NP 305, Crop Production, focuses on the most critical issues and needs of U.S. production agriculture. It comprises two major Research Components: (1) Integrated Sustainable Crop Production Systems and (2) Bees and Pollination.

Component 1. Integrated Sustainable Crop Production Systems
This component encompasses ARS efforts to improve existing and develop new production systems for current and emerging crops. Production systems are highly complex and depend on the integration of multiple management components. Innovative technologies, methods, and strategies are vital to maintaining and improving profitability of production systems, conserving energy and natural resources, and promoting agroecosystem sustainability, including marginal lands or urbanized environments.

Component 2. Bees and Pollination
Bees are crucial for U.S. agriculture and ecosystem health. The honey bee is one of the most effective pollinators for fruit and nut crops such as cherries, apples, and almonds; row crops such as cucurbits and melons; oilseed crops such as sunflowers and canola; and berries. Given the pollinating potential of a honey bee colony due to its wide foraging area, the large numbers of bees in a typical healthy colony, the ease at which honey bees can adapt to new environments, and the value of hive products, honey bees play critical roles in many specialty crop commodities. Non-Apis bees, including bumble bees, alfalfa leafcutter bees, and blue orchard bees, are also effective pollinators of agricultural crops and many native plant species. Native bees, some living solitary or in small colonies, perform ecosystem services of value that cannot be estimated.

Current Action Plan
NP 305 Action Plan 2018 – 2023

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: https://www.ars.usda.gov/crop-production-and-protection/crop-production/

Pollinator and Monarch SAFE Map: Counties in which Ohio Pollinator and Monarch SAFE may be applied.

Sign-Up Available for CRP Pollinator and Monarch Practice in Ohio

Ohio State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

Dr. John Patterson, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director in Ohio, announced that landowners and operators in designated counties throughout Ohio will have the opportunity to offer cropland for enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Pollinator and Monarch practice entitled State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE).

The Ohio Pollinator and Monarch SAFE project was designed in collaboration with pollinator experts and other conservation partners to help enhance and restore habitat for ecologically and economically significant pollinator species.

The goal of this project is to increase the amount of appropriate habitat for the monarch butterfly and other pollinators in Ohio.  The enrolled habitat, a mix of grasses and forbs, will provide important nectar sources as well as the required larval host plant species.  Because of the significant decline in monarch numbers, both range-wide and in Ohio, the monarch butterfly is the focus of this project.  However, other pollinator species are expected to benefit from implementation of this project.

Pollinator and Monarch SAFE is available on a continuous (ongoing) basis in the following counties: Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Erie, Franklin, Guernsey, Harrison, Henry, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jefferson, Licking, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Medina, Meigs, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Muskingum, Ottawa, Perry, Portage, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Scioto, Stark, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Van Wert, Vinton, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Wood. See map below for eligible geographic areas.

To be eligible for the Ohio Pollinator and Monarch SAFE, the offered land must be owned or leased for at least one year prior to enrollment and must be physically and legally capable of being cropped in a normal manner.  Land must also meet cropping history and other eligibility requirements.  Land currently enrolled in CRP may be re-offered for enrollment into SAFE if the land enrolled in CRP is in the last year of the CRP-1 contract.  Offers are automatically accepted provided the land and applicant meet all eligibility requirements.  Ohio Pollinator and Monarch SAFE offers are not subject to competitive bidding.

Producers will receive annual rental payments for the length of the contract, and cost share assistance of up to 50% of the eligible practice cost to establish pollinator habitat.  Additionally, FSA provides producers with a signing incentive payment (not applicable to re-enrolled acreage) and practice incentive payment.  Contracts enrolled under the Ohio Pollinator and Monarch SAFE must be 10-15 years in duration.

For more information on Ohio’s Pollinator and Monarch SAFE project, visit your local FSA county office.

USDA Accepts More Than 1

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting more than 1 million acres in this year’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup. This is one of several signups that USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is holding for the program. The results for CRP General signup reflect the continued importance of CRP as a tool to help producers invest in the long-term health, sustainability, and profitability of their land and resources.  The signup’s results include over 3,000 acres in Ohio.

“This year’s General CRP signup demonstrates the value and continued strength of this voluntary conservation program, which plays an important role in helping mitigate climate change and conserve our natural resources,” said John Patterson, FSA State Executive Director in Ohio. “Today’s announcement is one of many enrollment and partnership opportunities within CRP, including opportunities through our working lands Grassland CRP, Continuous CRP, and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). USDA will continue working to ensure producers and landowners have the information they need to take advantage of the options that work best for their operations.”

Offers for new land in this General CRP signup totaled about 295,000 acres nationwide. Producers submitted re-enrollment offers for 891,000 expiring acres, reflecting the successes of participating in CRP longer term. The total number of CRP acres will continue to climb in the coming weeks once FSA accepts acres from the Grassland CRP signup, which closed May 26. Additionally, so far this year, FSA has received 761,000 offered acres for the Continuous CRP signup, for which FSA accepts applications year-round.

Through CRP, producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve soil health and water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat on agricultural land. In addition to the other well-documented benefits, lands enrolled in CRP are playing a key role in climate change mitigation efforts across the country.

Other CRP Signups

Continuous CRP, in which producers and landowners can enroll throughout the year. Offers are automatically accepted provided the producer and land meet the eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the statutory cap. Continuous CRP includes the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative, the Farmable Wetlands Program (FWP), and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). In CREP, which is available in certain geographies, partnerships with States, Tribes, and other entities are leveraged for participants to receive a variety of added incentives and flexibilities. Also available is the Clean Lakes Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) initiative. CLEAR30, a signup opportunity under that initiative available nationwide, gives producers and landowners across the country the opportunity to enroll in 30-year CRP contracts for water quality practices.

More Information  

To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.  Producers can also prepare maps for acreage reporting as well as manage farm loans and view other farm records data and customer information by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production; fairer markets for all producers; ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities; building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices; making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/news-room/news-releases/2023/usda-accepts-more-than-1-million-acres-in-offers-through-conservation-reserve-program-general-signup

USDA Offers Livestock Disaster Program Flexibilities; Responds to Needs Expressed by Producers Hard-Hit by Natural Disasters

Program Application Deadlines Extended to June 2

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has provided additional flexibilities and further enhanced disaster recovery assistance provided by the Emergency Assistance for Livestock Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) in response to needs expressed by livestock producers across the U.S. who have experienced significant feed, forage and animal losses from natural disasters. These livestock disaster program policy enhancements include an extended June 2, 2023, deadline to submit notices of loss and applications for payment for 2022 losses. The deadline extension and program flexibilities are available to eligible producers nationwide who incurred losses from a qualifying natural disaster event.

