BEERKEEPING & DEVELOPMENT
389
USE OF TOBACCO SMOKE AGAINST PARASITIC MITE SYNDROME by Dr
Dhafer Behnam, Iraq
The pathological condition that has appeared in Iraqi apiaries recently has caused large losses in honeybee colonies, dwindling populations and decreasing honey
production. It is perhaps
similar
to the
condition
described by
Dr Shimanuki as The Parasitic Mite
Syndrome'?.
A
trial has been carried out on two
apiaries, one with 50 colonies and the other with 30 colonies using tobacco leaves burned in the smokers.
EXPERIMENTAL TRIAL In
Spring 1995 colonies showed some delay
in their build up. A lot of crawling bees had been seen in front of the hives and on the
ground. Hives in two apiaries were treated with tobacco leaves. 15-20 g of leaves were
burned in the smoker with the material used for making smoke. It was used during routine examinations every week or as needed, in March, April and May. These colonies were shown to have greater populations and to yield more honey compared with two control hives kept near the apiary of 50 colonies. In the apiary with 30 colonies there were another 45 colonies which were not treated with tobacco smoke. 'SHIMANUKI,H; CALDERONE,N W; Knox, D
ASSESSMENT In
early August there was a check up and comparison between the colonies that had been treated with tobacco smoke and those which had not. There was a great difference in honeybee populations; those which had been treated being more populous. The bees were more active in foraging and collecting nectar.
CONCLUSION Whatever the disease, believe that tobacco smoke had beneficial effect on the colonies. We know that nicotine in tobacco smoke has some anaesthetic effect on insects in general, and it might have some lethal effect on mites and therefore some beneficial effect against the condition. |
We believe now that the immune system of the bees is in some way diminished. By using tobacco smoke we are either hitting the primary target, or we might be curing a secondary pathogen. In either case we are helping our bees to get better!
A (1994) Parasitic mite syndrome: the symptoms
American Bee Journal
134: 827-828
?HunG,A C F; Abams J; SHIMANUKI,H (1995) Bee Parasitic Mite Syndrome (II) The Varroa mite and role of viruses. American Bee Journal 135: 702-704
BEES AS ARTISTS! by I
Thamir Selman, Iraq
started beekeeping in Baghdad as a hobby in Since then, because of my full admiration for
1970.
the bees, a persistent question comes to my mind: whether it is possible to add a new function to bees in addition to their honey and wax
was ready to be taken out of the hive. To date I have produced forty very fine and most attractive
sculptures such as human heads and vases. The question which now arises concerns the ability of the worker bees to find a new art school for wax carving, and whether wax carvers will appear in the future!
production? l asked myself, “Would it be possible to train bees to be artists by making sculptures of natural wax in the hive?”
Method of work In the beginning bought a strong colony with a huge number of young worker bees. put in wax foundation designed like the sculpture wished to create. i |
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started work by making daily visits tothe hive to check the development of the wax shaping, and by using a large knife and a light brush, I carried out the necessary work of adding and removing in order to get the required shape.
After months of hard labour on the part of myself and the worker bees, the sculpture
A Bees for Development publication
Despite their many problems, Iraqi beekeepers have not lost their sense of humour! Here is Mr Selman
with his bees’ excellent creation:
“The smoker"!
ELEVEN
