofhoney, you are liable for injuries sustainedby your customers. Moreover, as a keeperof bees, you incur negligent and non-negli-gent risk from several different directions.(Scott, 2002)He goes on to suggest these areas of con-

cern: Customer injury, such as someone getting

sick (or claiming to) from eating honey orother bee products, or someone injured by apiece of glass or other foreign object in thehoney.

Property injury, such as a child playingaround the hives, getting stung, and goinginto anaphylactic shock.

Circumstantial injury caused by the unfore-seen results of some action the beekeepertakes. (Scott, 2002)The same author continues:So you see, there may be a need for insur-

ance, especially if you are alarger commercial beekeeper.The conventional wisdom isthat if anything happens on myproperty, my homeowners in-surance will cover the liabil-ity. But that is incorrect. Itdepends on whether the bee-keeping is a hobby or businessand on the size of the claim.Moreover, it is an easy argu-ment to make that any rev-enue generated is a business,not a hobby....

The decision is not an easyone. Every beekeeper mustdecide what level of risk he/she is willing to tolerate. But

every beekeeper should be aware that alongwith dead hives, varroa mites, poorly layingqueens, and bad weather, he/she must alsoendure some exposure to liability. (Scott,2002)Beekeepers should check with their insurance

companies to discuss their specific needs. Dif-ferent insurance companies have different con-cerns about the many aspects of beekeeping li-ability. Bee and honey associations may be ableto help their members with this type of protec-tion. In the past, the American Beekeepers Fed-eration provided a liability insurance program forits members. The Federations website states thatThrough the Federations master policy you canobtain liability insurance to protect your beekeep-ing operation in todays litigious society (Ameri-can Beekeeping Federation, 1999). Beekeepersshould contact their associations to see whetherthis type of coverage is available (see Further Re-sources: Associations).

Organic ApicultureStandards

Beekeepers wanting to market organic honeyor other organic bee products will need certifica-tion by a USDA-accredited organic certificationagency. Please refer to ATTRAs Organic FarmCertification and the National Organic Program forgeneral certification information.

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The National Organic Standards Board(NOSB) Apiculture Task Force Report was re-leased September 15, 2001. The Draft OrganicApiculture Standard recommendations, whileserving as guidelines, are not regulations (stan-dards) until formally implemented by USDA/National Organic Program. The NOSB recom-mendations are available at the USDA/NOPwebsite, .

The NOSB report recommends that if prod-ucts from an apiculture operation are to be soldas organic, the bees and hives have to be man-aged in compliance with the organic livestockstandards for at least 270 days prior to removalof products from the hive. This includes devel-oping an organic apiculture plan for your organiccertification agency and observing all the nationalorganic provisions. For example: Origin of the livestockHives have to be un-

der continuous organic management for noless than 270 days prior to removal of honeyor other products, or hives need to be pur-chased from organic sources.

Supplemental feedOrganic honey and or-ganic sugar syrup are allowed up to 30 daysprior to honey harvest.

Forage areaHives have to be located at least4 miles from any area using prohibited mate-rials listed in the standards or from any con-taminated sites.

Living conditionsHives must be made ofnatural materials, such as wood or metal, butnot with treated lumber.

Health care practicesMake sure all thera-peutic products are listed on the National Listof Allowed and Prohibited Substances asNOSB approved, or are approved by yourorganic certification agency.

Record keepingNecessary for document-ing movement of hive, health care, and saleof products, as well as for auditing.

Africanized Hybrid BeesSince 1990, Africanized honey beesthe so-

called killer beeshave been a threat to bee-keepers in the United States. These hybridshave invaded Texas, New Mexico, Arizona,Nevada, and California, as well as Puerto Ricoand the Virgin Islands (Information Staff, 2002).It is not known how far north the Africanized

honey bees can live in the U.S., but they can livein the Andes of South America. The limiting fac-tor to their spread seems to be that they dontstore as much food as most other honey bees.This means they may starve to death in winterwhen there are no flowers blooming (Anon., c.2002).

Texas A&M University has a website that liststhe Africanized Honey Bee Quarantined Coun-ties in Texas, as well as a USDA map showingthe locations of Africanized honey bees in theUnited States. As of July 10, 2002, Texas had 143counties quarantined for Africanized honey bees.The quarantine allows beekeepers to move beehives within but not out of the zone, in an effortto prevent the assisted spread of Africanizedhoney bees. For additional information onAfricanized honey bees, visit .

Africanized honey bees are impossible tophysically distinguish from regular honey bees.The bees have to be analyzed in a lab to deter-mine whether they are Africanized (Anon., c.2002). Behaviorally, Africanized bees are typi-cally aggressive when reacting to threats that non-Africanized bees would ignore. The USDABeltsville Bee Research Laboratory provides freeauthoritative identification of Africanized honeybees, as well as diagnosis of bee diseases andpests, for Federal and State regulatory agenciesand for beekeepers worldwide [See instructionson how to ship bees to Beltsville in the Appen-dix]. Texass Honey Bee Identification Lab atTexas A&M University allows Texas residents tohave samples of honey bees identified free ofcharge. Texas residents should contact their Ex-tension agent about this service (Anon., c. 2002).

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Honey Bee PestsDuring the past 15 years, tracheal mites and

varroa mites have become major bee pests thatseriously threaten the industry in the UnitedStates. Mites have killed more than 90% of wildhoney bees and 60% of commercial bees in theU.S. (Quarles, 1997). A new pest to U.S. bee-keepersfirst identified in Florida in 1998is thesmall hive beetle (Frazier and Steinhauer, 1999).The following discussion focuses on least-toxicmethods of controlling these pests.

TRACHEAL MITESMicroscopic tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi) lay

eggs in the abdominal breathing tubes of the bee,and their larvae feed on the bee after the eggshatch. The mites came to the United States fromMexico in 1984 (Higgins, 2002).Alternative control methods fo-cus on cultural and chemical ma-nipulations and on mite-resistantbees.

Dr. Eric Erickson at the CarlHayden Bee Research Center inTucson, Arizona, commented inan electronic question-and-an-swer forum concerning trachealmites that Most colonies in theUnited States are resistant to tra-cheal mites. This is largely dueto the fact that we have neverhad a highly effective chemicaltreatment. Hence, susceptiblecolonies died and resistant colo-nies survived (Erickson, 2002a).

A common treatment for tra-cheal mites entails mixing 50grams of menthol with 50 grams of vegetableshortening and spreading it thinly on cardboardsheets that are placed on top of the frames for atotal of 25 days (Bosisio, 1990). Since mentholhas to vaporize to be effective, it must be used attemperatures of at least 60F. Also, an entrancereducer should be used and set to the smallestopening, because the fumes are heavier than airand will tend to settle out through the hive en-trance (Tabor, 1990). With the smaller entrance,hive ventilation may become a problem duringhot days when bees gather at the entrance andvibrate their wings to ventilate the hive. Somebeekeepers report that bees have an aversion to

the menthol and that large numbers will initiallyvacate the hive but eventually return. Purifiedmenthol (from peppermint) and instructions onits use are available from beekeeping supply com-panies. Spring and fall treatments are recom-mended.

Information on the next technique, using veg-etable oil and sugar, comes from Dr. Tom Websterat Kentucky State University. He suggests mix-ing equal parts of vegetable oil and sugar into apatty, placing it on a piece of hardware cloth,and resting the hardware cloth on the top bars ofthe hive. The bees will crawl over the patty andeat some of it. In the process they will gather asmall amount of oil on their bodies. The oil willsmother the mites. The patty should be replacedif it is consumed before the three-week treatmentis over. Again, spring and fall treatments arerecommended.