LIP and ELAP reimburses producers for a portion of the value of livestock, poultry and other animals that died because of a qualifying natural disaster event or for loss of grazing acres, feed, and forage.

New Program Applications for 2022

FSA is accepting 2022 LIP notices of loss and applications for payment through June 2, 2023, for all covered livestock that may have been eligible in 2022.

Producers who did not sign up for ELAP assistance for hauling livestock, forage and feedstuff hauling or other losses covered under ELAP in 2022 can also apply through June 2, 2023.

All required supporting documentation must be received and on file in the county office by the established deadline.

Revising 2022 Applications 

Producers who have a 2022 ELAP, or LIP application on file with FSA as of the program deadline or were placed on an approved register, may revise their application with the newly updated eligible livestock no later than June 2, 2023.

Filing a Notice of Loss for ELAP due to 2022 and 2023 Drought

To support program access for counties that do not currently have a 365-day grazing season, FSA is waiving the 30-day timeframe for producers to submit a notice of loss for the 2023 ELAP program year due to qualifying drought in calendar years 2022 or 2023. Producers can now submit a notice of loss from the date the loss is apparent, as far back as Jan. 1, 2023, for 2022 eligible losses and 2023 eligible losses that occur before June 2, 2023.

For counties that have a 365-day grazing season, producers must have a qualifying drought in the 2023 calendar year to be eligible for 2023 livestock, water and feed hauling in 2023.

More Information

Livestock producers must provide evidence that livestock death was due to an eligible adverse weather event or loss condition. In addition, livestock producers should bring supporting evidence, including documentation of the number and kind of livestock that died, photographs or video records to document the loss, purchase records, veterinarian records, production records and other similar documents. Owners who sold injured livestock for a reduced price because the livestock were injured due to an adverse weather event, must provide verifiable evidence of the reduced sale of the livestock.

Producers can apply for ELAP and LIP benefits at their local FSA county office. For more information or to submit a notice of loss or an application for payment, please contact your local FSA office or visit farmers.gov/recover.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

Harvest 2023 expected to be down 3 percent from last year after a stormy bloom.

MODESTO, Calif. – The 2023 California Almond Subjective Forecast published Friday by the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) estimates that the crop harvested in 2023 will come in at 2.50 billion pounds, 3 percent below last year’s 2.57 billion pounds.

Forecasted yield is 1,810 pounds per acre, down 90 pounds from 2022 and the lowest since 2005.

“A lower crop estimate was not unexpected considering all that growers dealt with last year and during this year’s bloom,” said Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the Almond Board of California (ABC). “The cold, wet weather kept bees in their hives and reduced the hours they could pollinate orchards. In the past three years, growers have faced high costs, shipping issues, drought and more. But the water picture is better, at least for this year, shipping continues at record levels and global demand continues to grow. California’s almond farmers are prepared to meet that global demand.”

The report said: “Record rainfall and unprecedented stormy conditions impacted pollination. Limited bee flight hours were reported in all growing regions. There were reports of downed trees due to high winds and oversaturated soil. Yields are expected to be the lowest in years, with variation observed across varieties and orchard locations. Colder than normal temperatures continued through March and April, resulting in a delayed crop.”

The Subjective Forecast is the first of two production reports from USDA-NASS for the coming crop year. It is an estimate based on opinions from a survey conducted from April 19 to May 6 of 500 randomly selected California almond growers. The sample of growers, which changes every year, is spread across regions and different sized operations, and they had the option to report their data by mail, online or phone.

On July 7, USDA-NASS will release its second production estimate, the 2023 California Almond Objective Report, which is based on actual almond counts in nearly 1,000 orchards using a more statistically rigorous methodology to determine yield.

This Subjective Forecast comes two weeks after USDA-NASS released the 2022 California Almond Acreage Report which found total almond acreage had dropped in 2022 to 1.63 million, 1.2 percent down from 1.65 million in 2021. It also estimated 1.38 million bearing acres in 2023, up from 2022’s estimate of 1.35 million bearing acres.

USDA-NASS conducts the annual Subjective Forecast, Objective Report and Acreage Report to provide the California almond industry with the data needed to make informed business decisions. These reports are the official industry crop estimates.

For More Information

Rick Kushman
Media Relations Manager
Almond Board of California
rkushman@almondboard.com
(916) 716-9900

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: USDA Forecasts Smaller Almond Crop (almonds.com)

Last chance to complete the 2022 Census of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will end data collection for the 2022 Census of Agriculture on May 31. Producers who have not yet returned their completed questionnaires have just one week left to respond. Federal law requires everyone who received the ag census to complete and return it. Recipients can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.

“The Census of Agriculture remains the only comprehensive and impartial source of agricultural data for every state and county in the nation. It gives producers the opportunity to help shape decisions that will impact their operations, communities, and the future of the industry for several years,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “Not being represented in these widely used data means risking being underserved. The ag census data are used by agribusinesses, educators, researchers, federal and local government, and many others when making decisions about farm programs, loans, insurance, rural development, disaster assistance, and more.”

USDA NASS is reminding ag census recipients that if they produced and sold $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2022, or normally would have produced and sold that much, they meet USDA’s definition of a farm. However, landowners who lease land to producers, those solely involved in conservation programs, and even those who may not have farmed in 2022 are still required to respond.

“If you received the ag census but do not fit the definition of a farm, are no longer farming, never farmed, or have another update for us, please write your status on the form and mail it back. Every response matters,” said Hamer.

The ag census differs from other USDA surveys. Beyond being conducted just once every five years, it provides important demographic information and data on certain commodities, such as horses, bison, and Christmas trees, that would not otherwise be available. The Census of Agriculture collects information on nearly every aspect of American agriculture for a complete picture of the health of the industry. Changes to the 2022 questionnaire include new questions about the use of precision agriculture, hemp production, hair sheep, and updates to internet access questions.

Federal law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113 requires that USDA NASS keep all submissions confidential, use the information for statistical purposes only, and publish aggregate data to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation.

For assistance filling out the ag census, recipients can call 888-424-7828. NASS will release the ag census data in early 2024. To learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. On the website, producers and other data users can access frequently asked questions, past ag census data, special study information, and more. For highlights of these and the latest information, follow USDA NASS on Twitter at @usda_nass.

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NASS is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture and is committed to providing timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

ARS scientists need your help in monitoring and protecting our important pollinators. The Exotic Bee ID website, designed and developed as a screening aid to support identification of non-native bees, offers spectacular views of some of our most important and not so important pollinators with stunning clarity. Watch our video to learn more about this new tool.

