February 2023 - Protect Bees

Investigating The Viral Ecology of Global Bee Communities With High-Throughput Metagenomics

February 28, 2023/in Uncategorized

The original article was published by Scientific Reports on June 11, 2018 and can be found here.

Abstract

Bee viral ecology is a fascinating emerging area of research: viruses exert a range of e!ects on their hosts, exacerbate impacts of other environmental stressors, and, importantly, are readily shared across multiple bee species in a community. However, our understanding of bee viral communities is limited, as it is primarily derived from studies of North American and European Apis mellifera populations. Here, we examined viruses in populations of A. mellifera and 11 other bee species from 9 countries, across 4 continents and Oceania. We developed a novel pipeline to rapidly and inexpensively screen for bee viruses. This pipeline includes purification of encapsulated RNA/DNA viruses, sequence-independent amplification, high throughput sequencing, integrated assembly of contigs, and filtering to identify contigs specifically corresponding to viral sequences. We identified sequences for (+)ssRNA, (−)ssRNA, dsRNA, and ssDNA viruses. Overall, we found 127 contigs corresponding to novel viruses (i.e. previously not observed in bees), with 27 represented by >0.1% of the reads in a given sample, and 7 contained an RdRp or replicase sequence which could be used for robust phylogenetic analysis. This study provides a sequence-independent pipeline for viral metagenomics analysis, and greatly expands our understanding of the diversity of viruses found in bee communities.

You can read the full study here.

Fungus Helps Fight Honeybee Viruses

February 28, 2023/in Uncategorized

This article was originally published on Fruit Growers News on October 4, 2018 and can be found here.

A mushroom extract fed to honeybees greatly reduces virus levels, according to a new paper from Washington State University scientists, the USDA and colleagues at Fungi Perfecti, a business based in Olympia, Washington.

In field trials, colonies fed mycelium extract from amadou and reishi fungi showed a 79-fold reduction in deformed wing virus and a 45,000-fold reduction in Lake Sinai virus compared to control colonies.

Though it’s in the early stages of development, the researchers see great potential in this research.

“Our greatest hope is that these extracts have such an impact on viruses that they may help varroa mites become an annoyance for bees, rather than causing huge devastation,” said Steve Sheppard, a WSU entomology professor and one of the paper’s authors.

“We’re excited to see where this research leads us. Time is running out for bee populations and the safety and security of the world’s food supply hinges on our ability to find means to improve pollinator health.”

The research was published in the journal Scientific Reports, (http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/s41598-018-32194-8.)
The hope is that the results of this research will help dwindling honeybee colonies fight viruses, that are known to play a role in colony collapse disorder.

“One of the major ways varroa mites hurt bees is by spreading and amplifying viruses,” Sheppard said. “Mites really put stress on the bees’ immune systems, making them more susceptible to viruses that shorten worker bee lifespans.”

Partnership with Fungi Perfecti, LLC

This is the first research paper to come out of a partnership between Sheppard’s lab and Fungi Perfecti. Their co-owner and founder Paul Stamets is a co-author on the paper.

“Paul previously worked on a project that demonstrated the antiviral properties of mycelial extracts on human cells,” Sheppard said. “He read about viruses hurting bees and called us to explore the use of the extracts on honeybees. After two years, we demonstrated that those anti-viral properties extend to honey bees.”

Continue reading the article here.

Announcement: 2019 USA PAm-Costco Scholar Fellowship Awards for Honey Bee Health

February 28, 2023/in Uncategorized

Scholarship: In 2013 Costco and Project Apis m. (PAm) launched the first PAm-Costco Scholar Fellowship Program. Costco has an admirable commitment to sustainability, and is a champion supporter of honey bee research, recognizing it as an investment to ensure an ethical and sustainable food supply.

Investing in research that has real and practical impacts on the sustainability of honey bee health, honey production and crop production is the foundation of the PAm-Costco partnership. Sustainability is often defined in terms of resource management, but another component of sustainability is developing intellectual expertise by supporting those who will help solve problems in the future: tomorrow’s bee scientists. The students who receive this PhD Fellowship award bring new energy, ideas, and expertise to the fold of scientists pushing the edges of bee health research across the globe. This award is an investment in the next generation of leaders to innovate and support beekeepers and pollinators.

The PAm-Costco Scholar Fellowship Program in the USA and Canada has awarded over $550,000
to impressive up-and-coming bee researchers who are committed to a better future for bees. These scholars have already made significant contributions and important discoveries through their research, been recognized with awards of merit, published peer-reviewed academic articles, and continue with dedication to solve the mysteries and challenges that bees and beekeepers face. The PAm-Costco Scholar Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students to pursue research-based doctoral degrees in fields within the Project Apis m. mission of enhancing honey bee health while improving crop production.

Program: Open to candidates within a Ph.D. program in any Agriculture, Apiculture or Entomology department in the United States. The PAm-Costco Scholar will be involved in a clearly identifiable and defined bee health issue.