Several researchers haveshown that neem can controlboth tracheal and varroa mites.The neem can be added to sugarwater or applied directly on thebees. Dr. T.P. Liu, a Canadianresearcher, showed that a con-centration of 3 ml of neem ex-tract per liter of sugar syrup sig-nificantly decreased numbers oftracheal mites (Quarles, 1997).Dr. A. P. Melathopoulos foundthat a ten-percent concentrationof neem oil placed directly onbees killed more than 50% ofvarroa mites (Grossman, 1998).Neem has also been shown tobe effective against Americanfoulbrood (Grossman, 1998).[Nota bene: As of June, 2000,neem is not registered as a

honey bee mite control.]There is some evidence that tracheal mites

prefer new combs to older ones. A study con-ducted in North Dakota in 1994 found that colo-nies on new combs were three to four times morelikely to be infested with tracheal mites than colo-nies on old combs (Erickson et al., 1998).

VARROA MITESVarroa mites came to the United States in 1986

and have spread through all 48 contiguous states.The mites live in the hive, attach themselves tothe bees abdomens, and suck the bees vital flu-

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ids. The bees become sick, and the hive slowlydies (Higgins, 2002).

How to DetectThe NebGuide publication Using the Sugar

Roll Technique to Detect Varroa Mites in Honey BeeColonies states:

Globally, [the varroa mite] is the most impor-tant pest of honey bees and it has causedextensive losses in feral and managed colo-nies. Once introduced, varroa mites havenever been eradicated from any country orregion, [and] beekeepers must adopt an inte-grated pest management strategy to protecttheir colonies. Early detection and assess-ment of infestation levels are important com-ponents of a varroa management plan. Sincevarroa mites feed by piercing the interseg-mental membranes on the underside of thebees abdomen, they are not easily observedon bees until the colonies are severely in-jured. Beekeepers need to use a detectiontechnique to check their colonies for mites.In addition to detecting mites, beekeepersneed to accurately assess the infection lev-els to determine when control measures arewarranted....

The five most commonly used detection andassessment methods for varroa are: 1) etherroll, 2) alcohol wash, 3) brood examination,4) sticky boards placed on the bottom board,and 5) acaricides with sticky boards.(Macedo, 2001)These five methods are discussed in the en-

closed section Varroa Jacobsoni, from Diagno-sis of Honey Bee Diseases (USDA), available at< h t t p : / / m a a r e c . c a s . p s u . e d u / b k C D /Bee_Diseases/varroa.html>.

The enclosed NebGuide publication discussesthe alternative technique of using powderedsugar to detect varroa mites, also available at. Another detection method is de-scribed in the publication Mite excreta: A new di-agnostic tool for detecting Varroa mites! at theUSDA/Carl Hayden Bee Research Centerwebsite, .

Chemical TreatmentFor years, the only control for varroa mites

(Varroa jacobsoni) has been the miticide fluvalinate(Apistan), a synthetic pyrethroid. However,beekeepers in Europe and several U.S. states haveseen strains of mites resistant to Apistan. It is

only a matter of time before resistance becomesmore widespread. It is also important to remem-ber that honey cannot be gathered while Apistanis in use.

The May 2000 issue of Bee Tidings, a newslet-ter published by University of Nebraska Exten-sion and the Nebraska Beekeepers Association,discussed the use of Apistan strips:

Apistan strips are a highly effective controlfor susceptible mite populations, but no longerprovide adequate control in some beekeep-ing operations. Beekeepers who choose touse Apistan should check to determine iftheir colonies will respond to the treatmentprior to spending a lot of time and money ontreatment. Dr. Jeff Pettis, a USDA Scientistat the Beltsville Bee Laboratory, described aresistance monitoring procedure in an Ameri-can Bee Journal article. To conduct the Pettistest, prepare a pint wide-mouth jar by insert-ing a sugar cube and a note card that hasbeen trimmed to fit the jar. Staple a 3/8" by1" piece of an Apistan strip to the card nearthe top of the card. Prepare a two-piece can-ning lid for the jar by replacing the centerportion with screen wire that will allow mitesto pass but not the bees (8 mesh per cmworks well). Collect 250-300 mite infestedbees in the jar and hold them for 24 hours ina cool and dark place. Invert the jar andshake it several times to recover any deadmites on a sheet of paper. After recoveringthe mites, place the jars in an oven at lowheat (about 140 F.) until the bees are dead.Then, shake the jar again to recover anymites that were not killed by the Apistanstrip. This test will give you a good indica-tion of how effectively Apistan will perform inyour colony. Apistan strips can be pur-chased in any state and are available frommost bee supply dealers. They have a Sec-tion 3, or general use, label. (University ofNebraska Extension/Beekeepers, 2000)Apicure is a registered miticide that con-

tains about 65% formic acid, a colorless liquidwith a penetrating odor that is found in ants andin many plants. Formic acid controls trachealmites and is used for the suppression of varroamites. It has been used for years in Canada andEurope. Apicure is a slow-release gel that issealed in plastic bags that are sliced open andplaced in the hives. It should be removed after21 days and 28 days before honey flow. It shouldalso be used only when daytime temperaturesare between 45 and 95F, with the hive entrancefully open (Apicure, Inc., no date).

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A possible option for varroa control was men-tioned in the July 2002 American Bee Journal. Inthe article Varroa Control with Fungal Patho-gens May Be an Option Soon, the authors dis-cuss their research in isolating and screening sev-eral fungi that were highly pathogenic to varroaat temperatures similar to average hive tempera-tures. They state that they hope to offer bee-keepers this option in the near future (Kanga andJames, 2002).

Several alternative solutions to Varroa con-trol have been studied in Europe. They includelactic acid, oxalic acid, thymol, essential oils, neemoil, and several bio-technical measures. Thesecontrol measures are discussed in the Swiss BeeResearch Center website publication at . However, according to BlaneWhite, Aviary Inspector in Minnesota, lactic acidand oxalic acid have not been tested in the UnitedStates and are not approved treatments. He alsocomments that thymol has had limited testing inthe United States, and that it does work undersome conditions. However, there are no ap-proved thymol treatments in the U.S. at present(White, no date).

Using essential oils to kill both kinds of miteshas been researched. One of the problems withusing essential oils is that many of the com-pounds are toxic to honey bees as well as mites.Several herbal extracts and essential oils have beentested. For the most current information on us-ing essential oils to control varroa mite, visit WestVirginia Universitys web site at .

One study tested thymol-based products inTexas, Virginia, and Minnesota (Sanford, 1997).There were good results in Texas and Virginia,but less mite mortality in Minnesota. One rea-son given for this difference is that higher tem-peratures in the southern states helped the thy-mol to diffuse into the colony. Another variablethat may have affected the study was the num-ber of hive bodiesin Minnesota, three broodchambers were used, while in Texas only onebrood chamber was used. The most effectiveblend in the study was thymol and citronella.

In the late 1990s, Swiss researchers tried todetermine whether organic acids and essentialoils affect the taste of honey (Bogdanov, 1999).They found that formic acid was easiest to de-tect, followed by oxalic and lactic acids. Also,the weaker the natural taste of the honey, the

easier it was to detect one of these acids. Of theessential oils, thymol was easiest to detect, fol-lowed by camphor and menthol.

More research needs to be conducted. In anAPIS newsletter, Dr. Tom Sanford stated, Thetake-home message to the would-beexperimenter...is that applying oils of essence andrelated chemicals carries considerable risk andshould be approached with extreme caution(Sanford, 1997).

Bio-technical Methods of ControlOne method of varroa control involves chang-

ing the bottom board of a hive (Sanford, 1998).Often, mites fall off of bees and land on the bot-tom board. They can then crawl back up into thehive and reattach themselves to bees. A stickyboard that has been sprayed with something oily(usually PAM) can be placed over the hivesbottom board and covered with a screen. Whenmites fall off the bees, they fall through the screenand land on the sticky board and are unable toget back onto the bees. (The screen prevents beesfrom falling onto the sticky board.) A twist onthis method is to create bottom floors made en-tirely of screen. Not only does this aid in varroacontrol, it also helps control fungal diseases(Sanford, 1999). For more information on usingmesh floors, go to . Blane White, ApiaryInspector in Minnesota, says that screen bottomscan reduce varroa populations by 15% to 30%,and that once the screens are installed, no fur-ther labor is needed (White, no date).