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in U.S. agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAARS/bulletins/35857d5

Links:

Brendon.Mott@usda.gov

The Carl Hayden Bee Research Center (CHBRC) in Tucson, Arizona is the nutrition laboratory of the USDA-ARS bee research program. The Laboratory studies nutrition in a broad sense and conducts research on defining colony nutritional needs throughout the year, acquisition of nutrients from pollen, environmental and landscape factors that can influence nutrients in pollen, and worker-worker and worker-queen interactions. The role that microbes play in nutrient metabolism and defense against invading pathogens also is investigated. The impact of nutrition on the population dynamics of colonies is another research area, as colony growth in the Spring affects its size in the Summer and Fall and the chances of surviving the Winter. Recently, we have added the effects of climate change on colony growth and survival as weather conditions can affect the availability of flowering plants, nutrient composition of pollen, overwintering survival and colony growth in the Spring.

Research at the CHBRC is led by five scientists with specialized areas of expertise that create an integrated and comprehensive program focused on honey bee nutrition. The areas are honey bee physiology (Dr. Vanessa Corby-Harris), chemical ecology (Dr. Mark Carroll), population dynamics and behavior (Drs. Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman and William Meikle) and microbial ecology (Dr. Kirk Anderson). The following is an overview of each program highlighting how they interact to achieve the goal of providing a comprehensive understanding of nutrition that can optimize colony health and reduce colony loss. To obtain more information and read about our latest findings, go to: https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/tucson-az/carl-hayden-bee-research-center/

Dr. Vanessa Corby-Harris (VC-H)
The Corby-Harris laboratory studies honey bee nutrition, with the goal of improving honey bees’ access to high-quality natural forage and supplemental diets. The lab’s first area of focus is to measure how bees use the nutrients in pollen and how the patterns change with seasons. Combined with information about changes in the colony’s adult and brood population size during the annual colony cycle, these studies will determine what nutrients colonies need throughout the year. For example, in periods of population increase in the Spring and Summer, nurse bees have large amounts of protein in tissues important for brood food production (i.e., hypopharyngeal glands and fat body). Therefore, higher protein diets could be more beneficial during times of colony growth. In periods of colony contraction when preparing for Winter, the physiology of nest bees shifts from storing and using protein to make brood food to an overwintering profile favoring lipid storage. The lipids provide concentrated energy to help bees endure periods of confinement in colder conditions. Therefore, colonies preparing for Winter could benefit from diets with less protein but more lipid.

The VC-H lab is also researching how to improve supplemental diets by comparing them to natural pollen, finding what nutrients the diets are missing and asking whether those missing nutrients affect bee health. An initial comparison between pollen and commercial supplements showed that supplemental diets vary in their lipid content and many lack certain lipids that are found in pollen. In a Fall field trial in North Dakota (funded by Project Apis m.), the VC-H lab found that colonies consuming certain supplemental diets stored more lipids going into Winter and grew more in the Spring compared to colonies fed lipid-deficient supplements. The lipids also may play an important role in behavior and colony health. Dr. Meghan Bennett, a postdoctoral researcher in the VC-H lab, found that certain lipids help bees discriminate between damaged and healthy brood. Megan Deeter, a graduate student (research funded by Project Apis m.), found that dietary lipids improve pesticide resilience. These studies can be used to improve existing dietary supplements, particularly for colonies undergoing key seasonal transitions or that are under stressful conditions.

Figure 1. Honey bees visiting sunflowers in the field to test the attractiveness of different cultivars. The nutritional composition of the pollen from the sunflowers also was collected so comparisons could be made among the cultivars. Brassica plants also are grown in greenhouses under controlled conditions to determine the effects of environment on nutrients in pollen.

The last area of research in the VC-H lab focuses on how the environment might affect the nutritional value of bee forage (Figure 1). This area of investigation was prompted by discussions with stakeholders and scientists, and visits to the Northern Great Plains in an atypically dry year. Using sunflowers, an abundant Summer/Fall resource in the Upper Midwest, VC-H and colleagues from the Fargo, North Dakota ARS lab first looked at how pollen nutrients differed for plants grown in either North Dakota or Arizona at the same time of year. Essential nutrients, such as fatty acids differed across locations, suggesting that plant growth conditions affect pollen nutrition. The team is now using field, greenhouse and growth chamber experiments to test this question under more controlled conditions where temperature and soil moisture can be carefully manipulated. This project has multiple implications for honey bee nutrition and colony health. For example, if drought diminishes pollen nutrients, and certain plant cultivars are more resistant to drought, bee health might be improved by growing these cultivars in drought-prone areas. Knowing how environment affects bee nutrition can also translate to better predictions for how colony health will respond to different weather conditions.

Dr. Mark J. Carroll (MJC)
The MJC lab examines how honey bee stressors (poor nutrition, pesticides, parasites and pathogens) affect coordination and performance of critical colony functions such as queen care, brood rearing, nutritional balance and resistance to pathogens and parasites. The MJC lab also has led the efforts to analyze the nutritional composition of pollen by developing nutrient analysis methods for amino and fatty acids. The development of the nutritional analysis methods has enabled our investigations of the nutrient composition of seasonal pollens, and effects of environmental and genetic factors on the nutrients in pollen.

In addition to developing methods for nutritional analyses, MJC also researches semiochemical (pheromones, odors, other chemical cues) communication systems in the hive. As a chemical ecologist, MJC identifies the chemical cues that trigger worker behaviors for important colony tasks including queen care, brood and adult feeding, food stores maintenance and hygienic responses to disease and parasites. However, semiochemical-mediated communication can be disrupted by colony stressors. Our research is directed at understanding how semiochemical communication is affected by stressful conditions, and then use this knowledge to counter stressors through better monitoring, management interventions, and targeted development of hive remedies. The MJC laboratory recently identified odor cues that strongly attract nest workers to starving adults and brood, the first step in feeding support of malnourished individuals. Some of these are colony pheromones that vary considerably with individual and colony nutritional states and affect worker nursing behaviors. MJC is currently examining how workers respond to starvation cues during times of forage dearth and abundance. The odors may provide insights into the colony nutritional state and could serve as tools to determine if supplemental feed and management approaches are reducing malnutrition.

The Carroll lab is exploring how chemical signaling might be used to improve hygienic behavior. Pathogen-infected and parasite-infested bees give off odors that differ from healthy individuals, whether as generalized distress signals, odors from damaged tissues or odors produced by the natural enemies themselves. Workers use chemical cues to detect and hygienically remove stressed individuals from the colony before they become highly infectious to other colony members. MJC is exploring chemical signals associated with early infections that may serve as cues for rapid hygienic responses. To date, MJC has identified odor cues produced by asymptomatic larvae and adult workers during the early stages of infection by the chalkbrood pathogen Ascosphaera apis. Similar cues produced by bees infected by other pathogens and parasites could be used to select for hygienic lines with more timely and targeted responses.

