Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
This doesn't mean, however, that you should ignore those problems that can occur,
and now is a good time to learn the signs and symptoms because the colony is small and
easily manipulated.
Integrated Pest Management
In the first edition of this topic I examined the problems that can befall an individual
honey bee or an entire honey bee colony and suggested a range of techniques to deal
with each of them. The least offensive of these techniques and safest for the bees of
course were those that prevented problems from occurring in the first place. The best
way to avoid a lot of problems our bees have is to use honey bees that are resistant to,
or tolerant of the pests they encounter. There are honey bee strains that practice hygien-
ic behaviors, some that are vigorous groomers that remove pests, others that seek out
infested larvae even when capped, tear them out and discard them. Some have shorter
or longer brood times that foil the pests while others are more agile than the pests they
encounter and thus can overcome them.
The next level of dealing with honey bee pests and diseases is to use mechanical
methods to keep pests from our bee hives. These include: keeping pests out of the hives
in the first place; trapping them once they enter before their populations build up in
a colony; or providing opportunities for them to leave and not return. Resistant bees,
traps, and exclusion are techniques safe to use for the bees, the honey crop, and the bee-
keeper.
The next level of defense is more intense: chemical alternatives, and within that, soft
and hard chemicals.
Each of these techniques has its own advantages and disadvantages for each of the
pests examined. Not all work for all pests. Moreover, some years these techniques work
fine because pest pressure is light while other years different approaches are required
because pest pressure is extreme. The variables of biological systems are unpredictable.
IPM Fundamentals
To successfully manage honey bees you need to be able to identify those pests and know
what options you have to control them. You need to know what the pest population is
and what it will likely be in the near and distant future if no management techniques are
implemented. Also, you must know at what density will the population require treat-
ment (the treatment threshold) so it doesn't cause harm (the economic injury level).
Also, you must know the options you have to reduce their populations within an accept-
able time frame. These fundamental steps are no different from the pre-emptive meas-
ures taken for managing garden critters: fences for rabbits and groundhogs, fake owls
for birds and gophers, resistant plants for some diseases, plant disposal, and so on.