Thomas Deeby at the Carl Hayden Bee Re-search Center, in an electronic question-and-an-swer forum, made the following comments aboutsmoker fuel to knock varroa mites off of beesand screened bottom boards to reduce mites inthe hive:

Products that have been tried range frommenthol, to tobacco, grapefruit and other cit-rus leaves, and creosote leaves. High heatitself stuns them. Sticky boards and slottedbottom boards also seem to have some mea-sure of success....

Natural Products Smoke - Beekeepers rou-tinely use smoke to calm their bees beforeopening the hive. Tobacco smoke increasesmite fall and has been used for both detec-tion and control of varroa. More recently, Dr.Frank Eischen, USDA bee research scien-tist, demonstrated that creosote bush andgrapefruit leaves produce a smoke that can

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knock down 90% of the mites in test cages.However, excessive exposure to natural prod-uct smoke can harm bees. Also, mites arenot usually killed by the smoke and may re-cover if not removed from the colony by asticky board or other mite trapping device.Mites in brood cells are not affected by natu-ral product smoke. While natural productsmoke is not an approved treatment forvarroa, there is no legislation prohibiting theiruse as smoker fuel. With careful attentionto bee safety, the smoke of some natural prod-ucts may be helpful in retarding varroa popu-lation growth in colonies.

Anti-varroa bottom boards - A French bee-keeper, Jean-Pierre Le Pabic, has devised abottom board that may help reduce varroainjury. He suggests that in a standard bot-tom-board-equipped colony, mites that fallfrom bees are able to easily reattach them-selves to another host bee. He designed abottom board consisting of 12 tubes that runlengthwise with a space between them thatpermits mites to fall to the bottom, but throughwhich bees cannot pass. He reports thatmite populations remain low in hives fittedwith this bottom board due to the inability ofvarroa mites to climb back up to where theycan reattach to a new host. Anyone who hasworked with sticky boards knows that nu-merous mites drop to the sticky traps when-ever colonies are examined or smoked. Thisnovel approach to varroa control may helpreduce beekeepers dependence on chemi-cal treatments. (Deeby, 2002c)For more information on the Le Pabic anti-

varroa bottom board, see the enclosed article orvisit .

Dr. Pedro Rodriguez has had success usingfood-grade mineral oil (FGMO). Test results showthat FGMO is highly efficient for control of varroainfections. It is economical, non-contaminating,and gentle to the environment. It can be appliedevery two weeks or so for the entire year. It isused in conjunction with screened bottom boardsto prevent mites from re-attaching themselves tobees after falling off. Food-grade mineral oil doesnot alter the quality of the honey (Arias Martinezet al., 2001). While the use the FGMO is stillunregulated and in a testing phase, the potentialuse of FGMO for control of varroa mites deservesto be considered. Much of the latest informationon the use of FGMO and methods of applicationis located at the website .

Research indicates that smaller starter cellshelp control varroa mite infestations (Senft, 1997).Foundation sheets (sheets of wax imprinted withbase cell sizes) with cells 22% smaller in diam-eter provided higher winter survival rates forbees.

Another cultural control method is to encour-age worker bees to make drone brooder combs.Varroa mites prefer drone brood to worker brood.After the drone pupae have been capped, thedrone comb is removed from the hive and dis-carded. Blane White, Apiary Inspector in Min-nesota, states that removing two to three combsof drone brood can reduce varroa population byabout 50%. For more information on thismethod, White recommends the website (White, No date).

Tolerant Strains of Honey BeesSince varroa mites became a major problem,

various strains of honey bee have been testedand crossbred in the hope of finding bees thatare tolerant to miteswhether through selectivebreeding for grooming behaviors or for cell-build-ing tendencies. Currently there are at least fouroptions for beekeepers to consider. They are thehygienic bees, Russian bees, SMR (SuppressedMite Reproduction) Smart bees, or local varroa-tolerant bees.

Hygienic bees spend more time cleaningthemselves and their hives, which promotes someresistance to varroa mites. Research has shownthat hygienic behavior is heritable, and research-ers Marla Spivak and Martha Gilliam have beenbuilding up populations of hygienic bees fromthe ten percent or so that occur naturally. Theseare now commercially available. Hygienic beesdetect and remove diseased bees quickly, beforethe pest organisms can move to other bees. Hy-gienic bees are also more resistant to Americanfoulbrood, European foulbrood, and chalkbrood(Sanford, 1998b). The publication The HygieneQueen provides information on some of the traitsthat are selected for and also provides the stan-dard quantitative test used. The publication isavailable at .

Russian bees are a resistant strain of honeybees being developed and tested by the USDABaton Rouge Bee Lab. These bees evolved inRussias Far East, where mites and honey beeshave co-existed for decades. Commercial evalu-

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ations of Russian bees have shown good miteresistance and exceptional winter hardiness. Intests comparing domestic honey bees with theRussian bees, the varroa mite reproduction wastwo to three times lower with the Russian bees(Suszkiw, 2001). Contact Dr. Thomas E. Rindererat the USDA Baton Rouge Bee Lab for informa-tion on where to get Russian queen bees (see Fur-ther Resources: USDA Research Facilities, forcontact information). For additional informationon Russian honey bee research, see the Agricul-tural Research article Russian Honey Bee Earn-ing Its Stripes at .

The USDA Baton Rouge Bee Lab found a traitof the honey bee that prevents the varroa mitefrom reproducing and thereby provides geneticresistance to it. This trait is called suppressionof mite reproduction or SMR (commonly pro-nounced SMART). The USDA lab has bred a lineof honey bees that carry this trait and have re-leased them for commercial sale with severalqueen bee producers. The SMRD Project at Ba-ton Rouge is described in the publication Breed-ing Honey Bees that Suppress Mite Reproduction at. In this publication the au-thors state:

We now have varroa-resistant stocks of beesinbred for the SMR trait, and these coloniesgreatly limit mite growth. The U.S. queenrearing industry is geared toward the produc-tion of naturally mated queens, which makesthe production of commercial inbred resis-tant queens very unlikely (unless queens aremated in an isolated area such as an island).However, queen producers can readily pro-duce hybrid queens. We found mite growthto be intermediate between resistant beesand susceptible bees when resistant queensare free-mated with susceptible drones (Fig-ure 6). Although colonies with hybrid queens(resistant x control) had intermediate popu-lations of mites, they had half the mites foundin the susceptible controls. Hence, even hy-brid queens should provide beekeepers a tan-gible level of resistance. (USDA/Honey BeeBreeding, c. 2001)The Carl Hayden Bee Research Center has

demonstrated that it is relatively easy for bee-keepers to produce varroa-tolerant bees withtheir own locally adapted bees, though it doesrequire an elevated level of hive management.The enclosed publication Producing Varroa-tol-erant Honey Bees from Locally Adapted Stock: A

Recipe provides information on what to do andhow to do it. This publication is also available at.

SMALL HIVE BEETLESIn 1998, the small hive beetle, a native of South

Africa, was found in Florida. As of October 2001,the small hive beetle had been found in 24 states,most of them east of the Mississippi River. Mi-gratory beekeepers transport bee colonies fromareas known to be infested with the small hivebeetle, and the probability that this pest is morewidespread is very real due to the migratory pol-lination demands within the United States.(USDA/BARC, c. 2001)

In an on-line question-and-answer sessionabout small hive beetles, Thomas Deeby stated:

These are extremely tough beetles and verydifficult to stop or control. They will eitherburrow through soft mulch or crawl to a loca-tion that is easier for them to access. Thereare soil conditioners, soil fungus and insectpredators that are being currently tested. Bythe time the beetles pupate, the larvae havecaused much damage in the hive, which willnot be cleaned up by the bees, and it justescalates from there. This is going to be avery difficult pest to deal with. Pesticides inthe hive, in the soil, corrugated cardboard onthe bottom board, and other traps seem tobe the methods of treatment to date. Keep-ing strong colonies will help, but not guaran-tee SHB will not pay you a visit. Moving yourhives to break the reproductive cycle of thebeetle may work, assuming you have alter-nate locations for your colonies.

