MU Environmental Network News
July 2009
Vol. 15 No. 7
Editor - Jan Weaver
208Tucker Hall, MU 65211
Bee Update by Jan Weaver
In July 2007, I wrote a piece on Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, the mysterious phenomenon first noted in October 2006, that had wiped out up to a third of commercial honeybee hives. The disorder was characterized by a complete absence of worker bees, with few or no bodies in or around the hive; capped brood in the hive - normally bees don't abandon hives before all the brood have hatched; ample stores of honey and pollen (at least in the winter); no sign of other bees robbing the hive; and no hive pests, which are normally only kept in check by vigorous cleaning and defense of the hive by the bees. From a beekeepers perspective it was totally weird.
It looks like the culprit is Nosema caeranae, a species of Microspordium. Microsporidia are single celled, spore forming fungi that are parasites of animals. There are around one million species, most are specialists on one host, and only about 1500 have been described and named.
The mystery may have arisen because Nosema caeranae has a long incubation period. The bees pick up the infection, but they don't die right away, they just slowly get weaker, less able to keep up with the demands of beehood. In a normal bee lifetime, a bee would spend the first three weeks of adulthood cleaning and feeding larva, remodeling and building with wax, processing honey, guarding the hive and air conditioning it by fanning with their wings. The next few weeks would be spent gathering nectar and pollen, about ten journeys a day, some up to two miles away from the hive. Most bees eventually die on one of the gathering trips away from the hive. What happens with N. caeranae, is that an individual bee may make it through the early stages, but it falters as it grows older, dying without having done the all the work necessary to keep the hive going. This fits with the course of infection in a hive - carefully worked out by detailed observations of multiple colonies undergoing collapse. One year before collapse, colonies are "not doing well" with reduced populations and less honey production compared to other colonies. Six months before collapse, brood nests are slow to expand and they stay confined to one hive body, population growth stalls, honey and pollen production are stagnant, with all the bees apparently living off the nectar that is gathered. Three months before collapse, population size is noticeably lower than in other hives, and may only occupy the bottom story, probably the earliest sign that is easy for a commercial beekeeper (who is managing hundreds of hives) to detect. With the decline in the number of adult bees, it becomes impossible to keep up with the removal of brood that have died so the cells take on a shotgun pattern, another clear indicator that collapse is coming. Hive maintenance also falls off, so the propolis that normally keeps frames stuck together disappears. From this point the colony dwindles to softball size, bees become younger and younger so only brood maintenance happens, no one is collecting nectar or pollen, cleaning the hive or defending it from robbers. It will collapse within the next month.
The bees don't show any visible signs of disease, they just can't work as hard, so slowly and steadily the hive declines until it reaches a tipping point where no adult bees are left. It seems sudden because no one is paying close attention to the hive throughout the course of the infection.
The researchers who identified N. caeranae as the infectious agent worked through Koch's postulates for establishing a causal relationship between a microbe and a disease (Robert Koch discovered the causes of tuberculosis and cholera). They identified N. caeranae in the sick hives, but not in healthy ones, they were able to transfer the N. caeranae to healthy hives and cause the sickness, and they were able to reisolate the N. caeranae from the deliberately infected hives. Furthermore, none of the sick hives showed signs of other known infectious agents or of pesticides.
The good news is that the infection can be treated with a fungicide, fumagillin. The bad news is that protection by fumagillin lasts only six months, so hives would have to be retreated regularly to protect them from N. caeranae. The really bad news is that the more fumagillin is used, the faster N. caeranae is likely to evolve resistance to it.
Those are the facts, but what is the meaning? Here are a couple. One is, some crises are non-linear. Things are getting worse so slowly it looks like there is plenty of time to respond in the future if you just project the same trajectory forward. Then wham, you hit a tipping point, change accelerates and you are past the point of no return before you know it. Or, there are downsides to standardizing natural processes. Sure, if all your units are the same (honeybees), you gain efficiencies of production that allow you to produce more stuff in less time. However, the lack of variation makes the production process extremely vulnerable to even tiny disruptions. So, short term, production oriented thinking can lead to major, unanticipated problems in the future.
