Progress 10/18/13 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:A long-term project on bee diet and health is ongoing. The project aims to understand the fluctuations of food availability in a seemingly constant environment. The deceptively mild ambient temperatures of Hawaii obscure the large changes in flower abundance that take place throughout the year and affect colony growth and strength.By tracking colony flow of nectar and pollen we can better understand when the low points come and how to provide support through supplemental feeding to the bees. The project has been testing the short and long-term effects of supplementary feeding on bee health. This is to our knowledge the first study of this kind of management that has been produced for the state ofHawaii. Proper management is crucial to the survival of 'working hives" and the survivorship of newly acquired swarms. Changes/Problems:The arrival and spread of the small hive beetle added another layer to the study as the beetle tends to target small hives and swarms can fall prey to the pest. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The team has been working to provide technical training and consultation resources to: 1-The Hawaii Department of Agriculture 2-MalamuPoepoe Project 3-Hawaii Department of Health 4-Local beekeepers and farmers How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results are being disseminated via online materials. We have created a Facebook page and we are in the process of developing a targeted email campaign to keep the stakeholders informed. The project is ending but we hope to add three more publications in which the project will be credited. 1-Small hive beetle peek-a-boo. A description of the natural distribution of the beetles within the hive 2-SHB and DWV - a study on the relationship between the beetle and this well-known virus 3-a report on bee diet and bee management in Hawaii What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The non-technical summary of the project goals are: a- Quantify the impact of the parasites and diseases on honeybee abundance and distribution on Oahu and the Big Island, the islands with higher bee pest levels b- Use the information gathered to improve the delivery of outreach efforts focusing on those agricultural areas where bees are most needed, and c-Utilize swarm capture records to assess and compare bee abundance between localities while at the same time use captured swarms, as a replenishing tool to provide managed colonies for local farmers. Goal A The pathogen and pest levels of the local bees have been examined through long-term field data collection on Oahu and surveys of the Big Island of Hawaii. A1-The impact ofVarroa destructoron the bees' health. Mite treatments with organic pesticides or low impact synthetic pesticides currently approved for use in Hawaii are sufficient to keep the mite and associated diseases under control. However, mite treatments should be applied at least twice a year to ensure a healthy colony. Using male bees (drones) as a trap for mites works to reduce the mite population but it is a very intensive, time sensitive technique that can only be employed by small-scale beekeepers. This technique will also reduce the drone abundance locally which have been shown to impact the new queen chances of proper fertilization. The prevalence of the Deformed Wing Virus in Hawaii's colonies is still very high. About 86% of the foragers test positive for the virus, suggesting the importance of continued monitoring and control of the varroa mite.Comparative research conducted in Maui suggest that the colonies' overall health confirms that overall health (adult, larvae, and pupa survivorship) is higher in varroa-free environments. We are now collaborating with the HDoA in the monitoring of swarm traps. A2- A long-term study on the population dynamics of the hive parasiteAethina tumida(small hive beetle SHB) has been conducted on Oahu. This beetle represents an added new stressor on the health of the bees across not only Oahu and the Big Island but the beetle has also spread to all Hawaiian Islands where commercial beekeeping is ongoing. The work included weekly monitoring of the beetle population and assessment of the environmental factors that contribute to peaks in population, as well as the endogenous factors that make a colony more vulnerable. The SHB in Hawaii peaks in winter months, which is opposite to the mainland trend of spring and summer population peaks. The beetle levels are orders of magnitude higher in Hawaii's colonies compared to the mainland counterparts, however, in-hive oil traps are an effective method of control when placed in the appropriate location in the hive and the bees are kept in appropriately sized hives. There is no need to use pesticides in the hive to control SHB. There is also no need to drench the soil with pesticide to control this pest. A3-A long-term project on bee diet and health is ongoing. The project aims to understand the fluctuations of food availability in a seemingly constant environment. The deceptively mild ambient temperatures of Hawaii obscure the large changes in flower abundance that take place throughout the year and affect colony growth and strength.By tracking colony flow of nectar and pollen we can better understand when the low points come and how to provide support through supplemental feeding to the bees. B- Develop and deliver outreach information based on the findings. The UH Honeybee Project has been working with the beekeeping community to improve local management practices. Outreach has focused on the following topics: B1- Swarms:Tthe tendency of Hawaii's to have a much longer swarm season than the bees in the mainland makes it more difficult for local beekeepers to keep track of their colonies and manage the swarms. Handouts and an educational video have been produced to help the beekeepers and farmers understand the biology and how to assess their colonies to conduct splits and manage colonies through the swarming season. B2-Varroa Management: A beekeeping manual was created in which there are chapters devoted to varroa mite biology, viral diseases associated with the mite, and mite treatments.This manual is available online at the UH Honeybee Project website.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Santamaria, J., Villalobos, E.M., Brettell, L.E., Nikaido, S., and Graham, J.R. 2017. Evidence of Varroa-mediated Deformed Wing Virus Spillover in Hawaii. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2017.11.008