These are some of the things we know aboutSHB. Two weeks after decimating the combin a hive, the mature larvae of the small hive

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beetle seek the soil under the hive to con-tinue their life cycle. They seem to prefersandy soil and burrow in 68 inches wherethey pupate and later emerge as beetles.Hard ground only slows the larvae down asthey radiate out searching for softer ground.Strong colonies of honey bees can removesome of the larvae in the hive but accordingto Garth Cambray, in South Africa, the beesdo not kill the larva and they drop them up to50 m from the hive, which allows them tocontinue their cycle and pupate in the ground.

The small hive beetle is a tough customer.Not only is its exoskeleton hard, providing asolid armor of protection but also it has well-developed wings and can fly at least 5 miles.David Westevelt, state inspector in Floridareports a beetle infestation in a colony 14miles from the nearestapiary and he has foundbeetles in feral swarmsliving in trees. Coldweather has no ill effectas Bill Wilson, Agricul-tural Research Service,Weslaco Bee Labora-tory, Texas, reports thatthe beetles were foundin the center of clustersof honey bees in NorthCarolina where the nighttemperature was con-sistently below freezing. Dr. Lundie who firststudied the beetle in 1940 found that adultbeetles live up to 6 months. It is known thatthe beetle can survive days without food sothe chance of live beetles being transportedin colonies or on equipment is very high.

There is one insecticide currently registeredfor use on soil in an apiary. It is Gardstar40% EC, a permethrin. Beekeepers haveused soil drenches of insecticides they mightuse on ants, such as chemicals approvedfor fire ants. This is not a legal use. Resultsare variable and use of permethrin or otherinsecticides may do more harm via acciden-tal contamination of bee equipment and/orkilling of the bees themselves.

Please contact the USDA scientists workingin Beltsville and Weslaco for follow-up infor-mation. (Deeby, 2002a)The USDA/BARC Bee Research Laboratory

provides the following information concerning thesmall hive beetle on their website .

Nature of the problemThe small hive beetle is considered a second-ary pest in South Africa, attacking small orweak hives but rarely affecting strong hives.The honey bees in South Africa are primarilyApis mellifera scutelata, an aggressive beethat has excellent housecleaning and defen-sive traits. In contrast, the bees kept in NorthAmerica are predominately A. m. ligustica orA. m. carnica and differ in behavior from Afri-can bees. The difference between races ofbees coupled with different climatic and colonymanagement styles between South Africa andthe United States make it difficult to predictthe impact of this new pest on the U. S. bee-

keeping industry. Reportsfrom states with SHB haveindicated occasional prob-lems with beetles infestingand destroying hives in theapiary. However, more prob-lems have been reportedfrom damage by SHB tostored honey.

Damage to colonies andstored honey

Small hive beetle larvae af-fect combs of stored honeyand pollen and will also in-

fest brood combs. During the feeding actionby larvae an associated repellent sticky sub-stance is laid down on the combs and this canresult in bees abandoning the hive. Whenhoneycombs are removed from colonies, beesthen no longer protect the combs allowing lar-vae to feed uninhibited. The managementpractice of removing honey and then storing itin warehouses prior to extraction will need tobe changed with the introduction of this beetle.Additionally, the handling of wax cappings andhoney in areas known to have the small hivebeetle will require increased sanitation. Ourresearch has shown that reducing relative hu-midity below 50% where honey is stored willinhibit SHB eggs from hatching and thus re-duce or eliminate larval damage in honey.(USDA/BARC, c. 2001)

The only known chemical treatment is a prod-uct called Bayer Bee Strips or CheckMite+,which contains the organophosphate coumaphos.

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Under the Section 18 authority of the EPA, manystates have been granted use of these strips forcontrol of varroa mites and small hive beetles.Maryanne Frazier and James Steinhauer in theNewsSmall Hive Beetle Pest Sheet state:

The section 18 registration for Bayer BeeStrips is for non-food use. There is no allow-ance for any coumaphos residue in honey orwax. All surplus honey supers must be re-moved before treatment and not be replaceduntil after the treatment has been removed.Coumaphos is in a group of highly toxic ma-terials called organophosphates. The der-mal (absorption through the skin) toxicity ofcoumaphos to mammals is approximately 20times greater than that of Apistan. It is there-fore imperative that beekeepers follow all la-bel instructions, including wearing gloves,when using Bayer Bee Strips....

...Under the section 18 registration, the soledistributor of Bayer Bee Strips is Mann LakeLtd., 501 S First Street, Hackensack, MN56452-2001, orders 1-800-233-6663, office218-675-6688. They will be required to keeprecords of the number of strips sold in eachstate. (Frazier and Steinhauer, 2000)

WAX MOTHSGreater wax moths (Galleria mellonella) are a

common pest of honey bees and usually occuron stored honey comb. One simple and effectiveway to rid a comb of all stages of wax moths is tofreeze it. Freezing the comb at 20F for a mini-mum of 4.5 hours or 5F for 2 hours is recom-mended. After freezing, the comb needs to bestored where no adult wax worm moths can getto it, but the beekeeper will still need to checkthe comb at least monthly for any signs of re-infestation (Tew, 1997).

Heat can also kill all stages of wax moths.The combs need to be heated to 115F for 80 min-utes or 120F for 40 minutes, but never hotterthan 120F. Make sure all combs reach the re-quired temperature before starting to time them.Adequate air circulation is important to evenlyheat the combs. Remember that combs are soft-ened by high temperatures and may sag and be-come distorted. Heat treat only combs with nohoney in them (Tew, 1997).

A chemical method for control of wax mothsis paradichlorobenzene (PDB or mothballs). Thetreatment procedure is to place 6 tablespoons or3 ounces of PDG crystals on stacks of 5 supers.The stack should be as air tight as possible, so

close all openings and seal the cracks betweensupers with masking tape. The crystals are placedon a paper positioned on the frames top bars.More crystals should be added every 2 to 3weeks. DO NOT use PDB on honeycombs con-taining honey intended for human use (Tew,1997).

A Swiss study conducted in 1997 showed thatTrichogramma wasps could be used to control waxmoths. In the study, five hatches of Trichogrammaeggs were released at 3-week intervals duringthe summer and were effective even under heavywax moth infestation (Trichogramma wasps aresolely egg parasites, meaning that they are inef-fective on any stage of wax moths except eggs)(Bollhalder, 1999).

Honey Bee DiseasesThe two most common bee diseases are

American foulbrood (AFB) and European foul-brood (EFB). American and European foulbroodskill bees during the pupal stage. The dead puparots and begins to smell, hence the name of thedisease. Foulbrood is worse in high humidity.

In an on-line forum, Thomas Deeby stated:Terramycin (oxytetracycline HCL) is theonly drug approved for use as a preventivetreatment against American foulbrood. Thisantibiotic does not kill Bacillus...spores, butprevents or delays their growth when presentin low concentrations in the food fed by work-ers to susceptible larvae. While this treat-ment allows individual larvae to survive, itdoes absolutely nothing about the virulentspores in the contaminated equipment. Thusthe disease usually reappears once drugfeeding stops. There has been recent evi-dence in this country for bacterial resistanceto Terramycin. One of the suspected causesfor this development is the sharp increase inuse by beekeepers of the medicated veg-etable oil extender patty. Bees do not al-ways consume the patties rapidly which leadsto a situation in which antibiotic lingers in thehive for weeks or even months. Resistancewas not a problem in this country prior to thewidespread use of extender patties in the1990s. For these reasons it is recommendedthat beekeepers remove all uneaten portionsof medicated extender patties after pattieshave been in the hive for one month.