July 31 - Ozark Scenic Riverways Management Plan Comment Deadline
view alternatives for managing the Current & Jack's Fork Rivers in the summary and preliminary newsletters http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkId=158&projectId=15793&documentID=27597
No-Action - Continuing to do business as usual
A - Recreate conditions that recall earlier days (1950's & 1960's) on the rivers, focusing on quieter, less crowded and slower pace activities, closing illegally developed roads and trails, more no or low horse power boat river stretches
B - Some but fewer limits on commercial services and powered boats, more interpretive sites and ranger led activities
C- Increasing public access to outdoor recreation, more facilities, camps sites, boat ramps and trails, more staff to manage and maintain services, provide programs
Special Events, Activities and Workshop
¥ July 11, 18 or 24 - Devil's Delight: Bats in Flight - Rock Bridge Memorial State Park - see bats emerge - reserv. required - 449-7402 - http://www.mostateparks.com/rockbridge.htm
¥ July 11 or 15- Nature Detectives, an outdoor experience for preschoolers and caregivers - Devil's Icebox Parking Lot, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, 9:30 or 10:30 am - free, but registration required - mjdonlsn@aol.com to register
¥ July 14 - Big Muddy Session: Beyond Catfish - The Diversity fo Fish Life in the Big Muddy - Les Bourgeois Bistro, Rocheport, 7 pm - http://www.riverrelief.org/updates/entry/monthly-big-muddy-sessions/ for directions and details
¥ July 16, 23 or 30 - Fitness Trail Bike Ride - Stewart and Providence MKT Trail Head, 6 pm - a medium-paced fitness bike ride, helmet required, bring a water bottle- http://www.pednet.org/newsroom/events.asp
¥ July 17 - Bats: Living on a Wing and a Prayer - reserv. required - 449-7402 - http://www.mostateparks.com/rockbridge.htm ¥ July 17-19, 24-26, 31-Aug 2 - Show Me State Games - Columbia, annual games for Missouri's amateur athletes - http://www.smsg.org/
¥ July 19 - Interfaith Care for Creation: Off the Grid Urban Homestead - 406 Sanford Avenue, 2:30 - 4:30 - mntwelch@yahoo.com
¥ July 22 - 24- Explorer Days - Rock Bridge Memorial State Park - kids ages 9 - 11 can earn a Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites Explorer patch - http://www.mostateparks.com/rockbridge.htm
¥ July 31 - Ozark Scenic Riverways Management Plan Comment Deadline - view alternatives for managing the Current http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkId=158&projectId=15793&documentID=27597
¥ August 4 - 7 - Missouri River 340 Race - Kansas City to St. Charles individual and team race on the river - http://rivermiles.com/mr340/index.html
¥ August 8 or 12 - Nature Detectives, an outdoor experience for preschoolers and caregivers - Devil's Icebox Parking Lot, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, 9:30 or 10:30 am - free, but registration required - mjdonlsn@aol.com to register
¥ August 22 - Missouri River Festival of the Arts Bike Tour - Thespian Hall, 522 Main Street, Boonville, $20 42 miles - http://www.friendsofhistoricboonville.org/events.html
¥ September 3 - Tomato Festival- Bradford Farm, Rangeline Road - http://aes.missouri.edu/bradford/events/tomato-festival.php-
¥ September 12 to 19 - Mid - Missouri River Camp - a week long series of learning events ending with a massive one day clean-up in Jefferson City, celebrating 20 years of the Stream Team Program - http://www.riverelief.org/events/index.html
¥ September 15 - FFA Field Day - Bradford Farm, Rangeline Road -http://aes.missouri.edu/bradford/events/ffa-day.php
¥ September 20 - Interfaith Care for Creation: Garden Project - Rock Bridge Christain Church, 301 W. Green Meadows Road, 2:30 to 4:30 - mntwelch@yahoo.com
¥ September 20 - 32nd Annual Heritage Festival and Craft Show - Nifong Park, Columbia - http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/Activities_and_Programs/heritage-festival.php
¥ October 7-9 - Missouri Trail Summit - Springfield MO - http://mopark.org/displayconvention.cfm?conventionnbr=6992
¥ October 17 - Columbia Sustainable Living Fair - Student Commons, Columbia College, 10 am to 6 pm - Columbia's premier sustainable living education event, workshops, booths, keynote address, all free of charge - www.slfcolmbia.org or 573-875-0539
Organization Meetings and Contact Information
AUDUBON SOCIETY: 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, Unitarian Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd.
BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION: http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Weds 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.
CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING: 875-0539 or http://www.midmopeaceworks.org/sustainableliving.php
CHOUTEAU GROTTO: http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, The Casteel Building, 1518 Business Loop 70 East
COLUMBIA CLIMATE CHANGE COALITION: 573-529-9273, Meet 3rd Thu http://www.columbiaclimatechangecoalition.org/
COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE: 882-7463 or http://foodcircles.missouri.edu/sources.htm
COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOL. PROGRAMS: 874-6271 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Volunteer/Opportunities/#PW
COMMUNITY GARDEN COALITION: 875-5995 or cgardenc@yahoo.com or http://cgc.missouri.org 3rd Thursdays 7 pm Columbia Public Library
ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/
FRIENDS OF BIG MUDDY: friends@friendsofbigmuddy.org or www.friendsofbigmuddy.org 2nd Tues, 7 pm, Bryant Cabin
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE M. S. P.: 815-9255 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
GET ABOUT COLUMBIA: http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/GetAbout_Columbia/index.php
GREEKS GOING GREEN: new group for fraternities and sororities at MU sauzp5@mizzou.edu
GREEN SANCTUARY: 1st Fridays, 7:00 pm UU Church 2615 Shepard Blvd alternates green movies and discussions g_baka2002@yahoo.com
GREENBELT LAND TRUST OF MID-MISSOURI: 442-4789, greenbelt.land.trust @gmail.com or http://greenbelt.missouri.org
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORE: 815-9836, drop off/ buy 1906 Monroe St. Columbia Mon to Fri 8:30 to 3:30, Sat 8-1 1pm,
MISSOURI ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: www.meea.org
MO NATIVE PLANT SOC.: http://columbianativeplants.missouri.org/, 2nd Mon, odd months, 7 p.m., UU Church, 2615 Shepard
MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK: 573-256-2602 or www.moriver.org or moriver@coin.org
MISSOURIANS FOR SAFE ENERGY: http://www.mosafeenergy.org/Content/ first Tuesdays, 7:15, Peace Nook on Broadway
PEDNET COALITION: email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org
RIVER RELIEF: http://www.riverrelief.org/
ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK: 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org
SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION: (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org
SIERRA CLUB: 875-2916, http://missouri.sierraclub.org/osage/index.htm 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Found., 1107 University Ave
SUSTAIN MIZZOU: http://students.missouri.edu/~sustainmizzou/
WILD ONES: 573 882-9909, ext 3257 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays.
Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it by email (weaverjc@missouri.edu). MU Environmental Network News is published by MU's Environmental Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of this newsletter may be copied for distribution but please give us credit.