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Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Farmers, beekeepers, extension agents, Master Gardenerslocal growers, and veterinarians that will be inspecting colonies for American Fould Brood as required by the state provisions. In the 2016-2017 period we have provided lectures and field days to our diverse audience. We have participated in the Hawaii Ag Discovery program, assisted the Go Farm project, participated in the Sustainable and Organic Field day, provided a 4hour training session for veterinarians that will be certifying and dispensing medication for bacterial diseases in honeybees. The team has been supporting other bee related educational events such as the Bee Hui from Master Gardeners Oahu, the Bee Collective, the BIBA (Big Island Beekeeper Association). In addition, the bee lab has been assisting the Hawaii Department of Agriculture in surveying for diseases in apiaries (the National Honeybee Survey initiative). We created and presented a video for the ESA competition and won second place. The video titled "The Odd Couples"describes the ancient relationship between plants and insect pollinators and can be viewed on the YouTube channel of the ESA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNQQmBrxt9k Changes/Problems:Due to our own findings of a potential viral spillover among flower visiting insects we are including other important pollinators in our study. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?- Collaborations with local grower groups including the Go Farm program andthe Master Gardener Program. - Collaborations with national programs The USDA National Honeybee Survey. - Collaborations with other researchers in the US. We are talking to a queen bee expert in Texas A&M to develop comparative studies on queen replacement and colony swarming. - Collaborations with international researchers to understand how to work most effectively preventing the arrival of Africanized Honeybee (AHB), and to prepare in case of the detection of this problematic bee hybrid. This includes molecular screening for detection and breeding practices for genetic improvement. Collaborators include researchers from Costa Rica, Argentina, and Dominican Republic. - 12-15 Veternarians with Jenee Odani, CTAHR specialist, March 2017. - All on AFB spreading in Oahu. New beekeepers catching swarms an do not know how to manage them for really bad diseases. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated via workshops, field days, printed materials, participation to events (including ag days, and scientific conferences). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1-The data collected on queen life span and swarming frequency is being summarized and will produce 1 peer reviewed article and an extension publication. Expected dates for thesedeliverables is September 2018. 2-Extension materials on colony inspection is needed for beekeepers and farmers catching swarms. The success (in terms of establishment of swarms is actually low, mostly due to lack of training. This resource will greatly increase proper managementand will assist the producers in replenishing the much needed pollinators. 3-We hope to examine the decline in other bee populations. We have detected the Deformed Wing Virus, which affects honeybees, in other bees important inagricultural production. This viral spillover merits much more research to understand the linkage between species that share flower resources. We are currently collecting data on this subject. 4- We would hope to produce one video on bee diet - to change the now common belief that bees do not need supplemental feeding in Hawaii.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the 2015- 2016 reporting period we began detailed monitoring of colony f=growth and swarming. The year's data yielded important results that made us continue and increase our sampling efforts. The findings so far suggest that: 1- Colonies in Hawaii (Oahu and Big Island)swarm over a much more extensive period than their mainland counterparts, 2- The swarming colonies tend to replace their queens relatively quickly after settling in a new location. This fact can put the new queens off season with drones. Poorly mated queens are often rejected by the workers and the colony eventually collapses. 3-The new swarms are not inherently more susceptible to attack by the small hive beetle, however, poorly mated queens produce instability in the colony order that is then utilized by the beetle to attack. 4-The variable climate we now experience in Hawaii has led to unusually long periods of drought or excessive rain. These environmental conditions negatively affect our bees and makes difficult the adoption of swarms by inexperienced beekeepers. 5-Supplemental feeding during winter (which is not customary in Hawaii) not only prevents immediate starving of the bees but appears to have a lingering effect that continues after feeding has stopped in Spring. This finding has led us to pursue more work on bee health (immune system and larval food quality). Our lab and field work suggests that swarms could provide a good source of live bees to farmers but we lack adequate training among growers to take advantage of the available swarms. We are creating a Best Management Practices to address those needs.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
The Odd Couples
Video for the Entomological Society of America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNQQmBrxt9k