There are alternative treatments to AFB with-out using TM [Terramycin ]. Queens arebeing bred that create more resistan[ce] to


brood diseases in the introduced hives.Check the Journals for these HygienicQueens. Lincomycin Hydrochloride is a pos-sible alternative antibiotic to TM, but is stillawaiting FDA approval. Essential oils likerosemary and tea tree oils have been triedwith some limited success. Sulfa and Ethyl-ene Oxide Gas (ETO) have been used suc-cessfully in the past, although I am not sureif you can find them or in which states theyare allowed. Keeping your equipment clean,sanitizing your extracting equipment lookingfor scale and destroying those frames, notallowing bees to rob a dead colony and notfeeding honey to colonies other than thoseproducing it are some of the ways you canprevent the spread of AFB to your other colo-nies. Please contact our Beltsville Bee Labfor follow-up information. (Deeby, 2002b)In most states, if a colony is stricken with AFB

or EFB, it must be killed and burned. This isdone to prevent further infections in nearby colo-nies. In an on-line forum, Dr. Eric H. Erickson,commenting on whether soaking frames andboxes infected with AFB with a bleach solutionwould sterilize them, stated:

Unfortunately, bleach will not killthe spores of afb. They haveouter shells that are imperviousto almost all chemicals unlessthey are applied using heat andpressure. You should considerrendering the wax and selling it,and burning the equipment. Al-ternatively, you could reinstallbees in the equipment and treatwith antibiotics if your state regu-lations allow this procedure.(Erickson, 2002b)According to an article in the

American Bee Journal, cleaning beeboxes and frames in boiling lye wa-ter is an effective method of removing the waxand propolis, as well as stripping the old paint.The article states that boiling lye water remainsan inexpensive treatment for destroying Ameri-can Foulbrood spores by subjecting them to thescarification necessary to breakdown the sporesseed coat as the heat of 212F alone is inadequateto do this. The article calls this a dangerousenterprise that requires safety equipment becauselye is a caustic chemical, which will eat throughclothing, chemically burning the skin under-

neath. An addition warning is also included:IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP: DO NOT ADD LYETO HOT WATER! (Sollenberger, 2002).

Educational and TrainingOpportunities

Educational and training opportunities areavailable from some state universities. Some ofthese universities sponsor beekeeping workshopsor specialized training for both beginning and mas-ter beekeepers. Check with your local Extensionoffice or your state Apiarist.

Pennsylvania State Universitys Departmentof Distance Education offers a correspondencecourse entitled AG 5126Introductory Beekeep-ing. It provides basic information needed tomanage a small number of honey bee colonies.It has 10 lessons, with no examination, and costs$74.00, including materials and tuition. For in-formation and registration procedures, contact:

The Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Distance Education

Independent Learning Center207 Mitchell BuildingUniversity Park, PA 16802(800) 2523592

The American Society of Bee-keepers provides free on-lineclasses including Beginning Bee-keeping 101, Intermediate Bee-keeping 201, and Advanced Bee-keeping 301. Each class has les-sons in different aspects of bee-keeping. The classes are all free,but anyone interested in gettinga certificate of achievement willneed to pay $25.00 to take a test.

For additional information on any of these classes,visit .

Three specialized beekeeping short coursesdevoted to stock improvement are offered everysummer at The Ohio State UniversityRothenbuhler Honey Bee Laboratory, in Colum-bus, Ohio. The classes are the Art of Queen Rear-ing, Instrumental Insemination & Breeding, andAdvanced Insemination Instruction. Thesecourses are designed to advance the beekeepingindustry as well as provide training for research

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personnel. For additional information about theseannual classes, contact:

Susan W. CobeyRothenbuhler Honey Bee Lab1735 Neil AvenueColumbus, OH 43210(614) 2927928, Fax: (614) 2925237Email: [email protected]://www174.pair.com/birdland/Breeding/classmain.html

SummaryFortunately, bee diseases are not as wide-

spread as the tracheal and varroa mites are, butbeekeepers should be aware of the symptoms ofthe various diseases and pests and be preparedto act accordingly. The pests and diseases men-tioned above, and other diseases such as nosema,chalkbrood, and stonebrood, are covered in mostgood bee books (see Further Resources: Books).Beekeepers need to remember that the USDABeltsville Bee Research Laboratory provides freeauthoritative diagnosis of bee diseases and pests,as well as identification of Africanized honey bees[See instructions on how to ship bees to Beltsvillein the Appendix].

Anyone interested in keeping bees for polli-nating plants or for producing additional incomefrom bee products should first investigate allavailable sources of information. County Coop-erative Extension offices are a good source of in-formation on beekeeping, as are entomologistsand apiculturists at your local land-grant univer-sity. State apicultural inspectors, usually withthe Department of Agriculture, are another goodsource of information. These sources should beable to provide contact information to local bee-keepers.

Hobbyists are often very willingto discuss their management tech-niques, problems, and solutions.These contacts will indicate success-ful techniques that have been used ina specific climatic or geographic area.

It would also be a good idea tovisit several different websites andstudy the on-line publications (seeFurther Resources: Websites) on be-ginning beekeeping to learn about beemorphology, strains, pests, and bee-keeping equipment. Periodicals arean excellent method for keeping cur-

rent with all the new research and products avail-able to assist beekeepers (see Further Resources:Periodicals).

ReferencesAmerican Beekeeping Federation. 1999. Mem-

bership benefits. 2 p. .

American Society of Beekeepers. No datea.Bee law and what you should know.Intermediate Beekeeping 201LessonFive. 6 p. .

American Society of Beekeepers. No dateb.Final thoughts. Beginning Beekeeping101Lesson Ten. 2 p. .

American Society of Beekeepers. No Datec.Getting started. Beginning Beekeeping101Lesson Two. 3p. .

Anon., c.2002. Downloaded August 2002.Frequently asked questions. AgNews.Texas A&M University. 8 p. .

Apicure, Inc. No date. Formic Acid Gel label.Midnight Bee Keepers Home. 3 p..

Arias Martinex, Agustin et al. 2001. Use offood grade mineral oil and integratedbeekeeping practices in the control ofvarroa infections in Apis mellifera colo-nies. Beesource.com. 14 p. .

Bogdanov, Stefan et al. 1999. Influ-ence of organic acids andcomponents of essential oils onhoney taste. American BeeJournal. January. p. 6163.

Bollhalder, Franz. 1999.Trichogramma for wax mothcontrol. American Bee Journal.September. p. 711712.

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mailto:[email protected]://www174.pair.com/birdland/Breeding/classmain.htmlhttp://www174.pair.com/birdland/Breeding/classmain.htmlhttp://www.abfnet.org/Membership/benefits.htmlhttp://www.abfnet.org/Membership/benefits.htmlhttp://www.abfnet.org/Membership/benefits.htmlhttp://www.gobeekeeping.com/http://www.gobeekeeping.com/http://www.gobeekeeping.com/http://www.gobeekeeping.com/http://www.gobeekeeping.com/http://www.gobeekeeping.com/http://agnews.tamu.edu/bees/FAQ.htmhttp://agnews.tamu.edu/bees/FAQ.htmhttp://www.mainebee.com/tips/formicacid.phphttp://www.mainebee.com/tips/formicacid.phphttp://www.beesource.com/pov/rodriguez/fgmo2001report.htmhttp://www.beesource.com/pov/rodriguez/fgmo2001report.htmhttp://www.beesource.com/pov/rodriguez/fgmo2001report.htm


Bosisio, Matt. 1990. Faster-acting menthol forbees. Agricultural Research. January. p.22.

Burgett, Michael. 1999. 1999 Pacific Northwesthoney bee pollination survey. OregonState University Bee Lab. 6p. .

Collison, Clarence H. 1996. Getting started inbeekeeping. Mississippi State University,Beekeeping Tips. 2 p. .

Deeby, Thomas. 2002a. Expert Forum onHoney Bee reply on small hive beetle.Carl Hayden Bee Research Center website.March 8. 1 p. .

Deeby, Thomas. 2002b. Expert Forum onHoney Bee reply on American foulbrood.Carl Hayden Bee Research Center website.February 12. 1 p. .

Deeby, Thomas. 2002c. Expert Forum onHoney Bee reply on smoker fuel forvarroa. Carl Hayden Bee Research Centerwebsite. February 9. 1 p. .

Deeby, Thomas. 2002d. Expert Forum onHoney Bee reply on amount of surpluspollen from colony in 1 season. CarlHayden Bee Research Center website.January 3. 1 p. .