Figure 2. The Carroll lab observes queen retinue behaviors in temperature-controlled conditions. Please note that daylight has been added to see activities here. These videos are usually taken under red light or in shaded tents.

A central focus of the Carroll Lab has been on improving queen quality and productivity. Queens are largely shielded from direct impacts of colony stressors such as poor nutrition and pesticide exposure by the workers that tend them. However, stress can affect the queen indirectly through the workers that care for her and raise her brood. MJC recently found that worker hypopharyngeal glands and internal nutrient stores (used to make jellies to feed queens and brood) decrease sharply as the colony expands after crop pollination probably due to increasing nutritional stress. Improving worker seasonal nutrition supports both queen productivity and brood rearing as colonies endure nutritional dearths (Figure 2). Exposure to pesticides might also affect queen health. MJC recently found that the Insect Growth Regulator, methoxyfenozide does not affect queen development, most likely due to the absence of the compound in royal jelly but does affect queen mating and sperm storage.

Dr. William Meikle (WM)
The Meikle lab focuses on continuously monitoring the activities of bees within the hive or laboratory cages to determine how factors such as pesticides, cold storage or queen line influence colony weight (i.e., growth, foraging activity and honey stores), internal temperature and CO2 concentration. Once installed, the electronic sensors can detect changes in honey bee behavior and colony population dynamics with little or no colony disturbance and provide objective longitudinal data. Methods have been developed to statistically model daily weight changes. Those changes provide information about colony food stores and dramatic shifts in adult bee population associated with events like swarming, bee kills or robbing. Within-day changes in weight reveal foraging activity, foraging success and the precise activity schedule of the hive.

Figure 3. Temperature sensor installed near the top rail of the center frame in a hive. The CO2 sensors are installed in a riser space on top of the frames.

Colony temperature, humidity and CO2 also can be continuously monitored. The values obtained depend on where in the hive the sensors are placed (Figure 3). For example, temperature sensors installed in the brood area to monitor thermoregulation provide different values than sensors placed outside of the cluster near the interior wall of the hive. Average brood nest temperature and variability provide a strong signal regarding colony survival and success. In addition, temperature variability is highly correlated with brood rearing effort and can be used to identify factors that disrupt this activity. Our data on CO2 levels in the hive indicate that concentrations can be much higher (over 100 times) than ambient levels and much more variable. CO2 concentrations above ambient concentrations are generated by the bees, so CO2 concentration data has information on the behavior and health of the colony.

WM’s lab has used continuous monitoring methods to explore the effects of sublethal pesticide exposure on bee colony behavior. For example, experiments conducted over five years with imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid pesticide, showed that thermoregulation, hive CO2 management and daily hive weight change were significantly affected by pesticide exposure and can impact colony growth and activity even at very low concentrations. The research showed that imidacloprid could inhibit certain colony behaviors at high concentrations (100 parts per billion), and agitate the bees at low concentrations (five parts per billion). Thermoregulatory behavior also was monitored using sensors in a temperature-controlled laboratory incubator with cages containing small groups of bees exposed to different levels of pesticides and daily temperature cycles. We found that even among small groups of bees without a queen or brood, the pesticide affected clustering behavior and thermoregulation. Continuous monitoring data also revealed effects on colony-level behaviors after exposure to clothianidin (another neonicotinoid) and methoxyfenozide (an insect growth hormone mimic).

Colony behavior, particularly thermoregulation, also has been monitored in commercial settings. In a recent study, WM’s group monitored the colony size and temperature of hives placed in different kinds of environments, from agricultural areas like California’s Imperial Valley, to unmanaged areas. Pesticide residues also were monitored, and results showed that while pesticide exposure, both in terms of concentration and diversity, varied among the environments, it was not often a major determinant of the health of commercial colonies. The factor most affecting colony health was access to forage. Studies conducted by WM’s group monitored the effects of hive orientation on colony growth and behavior and found that east and south facing hives had significantly more foraging activity than others in the Spring. Screen bottom boards also were found to affect thermoregulation and hive CO2 levels. Colonies increased CO2 concentrations when the hive was better ventilated with a screen bottom board, indicating that maintaining high CO2 concentrations for at least part of the day is important for bee colonies.

Figure 4. The honey bee cold storage unit (HBCSU), with adjustable ventilation fans, CO2 sensors and temperature control. Hives inside the cold storage unit. The hives were fitted with individual CO2 sensors.

In 2020, the CHBRC installed a cold storage unit (CSU), with temperature and CO2 monitoring and controlled ventilation to explore the effects of cold storage on the health of the colony and on individual bees (purchase of unit partially funded by Project Apis m.) (Figure 4). Currently, the WM lab has been monitoring weight, temperature and CO2 levels in hives stored in the CSU for short periods to induce Fall brood breaks or for longer periods for hive overwintering. The CSU is ideal for the studying of circadian rhythms and the role of CO2 concentration within the hive. In current experiments, hives in the cold storage unit experience constant temperature (about 5°C) and no light, so there are no external cues to “set” any circadian rhythms. Colonies are equipped with temperature and CO2 sensors that generate data that reflect locomotor activity, which is typically used in circadian studies. Within-hive temperature and CO2 control are “emergent” behaviors coming from colonial living, so these studies may reveal new aspects of bee colony behavior and ecology.

Dr. Kirk E. Anderson (KEA)
Studies on the role that microorganisms play in the processing of nectar and pollen in individual bees and the colony are essential to fully understand honey bee nutrition. KEA has characterized many fundamental processes associated with the gut microbiome (i.e., the collection of microorganisms established in the digestive system) and social microbiome (microorganisms transmitted among bees), producing a comprehensive understanding of microbial ecology in the honey bee gut and colony. The specialized bacteria that populate the adult worker hindgut govern or contribute to a variety of physiological processes and behaviors. The bacteria are critical for colony health and have been defined and characterized according to the symbiotic and highly beneficial functional relationships they provide to the bees.

A focal project in the KEA lab is the microbes associated with social nutrient processing. This includes food stores and developing larvae. The adult honey bee gut, larvae and food stores have a highly predictable but very different social microbiome that prospers with exposure to oxygen. This set of oxygen tolerant microbes is found throughout the colony environment. Like aerobic environments in humans (e.g., skin, lungs, mucus membranes), the social microbiome functions in general social hygiene, controlling the growth of Nosema in the midgut, and other pathogenic fungi and opportunistic microbes common throughout the hive environment.