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audience include: beekeepers, producers of fruits, nuts, and vegetables pollinated by bees, backyard gardeners, educators, and students. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The practical nature of this researchlends itself to be shared with producers. In2016we have delivered informal workshops and presented talks in nationalbeekeeping meetings. Some of the training opportunities that have been created include: Outreach class on beekeeping - UH Outreach College2015-2016 ESA-Pacific Branch, March 2016 - Various Presentation on bee health. Hawaii State Farm Fair, July 9, 2016 - Bees and Honey. Hawaii Ag Discovery Program, July 21, 2016 - Pollination and Honey. Kauai Fruit Conference, August 18, 2016 - Orchard Crop Pollination. First Lego Robotics Program (Punahou and Iolani 5thgraders), September 2016 - Innovations for improving honeybee health. Western Apicultural Society Conference, October 13-15th - Various presentations on bee health. Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Field Day, November 9, 2016 - Bee Pollination - Waimanalo. In addition to these events we have held numerous field consultations with producers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Online - website materials Video presentations Conference presentations Workshops Printed materials What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to run the experiment colony growth and feeding. We will be conducting meetings for beekeepers and growers at various sites (and islands) to inform them directly of the results and encourage them to visit the online resources. We will be preparing materials for the upcoming ESA meeting in November in CO.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The potential difficulties of using swarms to replenish honeybee coloniesin Hawaii are being evaluated via monitoring and field experiments. The data acquired would be of great usability to small/medium scale producers interested in agriculture and honey production. Swarming and Colony Growth The natural reproduction cycle of a honeybee colony involves the process of swarming. During this event, the original queen and about half of the adult bee population will leave the old hive in search of a new home. The remainder bees will raise a new queen and continue their activities. In temperate climates, older queens that leave with swarms stay with the workers throughout the fall and winter and will be the egg laying force in the spring of the next year. The subtropical climate of Hawaii results in an extended swarming season, which is much longer than in the mainland. Honeybee colonies in Hawaii can indeed swarm during every month of the year, however, the availability of male bees (drones) to mate with the queen may limit the success of swarms in certain times of the year. We followed the reproductive cycle of 13 colonies that were captured as swarms to assess their queen replacement patterns, success, and longevity. The colonies were monitored from July 2015 to December 2016. Every colony observed had a tendency to replace the queen from the swarm with a new queen. This is very different from the reproductive pattern of colonies in temperate climates. On average, "swarm-queens" were replaced within 6 weeks of swarm establishment. The tendency to re-queen may have resulted in some hives attempting to produce queens at a time that there were few drones available and thus reducing the chances of the virgin queen to be inseminated properly. In addition, some hives did not accept commercially reared queens readily. The peaks of swarming activity seem to be centered on late fall early winter, spring - early summer. The risk of failure for the colonies is likely related to being out of sync with drone production in their local area, resulting in poorly mated queens. For example, In the Fall 2015, five colonies from recent swarms were being monitored; 3/5 of those colonies successfully reared a new queen at the end of October. The other 2 colonies had a later start and attempted to re-queen in December, but were unsuccessful to do so. In one colony the new queen produced was not-laying properly and was replaced by a commercial queen. The second colony survived after having a laying worker and eventually given new brood to raise a queen by April. The case for poorly mated queens can be examined by looking at the reproductive attempts of 5 colonies in the summer -fall of 2016. At the end of August these colonies produced queen cells and reared queens, however, only two of those queens seemed to do ok. The other three colonies attempted to replace these young queens over the next 3 months by creating more queen cells. One of the colonies died from chalkbrood, a fungal disease. Chalkbrood is survivable but a healthy adult population is needed. The colony's worker force was declining and the disease spread among the larvae. Our results provide important basic information about honeybee reproduction in Hawaii. 1-Swarms occur throughout the year but have differential survival potential depending on the season. 2-Queen replacement is frequent and requires beekeeper's monitoring. 3-Queen replacement has positive and negative impacts on the colony. Positive include the disruption of the mite cycle due to lack of bee brood. Negative: if the queen is not properly mated it could lead to colony collapse. Artificial Feeding and Colony Growth We have added an experiment to test if feeding the colonies with sugar water and pollen patties can mitigate winter decline in colony strength. The test is meant to provide management guidelines that could help support those colonies that go into winter months under less desirable conditions. The queen breeders in Hawaii feed their bees, while honey producers, in comparison, often let the colonies shrink in size during the winter. As a result, colonies from honey producers and farmers are more prone to large population variations and tend tocollapse more often than those colonies used inqueen breeding operations (pers. observation). Feeding is time consuming and costs money, however if done correctly it may provide a large benefit to producers. We are evaluating the effect and the risks of feeding colonies. This includes assessing the use of the pollen patties by the small hive beetle, a honey bee pest that can feed on pollen. The experiment started on the Fall of 2016 and will continue until the Fall of 2017.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Villalobos, E.M. 2016. Beekeeping Manual (first draft). Western Apicultural Society Meeting 2016, Honolulu, HI.
