Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: The major completed activity of this project was the establishment of honeybee research infrastructure at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. In collaboration with Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk at the University of Montana-Missoula, and Dr. Kevin Wanner at MSU-Bozeman, we have established a small apiary near the MSU campus that will now facilitate honeybee research at MSU-Bozeman. Establishing these hives provided training opportunities for graduate students and laboratory technicians to become familiar with honeybee management practices. A graduate student and laboratory technician were hosted by Dr. Bromenshenk and his research group up in Missoula to learn how to establish and maintain these colonies. Dr. Bromenshenk and his research assistant spent a day training members of our laboratory in how to conduct cage-trials of honeybees at MSU. Thus, the project has contained important teaching, mentoring and collaborative activities important for establishing honey bee research at MSU-Bozeman. These interactions have facilitated the research progress involved with this project. Importantly, this project has allowed us to make contact with beekeepers across the state of Montana. Some are now actively helping in our honeybee research activities by providing samples and access to their operations. Honeybee colonies from across the Pacific Northwest and upper midwest regions have now been screened for Nosema infections completing objective 1 of this project. Events: Dr. Cramer attended and gave an oral presentation at the California State Beekeepers Association Conference in November 2008. Dr. Cramer participated in a workshop in Bozeman Montana at the Bioneers Conference in October entitled "Be Aware, Bee Happy, Be involved: What Bees are dealing with, and how it affects Montana" Services: Dr. Cramer has consulted with numerous beekeepers across the country and in Montana about potential alternative treatments for Nosema ceranae. Dr. Cramer's laboratory technician attended the 2009 Montana State Beekeepers convention and gave a presentation on our research progress. A graduate student and a laboratory technician were involved in teaching and mentoring activities at the University of Montana with Dr. Bromenshenk during the summer of 2009. Dr. Bromenshenk and colleagues also spent a day at MSU during the summer of 2009 helping setup cage trials. Products: We have provided diagnostic services to beekeepers across the country and in Montana for detection of bee pathogens by PCR and light microscopy. Dissemination: Invited lectures at the above conferences and publication of article on the topic of sporicidal compounds in the trade magazine Bee Culture. PARTICIPANTS: University of Montana-Missoula and Bee Alert Technologies - Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk and Scott Debnam. Montana State University - Veterinary Molecular Biology - Julie Elser, laboratory technician, Peggy Lehmann, technician, Joanna Gress, Ph.D. student, and Dr. Kevin Wanner Department of Plant Sciences MSU-Bozeman. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for our project is beekeepers. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Dr. Robert Cramer Jr., Montana State University - Bozeman, MT (PI). Julie Elser, Laboratory Technician Cramer Laboratory MSU-Bozeman. Peggy Lehmann, Laboratory Technician Cramer Laboratory, MSU-Bozeman. Partner Organizations: University of Montana - Missoula, BeeAlert Technologies, Missoula, MT, Department of Plant Sciences Montana State University, Bozeman, MT. California State BeeKeepers Association (grant support in 2008). Collaborators: Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, University of Montana, Missoula; Dr. Kevin Wanner, Department of PLant Sciences MSU-Bozeman, Joanna Gress, Ph.D. Student Plant Sciences MSU-Bozeman, Randy Oliver, Beekeeper California, Scott Debnam BeeAlert Technologies, Missoula, MT, Dave Baumbauer, Plant Sciences, MSU Bozeman. Training and Professional Development: Beekeeping practice training for graduate students and laboratory technicians, training in honeybee pathogen diagnostics, basic molecular biology training. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target Audience: Beekeepers Efforts: Oral Presentations at conference attended by researchers and beekeepers as outlined in Outcome portion of this report. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The major change with this project was that Objective 2 was not started due to timing and funding constraints. Thus, the major effort was focused on completing Objective 1 which was successfully completed. In addition, while not written into the original proposal as a specific objective, the overall objective of this proposal was to establish honeybee research infrastructure at MSU-Bozeman and this was successfully accomplished as evidenced by the established collaborations with other honeybee researchers, Montana and other Pacific Northwest beekeepers, and the development of a small apiary at MSU-Bozeman. These results will enable the completion of objective 2 and additional honeybee research at MSU-Bozeman in future years.
Impacts
Change in knowledge: The financial resources made available to us in this animal health project have resulted in greater awareness of the occurrence of Nosema ceranae infections in honeybees in the pacific northwest and have led to promising leads on potential compounds that may be used to disinfect honeybee combs to prevent the occurrence and spread of Nosema ceranae infections. Identification of other pathogens in combination with Nosema ceranae, such as viruses, have also given us a new understanding of the pathogen challenges faced by honeybees in Montana and the Pacific Northwest. Change in Action: Based on our research and the research of others, beekeepers are now more aware of the need to monitor their colonies for Nosema levels and levels of other important bee pathogens. Ideally, this knowledge will lead to a change in beekeeping practices to minimize the impact of these pathogens on overall honeybee health. Change in Conditions: Funds from this project enabled the development of a small apiary at Montana State University - Bozeman that will not greatly facilitate honeybee research on this campus. These funds have also enabled links with beekeepers across the state of Montana and with honeybee researchers at the University of Montana in Missoula.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: In collaboration with the University of Montana-Missoula, honeybee colonies across the Pacific Northwest and upper midwest regions were screened for Nosema infections. In addition, numerous compounds were tested for their ability to kill Nosema ceranae spores in the laboratory Events: I attended the California State Beekeepers Association Conference in November 2008 to report our research findings. I participated in a workshop in Bozeman Montana at the Bioneers Conference in October entitled "Be Aware, Bee Happy, Be involved: What Bees are dealing with, and how it affects Montana" Services: I have consulted with numerous beekeepers across the country about potential alternative treatments for Nosema ceranae Dissemination: Invited lectures at the above conference and publication of article on the topic of sporicidal compounds in the trade magazine Bee Culture PARTICIPANTS: University of Montana-Missoula and Bee Alert Technologies - Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk and Scott Debnam. Montana State University - Veterinary Molecular Biology - Julie Elser, laboratory technician TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for our project is beekeepers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Change in knowledge. The financial resources made available to us in this animal health project have resulted in greater awareness of the occurrence of Nosema ceranae in the pacific northwest and have led to promising leads on potential compounds that may be used to disinfect honeybee combs to prevent the occurrence and spread of Nosema ceranae. Importantly, we applied state of the art flow cytometry technique, not previously employed to examine Nosema spores, to determine the effect of various compounds on spore viability. These results should lead to a publication in 2009.
Publications
- Cramer, R.A. 2008. Heating treatment kills Nosema spores. From The Speedy Bee, Vol. 37, No. 4
- Cramer, R.A. 2009. Stopping Nosema. Bee Culture Magazine, January 2009
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