While many microbes are routinely introduced from the pollination environment, the social microbiome is comprised of a suite of beneficial bacteria and yeasts that is part of the microbial collection carried with worker bees when they swarm. Two primary species of bacteria that dominate the social microbiome, Lactobacillus kunkeei and Bombella apis, are core species that also colonize and reside in the queen gut. Newly emerged queen bees do not contact their mother queen, so they might acquire their gut microbiota through contact with the hive and social environment. The microbes carried by a swarm include those that populate the queen gut and the hive environment. When filled with stored food and developing young, the hive environment provides a variety of niche characteristics similar to those encountered in the hindgut environment. KEA has recently shown that the social microbiome is enhanced with exposure to propolis (plant resin) nearly tripling in size relative to low propolis colonies. Additionally, colonies lined with propolis resulted in a 10x reduction of fungi in the hindgut, and significantly more robust bacterial microbiomes.

Symbiotic relationships between the insect Order Hymenoptera and fungi are numerous, and the relationship between bacteria and fungi in the gut is an emerging area of study. The worker midgut possesses the largest fungal microbiome and is affected by changes in pH and oxygen. Studies by KEA suggests that the midgut of late Winter bees is vulnerable to invading microbes following an age associated transition in physiology, and if not countered by immune responses, may contribute to an imbalance among beneficial microorganisms (i.e., dysbiosis) and premature senescence of workers and colonies. In a study with colonies overwintered in cold storage, all sampled worker bees effectively transitioned to long-lived Winter bees. In contrast, colonies kept outdoors in mild Winter environments did not develop into long-lived Winter bees and the aging workers suffered dysbiosis that proliferated primarily in the midgut. Fungal load increased significantly in the midgut and hindgut overwinter, concurrent with significant increases of bacterial opportunists in the midgut. The hindgut microbiota remained relatively unchanged indicating that the midgut is a target tissue for host health in aging foragers and overwintering workers.

In addition to studying the microbes in the worker honey bee gut, KEA has also examined the microbiome of queens. Early queen death or rejection by the colony has become more common in beekeeping. KEA placed newly mated commercially produced queens in either small containment cages (i.e., queen bank) or free-running and laying eggs in colonies. Feeding intensity, social context, and metabolic demand differ greatly between the two environments. A microbiome analysis examining the queen’s mouthparts, midguts, ileums and rectums, and associated gene expression analysis of other tissues found that both social context and queen breeder source affect gut microbiota and associated queen metabolism. For example, free-running queens exposed to the colony environment contained significantly less bacterial diversity than the banked queens indicating that social immune factors may shape the queen’s microbiome. Queens housed in queen banks resembled much older queens with decreased beneficial bacteria in the hindgut, and significantly larger ileum microbiotas, dominated by blooms of worker associated gut bacteria. Combined with earlier findings, it is evident that the queen gut microbiota experiences an extended period of microbial succession associated with queen breeder source, post-mating development and colony assimilation. The results suggest that queens may produce signals based on the microbiome that are perceived by workers. In collaboration with commercial beekeepers, we are testing these hypotheses in the coming year.

Figure 5. Feeding supplements to commercial colonies to test for effects on gut microbiota and colony health.

Microbes that do not originate from the honey bee gut or hive environment stand little chance of establishing and surviving in a honey bee colony. KEA performed a longitudinal study of commercial honey bee colonies to explore the effects of probiotics both over the long term, and following antibiotic treatment. The two tested probiotics were comprised of various lactic acid bacteria and yeast commonly fed to humans or used in large animal agriculture. The probiotics had no effect on colony growth, colony weight, the gut microbiome or disease status following seven months of probiotic treatment applied as suggested, or when applied to aid recovery from antibiotic induced dysbiosis. The study concludes that non-native probiotics cannot survive in the honey-rich hive environment or highly competitive worker gut environment (Figure 5).

Dr. Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman (GD-H)
GD-H’s research program investigates colony population dynamics and the effects of Varroa, nutrition, and most recently climate change on colony growth and survival. The studies on climate change and Varroa led to research to develop best management strategies for overwintering colonies in cold storage. GD-H has studied the population dynamics of honey bee colonies and built computer models to predict factors that influence the growth and survival of colonies throughout the year. Her studies on honey bee nutrition are predicated on colonies having a yearly life cycle, that might cause nutritional requirements to differ between times of brood rearing and colony expansion in the Spring and population contraction and preparation for overwintering in the Fall. Collaborating with Mark Carroll and Vanessa Corby-Harris, polyfloral mixes of Spring and Fall pollens were analyzed to determine if the nutrient composition differed with season. Next, seasonal pollens were fed to bees reared in Spring and Fall, and comparisons were made of the effects on brood food gland development (i.e., hypopharyngeal glands – HPG), and the expression of genes in the fat body between bees fed pollen from the same (in-season) or different season (out-of-season) from when they were reared. Because pathogen challenges often heighten the effects of nutritional stress, GD-H infected a subset of bees with Nosema to determine if bees responded differently to the infection depending on the seasonal pollen they consumed. She found that Spring and Fall pollens were similar in total protein and lipid concentrations, but Spring pollens had higher concentrations of certain amino and fatty acids that support hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) growth and brood production. Bees responded differently when fed in vs. out of season pollen. The HPG of both uninfected and Nosema-infected Spring bees were larger when they were fed Spring (in-season) compared to Fall pollen. Pollen type also affected gene expression and physiology in Spring bees. Fall bee responses to pollen type and Nosema infection differed from Spring bees. In Fall bees, HPG size was not affected by pollen type, though HPG were smaller in bees infected with Nosema. The study showed that physiological responses to seasonal pollens differ between bees reared in the Spring and Fall with Spring bees being significantly more sensitive to pollen type especially when infected with Nosema. The study provided evidence that seasonal pollens may provide levels of nutrients that align with the activities of honey bees during their yearly colony cycle. The findings are important for the planning and establishment of forage plantings to sustain honey bees, and in the development of seasonal nutritional supplements fed to colonies when pollen is unavailable.

A major factor influencing colony survival is Varroa mites. Using Varroa and colony population dynamics models she created with Robert Curry, GD-H found that the growth of Varroa population in colonies far exceeds what is predicted by Varroa reproduction alone. This led to research on the migration of Varroa into colonies on foragers as a possible explanation for the rapid mite population growth in colonies, especially in the Fall. She found that the frequency of capturing foragers with mites at colony entrances was correlated with Varroa population growth. This occurred with mite resistant Russian bees and unselected lines of bees. Research in collaboration with Dr. Judy Chen from the ARS Beltsville Bee Lab showed that Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) levels increased throughout the Summer and Fall and were correlated with the increasing Varroa infestation levels. She tested if supplemental feeding could reduce DWV levels but found that both Varroa and DWV levels were similar between colonies with and without supplemental pollen feeding.

