Design and realization Medienfabrik Gütersloh GmbH, branch office Leverkusen Publisher Bayer Bee Care Center Alfred-Nobel-Str. 50 40789 Monheim am Rhein beecare@bayer.com March 2014 PHOTOs Fotolia: Wong Sze Fei, petarpaunchev, Michael Klaus, Aubord Dulac, Ludmila Smite, photoflorenzo, Vladyslav Siaber, Repina Valeriya, Darios, Yü Lan, Bee Care, Bayer CropScience. If you would like to find out more, visit our website: www.beecare.bayer.com
WELCOME TO A WORLD OF BEES From early spring to autumn, bees can be seen and heard buzzing around our gardens, parks, and fields. This booklet takes you on a journey through the seasons and provides you with bee-related information and facts that you may find astonishing, useful, and interesting.
A YEAR DEVoteD TO HEALTHY BEES Whether beekeeper, farmer, veterinarian, horticulturist, landscaper or amateur gardener: we all have an interest in improving bee health around the world. These busy insects play an important role in pollinating many types of flowers and crops. Bayer has more than 25 years of experience in animal health and crop protection and is highly committed to protecting bees. The decline of bee colonies in some parts of the world has caused public concern. To address the factors thought to be affecting bee health, Bayer has implemented its Bee Care Program, which includes two Bee Care Centers, one in Germany and the other in the USA. If you would like to find out more, visit our website, www.beecare.bayer.com, and register to receive our newsletter like us on Facebook follow us on twitter and get involved.
Of the 100 crops providing 90% of the world s food, 70 benefit from pollination by bees and other insects. Did you know that... there can be as MANY AS 60,000 honey bees in one hive in summer months?
SPRING IN THE BEEHIVE TIME TO WAKE UP Bees start to leave the hive when earlyflowering plants herald the new season. They are looking for food for their queen and brood as the queen steps up egg production after the winter break, laying up to 2,000 eggs a day. Up to 60,000 female worker bees are responsible for feeding the colony at the peak of the summer season. These bees live for only a short time in the hive. After this they leave their home and die after three to six weeks out in the countryside. This means that around 2,000 busy worker bees have to be replaced by newly hatched young bees every day. This is how the colony remains stable despite a high turnover.
Did you know that...... the lifespan of a typical worker bee is 3 6 weeks, whereas the queen can live for 2 4 years? worker bee queen 1 2 3 4 Years... Scientists and regulatory authorities agree that bee health is a complex issue? Several studies have also indicated that bee health may be affected by many different factors, including pests and parasites, microbial diseases, inadequate diet, bee management practices and severe adverse weather conditions.
Did you know that... Bees need to visit some 2,000,000 flowers in order to produce 0.5 kg honey?
HELPING THE WORLD BLOOM We can all help bees stay healthy by sowing our own beds of bee-attractive flowers in the garden or on the balcony. This helps because flowering plants have become increasingly scarce in fields and meadows and, as a result, bees often don t get enough nutrients from the nectar and pollen they collect in summer. The resulting nutrient deficiency makes bees more prone to disease. Honey bees from a typical hive visit approximately 225,000 flowers per day. Bayer has planted hectares of blooming fields at several of its sites to promote the need for more habitat for bees and other pollinators. Bee-attractive flowers and shrubs offer domestic pollinators nutrition, refuge and nesting habitat and are also a delight to the eye, bringing color and variety to our gardens from spring, through summer and into autumn.
Did you know that... Bayer conducts in-depth research into the characteristics of both pesticides and biotech crops from an early stage to ensure that, when they are applied according to the specific label instructions, they do not negatively impact non-target species like honey bees?
THE ENEMY IN THE BeeHIVE In spring, beekeepers have to start controlling the main enemy of the honey bee: the Varroa mite, a creature that sucks blood from honey bees and also transmits dangerous viral diseases. Research, carried out worldwide by top bee scientists, shows that Varroa mite is the main threat to bee health. This parasitic mite has spread rapidly throughout almost the entire world since the 1950s and hardly any colonies are now free from Varroa. Only Australia has been spared so far, and is home to one of the healthiest Western honey bee populations in the world.
