Conservation & Ecology
A couple of puffs of smoke calm down the colony
“ 114 I PC JUNE/JULY 2014
The queen is made easy to locate by adding a drop of paint on her back
Will farmers switch to crops that need less insecticide treatment or might they apply older, but more dangerous chemicals?
brood box and honey boxes contained a number of frames which are coated with a beeswax template stamped with hexagonal cell shapes, where the bees build cells for brood and storing honey. Hive inspections start as soon as the
weather warms up in early spring, i.e. when temperatures reach at least 15O
significant wind. Opening up a hive in cold/windy conditions may kill the brood or set back the development of the colony. Early inspections should be concerned with looking at the health of the colony. Is there a laying queen - is there a consistent pattern of eggs to be seen? Do the larvae look healthy - pearly white and in a nice ‘C’ shape? Are there sufficient stores to
An international panel of scientists has called for an “evidence-driven debate” over whether neonicotinoid insecticide is to blame for declines in bees and other insect pollinators.
EU restrictions on certain neonicotinoid insecticides was introduced in December 2013 because of fears they are harming pollinating insects. Pollination by insects is critical for many crops and for wild plants but, at the same time, neonicotinoids are one of the most effective insecticides used by farmers. Potential tensions relating to the the agricultural and environmental consequences of neonicotinoid use have made this topic one of the most controversial involving science and policy.
The EU Commission went ahead with planned restrictive measures on three types of neonicotinoid in December. The decision was supported by the majority of EU Member states, though the UK government has refused to back the latest developments in neonicotinoid science and limited itself to implementing the mandatory aspects of the ban, leaving out certain recommended measures.
As recently as May, the neonicotinoid debate was catapulted back into the headlines when a study by Harvard researchers added further weight to arguments that neonicotinoids are having a detrimental effect on pollinator health.
A restatement of the scientific evidence on neonicotinoids was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society on 21st May. The restatement, from a group of nine scientists led by Professor Charles Godfray and Professor Angela McLean of the Oxford Martin School at Oxford University, attempts to “clarify the scientific evidence available on neonicotinoids, to enable different stakeholders to develop coherent policy and practice recommendations”.
One of the authors, Professor Lin Field from Rothamsted Research, said, “It was a pleasure to work with my co-authors who all have diverse expertises, relevant to the debate over the potential effects of neonicotinoids on pollinators, but all wanted to look at evidence rather than opinion. It is essential that we base decisions in this important area on science, so that we find the best way forward to ensure both
C and with no
maintain the colony? The presence of a good, consistent pattern of eggs in the central parts of the frames will indicate the presence of a laying queen so, in this case, it was not necessary to find her. However, it proved to be a good time to mark the queen, as there were a relatively small number of bees, making her easier to find later on. This was done with red and blue paint.
If no eggs are present, then the colony
might be queenless. If this is the case, the colony will need a new queen or require uniting with a queenright colony - a colony where a queen exists. If eggs are present, but in a patchy
pattern, appearing at irregular places on the
pollinator success and good crop protection strategies for food production.”
Professor Charles Godfray expanded on areas where research is lacking. “Pollinators are clearly exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides, but seldom to lethal doses, and we need a better understanding of the consequences of realistic sub-lethal doses to the individual insect, bee colony and pollinator population.”
Professor Angela McLean added; “A major question to be addressed is what farmers will do now that they face restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids. Will they switch to crops that need less insecticide treatment or might they apply older, but more dangerous chemicals?”
The restatement describes how much insecticide is present in a treated plant and how much is consumed by pollinators. It goes on to summarise how neonicotinoids affect individual bees and other pollinators, and the consequences at the colony and population levels.
Reacting to the study, Professor Ian Boyd, Chief Scientific Advisor at Defra said; “It is essential that policies on the use of
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