National Honey Board Funds New Research Focusing on Honey Bee Health

Firestone, Colo. – The National Honey Board (NHB) will fund several new projects in 2010 related to a variety of bee colony health issues. Funding for the projects totals $95,137. The goal of the research is to help producers maintain colony health while assuring the maintenance of honey quality, with areas of interest being control of Varroa destructor, Acarapis woodi, Nosema Ceranae, and small hive beetle; the investigation into the causes and controls of Colony Collapse Disorder; and honey bee nutrition, immunology, and longevity.

New projects approved for funding in 2010 include:
"The costs of following the bloom – nutrient processing, microbial dynamics, and colony health in a migratory beekeeping operation (Jan. 2010- Dec. 2010)," Drs. Mark J. Carroll, Diana Sammataro, and Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffmann, USDA-ARS, Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ.
"Dealing with Nosema ceranae – infection cycles and treatment needs and approaches," Richard Fell, Brenna Traver, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
"A long-term plan to improve honey bee genetics: formation of a tech transfer team," Marla Spivak, University of Minnesota.
"Is it possible to obtain accurate nosema and mite counts from a single sample of bees from the entrance?" Randy Oliver.

The NHB also approved a contribution to Penn State University's Center for Pollinator Research to support the July, 2010 International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy.
The National Honey Board conducts research, advertising and promotion programs to help maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets for honey and honey products. These programs are funded by an assessment of one cent per pound on domestic and imported honey. The National Honey Board is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Name: Bruce Boynton

Phone: (303) 776-2337

Email: [email protected]