Did you know that... Varroa mites are 1.6 mm long? On a human scale, this would be equivalent to a person being attacked by a parasite the size of a rabbit. CH ES I P USA SU J EE BR SAM FR PL UK CDN NZN NZS US-HI 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Year Timeline of the spread of Varroa mite around the world.* J = Japan, SU = UdSSR, EE = Eastern Europe, BR = Brazil, SAM = South America, CH = Switzerland, ES = Spain, I = Italy, F = France, PL = Poland, P = Portugal, USA = USA, CDN = Canada, UK = United Kingdom, NZN = New Zealand (North Island), NZS = New Zealand (South Island), US-HI = Hawaiian Island * Source: Webster TC, Delaplane KS. 2001, Mites of the Honey Bee.
BAYER PROMOTES BEE HEALTH Bayer offers solutions to control Varroa mites and improve bee health all over the world. A long-term field study by Frankfurt University has confirmed that consistent use of these products is an effective strategy against the destructive mites and can reduce winter colony losses. Bayer has been developing animal health products for bees for more than 25 years, and is continuing to work on many research projects aimed at helping beekeepers ensure that their colonies stay healthy and vigorous. The "Varroa Gate" is another project in development. This innovative tool, placed at the entrance to the hive, helps prevent infestation, reinfestation and the transmission of diseases by the parasites.
Did you know that...... in Australia, they have some of the healthiest honey bees in the world even though crop protection products are used intensively as part of an integrated pest management on farms? A key reason may be that they have no Varroa mites there.
Honey bees will forage in a radius of up to 3 4 km from the hive. That s the same of humans traveling around 2,500 km for food.
NEONICOTINOIDS AND BEES Critics have accused neonicotinoid-based products of being responsible for poor bee health and bee mortality. Scientists at the universities of Wageningen, Ghent and Amsterdam have, however, reached a different conclusion: A study has, for the first time, collated 15 years of research into neonicotinoids and their possible harmful effects on honey bees. They found that, although many different effects are described in laboratory studies, no harmful effects on honey bee colonies have ever been observed under realistic application conditions in the field. Neonicotinoid-based products have replaced many older agricultural crop protection products because of their effectiveness in managing harmful pests, excellent operator safety, and relatively favorable environmental profile. Studies in other countries have also shown that poor bee health is related to many factors, including Varroa mites and viral diseases, but not to the use of insecticides.
Important factors affecting bee health Beekeeping practices Agricultural practices and crop management Fungal parasites Nutrition Adverse weather conditions Mites, particularly Varroa Viruses and bacteria
USING CROP PROTECTION PRODUCts SAFELY Bayer conducts thorough tests at a very early stage in the development of its crop protection products to make sure that they do not affect non-target organisms such as honey bees. This means that Bayer s crop protection products will not harm bee colonies if used responsibly and as directed on the use label. Garden tip Apply plant protection products early in the morning or in the evening when bees are less active. Do not spray during the day when bees are foraging. The bee safety of a crop protection product is assessed on the basis of study protocols and guidelines drawn up by experts and submitted to the competent specialist authorities. The interaction between bees and crop protection products under real field conditions is a decisive element in this multi-stage process.
Did you know that... Honey Bees can communicate with each other by dancing? The ROUND dance is used for food sources 25 100 meters away from the hive or closer.
LIFE 1 / ON AVERAGE A WORKER BEE PRODUCES 12TIME OF A TEASPOON OF HONEY IN HER
Honey and mojito melon kebabs Ingredients: 1 Honeydew melon 1/4 cup light rum 1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped) 2 Limes (squeezed) 1/4 cup honey, wooden honey dipper Wash melon and cut in half. Use a tablespoon to remove the seeds. Mix the rum, mint, honey and lime juice thoroughly in a large bowl. Use a suitable spoon to scoop melon balls and place them in the liquid mixture. Leave to soak for 30 minutes, then put on wooden skewers. Place the skewers on baking paper and freeze for an hour. Serve ice-cold. Enjoy!
Did you know that... 2014 will be the 100th year anniversary of the first publication on honey bee color vision* by the Austrian-born Nobel Laureate Karl von Frisch? A Professor of Zoology at Munich University, von Frisch carried out pioneering work in comparative behavioral physiology, particularly looking at the complex communication between insects. Not only did he show that honey bees can see colors and can distinguish dozens of closely related floral scents, but later on, he described the round and waggle dances of honey bees (see page 20). *Source: von Frisch, K., 1914
HEALTHY BEES FOR A BUMPER HARVEST Bees are also an important business factor for Bayer s Crop Protection division, as many of our farmer customers need bees to help bring about the harvest. Bayer CropScience s Seeds business, a key part of crop protection, also depends on the pollination activity of bees. 1/3 of all plants eaten by humans are dependent to some extent on bee and other insect pollination. For example, Bayer CropScience in Canada is one of the major users of bee pollination for its canola seed business. Our summer canola InVigor is a special variety that could not be successfully grown without pollination by honey bees.
