Project Number: 6204-21000-009-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Oct 15, 2003
End Date: Sep 11, 2008

Objective:
Develop integrated pest management strategies to reduce pesticide and antibiotic use in managed honey bee colonies, including use of resistant bee lines and biorational compounds. Conduct research leading to sustainable agricultural practices/IPM tactics for use in crop production that will lessen bee exposure to toxic pesticides in the field. Determine the physiological mechanisms underlying resistance to naturally occurring stressors. Quantify stressor role in hive vigor and foraging efficiency, such as that due to a) pesticides, b) diseases (chalkbrood), and c) hive migratory activity of pollination providers. Integrate IPM strategies developed to lessen effects of these stressors.

Approach:
Utilize toxicological methods and mite drop in honey bee colonies to determine the presence and distribution of fluvalinate-resistant varroa. Isolate varroacidal properties of smoke from natural products using GC separation and bioassay. Field test new miticides in bee colonies in U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala. Use GLP-collected efficacy and residue data to support registration of new control products. Study mite biology and ecology within hives to identify traits that increase miticide effectiveness. Measure mite impact on honey bees pollinating crops and honey production in feral and managed colonies, whether Africanized or European. Study mite-related factors and stress in migratory bee colonies that contribute to population decline. Develop insecticides and attractants to monitor and control the small hive beetle in hives and in soil. Study biocontrol agents from A. tumida in the U.S. and Africa. Determine the role of fruit in beetle survival and reproduction.