Dey, Dennis, revised by Lori-Jo Graham. 2001.Commercial honey industry. AlbertaAgriculture, Food, and Rural Develop-ment Ministry. 23 p. .

Erickson, Eric H. 2002a. Expert Forum onHoney Bee reply on tracheal mites. CarlHayden Bee Research Center website.July 9. 1 p. .

Erickson, Eric H. 2002b. Expert Forum onHoney Bee reply on AFB. Carl HaydenBee Research Center website. July 6. 1 p..

Erickson, Eric, Anita Atmowidjojo, Alan King,and Joanne King. 1998. Effect of newvs. old wax brood combs on honey beetracheal mite populations in North Da-kota. American Bee Journal. September.p. 672673.

ERS/NASS. No date. A look at the U.S.beekeeping industry. Economic ResearchService/National Agricultural StatisticsService. 6 p. .

Frazier, Maryann, and James Steinhauer. 1999.NewsSmall hive beetle pest sheet. MidAtlantic Apiculture Research and Exten-sion Consortium. 5 p. .

Frazier, Maryann, George Greaser, TimothyKelsey, and Jayson Harper. 1998. Bee-keeping. Agricultural Alternatives, PennState Cooperative Extension. 6 p. .

Frazier, Maryanne, and James Steinhauer. 2000.News Small Hive Beetle Pest sheet.MidAtlantic Apiculture Research andExtension Consortium. February. .

Grossman, Joel. 1998. Neem for honeybeepests. The IPM Practitioner. September.p. 1011.

Higgins, Adrian. 2002. Honeybees in a mitemore than troubleParasites, an exodusof apiarists and budget cuts imperil vitalinsect. Washington Post. May 14. p. A1.

Information Staff. 2002. Locations ofAfricanized honey bees in U.S. USDA/Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville,Maryland. February. 2 p. .

http://members.aol.com/beetools/99polin.htmhttp://members.aol.com/beetools/99polin.htmhttp://www.msstate.edu/Entomology/Beekeeping/Beekeeping001.htmlhttp://www.msstate.edu/Entomology/Beekeeping/Beekeeping001.htmlhttp://www.msstate.edu/Entomology/Beekeeping/Beekeeping001.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/agdex/600/616_830-1.htmlhttp://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/agdex/600/616_830-1.htmlhttp://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/agdex/600/616_830-1.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/expertforum/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/dept/abf.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/dept/abf.htmlhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/BeetlePestSheet.htmlhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/BeetlePestSheet.htmlhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/BeetlePestSheet.htmlhttp://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/other/bees/bees.pdfhttp://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/other/bees/bees.pdfhttp://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/other/bees/bees.pdfhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/BeetlePestSheet.htmlhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/BeetlePestSheet.htmlhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/BeetlePestSheet.htmlhttp://agnews.tamu.edu/bees/quaran.htmhttp://agnews.tamu.edu/bees/quaran.htm


Kanga, Lambert H. B., and Rosalind R. James.2002. Varroa control with fungal patho-gens may be an option soon. AmericanBee Journal. July. p. 519.

Macedo, Paula A., and Marion D. Ellis. 2001.Using the sugar roll technique to detectvarroa mites in honey bee colonies.NebGuide. University of NebraskaLincoln. G01-1430-A. June. 4 p. .

Quarles, Bill. 1997. Neem controls bee mites.Common Sense Pest Control. Winter. p.4.

Sanford, M. T. 1998. The sticky board: Anew apicultural tool. APIS. May. p. 3.

Sanford, M. T. 1998b. The case for hygienicbees: A little-used technology. APIS.September. p. 12.

Sanford, M. T. 1999. More on open meshfloors for varroa control. APIS. August.p. 13.

Sanford, Malcolm T. 1997. More on oils ofessence in mite control. APIS. November.p. 4.

Scott, Howard. 2002. Do you need beekeepersinsurance. American Bee Journal. July. p.484485.

Senft, Dennis. 1997. Helping honey bees fightmites. Agricultural Research. May. p. 22.

Sollenberger, TLee. 2002. Bathing, buying,buildingIngredients for better beeware.American Bee Journal. August. p. 581584.

Suszkiw, Jan. 2001. Mite-resistant Russianbees also have winter hardiness. ATSNews & Information. June 15. 2 p..

Tabor, J. 1990. Combating tracheal mites.Maine Organic Farmer and Gardener.JulyAugust. p. 22.

Tew, James E. 1997. Wax moth control in beehives. Ohio State University Horticultureand Crop Science. HYG-2165-97. 3 p..

University of Nebraska Extension/Beekeepers.2000. Varroa control options for 2000. Bee

Tidings. May. p. 12. .

USDA/AMS. 2002. Honey market for themonth of June 2002. National HoneyReport. July 10. 8 p.

USDA/BARC Bee Research Laboratory. c.2001.Downloaded July 2002. The small hivebeetle. 1 p. .

USDA/BARC Bee Research Laboratory. Nodate. How to submit samples for diagno-sis. 1 p. .

USDA/Honey Bee Breeding. c.2001. Down-loaded August 2002. Breeding honey beesthat suppress mite reproduction. HoneyBee Breeding, Genetics & PhysiologyLaboratory SMRD Project. 7 p. .

Wenning, Carl J. 1999. What price honey?American Bee Journal. August. p. 597601.

White, Blane. No date. Varroa mite detection.Minnesota Department of Agriculture. 2p. .

EnclosuresErickson, E. H., L. H. Hines, and A. H.

Atmowidjojjo. c.2000. Downloaded July2002. Producing varroa-tolerant honeybees from locally adapted stock: A recipe.Carl Hayden Bee Research Center..

Frazier, Maryann, George Greaser, TimothyKelsey, and Jayson Harper. 1998. Bee-keeping. Agricultural Alternatives, PennState Cooperative Extension. 6 p. .

Le Pablic, Jean-Pierre. 2002. Happykeeper.Anti-Varroa bottom board. Virtual Bee-keeping Gallery. 5 p. .

http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/INSECTS/g1430.htmhttp://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/INSECTS/g1430.htmhttp://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/INSECTS/g1430.htmhttp://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2001/010615.htmhttp://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2001/010615.htmhttp://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2165.htmlhttp://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2165.htmlhttp://entomology.unl.edu/beekpg/tidings/btid2000/btdmay00.htmhttp://entomology.unl.edu/beekpg/tidings/btid2000/btdmay00.htmhttp://entomology.unl.edu/beekpg/tidings/btid2000/btdmay00.htmhttp://www.barc.usda.gov/psi/brl/bd-shb.htmhttp://www.barc.usda.gov/psi/brl/bd-shb.htmhttp://www.barc.usda.gov/psi/brl/bd-shb.htmhttp://www.barc.usda.gov/psi/brl/directs.htmhttp://www.barc.usda.gov/psi/brl/directs.htmhttp://msa.ars.usda.gov/la/btn/hbb/jwh/SMRD/SMRD.htmhttp://msa.ars.usda.gov/la/btn/hbb/jwh/SMRD/SMRD.htmhttp://msa.ars.usda.gov/la/btn/hbb/jwh/SMRD/SMRD.htmhttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/ams/apiary/varroa.htmhttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/ams/apiary/varroa.htmhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/publ/tolerant2.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/publ/tolerant2.htmlhttp://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/other/bees/bees.pdfhttp://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/other/bees/bees.pdfhttp://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/other/bees/bees.pdfhttp://www.apiservices.com/happykeeper/index_us.htmhttp://www.apiservices.com/happykeeper/index_us.htmhttp://www.apiservices.com/happykeeper/index_us.htm


Macedo, Paula A., and Marion D. Ellis. 2001.Using the sugar roll technique to detectvarroa mites in honey bee colonies.NebGuide. University of NebraskaLincoln. G01-1430-A. June. 4 p. .

Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Exten-sion Consortium. No date. Summary ofmanagement practices around the calen-dar. 2 p. .

USDA. No date. Varroa Jacobsoni. Diagnosisof Honey Bee Diseases. .

