by Dewey M. Caron

Here it is the first month of the year and we are likely looking forward to the flowering season. If you have had an opportunity to watch colony entrances, you probably have noticed some pollen already coming in – not much and certainly not every day but something, especially for bees in urban/suburban apiaries. The January SOBA minutes indicated flight in all 3 SOBA colonies at the OSU extension office in Jacksonville and I bet they have been bringing in some pollen in January.

Spring Mustard M Ribotto

There are a number of efforts underway to help restore the pollen and nectar smorgasbord that bees require. For urban/suburban bees this is not as critical, but for pollinating bees (monocultural almond bloom coming on  in February) and bees in agricultural areas (GMOs and neonicotiniods mean [unfortunately for bees] weed-free crops) diverse pollen sources are critical. How critical – some folks are saying the continuing heavy overwintering and seasonal bee colony losses might PRIMARILY be lack of forage and proper bee nutrition.

Here are some major efforts:

• Project Apis mellifera (PAm) has garnered a number of donations and grants to assist the almond pollinators. They have a MAJOR project underway. (Check out their website projectapism.org under section forage) .
•  President Obama’s federal initiative has already resulted in a bee forage/nutrition summit (and exposed how far some federal agencies are not yet aware of BEE needs for clean forage) but also some stories how diverse federal agencies, such as the US Postal Service, are planning to plant more bee-friendly vegetation around their facilities.

• Time out for colonies following especially difficult [for bee nutrition], pollination rentals (for example: blueberry, cranberry, cucumber and watermelon, seed crops such as the Madras area carrot and onion seed pollination) has been demonstrated as especially helpful as colonies begin to show the effects of rentals to these crops the next generation following removal from the crop itself. Bees need clean forage.

• John Jacob and his successful OR Tax Court appeal to insure tax incentives for using EFU land to house bee colonies, who are indeed livestock. Washington State is seeking to make permanent a tax incentive (worth about $100,000 to 100 WA State beekeepers) to lessen tax payments on sugar used for bee feed and pollination rental fees by classifying beekeeping as a farming/ranching business.

• Simultaneous blooming benefits to bees in almonds are being tested by Ramesh Sagili of OSU with an Almond Board grant. His study examines bee blood and hypopharyngeal gland development (as measures of bee health) for bees getting only  almond pollen vs bees in almonds with access to other forage (primarily raphini mustard). This first year study seeks to illustrate the effectiveness and benefit to the bees from simultaneous forage with no negative of decreasing the almond yield.

• A study over two seasons in Minnesota and South Dakota showed that farmers could plant a cover crop and get a decent yield (and more money from their fields) instead of leaving their corn or soybean fields fallow (or with corn stubble) over the winter period. Winter camelina and canola both were effective cover crops in the study. Canola will not be possible in the Willamette Valley due to a ban from possible genetic contamination of radish, turnip and other valley crops) or possibly in the Rogue Valley if the GMO ban in Jackson and Josephine Counties is held up (Ban, voted in by county residents, is currently being challenged in Jackson Co. Court – Canola is a GMO crop.)

• And on a minor scale – OR Master beekeepers have developed an informative brochure on planting bee-friendly flowers and it, along with a seed packet, may be distributed to state residents opening an Umpqua bank account this next spring.

Stay tuned – lots happening in this part of the Bee’s World.

Dr. Caron taught at the University of Delaware for 40+ years and now holds an Affiliate position (volunteer) with Horticulture Dept (the bee unit specifically) at Oregon State University. He is active in Eastern and Western Apiculture societies and national bee groups. He is the Vice President of the Oregon State Beekeepers’ Association and served as President  in 2010. He serves on the board of the Western Apiculture Society and is an honored speaker at SOBA programs whenever he is available..