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Dr. Debbie Delaney (8/2008) Jose D Quinones(6/2009)

North Carolina State Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Deborah Delaney has recently secured a two-year USDA grant to compare the genetics of feral bees to managed bees. Due to the decreasing health of managed honey bee populations in the U.S., a census of feral populations in the U.S. is needed for scientific and economic reasons.  The status of feral honey bee populations in the U.S. remains unknown after the 90 to 95% reduction of these populations by a parasitic brood mite, Varroa destructor.  This project involves sampling non-managed honey bee populations in the southern U.S. to determine their genetic heritage and to finally address whether feral populations are truly recovering or whether natural nests and cavities are being repopulated by swarms from managed colonies, Africanized honey bees, or both. The collection and genetic analysis of feral honey bee populations is a crucial step towards determining the extent of genetic loss that these populations have experienced. NC State Apiculture Program information Jose Quinones, Secretary of Board of Apiculture at the Department of Agriculture in Puerto Rico is conducting the Apiary Location Project. This project is using geo-spatial mapping techniques to correlate honeybee apiary proximity with the production of honey. Numerous colonies are competing for the same amount of nutritional food and/or floral pollen and nectar.   Historically, the central mountainous area of Puerto Rico is lacking of honey production and the Beekeepers are complaining and don’t really know what’s happening. Preliminarily, we have found out that this area has many apiaries in clusters, in close proximity to each other.  This project will serve as the basis to re-establish new parameters in apiary locations and to bring together the beekeepers in such areas affected to work out a solution to their problem.