permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/bee_parasite;_ylt=A9G_RyF62zBGEVwAgQhhr7sF>

AP
Destructive mite threatens Hawaii bees

By TARA GODVIN, Associated Press Writer Thu Apr 26, 4:24 AM ET

HONOLULU - A tiny mite that has devastated mainland honeybee populations showed up in Honolulu hives for the first time 
this month and has now been confirmed in bee colonies across Oahu.

The infestation by varroa mites has led the state to ask beekeepers to restrict transport of bees around the islands. 
There are concerns it could threaten the Big Island's thriving queen bee export industry, which has so far tested free 
of the mites.

"This is going to be for us a nightmare," said Michael Kliks, head of the Hawaii Beekeepers' Association and owner of 
Manoa Honey Co. "When I saw that mite I knew exactly what it was. I knew exactly what it meant and I fell to my knees 
and almost began to weep because it's inexpressible what that sea change is for us in Hawaii."

The parasites are blamed for destroying more than half of some mainland beekeepers' hives and wiping out most wild 
honeybees there.

Kliks discovered the mites April 6 on a pupa contained in an abandoned hive he recovered from the Makiki section of 
Honolulu and immediately notified state agriculture officials.

Since then the mites have been confirmed in hives in Waimanalo, Ewa, Kunia, 
Kahaluu and Punaluu.

Hives are still being checked elsewhere on Oahu but it is too late to hope to eradicate or even contain the infestation, 
Kliks said.

"The only thing we can try and do is keep the levels of infestation in our managed colonies below what's called the 
threshold level ... so that we can still produce honey. But keeping it at that level will certainly require quite 
regular, heavy application of permitted pesticides," he said.

That may mean the end of certified organic honey production on the island.

The appearance of the mites could also hurt island crops that depend on wild bees for pollination, such as coffee, 
macadamia nuts and pumpkins, Kliks said.

Originally from Asia, varroa mites were first discovered in Wisconsin and Florida in 1987. By the next year, the mites 
were found in 12 states and have since spread throughout the continental U.S.

The pinhead-sized insects, which are spread through contact between bees, feed off the blood of honeybee adults, larvae 
and pupae.

Bees cannot legally be imported into Hawaii, and officials do not know how 
the mites made it to the state.

Beekeepers are being asked not to move their bees between islands or even within the same island. Once authorities have 
confirmed where the mites have spread, they can then work on a possible quarantine for bees throughout the state, said 
Janelle Saneishi, spokeswoman for the state
Department of Agriculture.

"But you know a bee flies. So that's the wild card," she said.

____

On the Net:

Hawaii Beekeepers' Association: http://www.hawaiibeekeepers.org/index.php

Hawaii Department of Agriculture: http://www.hawaii.gov/hdoa