Did you know that...... winter bees in contrast to short-lived summer bees live for as long as 4 to 6 months?
FIT FOR WINTER Honey bees follow a long-term strategy to ensure colony survival. Colonies start to produce winter bees as early as summer. The physiology of these bees is different to that of summer bees, making them able to live longer through the long periods of cold. The number of bees in a single beehive colony drops from 50 60,000 in summer to around 10 15,000 bees during the winter months. Beekeepers also need to take the long view and take action to improve bee health throughout the season. Health problems should be dealt with by the start of August at the latest or earlier if possible. This is because a large, healthy winter bee population with a young, healthy and fertile queen is vital for successful overwintering. Controlling Varroa mites and other health problems in good time helps bees get through the winter in good condition.
TWO CENTERS FOR BEES Bayer plans to continue promoting bee health in future, with active and sustainable interventions such as research, dialog with stakeholders and experts, and product stewardship measures. The Bayer Bee Care Centers in Germany and the United States are the focal points of the resources we have committed to this work, and coordinate bee projects within the Bayer group. Bee Care Teams on both sides of the Atlantic offer scientific and communication platforms for projects with external partners and are the ideal contact point for exchanging scientific information, beekeeping practices and new bee health solutions. Did you know that...... Honey bees are not native to North America, but were brought there by early colonists.
CHINA 31% FURTHER COUNTRIES* 43% EU 26% Honey production in 2011 per country ** The leading producers of honey are China and the EU, they provided more than a half (57 %) of the world s annual honey production. * Furthers countries are 7 % Turkey 5 % USA, Ukraine 4 % Ethiopia, Mexico, Argentina, India, Russian Federation 3 % Iran 2 % Angola 1 % Australia ** Source: FAostAT
Honey and nut slices Ingredients: 600 g nuts (your choice) 350 g butter 275 g sugar 5 tablespoons honey 1 egg 1 teaspoon baking powder 250 g natural yogurt 300 g flour The nuts are coarsely chopped and lightly toasted in a nonstick pan. Then, 250 g butter, 175 g sugar and 4 tablespoons of honey are added. Heat all together in the pan for 10 minutes. Add the remaining amounts of butter, sugar, honey and egg and stir. Then add the yogurt, flour and baking soda and mix together. Put the dough on a greased baking sheet. Evenly distribute the still-hot nut mixture. Place the tin in the preheated oven at 190 C. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cut in small squares after about 10 minutes. Enjoy!
KEEPING HEALTHY THROUGH THE WINTER Beekeepers hold their breath as the cold starts to bite. They ask with trepidation: Will the bees make it through the winter in good condition? In recent years some beekeepers, in Europe and North America in particular, have suffered severe honey bee population losses. Since then, scientists have been working hard to find out why. Many factors have already been clearly identified. They include parasites, diseases, adverse weather conditions, lack of nutritious food, some farming practices and poor beekeeping. However, experts believe that the losses cannot be attributed to a single cause.
Did you know that...... despite the bee losses in certain regions, the total number of managed honey bee colonies worldwide has increased by around 45 percent over the last 50 years?* *Source: Aizen and Harder (2009), based on FAO data
$ 1.5 billion Did you know that...... through the use of a bee product from Bayer to combat Varroa mite in the USA for nine years, economic losses amounting to some $ 1.5 billion* were prevented? * after launch 1999 2007; Source: Michigan State University, 2009
HONEY BEES POLLINATE MANY IMPORTANT FRUITS, NUTS AND VEGETABLES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO A HEALTHY DIET AN IMPORTANT PARTNER FOR FARMERS Farmers also have good reason to think about bees, when they start working in their fields. Bees fly tirelessly from flower to flower in search of pollen and nectar. As they do this, pollen sticks to their bodies and some of it rubs off when they visit the next flower. In this way, the plant is pollinated and so can produce seeds and fruit. Around 70 percent of the world s major crops depend, at least partly, on insect pollination. These "busy bees" contribute around EUR 153 billion* per year to the global economy. * source: Gallai et al. (2008), Ecological Economics based on FAO data; UNEP