Further ResourcesWebsites

BeeCulture Magazinehttp://bee.airoot.com/beeculture/index.htm

On-line listing of Whos Who in the Beeyard foreach state. On-line publication Insect Pollina-tion of Cultivated Crop Plants. On-linemonthly column Beekeeping in the Digital Agedescribing how communications in the digitalage affect production and dissemination ofbeekeeping information, by Dr. Malcolm T.Sanford, Former Extension Beekeeping Specialistat the University of Florida. Weekly updatedCatch the Buzz with the very latest informationfrom the world of beekeeping. Also providesmany excellent links to other sources of informa-tion, as well as some articles from BeeCultureMagazine.

The American Society of Beekeepershttp://www.gobeekeeping.com/

Three free on-line beekeeping classes, a listing ofNational and regional bee organizations, amonthly newsletter, and additional beekeepinginformation.

Beekeeping: The Beekeepers Home Pageshttp://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/

beekeeping/Beekeeping website links with hundreds of otherbeekeeping resources. It also has an extensivelisting of companies that sell bee equipment.

Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and ExtensionConsortium (MAAREC)

http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/index.htmlA regional effort to address the pest managementcrisis facing the beekeeping industry in the Mid-Atlantic Region. On-line newsletter and manyexcellent publications on all aspects of beekeep-ing, including pests and diseases.

The Bee Workshttp://www.beeworks.com/index.htm

Canadian website with a good informationcenter on various aspects of beekeeping.

George Imirie Certified Master Beekeeperhttp://www.beekeeper.org/george_imirie/

index.htmlOn-line monthly pink pages on many aspectsof beekeeping.

The Pollinator Home Pagehttp://www.pollinator.com/index.htm

List of beekeepers who provide pollinationservice, and good information on pollination.

Worlds Beekeeping Directoryhttp://www.beehoo.com/

Worldwide listings of sources of information,training, and many other items of interest tobeekeepers.

Top Bar Hive Beekeepinghttp://www.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/main.htm

Website devoted exclusively to collecting anddistributing information about beekeeping withtop-bar hives.

Pennsylvania State Universityhttp://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/other/

bees/bees.pdfPublication Beekeeping and sample bee budget.

Texas A&M Universityhttp://agnews.tamu.edu/bees/quaran.htm

Map of areas of known African honeybee quar-antine.

Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations Rome

http://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e00.htmOn-line publication Value-Added Products fromBeekeeping.

http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/INSECTS/g1430.htmhttp://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/INSECTS/g1430.htmhttp://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/INSECTS/g1430.htmhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/bkCD/management/summary_mangt.htmlhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/bkCD/management/summary_mangt.htmlhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/bkCD/management/summary_mangt.htmlhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/bkCD/Bee_Diseases/varroa.htmlhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/bkCD/Bee_Diseases/varroa.htmlhttp://maarec.cas.psu.edu/bkCD/Bee_Diseases/varroa.htmlhttp://bee.airoot.com/beeculture/index.htmhttp://www.gobeekeeping.com/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/beekeeping/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/beekeeping/http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/index.htmlhttp://www.beeworks.com/index.htmhttp://www.beekeeper.org/george_imirie/index.htmlhttp://www.beekeeper.org/george_imirie/index.htmlhttp://www.pollinator.com/index.htmhttp://www.beehoo.com/http://www.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/main.htmhttp://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/other/bees/bees.pdfhttp://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/other/bees/bees.pdfhttp://agnews.tamu.edu/bees/quaran.htmhttp://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e00.htmhttp://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e00.htm


University of California Small Farm Centerhttp://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/pubs/SFNews/

archive/94032.htmOn-line publication Starting a Small BeekeepingOperation.

University of NebraskaLincolnhttp://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/insects/

g1104.htmOn-line publication Getting Started in Beekeep-ing.

University of TennesseeKnoxvillehttp://web.utk.edu/~extepp/redbook/

bee2000.pdfOn-line publication Apiculture

University of MissouriColumbiahttp://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/

agguides/pests/g07600.htmOn-line publication Beekeeping Tips for Begin-ners.

University of Georgiahttp://www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/b1045-w.html

On-line publication Honey Bees and Beekeeping.

Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization(ECHO)

http://www.echonet.org/tropicalag/technotes/BeehiveD.pdfOn-line Tech Note Beehive Designs for theTropics.

USDA Research FacilitiesFive USDA laboratories are studying breed-

ing, behavior, and benefits of wild and domesti-cated bees. Check these sites regularly to moni-tor current research into controlling many of thehoneybees parasites and diseases.

USDA/BARC Bee Research LaboratoryBuilding 476, BARC-EASTBeltsville, MD 20705(301) 5048205, Fax: (301) 5048736http://www.barc.usda.gov/psi/brl/brl-page.html

Studies bee diseases, pests, and nutritionalneeds. Provides bee diagnostic services.

Carl Hayden Bee Research Center2000 E. Allen RoadTucson, AZ 85719(520) 6706380, Fax: (520) 6706493http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/

Research explores pollination, mites, and control

of Africanized honeybees. They also have ExpertForum on Honey Bees, a state-of-the-art, user-friendly, Internet question-and-answer informa-tion resource available at no cost. Anyone canuse this service to ask any and all questionsabout bees and get answers directly from theexperts at the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center.

Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and PhysiologyResearch1157 Ben Hur RoadBaton Rouge, LA 708205502(225) 7679280, Fax: (225) 7669212http://msa.ars.usda.gov/la/btn/hbb/

Research on breeding honeybees that tolerateharsh climate, disease, insects, and other haz-ards.

Bee Biology and Systematic LaboratoryUtah State University5310 Old Main HillLogan, UT 843225310(435) 7972524, Fax: (435) 7970461http://www.loganbeelab.usu.edu/

Research involves alternatives to honey bees aspollinators, and wild bees.

USDA/ARS Beneficial Insects Research Unit2413 E. Highway 83Weslaco, TX 78596(956) 9694852http://weslaco.ars.usda.gov

Studies mites that infest breathing tubes (tra-chea) of honeybees. Designs mite controlmeasures and tracks spread of mites.

Computer SoftwareCarl Hayden Bee Research Centerhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/soft/bke/index.html

The new release: BK-Economics 1.34 is availablefor Windows and Macintosh. BK-Economics isa software package that was developed by a teamof scientists at the Carl Hayden Bee ResearchCenter in Tucson, Arizona, to assist commercialbeekeepers in streamlining their businesspractices. This software allows beekeepers tosimulate years of business, taking into accountfactors like equipment purchases, labor force,transportation, marketing strategies, loans,honey flow, and other hive products. Thissoftware, when used in combination with themarketing strategy information in the publica-tion, can help beekeepers formulate a successfulbusiness plan.

http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/pubs/SFNews/archive/94032.htmhttp://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/pubs/SFNews/archive/94032.htmhttp://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/insects/g1104.htmhttp://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/insects/g1104.htmhttp://web.utk.edu/~extepp/redbook/bee2000.pdfhttp://web.utk.edu/~extepp/redbook/bee2000.pdfhttp://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/pests/g07600.htmhttp://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/pests/g07600.htmhttp://www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/b1045-w.htmlhttp://www.echonet.org/tropicalag/technotes/BeehiveD.pdfhttp://www.echonet.org/tropicalag/technotes/BeehiveD.pdfhttp://www.barc.usda.gov/psi/brl/brl-page.htmlhttp://www.barc.usda.gov/psi/brl/brl-page.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/http://msa.ars.usda.gov/la/btn/hbb/http://www.loganbeelab.usu.edu/http://weslaco.ars.usda.govhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/soft/bke/index.htmlhttp://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/soft/bke/index.html


This software is downloadable on-line in netinstaller versions. If downloading BK-Econom-ics off the web is not a viable option, you maychoose to receive a copy by mail. This software isa product of USDA research and is offered ATNO COST to anyone. Address and phonenumbers for Carl Hayden Bee Research Centerare listed above in the USDA Research Facili-ties.

