Most new beekeepers find out about robbing the hard way when they either spend a little too long poking around in colonies at the wrong time of year, arrive in a bee yard already to find a frenzy of activity around hive entrances, or encounter the aftermath in the form of dead colonies and empty hives. Robbing can be particularly bad in the late summer and fall when several conditions align, leading to high potential for robbing. These triggering conditions include nectar dearth after a main flow, large colony populations with a high proportion of foragers, temperatures suitable for intense flight activity, and potential for…
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Happy New Year from BIP’s New Executive Director
Happy New Year! I’m jumping for joy that I will begin 2020 as Executive Director of the Bee Informed Partnership. A couple of weeks in December alongside BIP’s former beloved ED, Karen Rennich, introduced me to the incredible behind-the-scenes work to which BIP’s staff members dedicate themselves to keep BIP’s services accessible and meaningful for beekeepers. I look forward to working with our current collaborators and to bridging new partnerships as we explore more ways to use beekeeping data to improve honey bee health. I’m thrilled to be joining BIP in this role. For many years I spent time working for non-profit organizations and the…
Bee Informed is Wonderful, So Happy to Have Them
Holiday Greetings!, Beekeepers participating in Bee Informed programs have access to a broad network of apiculture specialists. From the Bee Health Field Specialists that provide hands-on assessments with commercial beekeepers to the lab and database techs, and subject matter experts that provide timely insights to current trends, diagnosis of observed problems, and current and best practices for fixing those problems. But this isn't just how I would describe BIP, let's hear it from Jason Hough, a nuc, package bee and honey producer in Maryland who has these words to say about the Bee Informed Partnership as he was interviewed by Eric Malcolm in the video…
Until we meet again…
As 2019 rushes to a close and we usher in a new year, a big change is also happening at the Bee Informed Partnership. After 9 years leading the efforts at BIP, I am stepping down and am delighted to introduce Annette ("Net") Meredith as our new Executive Director. Net will follow with her own blog introducing herself, her background and experience, and some thoughts on joining the BIP team. She has many exciting ideas, is super organized and is looking forward to meeting all of you. We could not have found a better person to continue our efforts and grow all of our programs.…
BIP Tech Team Field Agents as Early Alarm Systems
In Northern California this past spring, colony growth was slow due to the cooler weather. So slow in fact, that most Queen Producers started breeding up to a month late! Additionally, the numerous fungicide applications in the orchards accumulating on forage, may have been another factor impacting colony health and growth. The conditions were so wet this year, growers had to apply more aerial sprays to control fungus. Most of these sprays were performed during the daytime and most likely increase bee exposure to fungicides, especially in standing watering holes for bees, where pesticides may be present at higher levels. A week or so into…
BIP works harder…
I want to start by saying 'Thank You' for your support of the Bee Informed Partnership. We are so grateful for you and those we're able to serve and support through our work. The sense of purpose and community we all feel is like nothing I've had the honor to experience before. I know you've been asked by everyone to donate this month, and especially on this Day of Giving, but I'm asking that you show your support for us today. I'm also going to let you in on a bit of inside information. To say that the BIP Team stays pretty busy, is a…
BIP Helps Breed Hygienic Honey Bees
Like other livestock breeders, queen producers are constantly working to improve the quality of stock they produce. When determining which colonies to graft from breeders will evaluate colonies on a variety of traits including productivity, fecundity, and temperament. Traditionally, selection has focused on breeding from colonies that produced large honey crops, reared abundant brood, and behaved in a docile manner. As pest and disease pressures have increased in recent years breeders have increasingly incorporated hygienic behavior as a criteria for selection. Hygienic behavior is a trait that helps colonies control several stressors including American Foulbrood, chalkbrood, and Varroa mites. Hygienic behavior is identified by performing…
What’s in a BIP truck
Earlier this month, we posted a blog about some of the logistics behind the exhaustive work that the Tech Transfer Team Program accomplishes and our Board has highlighted some of the impacts they have made. Our Honey Bee Health Field Specialists drive around the country to inspect, sample, diagnose, report and consult on honey bee colony health and management practices. As reported, they drive A LOT! Their work truck functions like a mobile laboratory, filled with inspection and sampling equipment and there are many reliable electrical system you can count on to finish this work efficiently. You can read more about their truck content in…
Beekeepers are good storytellers… and maybe liars
In a previous blog, we shared statements from a few BIP Board members conveying how the Bee Informed Partnership has changed the world of beekeeping and how it has personally effected either their research or their operations. Today, George Hansen, a well-known and respected Oregon commercial beekeeper and a BIP Board member tells the story of how he came to beekeeping. If you were not born with a hive tool in your hand and, like many of us, stumbled on the beekeeping path by happy accident, I think you will recognize many aspects of his humorous anecdote. George, why don't you take it from here?…
American Foulbrood – Connecting Beekeepers with Diagnostic Resources
As a Field Specialist on the BIP Tech Transfer Team, part of my job is to help commercial beekeepers to “nip problems in the bud”. Here is a recent event that illustrates the impact we have through the Tech Team Program. While doing routine sampling for a beekeeper, I happened to find a colony that had every major sign of American Foulbrood. American Foulbrood, or AFB, is a bacterial disease of the brood, that used to be the major scourge of beekeeping. Inspection programs, careful follow-up by beekeepers, and antibiotics for treatment and prevention probably have all helped reduce its impact on bee health. However,…