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience continues to be growers that need bees and beekepers that may be able to provide bees for pollination. This year we also worked with master gardeners and other ag professionals that can help teach growers. Changes/Problems:Capturing swarms and monitoring hives after catching became complicated to almost impossible during hurricane season. Swarms that develop out of season also tend to have a lower survival rate, thus are not suited for distribution to farmers or beginning beekeepers. We are hoping that the cohort of people trained through our workshops will be in a position to accept bees during the next swarming season. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has a direct impact to stakeholders in Hawaii. Due to disease and pest concerns, imports of bees to Hawaii is highly prohibited, consequently, any beekeeper or farmer wishing to acquire bees must do so from local stock. Swarms represent a legitimate source of bees for the public, but many farmers still require training. The UH Honeybee Project has developed a Farmer Beekeeper Get Together Group that meets every trimester to discuss aspects of beekeeping and bee health and to develop connections within the agricultural community. These meetings take place at the University, during off hours, and provide a mix of technical information via talks with friendly atmosphere. In addition the bee group continues to deliver talks and workshops to stakeholders, our work and partnership with the State Apiary Program is helping provide valuable information towards the improvement of queens in Hawaii. As outlined in the previous report we were planning to develop a beekeeping course. This semester we provided the first Beekeeping Course on Oahu through the Outreach College. http://www.outreach.hawaii.edu/noncredit/courses/programdetail/3380 In addition, to hands on training we are creating educational materials, including a swarm handout (in collaboration with the Hawaii State Apiary Program) http://hawaiipollinator.com/pdf/beekeeping/UHB_swarm_handout-2015-English.pdf and a swarm video currentlyunder production. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information about declining honeybee health, bee friendly habitats, and bee threats has been shared via workshops, public talks at local agricultural events and online at our websites. We continue to add materials to the website created with support of Western SARE. This website is aimed at growers that need bees and beekeepers that work with growers. http://hawaiipollinator.com/index.html http://www.uhbeeproject.com What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The research focus of the project will be to continue to document the seasonality of swarming in different microhabitats and to examine more closely the factors that determine success or failure of colonies undergoing a swarming event. We will be presenting our research at the Pacific ESA meeting to be held here in Hawaii in April. I am also the president of the Western Apicultural Society and we will be hosting the annual meeting of the society in Honolulu this year. We plan to have workshops and talks for beekeepers and farmers at this event. We will offer a follow up beekeeping course, at an intermediate level, with added information about swarming and queen breeding. This is a much needed step to make sure swarms are properly utilized and cared for.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Based on our collaboration with local beekeepers we are finding out more about honeybee swarm availability onthe islands. The arrival of the varroa mite and the small hive beetle reduced the number of feral colonies and affected the strength of the managed hives. Using our own data, and the records of a long-term beekeeper that provides commercial swarm removal, we are beginning to see the interactive effects of pest, disease, and climatic changes. In the previous report we had note a dramatic decrease in swarm density in 2014 on Oahu and the Big Island. We now add to that observation a dramatic increase in swarm abundance in 2015. This unusual trend can be best interpreted by considering past records and adding the important climatic effect of El Niño. On Oahu, rainfall increased dramatically and there were frequent hurricane alerts. The bees on Oahu swarmed frequently during 2015. Commercial swarm catching companies and beekeepers were inundated by calls asking for help. Using the business records provided byour collaborators we were able to track the number and location of "swarm calls", that is the number of calls he received, data about the location, and the result of the visit (was it a true swarm or an older, established hive). The data suggests that swarm calls were the highest before the mite arrival, and the numbers fell to approximately ¼ for the next three years (2008 - 2010). In 2011 the calls grew to 2/3 of the original level. This year coincides with a Moderate Strength La Niña event, which tends to bring more rain. From 2011 to 2014 swarm calls decreased again, until the recent peak in 2015 during a very intense El Niño year. Access to this historical records can helps us understand the interactive nature of disease, pests, and climate change. If the swarm frequency is tied to large-scale climatic patterns, it might be another element to consider in terms of pollination success for agricultural crops depending on bees. We will continue to gather data on colony health and swarming activity to gain a better understanding of this important trend in population dynamics.
