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Be on look out for the violet carpenter bee

16 Jun

A CONTINENTAL bee rarely seen in the UK has been spotted in Worcestershire.

People are now being asked to report sightings of the violet carpenter bee (xylocopa violacea) after one was spotted in a garden near Tenbury Wells.

There have been a scattering of records of the bee, which is only thought to have arrived in the country over the last few years, in Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Kent and on the south coast – but this is the first time the bee has been recorded in Worcestershire.

Steve Bloomfield, conservation officer for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, said: “This is a really exciting record as it’s a very rare insect in this country.

“It would appear that the species is one of several on the brink of colonising the UK from continental Europe, perhaps as a result of our changing climate.

“Despite their size these bees aren’t aggressive and are unlikely to sting. They’re harmless to people and breed in old wood of all types.

“While it is likely that bees found in the south of England are natural migrants that have flown the channel, it’s possible that inland records might have arrived in imported timber and have successfully over-wintered here. It’s really important that people across our county report any sightings they may have of this bee to enable us to monitor populations and build up a picture of their spread.”

The bee, the largest solitary bee in Europe at 25mm in length, gets its ‘carpenter’ name from excavating nest burrows in dead wood.

They are relatively easily recognised, with jet black bodies and a violet hue to their wings.

Readers are invited to send Worcestershire records to the biological records centre at records@wbrc.org.uk. Records must be accompanied by a photograph and include species name, place name, location (postcode, gird reference), date and abundance (one or several).

For more information about recording species in Worcestershire visit wbrc.org.uk.

For more information about the work of, or how to join, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust visit worcswildlifetrust.co.uk.

Reproduced from here

 
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Posted in Bees in the Media, Environment

 

Cold weather taking a toll on bees

16 Jun

ENUMCLAW, Wash. – There are hundreds of people in Western Washington who keep bees. Many are hobbyists, some do it professionally, others run beekeeping as a part-time business. But their stories are very similar. This is a terrible spring for bees and this does not bode well for pollination of crops.

More on this story here

 
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Posted in Bee Health, Bees in the Media, Environment

 

Ecological Adaptation of Diverse Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Populations

16 Jun

Background

Honey bees are complex eusocial insects that provide a critical contribution to human agricultural food production. Their natural migration has selected for traits that increase fitness within geographical areas, but in parallel their domestication has selected for traits that enhance productivity and survival under local conditions. Elucidating the biochemical mechanisms of these local adaptive processes is a key goal of evolutionary biology. Proteomics provides tools unique among the major ‘omics disciplines for identifying the mechanisms employed by an organism in adapting to environmental challenges.

Results

Through proteome profiling of adult honey bee midgut from geographically dispersed, domesticated populations combined with multiple parallel statistical treatments, the data presented here suggest some of the major cellular processes involved in adapting to different climates. These findings provide insight into the molecular underpinnings that may confer an advantage to honey bee populations. Significantly, the major energy-producing pathways of the mitochondria, the organelle most closely involved in heat production, were consistently higher in bees that had adapted to colder climates. In opposition, up-regulation of protein metabolism capacity, from biosynthesis to degradation, had been selected for in bees from warmer climates.

Conclusions

Overall, our results present a proteomic interpretation of expression polymorphisms between honey bee ecotypes and provide insight into molecular aspects of local adaptation or selection with consequences for honey bee management and breeding. The implications of our findings extend beyond apiculture as they underscore the need to consider the interdependence of animal populations and their agro-ecological context.

For full research article click here

 
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Posted in Bee Health, Environment

 

Bees create a buzz in the battle against MRSA superbug

16 Jun

A substance produced by bees can halt the spread of the superbug MRSA, according to Scottish researchers.

The insect creates a sticky material, called beeglue or propolis, to hold the sides of the beehive together and keep out germs and viruses.

Scientists at Strathclyde University have used compounds extracted from beeglue to attack MRSA strains, and found they prevent the bacteria from growing.

