As a junior searching for research experience, I was able to join the vanEngelsdorp Lab this semester to discover an interest in research I never knew I had. From day 1, I was welcomed and taught how the lab worked as well as the various projects that were occurring. Shortly after, I began my own independent project, comparing the precision of various methods to prepare Nosema samples, in addition to joining the PollinaTerps. My independent project was created in hopes of finding a more consistent manner to crush honey bee samples in preparation for Nosema counting. The current method involves the use of a Pin…
Category: In The Lab
My Bee Adventures
It all started when I was registering for fall semester of my freshman year of college. I was scrolling through the list of General Education courses, searching for a semi-interesting class that would fulfill as many General Education requirements as possible. Given the fact that I was adjusting my schedule towards the end of the registration period, my options were very limited. In the end, I had to choose between a geology class and a pollination class. After years of involuntarily studying earth science in the public school system, the thought of taking yet another geology class filled me with dread. I signed up for…
A “House Moment” in a Bee Lab Continued: Making the Connection
Remember our recent report concerning pesticides? I used a chemical reference database to go through the list and see if I could find any that were lipid-soluble. While many pesticides I looked at were not lipid-soluble, the four chemicals implicated in increasing honeybee vulnerability of Nosema infection in the study above are lipid-soluble. The clearest example is with the fungicide chlorothalonil due to the molecule’s relatively simple chemical structure. The aromatic ring makes the chemical lipid-soluble and the four chlorines make the molecule stable in the environment. Not to offend any honeybees reading our blog, but honeybees have fat! Ya’ll wear it well though ;)…
A “House Moment” in a Bee Lab: Background
The Bee Informed Partnership laboratory at University of Maryland, College Park participated in research to test for the presence of a wide range of pesticides in pollen samples of commercial honeybees. We wanted to know what bees were eating, how many pesticides were present in bee food and at what concentrations, and how pesticide use might correlate to Nosema infection. Nosema is a microsporidian gut-pathogen of honeybees that causes Nosemosis, a bee disease that weakens immune systems and harms colony health. Beekeepers and many in the agricultural community are paying close attention to Nosema due to the recent discovery of a new fungal pathogen, Nosema…
Healthy Advantages of Working in the “Bee Lab”
I was fortunate enough to spend my semester interning for the VanEngledorp lab. Throughout my internship I got a firsthand look at how a lab functions and was able to participate. Mainly I would clean and prep samples for the various services this lab provides for apiaries. However, occasionally I would help with checking apiary samples for varroa. What I found to be most interesting to learn from this lab, was the benefits of honey for your body. This Is because I love to learn about how to achieve and maintain a healthy well-being, which is why im majoring in kinesiology. For example in a recent medical case…
An Intern’s Intro to Honey Bees
This past semester, I have been working as an undergraduate intern in Dr. vanEngelsdorp’s honey bee lab at the University of Maryland. My previous bee knowledge consisted of only a few fun facts learned in intro biology courses and some honey extracting methods learned while working with another professor in the entomology department here at UMD. Needless to say, my expertise in honey bees has vastly grown. I could tell you the differences between a queen, drone, and worker bee and why they do a few of the many amazing things they do. More specifically, I have been working on a Nosema spore project. Along…
Using Pollen Traps, and Processing Pollen Samples
Installing pollen traps onto your honey bee colonies can provide many benefits. First off, you can harvest the pollen granules from a hive for human consumption. Bee pollen is marketed as a “Nutrient Rich Superfood,” and is sold at various health stores. While there has not been much research into the potential benefits of taking bee pollen as a nutritional supplement, some people swear that it is a cure for many different ailments. At the UMD lab, I seem to be the only person that has mildly enjoyed the taste. If you do decide to harvest pollen from your bees, make sure that you leave enough for…
Growing Concern Over Chemical Synergism in Beehives
Honeybees are hoarders, they accumulate good things like different types of nectar and pollen, but like hoarders there are some unintended consequences to bringing in all of that forage. That consequence is the accumulation of different pesticides. We also add to their pesticide load when we treat for diseases. A study of hive samples in 2007-2008 found as many as 39 chemical residues in a hive, an average of six residues across hives, and the presence of at least one type of chemical in 98 percent of hives! To me this poses the question: how are the bees coping with these chemicals? We know that…
Queens and Nosema ceranae
While I have only done it a few times, every once in a while a beekeeper will contact our lab and ask us to check a queen for Nosema spores. A couple weeks ago a beekeeper experienced unusual losses in his apiary. Since he wanted to cover all bases so to say, he also sent me a queen and a couple of workers from a dead out to examine for spores. Despite being sad about his losses, I was excited to do something out of the ordinary. For the most part, beekeepers and scientists alike are more interested in Nosema loads of worker bees. Nosema…
An October Tour of the UMD Apiary
Last week, Jordan Arata and I had the pleasure of giving a tour of the UMD Apiary. The apiary is located on the roof of a]one of the campus diners. The tour was set up by Carin Cebuluski, from the UMD Arboretum; and only one person in the tour group had any beekeeping experience. I really enjoy showing people a hive for the first time, as it is always a fun experience. Jordan and I went over a few basic safety tips and equipment explanations. Then we got started. The weather was great that day and the bees were very active, buzzing around all over everyone. We went over…