Publications
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Progress 10/18/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The main target audience is growers that need bees for pollination and small-medium scale beekeepers. There is however a much larger audience that includes backyard growers, master gardeners, and educators. Changes/Problems: Swarm seasonality and swarm abundance in 2014 were seriously affected by climatic and biotic factors. As such, the expected swarm captures away from apiaries were basically nonexistent. In addition, a high level of queen failure (which impacts swarms and established colonies) was observed across Oahu and the Big Island. These "problems", although somewhat frustrating, has had a silver lining in the sense that they have allowed us to tackle an important and highly relevant issue in beekeeping: queen quality. By creating a partnership with the State Apiary Program we have now integrated a study of colony dynamics and swarming with queen and drone quality. This holistic approach to the problem has already led to interesting discoveries and is helping both organizations (UH Manoa CTAHR and HDoA) to develop an integrated approach to the reduced availability of pollinators and the need for hands on training in beekeeping. In summary, the goals of the project remain intact, although new aspects have been added in collaboration with the HDoA. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? From an outreach perspective the project has allowed us to work with a large and diverse number of stakeholders that need bees. The research integrates research and extension and has challenged the team to develop materials and presentations that have that integrative practical quality. The team has participated in agricultural fairs, been invited for TV and radio interviews to discuss current problems with bees and pollination. But perhaps, more importantly, the project allowed us to join forces with beekeepers in the area and to share more closely with them our work and expertise. From a research perspective the project allows us to address current and urgent issues for beekeepers and growers. Swarms and colony division are the way in which you gain new bees, if indeed queen quality is compromised, or drone abundance is low in varroa infected islands, this type of pure research, can and will quickly be channeled into practical solutions. Our work and partnership with the State Apiary Program is helping provide valuable information towards the improvement of queens in Hawaii. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Information about declining honeybee health, bee friendly habitats, and bee threats has been shared via workshops, public talks at local agricultural events, via radio and TV interviews. We are currently adding materials to a new website created with support of Western SARE. This website is aimed at growers that need bees and beekeepers that work with growers. The website is still in BETA state but we hope to add information in the near future derived from this project about swarms, swarm catching, and bio-security issues relating to swarms. http://hawaiipollinator.com/index.html What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The research focus of the project will be to continue to document the seasonality of swarming in different microhabitats and to examine more closely the factors that determine success or failure of colonies undergoing a swarming event. Since over 50% of studied colonies suffered problems at the time of swarming, it is critical period for beekeepers and growers to be able to adequately manage the colonies and address problems if they arise. The extension focus will be to develop printed and online materials specifically on swarms (biology, ecology, capture, and management) and to continue hands-on beekeeping training for the stakeholders. To this end, we will be submitting a proposal for an outreach beekeeping course to be offered in the Fall of 2015.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Honeybee swarm availability has dramatically decreased in 2014 on Oahu and the Big Island. No swarms were collected away from known apiary sites, and even near apiary sites the number of captured colonies was reduced. For example, at a productive Hilo apiary, the number of swarms captured was about 1/3 of previous years. This result suggests not only a serious problem of decreased availability of feral bees for producers not directly associated with beekeepers, but also a serious problem for beekeepers trying to increase their apiary size. In our study apiary on Oahu we experienced many issues during colony division this year, with approximately 66% of colonies undergoing division exhibited queen related problems. These observations mirror those experienced by many local beekeepers. These colony failures may be due in part to poor queen quality and/or poor drone quality, acting in combination with bee parasites and diseases affecting the colonies. Because swarms occur when colonies are strong and climate is suitable, both queen quality and climate change can have dramatic impacts on a honeybee colony survival. We have begun, through a partnership with the Apiary Program of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, to assess queen quality as one important element in swarm success and colony survival. This research allows us to further understand queen failures and suggest better management strategies for local beekeepers. Feral colonies appear to be highly transient in nature this past year, and is possible that drought and pest pressure have contributed to the frequent displacement - disappearance observed in feral colonies. Although more data is needed, the observed pattern would indicate that although some feral colonies have been located they are under strong health pressure and may not be stable enough to help establish a pool of feral bees. We continue to offer training to stakeholders on Oahu, Big Island, and Maui. The training involves workshops, long-term courses, and partnerships with growers, educators, farm managers, and beekeepers. Although swarm capture has been extremely low, we have been providing bees to participants, including Master Gardeners on Oahu and Maui, and growers and educators on Oahu.
Publications
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