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BEEKEEPERS AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS THAT DEPEND ON POLLINATION SERVICES ARE CONFRONTED WITH AN UNSUSTAINABLE ANNUAL RATE OF COLONY LOSSES.THE COLONY LOSSES ARE THREATENING TO DRIVE COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPERS OUT OF BUSINESS AND THREATEN SECURITY OF CROP POLLINATION.THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DECREASE FOOD PRODUCTION AND INCREASE PRICES FOR CONSUMERS OF FRUITS, NUTS, VEGETABLES, AND VEGETABLE OIL.MOST OF THE COLONY LOSSES OCCUR DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN THERE IS LITTLE TO NO NATURAL FORAGE, AND COLONIES SURVIVE ON HONEY STORES WITH REDUCED (COLDER REGIONS) OR HALTED BROOD REARING.THE DEMAND FOR STRONG COLONIES IN FEBRUARY TO MEET REQUIREMENTS FOR ALMOND POLLINATION HAS LED MANY COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPERS MOVE HIVES TO CALIFORNIA FOR THE WINTER MONTHS, IN WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS "HOLDING YARDS".THESE HOLDING YARDS ARE GENERALLY HIGH COLONY-DENSITY SITUATIONS WHERE BEEKEEPERS ENCOURAGE BROOD PRODUCTION WITH SUGAR SYRUP AND SUPPLEMENTAL PROTEIN FEEDING TO STIMULATE BROOD REARING.NECESSITATED BY THE NEED TO MAINTAIN OR INCREASE COLONY STRENGTH TO MEET POLLINATION CONTRACT STIPULATIONS.IN THESE HOLDING YARDS AND DURING THE WINTER MONTHS ARE WHEN BEEKEEPERS EXPERIENCE THEIR GREATEST LOSSES.WITH COMMERCIAL COLONY LOSSES AT 30-40%, MANY COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPERS ARE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES FOR WINTERING BEES.AN ALTERNATIVE GROWING IN POPULARITY IS THE STORAGE OF COLONIES IN TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED BUILDINGS.WORKING WITH COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPERS WHO HAVE BEEN EARLY ADOPTERS OF INDOOR STORAGE, WE INTEND TO PERFORM DIRECT COMPARISONS OF THE HEALTH, DISEASE TRANSMISSION AND SURVIVORSHIP BETWEEN COLONIES STORED INDOORS WITH COLONIES STORED IN CALIFORNIA HOLDING YARDS FOR THE WINTER.WE WILL MONITOR COLONIES FOR DISEASES, STRENGTH, AND SURVIVAL THROUGH THE YEAR.IN ADDITION, WE WILL PERFORM CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS IN SMALL COLD STORAGE BUILDINGS TO DISCOVER BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR INDUSTRIES THAT WANT TO PURSE INDOOR STORAGE AS A MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO TEST NEWLY EMERGING MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF COLONY HEALTH AND SURVIVAL.THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR OPERATORS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS THAT WILL RESULT IN IMPROVED RELIABILITY IN THE SUPPLY OF HONEY BEE COLONIES FOR POLLINATIONSERVICES AND INCREASED FOOD PRODUCTION STABILITY.

$499,691FY2019National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

Washington State University, Pullman WA

Investigators

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BEEKEEPERS AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS THAT DEPEND ON POLLINATION SERVICES ARE CONFRONTED WITH AN UNSUSTAINABLE ANNUAL RATE OF COLONY LOSSES.THE COLONY LOSSES ARE THREATENING TO DRIVE COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPERS OUT OF BUSINESS AND THREATEN SECURITY OF CROP POLLINATION.THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DECREASE FOOD PRODUCTION AND INCREASE PRICES FOR CONSUMERS OF FRUITS, NUTS, VEGETABLES, AND VEGETABLE OIL.MOST OF THE COLONY LOSSES OCCUR DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN THERE IS LITTLE TO NO NATURAL FORAGE, AND COLONIES SURVIVE ON HONEY STORES WITH REDUCED (COLDER REGIONS) OR HALTED BROOD REARING.THE DEMAND FOR STRONG COLONIES IN FEBRUARY TO MEET REQUIREMENTS FOR ALMOND POLLINATION HAS LED MANY COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPERS MOVE HIVES TO CALIFORNIA FOR THE WINTER MONTHS, IN WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS "HOLDING YARDS".THESE HOLDING YARDS ARE GENERALLY HIGH COLONY-DENSITY SITUATIONS WHERE BEEKEEPERS ENCOURAGE BROOD PRODUCTION WITH SUGAR SYRUP AND SUPPLEMENTAL PROTEIN FEEDING TO STIMULATE BROOD REARING.NECESSITATED BY THE NEED TO MAINTAIN OR INCREASE COLONY STRENGTH TO MEET POLLINATION CONTRACT STIPULATIONS.IN THESE HOLDING YARDS AND DURING THE WINTER MONTHS ARE WHEN BEEKEEPERS EXPERIENCE THEIR GREATEST LOSSES.WITH COMMERCIAL COLONY LOSSES AT 30-40%, MANY COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPERS ARE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES FOR WINTERING BEES.AN ALTERNATIVE GROWING IN POPULARITY IS THE STORAGE OF COLONIES IN TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED BUILDINGS.WORKING WITH COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPERS WHO HAVE BEEN EARLY ADOPTERS OF INDOOR STORAGE, WE INTEND TO PERFORM DIRECT COMPARISONS OF THE HEALTH, DISEASE TRANSMISSION AND SURVIVORSHIP BETWEEN COLONIES STORED INDOORS WITH COLONIES STORED IN CALIFORNIA HOLDING YARDS FOR THE WINTER.WE WILL MONITOR COLONIES FOR DISEASES, STRENGTH, AND SURVIVAL THROUGH THE YEAR.IN ADDITION, WE WILL PERFORM CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS IN SMALL COLD STORAGE BUILDINGS TO DISCOVER BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR INDUSTRIES THAT WANT TO PURSE INDOOR STORAGE AS A MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO TEST NEWLY EMERGING MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF COLONY HEALTH AND SURVIVAL.THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR OPERATORS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS THAT WILL RESULT IN IMPROVED RELIABILITY IN THE SUPPLY OF HONEY BEE COLONIES FOR POLLINATIONSERVICES AND INCREASED FOOD PRODUCTION STABILITY. · GrantIndex