The research team hopes propolis, taken from beehives in the Pacific region, will provide an alternative treatment to fight MRSA infections, which are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

More than 200 deaths were linked to MRSA in Scotland in 2008.

Dr Veronique Seidel, a lecturer in natural products chemistry at the university’s Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, led the research. She said: “MRSA can have a devastating impact on people who contract it and on their families, often compounding illnesses they already have.

“One of the few available drugs to treat MRSA infections is an antibiotic called vancomycin. But new strains have been emerging which show limited susceptibility, or even resistance, to vancomycin.

“This means that there is a pressing need to discover and develop alternatives to current anti-MRSA drugs. We investigated propolis, as part of a programme aimed at discovering new antibiotics from natural sources, because bees use it as an antiseptic glue to seal gaps between honeycombs and preserve their hives from microbial contamination.”

The potential of beeglue is not new to folk medicine. The substance has been used as a natural remedy to treat a number of ailments, including wounds, in some communities for years.

However, Seidel said little was known about its capacity to target MRSA.

Tests have been made using compounds extracted from propolis on 15 different strains of the superbug. The beeglue appeared to work against more than 50% of the strains.

Seidel said: “Our results have been highly encouraging and we will be taking our research further to understand how active substances in propolis work and to seek the treatments which patients urgently require.”

Wasp unchanged in millions of years

An ancient fossil has shown that evolution has not altered the wasp in 34 million years.

Three fossil specimens, the oldest examples of their species known, were discovered on the Isle of Wight in the 1920s but wrongly labelled as ants.

A new study has now confirmed their true origins.

Dr Steve Compton, from the University of Leeds, who led the research, said: “What makes this fossil fascinating is not just its age, but that it is so similar to the modern species

Reproduced from http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/health/bees-create-a-buzz-in-the-battle-against-mrsa-superbug-1.1035078?action=addbookmark&submitted=true&articleId=1.1035078

 
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Allergist can help protect against bee stings

16 Jun

When outdoor allergies are mentioned, most people immediately think of pollen and runny noses. But with the advent of summer comes other allergic risks for some.

Bee stings and other insects can pose life-threatening allergic reactions to many children and adults.

“Actually any allergic reaction can result in severe complications, including death. But insect bites that can set off severe reactions pose a real threat at this time of the year,” said Dr. Theodore Kanellakes, a board-certified allergist with Will County Medical Associates.

» Click to enlarge image

Immunotherapy helps train the body’s immune system to react in a way that won’t cause harm to a patient who might suffer a severe reaction to an allergen, such as a bee sting. Over time, allergy shots supress the allergic reaction.
shutterstock.com

For the population that knows they are allergic to biting insects, they spend time outdoors trying to avoid bees, wasps and other spring insects. For others, they won’t know they are allergic until they are bitten or stung.

The best protection is to see an allergist for a definitive diagnosis before danger strikes. An allergist tests patients for allergy triggers.

Once an allergist discovers the triggers, the doctor can counsel patients on what to avoid and treatment options.

“For insect allergies, immunotherapy is very effective for many people and can often save lives,” said Dr. Chhavi Gandhi, also a board-certified allergist.

Immunotherapy is a series of shots that suppresses allergic reactions over time. They contain a small amount of the allergic trigger. When given over a period of time in increasing amounts, allergy shots “train” the immune system to react in a normal way to what previously created an allergic reaction.

“We know from experience and other medical research that after patients receive the recommended shots, they have less severe symptoms, some experience none at all. Most importantly, it decreases the risk of a catastrophic and deadly response,” said Gandhi.

In addition to managing a specific trigger, the other reason immunotherapy is recommended is its beneficial effect on decreasing the incidence of patients developing asthma and additional allergies.

Allergists draw on their experience to develop a program specific to each individual.

Unlike some diseases that are managed well with a set course of actions, allergies and asthma behave differently in each patient. “I hate to hear that a patient has suffered for years, spending a lot of time and money on drug-store remedies that haven’t worked. Immunotherapy is so effective in many cases and can save lives,” said Kanellakes.