PeriodicalsAmerican Bee JournalDadant & Sons, Inc.51 South Second StreetHamilton, IL 62341(217) 8473324, Fax: (217) 8473660http://www.dadant.com/journal/index.html

Monthly magazine for hobbyists and profes-sional beekeepers. Subscription: $20.95 peryear.

Bee CultureA. I. Root CompanySubscription Dept., Dept. W623 W. Liberty StreetMedina, OH 44256(800) 2897668, ext. 3255http://bee.airoot.com/beeculture/

Monthly apiculture magazine. Subscription:$21.50 per year.

The Speedy BeeP.O. Box 1317Jesup, GA 315451317(912) 4274018, Fax: (912) 4278447

Monthly newspaper for the beekeeping andhoney industry. Subscription: $17.25 per year.

National Honey Market NewsUSDA/AMS/Fruit and Vegetable Division21 N. First Avenue, Suite 224Yakima, WA 989022663(800) 4878796http://www.ams.usda.gov/search/index.htm

Search for National Honey Report for thelatest reports. Catalogs monthly honey pricesfor the country. Subscription: $36 for 12 issues.

AssociationsAmerican Beekeepers FederationP.O. Box 1038Jesup, GA 315981038(912) 4278447http://www.abfnet.org

Members include commercial beekeepers, re-searchers, and hobbyists. Encourages develop-ment of better bees through better queens. Seeksto maintain uniform trade practices and prin-ciples in production/sale of packaged bees andqueens. Annual meeting.

Apiary Inspectors of AmericaBlane White(651) 2960591http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ams/apiary/aiahome.htm

Members include state/provincial apiarists,inspectors, researchers, and individuals. Activein research meetings and publishes a newsletter.Has an on-line directory of all state and provin-cial apiarists.

National Honey Board390 Lashley StreetLongmont, CO 805016045(303) 7762337, Fax: (303) 7761177http://www.nhb.org

The National Honey Board administers anindustry-funded national research, promotion,and consumer information program to increasehoney consumption in the United States andabroad. Excellent website with many marketingideas and suggestions.

American Honey Producers Association536 Ashmont RoadMadison, SD 57042(605) 4852221http://www.americanhoneyproducers.org

Membership is mostly for commercial honeyproducers, but membership ranges in scale from1 to 40,000 hives owned. They hold an annualconvention and publish a quarterly newsletter.They have a varying dues structure according tosize of honey operation.

Eastern Apicultural Society of North America, Inc.John TullochEAS TreasurerP.O. Box 473Odessa, DE 19730(302) 3781917http://www.easternapiculture.org

The largest non-commercial beekeeping organi-zation in the U.S. Has an annual conferenceevery summer with lectures, workshops, vendordisplays, and short courses for beginning andadvanced beekeepers in one of its 26 memberstates or provinces in the eastern U.S. and

http://www.dadant.com/journal/index.htmlhttp://bee.airoot.com/beeculture/http://www.ams.usda.gov/search/index.htmhttp://www.abfnet.orghttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/ams/apiary/aiahome.htmhttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/ams/apiary/aiahome.htmhttp://www.nhb.orghttp://www.americanhoneyproducers.orghttp://www.easternapiculture.org


Canada. EAS also publishes a quarterly news-letter, The EAS Journal.

BooksEducational Concerns for Hunger Organization(ECHO) on-line Book Store:

Beekeeping: A Practical Guide. 1993. ByRichard E. Bonney. 192 p. $18.95.

Keeping Bees. 1986. By John Vivan. 238 p.$10.95.

Golden Insect. 1989. By Stephen Adjare.103 p. $14.50.

Hive Management: A Seasonal Guide forBeekeepers. 1990. By Richard Bonney. 145p. $14.95.

Order from:Educational Concerns for Hunger Organiza-tion (ECHO)17391 Durrance RoadNorth Fort Myers, FL 33917(239) 5433246, Fax: (239) 5435317http://echonet.org/shopsite_sc/store/html/foodprocessing.html

Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA) publica-tions (see their complete catalog at http://www.vita.org/publications/pubcat.htm).

A Beekeeping Guide. 1989. By HarlanAttfield. VITA Technical Bulletin #9. 45 p.$7.25.

Centrifugal Honey Extractor. No date. VITATechnical Bulletin. VIT009-1. 9 p.$5.25.

Order from:PACT Publications1200 18th Street, NWWashington, DC 20036(202) 4665666, Fax: (202) 4665669Email: [email protected]://www.pactpublications.com

Other Books:

The following books are available from book-stores and on-line booksellers. If a book is listedas out-of-print, you may be able to obtain itthrough Interlibrary Loan; check with your locallibrarian. You may also be able to buy a copy

through an on-line used-book search site, suchas .

The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture. 1990. ByRoger Morse. 516 p. $32.00.

The Beekeepers Handbook. 1998. By DianaSammataro, Alphonse Avitabile, and RogerMorse. 224 p. $24.95.

Beekeeping for Dummies. 2002. By HowardBlackiston and Kim Flottum. 336 p. $19.99.

Beeswax: Production, Harvesting, Process-ing, and Products. 1982. By William L.Coggeshall and Roger A. Morse. 192 p. Outof Print.

The Hive and the Honey Bee. 1992. Joe M.Graham, editor. 1324 p. $36.00.

Honey Bee Pests, Predators and Diseases.1997. Roger Morse and Kim Flottum (edi-tors). 575 p. $40.00.

How to Keep Bees and Sell Honey. 1993.By Walter T. Kelley. 144 p. $9.00.

The New Complete Guide to Beekeeping.1994. By Roger A Morse. 207 p. $17.00.

The New Starting Right with Bees. 1990.By Kim Flottum and Diana Sammataro. 136p. $7.99.

Rearing Queen Honey Bees. 1997. By RogerA. Morse. 128 p. $14.95.

The electronic version of Beekeeping/Apicultureis located at:

HTMLhttp://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/beekeeping.html

PDFhttp:/ /www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/beekeeping.pdf

By Lance GegnerNCAT Agriculture Specialist

Edited by Paul WilliamsFormatted by Gail Hardy

April 2003

IP229/24

http://echonet.org/shopsite_sc/store/html/foodprocessing.htmlhttp://echonet.org/shopsite_sc/store/html/foodprocessing.htmlhttp://www.vita.org/publications/pubcat.htmhttp://www.vita.org/publications/pubcat.htmmailto:[email protected]://www.pactpublications.comhttp://www.bookfinder.com/http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/beekeeping.htmlhttp://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/beekeeping.pdfhttp://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/beekeeping.pdfmailto:[email protected]?subject=Beekeeping/Apiculture


Appendix

Beltsville Free Bee Diagnostic ServicesThe USDA/BARC Bee Research Laboratory staff at Beltsville, Maryland provides free authorita-tive identification of Africanized honey bees and diagnosis of bee diseases and pests for Federaland State regulatory agencies and for beekeepers worldwide.

HOW TO SUBMIT SAMPLES FOR DIAGNOSIS

Samples of Adult Honey BeesSend at least 100 bees. If possible, select bees that are dying or have died recently. Decayedbees are not satisfactory for examination. Bees should be placed in 70% ethyl or methyl alcoholas soon as possible after collection and carefully packed in leak-proof containers. Alternatively,bees can be placed in a paper bag or loosely wrapped in a paper towel, newspaper, etc. and sentin a mailing tube or heavy cardboard box. AVOID using plastic bags, aluminum foil, waxedpaper, tin, glass, etc. because they promote decomposition.Samples of Brood

The sample of comb should be at least 2 X 2 inches and contain as much of the dead ordiscolored brood as possible. NO HONEY SHOULD BE PRESENT IN THE SAMPLE. Thecomb can be in a paper bag or loosely wrapped in a paper towel, newspaper, etc. and sent in aheavy cardboard box. AVOID wrappings such as plastic, aluminum foil, waxed paper, tin,glass, etc. because they promote decomposition. If a comb cannot be sent, the probe used toexamine a diseased larva in the cell may contain enough material for tests. The probe can bewrapped in paper and sent to the laboratory in an envelope.

How to Address SamplesSend

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