Reducing overwinter colony losses using cold storage has been the most recent area of study for the GD-H lab. This area of research was pursued because climate change is affecting many aspects of beekeeping and colony survival including overwintering survival. Warm temperatures in Fall and even during periods in the Winter in temperate areas cause honey bees to fly when they should be clustered in the hive. Warmer Fall temperatures can lead to extended periods of foraging late in the season resulting in greater proportions of physiologically older bees in the Winter cluster and a deeper population decline during Spring dwindling. Placing hives in cold storage would curtail Fall foraging and possibly preserve the longevity of Winter bees. Cold storage could also reduce Fall miticide applications needed to suppress Varroa population growth from mite migration.

Our research on cold storage began with an analysis of costs for overwintering colonies followed by studies to determine which colonies should be put into overwintering facilities. The cost analysis revealed that putting colonies in cold storage costs less per colony than overwintering them outdoors in southern locations. However, the study also revealed that not all colonies are suitable for overwintering in cold storage. Colonies do not increase in population in cold storage. In fact, colonies lose three to five frames of bees on average. Also, colonies with Varroa do not do well in cold storage. Our study showed that colonies to be managed for cold storage overwintering should be selected in September based on their size and mite loads. To assist beekeepers in choosing colonies to put into cold storage, we developed a decision support tool (https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/tucson-az/carl-hayden-bee-research-center/research/cold-storage/cold-storage-overwintering-tool/) that predicts the probability of a colony achieving a particular size after cold storage based on its size and mite numbers (mites per 100 bees) in September.

Figure 6. Colonies in North Dakota that were put in cold storage for overwintering. The colonies measured for strength in almond orchards after overwintering in cold storage.

The next questions addressed by GD-H research is when to put colonies in cold storage. Through a study of colonies that spent the Summer in North Dakota, we found that putting colonies in cold storage when they contain only sealed brood and adult bees results in colonies with larger populations and more brood immediately after cold storage compared with those put in cold storage later when they contain only adult bees (Figure 6, next page). The colonies put into cold storage that contained bees and sealed brood also were larger after almond pollination. We also tested if colonies from southern regions that are still rearing brood can be successfully overwintered in cold storage. We found that colonies that spent the Summer in Texas apiaries and then were put into cold storage in November were significantly smaller after cold storage and after almond pollination than those that summered in North Dakota. Our current research is investigating the role that queen line might play in successful cold storage overwintering and is being done in collaboration with Drs. Lanie Bilodeau and Kate Iles at the ARS Baton Rouge Bee Lab. Stay tuned for results.

Grand Challenge Synergies Project
The CHBRC is leading a Grand Challenge Synergies project to create pollinator landscapes and overwintering practices to increase pollinator populations in a changing climate. Grand Challenge projects are designed to address high-order problems of national importance by integrating multiple existing projects across National Programs, Agencies, Universities and the private sector and building collaborations to create something more than the sum of their parts. Our project includes 10 CRIS projects, four National programs, three USDA agencies, four Universities and four private businesses.

Climate change is impacting the survival and diversity of pollinators in two fundamental areas: availability of flowering plants that supply food to pollinators during periods of nest establishment, expansion and reproduction, and survival during overwintering. Our project addresses both challenges by creating a coordinated interdisciplinary effort that incorporates the interactions of genetics (both pollinators and plants), environment, management practices and end users that will play critical roles in developing and implementing the innovative strategies generated from our Project. Specifically, we will assess the composition and nutritional value of landscapes planted to sustain pollinators, determine the effects of genetic, environmental and management factors on the nutrient composition of floral rewards such as pollen, and determine the impact on pollinator diversity and health. We will link nutrition, genetic and environmental factors with management practices to address the second fundamental area being affected by climate change; overwintering survival. By including studies to improve floral landscapes for nest establishment and expansion and management practices to increase overwintering survival, we present a comprehensive year-round plan to sustain and grow pollinator populations. Our findings will be shared with stakeholders involved in production of crops requiring bee pollination, land managers, beekeepers and companies and organizations providing seeds for pollinator plantings so that strategies to ensure pollinator diversity and population growth will be feasible and sustainable in a changing climate.

ARS Administrator Simon Liu

USDA Names Simon Liu as New ARS Administrator

For media inquiries contact: Jan Suszkiw, (202) 734-1176

The U.S. Department of Agriculture named Simon Liu, Ph.D., the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). In this role, Liu will lead the agency in its efforts to leverage the latest advances in science and technology and develop innovative solutions to agricultural challenges facing the nation and world.

While Liu was officially named as ARS Administrator on Jan. 4, 2023, he has been acting in this role since June 2022. Prior to holding this position, Liu was the Associate Administrator for the agency’s Research Management and Operations for more than seven years. He first joined ARS in 2010 as Director of the National Agricultural Library (NAL), which houses the world’s largest collections devoted to agriculture and related sciences.

“The Department, nation, and the world look to ARS to provide cutting-edge discoveries and solutions that are rooted in quality, objective science,” said USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist Chavonda Jacobs-Young. “Research is the key to strengthening and adapting agriculture to meet the needs of today and the challenges we face tomorrow. Dr. Liu’s decades of public service and previous leadership roles within ARS make him the perfect fit to lead the agency into the future. His experience, expertise, and dedication to excellence in both program and administration will continue to serve ARS well as a premier scientific organization.”

As ARS Administrator, Liu and his senior leadership team administer more than 660 research projects spread across four National Program Areas.  These research projects are conducted by 2,000 scientists and post-doctoral researchers assigned to 90-plus research locations nationwide, including a few laboratories overseas.

“It’s an honor to be a part of such an innovative research agency that provides scientific excellence through agricultural discoveries,” said Liu. “These discoveries support the nourishment of all people while sustaining our nation’s agroecosystem and natural resources.  As administrator, I will continue supporting and advancing the great work that our more than 8,000 employees do every day.”

Liu now leads an agency with a storied, 70-year history of scientific and technological excellence that includes the mass production of the antibiotic penicillin, xanthan gum, key nutrient findings, animal disease vaccines, edible films, guayule-based tire rubber and bio-synthetic oils, to name just a few.

Before joining ARS, Liu served as Associate Director of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and Director of the NLM Computer and Communications System. Prior to his service at NLM, he held leadership positions with the U.S. Departments of Justice and Treasury, following work in the private sector where he led information system development and space mission studies to support NASA mission and operations.

