Davis, California
July 25, 2008
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Caucasian (dark-colored) bee originates from the
Caucasus region that separates Europe from Asia. |
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Italian bee is the most common bee in the United States.
Its origin: Italy. |
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This
is one of Susan Cobey's New World Carniolan bees.The
Carniolans originate from the Northern Balkans, Slovenia
and Caucasian mountains.
(Photos by Kathy Keatley Garvey) |
UC Davis bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey and Steve
Sheppard, a professor and apiculturist at
Washington State University,
Pullman, Washington, are investigating several races of the
Western or European honey bee (Apis mellifera), which European
settlers brought to America in 1622.
The Cobey-Sheppard research team
has received semen from the Italian bee, shipped from Italy; the
Carniolan bee, from Germany; and the Caucasian bee, from the
Caucasus region of Eurasia. The Italian bee is a honey-colored
bee that's the most common honey bee in the United States. The
Carniolan and the Caucasian bees are darker in color.
The semen from the three races will be used to inseminate queens
that will be kept in an APHIS-approved quarantine until
determined safe to release, Cobey said. APHIS, the Animal and
Plant Protection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
is charged with protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural
health.
"As well as enhancing genetic diversity, known to increase
fitness in honey bees, we're hoping this will result in an
increased level of resistance to the exotic and introduced pests
and diseases of our honey bees," Cobey said.
America's beekeepers reported losing 36.1 percent of their bees
over the last year, up from 32 percent the previous year. The
survey, commissioned by the Apiary Inspectors of America, showed
that the beekeepers attributed 29 percent of the recent loss to
colony collapse disorder, in which bees mysteriously abandon
their hives.
The declining bee population crisis is particularly troubling,
Cobey said, because bees pollinate about one-third of the food
we eat, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
The bee research is funded by the California State Beekeepers'
Association and the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil
Erosion for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats
(TEMA), founded in 1992.
Cobey will be in Turkey Aug. 1 to 14 to participate in the TEMA
Bee Project. "One aspect of this is the preservation of Turkey's
native Caucasian honey bee," she said.
The UC Davis geneticist will teach a honey bee instrumental
insemination class, Aug. 16 to 19 at the Middle East Technical
University, Department of Biology, Ankara, Turkey.
Cobey is internationally known for her expertise in honey bee
breeding and instrumental insemination. She teaches classes that
draw students from throughout the world. A bee breeder and
geneticist for more than 30 years, she developed and maintains
the world-renowned New World Carniolan stock.
At their request, Cobey will confer with officials on native bee
races at the Bee Selection and Artificial Insemination Center at
Camili of Artvin Province. The Camili region of six villages is
where apiculturists discovered pure Caucasian bees thought to be
extinct. They then began queen bee breeding, selection work and
artificial insemination. The center officials seek Cobey's
impressions and advice in connection with their work.
A "bee safari" is also planned to look at the five native races
of honey bees in Turkey.
Prior to heading for Turkey, Cobey will guest-lecture at the
Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Association summer course, July
21-26 in Gormanston, Ireland.
Those interested in making online donations to UC Davis to
help save the honey bees can go to the UC Davis Department
of Entomology Web page,
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/news/howtodonatetobeebiology.html.
Or, checks may be made out to "UC Regents" and mailed to the
UC Davis Department of Entomology
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
More information on the three races of bees:
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/news/cobeyturkeytrip.html
Other news
from Washington State University |
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