Qualifications: Candidates must have a B.S. or M.S. degree in a science or agriculture-related field. It is preferable the candidate have some working experience with bees, and published papers in
apiculture. The individual must demonstrate potential for significant achievements in honey bee health science and research, and a commitment to working in the field of honey bee research after completing graduate work.

Financial Support: Up to three years continuous support for graduate education and research will be provided in annual increments up to $50,000, based on qualifications and need. In cases where
a student is already receiving financial awards, the award amount will be determined on a case by case basis.

Application Deadline: Monday, May 6, 2019, 11:59 pm EST.
Contact: To apply, please follow the attached format or visit our website at www.ProjectApism.org/rfps.html. For additional information, contact Sharah Yaddaw atSharah@ProjectApism.org. No phone calls.

Pollinator Protection: Residual Time to 25% Bee Mortality Data Released

February 28, 2023/in Uncategorized

The original article was published by the Environmental Protection Agency March 21, 2019 and can be found here.

RT25 Data: What “ey are and Where “ey Come From

The residual time to 25% mortality (referred to as the RT25) values provided in the table below were compiled from registrant-submitted data submitted in order to fulfill the data requirement for Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Toxicity of Residues on Foliage study (OCSPP Guideline 850.3030). This study may be conditionally required if the honey bee acute contact (or oral) median lethal dose (LD50) value (obtained from a honey bee acute toxicity test such as OCSPP Guideline 850.3020) is less than 11 μg/bee1.
The honey bee toxicity of residues on foliage study is a laboratory test designed to determine the length of time over which field weathered foliar residues remain toxic to honey bees, or other species of terrestrial insects. The test substance (e.g., a representative end-use product) is applied to crop foliage, the foliage is harvested at predetermined post-application intervals (i.e., aged residues), and test adult bees are confined on foliage with aged residues for 24 hours. Three treatment intervals (di#erent durations of time that residues are aged between application and harvest) are typically used (e.g., 3, 8 and 24 hours post-application). At a minimum, the test substance should be evaluated at the maximum application rate specified on the product label. If mortality of bees exposed to the foliage harvested 24 hours after the application is greater than 25%, bees should continue to be exposed to aged residues on foliage samples collected every 24 hours (i.e., 48, 72, 96, 120 hours, etc. after the application) until mortality is 25% or less.

About the RT25 Data Table

The table below represents all available RT25 values from studies submitted to the Agency which have undergone quality assurance reviews to ensure that the data are scientifically sound. Depending on the chemical tested, either the technical grade active ingredient or a specific formulation was tested using either the honey bee, alfalfa leaf cutting bee, or alkali bee; the table lists the test material and species tested. The table also denotes the plant species on which residues were aged.

RT25 values are a function of a number of factors including application rate, physical-chemical properties, dissipation, crop, and pesticide formulation. Thus, there is considerable variability in RT25 values within a single formulation, between formulations, between crops, and across application rates. The values included in the table are chemical and formulation specific. EPA plans to update this table as a more robust data set becomes available.
View full article and data table here.

Much Fields May Attract Bees To Aid Pollination

February 28, 2023/in Uncategorized

This article is by Dean Peterson, VGN correspondent and was published by Vegetable Growers News on March 7, 2019. The original article can be found here.

The causes of pollinator decline have been well-documented, but research at Ohio State University’s Muck Farm near Willard, Ohio, is trying a new approach of putting pollinator habitat in strips among the vegetable crops.

“Can we see an increase in bee numbers? Can we see an increase in the types and diversity of wild bees in areas where muck soils predominate?” asked Elizabeth Long, assistant professor in Ohio State University’s Entomology Department. “If we make these resources available, will they come? Will these fields be more attractive to bees?”

The concept has some hurdles. Muck soil is extremely valuable and growers want every acre in production. There’s also the issue of putting bee habitat in the middle of intensively-managed crops. “Attracting bees into this area is risky because vegetables are intensively managed and lots of chemicals are used,” Long said.

Mowing For Monarchs

February 27, 2023/in Uncategorized

This article is by Layne Cameron, Nate Haan and Doug Landis and was published by MSU Today on March 12, 2019.

You might think that mowing fields wouldn’t benefit monarch butterfly populations. New research from Michigan State University, however, shows that disturbances like mowing – at key times – might help boost the iconic butterfly’s numbers.

The results are published in the current issue of Biological Conservation, and they show that strategic grassland management benefits monarchs in two ways. First, monarchs lay more eggs on young milkweed – new growth after mowing – the sole food source for the butterflies in their larval stage. Second, fewer predators visit immature milkweed; more come during its mature stages, such as when it flowers.

“Monarch butterflies scout young milkweed to lay their eggs,” said Nate Haan, MSU postdoctoral research associate in entomology and the study’s lead author. “And in terms of a food source, milkweed is more like spinach when it’s young and comparable to cardboard as it ages.”
Click here to continue.