Liu attended university in his native Taiwan and pursued graduate studies in the United States, where he earned master’s degrees in Computer Science, Business Administration and Government from Indiana University, the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. He also earned two doctoral degrees: an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from George Washington University.

Liu serves as an adjunct faculty member with graduate school appointments at several of his alma maters and is active in professional societies and associations. He has served as editor-in-chief of an information technology magazine and editor of four journals in the past 20 years. Liu has published a book and more than 80 book chapters, journal articles and conference papers.

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in U.S. agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2023/usda-names-simon-liu-as-new-ars-administrator/

93.79 percent of U.S. honey bees belonged to the North Mediterranean C lineage. The percentage of this lineage is displayed for each state.

DNA Research Finds Low Genetic Diversity Among U.S. Honey Bees

For media inquiries contact: Autumn Canaday, (202) 669-5480

U.S. agriculture owes many thanks to the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), as it plays the crucial role of pollinator within the nation’s food supply. Some of the nation’s food industries rely solely on the honey bee, and it’s estimated that the economic value of its pollination role is worth well over $17 billion each year. With this fact in mind, ARS researchers recently studied the U.S. honey bee’s genetic diversity to ensure that this crucial pollinator insect has sufficient diversity to overcome the growing number of stressors such as parasites, diseases, malnutrition, and climate change.

What they found is alarming: the U.S. honey bee population has low genetic diversity, and this could have a negative impact on future crop pollination and beekeeping sustainability in the country.

The research, recently highlighted in Frontiers, was accomplished by analyzing the genetic diversity of the U.S. honey bee populations through a molecular approach, using two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers (DNA specifically from a mother). Researchers studied approximately 1,063 bees from hobbyist, and commercial beekeepers in 45 U.S. states, the District of Columbia (D.C.), and two US territories (Guam and Puerto Rico). The data showed that the nation’s managed honey bee populations rely intensively on a single honey bee evolutionary lineage. In fact, 94 percent of U.S. honey bees belonged to the North Mediterranean C lineage. Data reflected that the remainder of genetic diversity belongs to the West Mediterranean M lineage (3%) and the African A lineage (3%).

“It’s important that we have a realistic and accurate estimation of the honey bee’s genetic diversity because this indicates the insect’s ability to respond to disease, adaptation to environment, and productivity,” said ARS Research Entomologist Mohamed Alburaki. “Without this pollinator insect, we will witness a drastic decrease in the quantity and quality of our agricultural products such as almonds, apples, melons, cranberries, pumpkins, broccoli and many other fruits and vegetables that we’re used to purchasing. We can’t wait until a domino effect slowly takes place and affects our food supply.”

The lack of genetic diversity creates a vulnerability for U.S. honey bees to survive in shifting climates that are now wetter or drier than usual. There is also concern that a honey bee’s inability to fight off disease or parasitic infection could negatively impact beekeeping sustainability.  The challenge of U.S. honey bees’ weakened immunity has become an economic burden to bee producers and beekeepers. In the past, U.S. beekeepers suffered less honey bee colony losses and treated against varroa mite (a ferocious honey bee parasite) once per year. In 2023, colony losses and winter mortality are at a high peak and varroa mite requires multiple treatments per year to keep it under control.

“As a honey bee researcher, what worries me the most is that 77 percent of our honey bee populations are represented by only two haplotypes, or maternal DNA, while over hundreds of haplotypes exist in the native range of this species in the Old World, or the honey bees’ native land of evolution,” Alburaki said. “Many of these haplotypes have evolved over millions of years in their native lands, and have developed astonishing adaptation traits that we should consider incorporating in our US honey bee stocks before it is too late.”

These complex factors are driving Alburaki and his ARS research team to develop a solution that’s sustainable for the entire nation.  The research team is currently evaluating the paternal diversity of the previously analyzed populations to acquire a full and accurate picture of the overall genetic diversity of the U.S. honeybee populations. Researchers are also interested in the possibility of diversifying breeding stations with honey bee queens from various genetic backgrounds.

Alburaki’s research also identified and named 14 novel haplotypes in the three evolutionary lineages. These haplotypes have never been reported before and can provide new insights into the U.S. honey bee’s evolution since its importation to North America in the 1600s. There is hope that the researchers can use this information to locate and enhance the numbers of these rare and novel US haplotypes, which could speed the process of reaching a healthier diversity within the nation’s honey bee population.

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in U.S. agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAARS/bulletins/349057d

I’m Liz Walsh, a USDA-ARS (United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service) scientist at the Baton Rouge, Louisiana location where I work in the Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Unit. I did my dissertation work with Dr. Juliana Rangel at Texas A&M University where I examined how pesticides impact honey bee queen health. My postdoctoral work was with Dr. Steve Pernal at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in northern Alberta, and there I explored honey bee disease ecology with a particular emphasis on American Foulbrood and chalkbrood. As someone who became a beekeeper in high school, it’s very exciting to have my dream job working with honey bees full time as a Research Entomologist at the honey bee lab here in Baton Rouge.

As the newest scientist at the location, I am in the midst of setting up my research program. My ultimate career goal is to make a positive impact on the beekeeping industry. To do that, I need to have a focus on applied scientific research that is done well and then communicated to both beekeepers and scientists. I’m particularly interested in exploring how breeding initiatives can affect things like colony reproductive health, disease progression and behavior.

Hangry bee experiment colony with pollen trap

One of my current projects is particularly fun, and I’ve jokingly nicknamed it the “‘Hangry’ bee project.” As beekeepers and scientists, we know that genetics and breeding play huge roles in colony temperament—for instance, “killer bees” are hybrids of Apis mellifera scutellata and European bees. They are known for being hot tempered, although there have been a few populations that are notable exceptions, and this is explicitly attributed to their genetic background. Similarly, specific honey bee stocks that have come from different breeding efforts also have reputations for gentle or hot temperaments. Genetics clearly play a role in honey bee colony temperament and behavior (Avalos et al., 2020).

Hangry pollen

However, there is data that suggests the environment that colonies are in also plays a role in their temperament (Rittschof and Robinson, 2013). Anecdotally, it was a memorable realization as a second year beekeeper to realize that the reason my very first split was so mean probably wasn’t because of a mean queen, but instead because I had lovingly located them close to the house—directly downwind of the chimney, which meant they were getting smoked constantly. That’s probably enough of a disturbance to annoy any colony. There is also more recent empirical data, specifically from Clare Rittschof’s lab in Kentucky, that shows chronic disturbances impact the way colonies behave (Harrison et al., 2019).