Article reproduces from http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/lifestyles/2395380,4_5_JO16_ALLERGY_S1-100616.article

 
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Posted in General Health

 

Co-operative staff sharing offices with “bee garden”

16 Jun

THERE has been a hive of activity at a Peterborough company as workers look to get kids buzzing about halting the global decline of bees.

Staff at Anglia Co-operative are now sharing their Saville Road headquarters with 60,000 honey bees, as part of a project to make schoolchildren aware of their importance to the environment.

An area of the building has been transformed into a “bee garden”, complete with nectar-filled wildflowers and an observatory from which schools can view the three working hives in the garden.

The company has teamed up with the Peterborough and District Beekeepers Association (PDBA), which will be providing educational talks and demonstrations as they tend to the bees on site.

chairman of the PDBA Richard Davies thinks it is important that future generations continue to help bees prosper.

He said: “The survival of bees is vital for ongoing food production.

“Take apples, for instance: About 90 per cent of apples are pollinated by honey bees, so if we did not have bees, then apples would be a lot more expensive and in much shorter supply.

“If other companies in the city have trained beekeepers in their staff, it would be nice to see them do the same as the Co-operative.

“In London, for example, many companies have hives on their rooftops.”

The first batch of schoolchildren to visit the hives will be those from Ashbeach Primary School, in Ramsey, who will be making the journey on Tuesday, June 29.

All pupils who visit the bees will go home with a special education pack and a packet of “bee-friendly” flower seeds to plant in their own gardens.

But it is not just schools that will be benefiting, with the Co-operative providing a new home for the PDBA to carry out beekeeping training and educational talks.

marketing and PR manager at Anglia Co-operative Jill Basson said: “Our work with the bees and the link-up with the Peterborough and District Beekeepers Association represents one of our biggest projects.

“Community involvement and environmental responsibility are key factors in our trading ethos, and that is why we have become so enthusiastically involved in this initiative.

“We are excited about engaging young minds in such an important topic.”

 
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Posted in Bees in the Media, Beginning Beekeeping, Environment

 

US President Orders Full Investigation of US Food Giant’s Product Recalls

16 Jun

NEW YORK, June 15 — /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — US President Barack Obama on late Tuesday evening ordered a full investigation into the General Mills supply chain in most major global markets due to a recent number of reported voluntary recalls on its food products across the world, most notably its cereal and fast food items in the US, UK, Europe and Asia. General Mills (NYSE: GIS), a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products that include such household names as Haagen-Dazs, Cheerios and Yoplait yoghurt promised its full co-operation with Mr. Obama’s request and will be taking proactive steps towards stamping out faulty supply chain systems and ingredients from poor quality Chinese suppliers. Based on advice from the Russian and Australian Governments beforehand, General Mills became aware of supply chain issues long before the Obama administration took steps towards looking into the issue. General Mills plans on co-operating with the US Food and Drug administration in what it hopes will be a smooth and transparent review of its product quality systems across the globe.

SOURCE General Mills

 
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Posted in General Health

 

Beekeep like a 5 year old

15 Jun

This is great.

5 Year Old Beekeeper

 
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Posted in Uncategorized

 

Worlds first plastic antibody works in mice

15 Jun

Plastic antibodies have saved mice injected with bee venom, scientists claim.

More here

 
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Posted in General Health

 

Wild ways to get well: From deer antlers for arthritis to bee venom for cancer, the hidden power of the animal kingdom

15 Jun

It sounds like something out of Harry Potter’s spell book – animals with the ability to cure human ailments. In fact, the healing powers of a wide range of creatures are being harnessed in a range of health products and research, as ANGELA EPSTEIM reports.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1286589/Wild-ways-From-deer-antlers-arthritis-bee-venom-cancer-hidden-power-animal-kingdom.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0qxRLgUaF

 
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Posted in General Health

 
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