In the “hangry” bee project, I’ve taken a yard of honey bee colonies and standardized their populations and colony resources, then I’ve put pollen traps on them. Half of the colonies have traps that are turned on and collecting pollen from the colonies’ foragers, which deprives the colonies of pollen. The other half of the colonies in the yard are the control colonies which have their traps off, so their foragers are able to bring pollen into the colony. We conducted behavioral and molecular assessments of the colonies and their individuals weekly to see if the ones deprived of pollen behave more aggressively than their control counterparts. We’ve found that, independently of stock, the colonies that were deprived of pollen became more aggressive (e.g. showed more aggressive behaviors like racing around the frame, stinging, etc.) than the non-pollen deprived colonies. This can help us shed some light on why different stocks of bees behave differently than their breeding or reputation suggests they would, and it is important when we consider breeding criteria.

Another set of experiments that I am working on centers around chalkbrood, an opportunistic fungal parasite that infects and kills older larvae in a colony. I’m curious about a potential treatment substance that we may use to control chalkbrood outbreaks, as the traditional advice to simply “keep strong colonies” is inadequate for dealing with chalkbrood outbreaks.

Paidon Gravois

The chalkbrood experiments have three parts: two in the lab and one in the field. The first laboratory experiment is currently ongoing. We are seeing if chalkbrood (or Ascosphaera apis) can grow on growth media containing control media/no dose, low dose, medium dose and high dose of our anti-fungal compound of interest. This work is being done with an undergraduate student from LSU, Paidon Gravois, who is pictured here with one of the plates we grow chalkbrood on. The next step will be to graft larvae into plates we keep in the lab, and subject the larvae to different conditions: control conditions, chalkbrood, anti-fungal compound and chalkbrood+the anti-fungal compound. This is known as an in vitro experiment, as the bees are being reared inside incubators in the laboratory rather than in colonies in the field. If the in vitro experiment results look promising, then we will graduate to field experiments next Summer.

As someone whose been keeping bees for 15 years, the beekeeping industry and community are both very important to me, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the news from the newly formed Walsh Lab. I encourage you to email me with questions: Elizabeth.m.walsh@usda.gov.

References
Avalos A, Fang M, Pan H, Lipka AE, Zhao SD, Giray T, Robinson GE, Zhang G, Hudson ME. 2020. Genomic regions influencing aggressive behavior in honey bees are defined by colony allele frequencies. PNAS. 117(29): 17135-17141. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1922927117.
Harrison JW, Palmer JH, Rittschoff CC. 2019. Altering social cue perception impacts honey bee aggression with minimal impacts on aggression-related brain gene expression. Scientific Reports. 9:14642. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51223-8.
Rittschof CC and Robinson GE. 2013. Manipulation of colony environment modulates honey bee aggression and brain gene expression. Genes, Brains, and Behavior. 12(8). DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12087.

The buzz about natural products is not just for humans.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers from the Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, and collaborators found some natural products’ medicinal properties reduced virus levels and improved gut health in honey bees.

Among the study’s results, which were recently published in Applied Sciences, researchers found a significant reduction in virus levels in bees fed raw cacao and hesperidin, a plant chemical commonly found in citrus fruits and other fruits and vegetables.

There were also lower levels of viruses in bees fed chrysin, curcumin and vanillin. Chrysin is a chemical found in honey and various plants such as passionflower and silver linden. Curcumin is a bright yellow chemical produced by plants and is known for giving turmeric its distinctive color. Vanillin is a chemical compound of the extract of a vanilla bean and major flavor component of vanilla.

The results also showed that some natural products had positive impacts on bees’ gut health and immune response. For example, bees fed Vitamin E had significantly decreased levels of Gilliamella, a gut bacterium. In addition, there were also lower levels of Gilliamella in bees fed curcumin, vanillin and hesperidin.

While Gilliamella can be beneficial for honey bees, too much of the gut bacterium can negatively impact their health.

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., use the handfeeding technique to deliver pathogens and medicines to bees. (Photo by Steve Ausmus).

“Gilliamella is a common bacterium in honey bees―even healthy ones,” said Jay Evans, research entomologist for the Bee Research Laboratory.

A gut bacterial imbalance could be bad for bees. If Gilliamella levels are high, then Gilliamella could take the place of other core bacteria. If bee diets or treatments help maintain a good mix of ‘good’ bacteria in bees’ guts, then this seems to help strengthen their immune responses, according to the study’s results.

The 20 natural products used in the study included native extracts and individual compounds known to support immunity, have antiviral or antimicrobial properties, and/or control parasites and pests.

Scientists researched these natural products as possible safer, cost-effective alternatives to antibiotics and synthetic chemicals. Understanding these natural products’ effects can also help scientists determine better crops and flowers for bees’ diets.

“Many of the natural products tested are recognized as safe components of the food supply and are potentially less expensive to produce,” said Evans. “These results could also inform us on possible, healthier crops and flowers for bees. Bees foraging on crops or non-crop plantings of flowers that provide these benefits could naturally have better health.”

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $17 of economic impact.

Contact: Jessica Ryan
Email: Jessica.Ryan@usda.gov

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: Natural Products May Be Buzzworthy Solutions for Honey Bees’ Health : USDA ARS

Did you know? ARS bee research laboratories are located throughout the United States. Each of the labs focus on a wide range of issues that impact bee health.

ARS Bee Research Laboratories

• Bee Research Laboratory
  Beltsville, MD
• Carl Hayden Bee Research Center
  Tucson, AZ
• Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Unit
  Baton Rouge, LA
• Pollinating Insect-Biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit
  Logan, UT
• Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Unit
  Davis, CA
• Southern Horticultural Research Center
  Poplarville, MS
• Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit
  Hilo, HI
• Agricultural Genetic Resources Preservation Research Unit
  Peoria, IL
• Crop Bioprotection Research Unit
  Peoria, IL
• Insect Genetics and Biochemistry Research Unit
  Fargo, ND
• Soil Management Research Unit
  Morris, MN
• Vegetable Crops Research Unit
  Madison, WI
• Integrated Cropping Systems Research Unit
  Brookings, SD

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: Protecting Our Pollinators (usda.gov)

NASS reinstates Cost of Pollination survey

Issued Oct. 28, 2022, by the Agricultural Statistics Board of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. For more information, contact Travis Averill at (202) 692-0069 or Travis.Averill@usda.gov.

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is reinstating the Cost of Pollination Survey, that was suspended on December 6, 2018. NASS has mailed the questionnaires and will collect data immediately. The report, to be published on Jan. 11, 2023, will include data for 2017 and 2022 reference dates, including paid pollinated acres, price per acre, colonies used, price per colony, and total value of pollination per crop.

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NASS is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture and is committed to providing timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: NASS reinstates Cost of Pollination survey (usda.gov)