{"id":9418,"date":"2023-07-05T12:49:11","date_gmt":"2023-07-05T16:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/?p=9418"},"modified":"2024-03-12T15:25:44","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T19:25:44","slug":"for-the-love-of-honey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/summer-2023-cat\/for-the-love-of-honey\/","title":{"rendered":"For the Love of Honey"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Burr comb from a research hive at 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s East Farm Agricultural Experiment Station. When researchers inspect a hive to make sure it is healthy, they sometimes find comb that is out of place, called burr comb, which they remove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemistry professor Matt Kiesewetter and entomology professor Steve Alm are putting their heads together to develop better ways to protect honeybees from varroa mites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Lauren Rebecca Thacker <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Matt Kiesewetter was promoted to associate professor of chemistry in 2018, he breathed a sigh of relief and thought it might be time to find himself a hobby that had nothing to do with his work. So, on a whim, he ordered bees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy bees?\u201d he offers, and quickly answers, \u201cI have no damn clue. I can\u2019t tell you why. But when I was growing up, I raised butterflies in the yard. Back then, in the country, you could grab milkweed from the side of the road and raise some monarchs. I guess that sparked my interest in insects. So, I got bees.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Associate professor of chemistry Matt Kiesewetter (left) and professor of entomology Steve Alm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, five years later, he\u2019s got four hives in his backyard and more honey than he knows what to do with. And in that time, he realized that beekeeping didn\u2019t give him the break from chemistry he was looking for, but instead gave him a new focus: controlling the honeybee\u2019s enemy. Enter, the varroa mite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varroa mites, Kiesewetter explains, are the number one stressor of honeybee hives. If you\u2019re a bee- and honey-lover, but not a beekeeper, you may be surprised by this. What about colony collapse disorder, the mysterious and widely reported phenomenon that causes worker bees to flee their hives, leaving their queen to die? Well, that\u2019s certainly a problem, but it\u2019s not as prevalent as it used to be. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that incidents of colony collapse disorder have dropped dramatically since the disorder\u2019s height in 2008. If you\u2019re a backyard beekeeper, varroa mites are probably your biggest headache. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Female mites enter and lay eggs in a honeybee brood cell\u2014where the eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult bees develop. Mites develop alongside the growing bees, eventually attaching to a honeybee\u2019s fat body, a type of insect tissue that is analogous to the liver in mammals. There are seven confirmed diseases that the mites bring to hives and at least a dozen more suspected\u2014all detrimental, some fatal. The mites cannot exist without the honeybees. So, the problem of varroa mites presents a conundrum: Beekeepers, amateur or professional, must combat the mites to ensure their hives\u2019 survival, but mites can only be treated within the hives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Varroa mites are the number one stressor of honeybee hives. Left to right: an adult female varroa mite; close-up view of a varroa mite on a honeybee host; a honeybee with a varroa mite attached to its body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kiesewetter contended with varroa mites in his own hives using the standard methods: synthetic chemicals, like pyrethroid and organophosphate miticides, and naturally occurring chemicals, like formic and oxalic acids, and even powdered sugar. They work, but there are risks: Synthetic miticides can lead to the development of miticide resistance, while some natural miticides are less effective and difficult to administer. And, Kiesewetter explains, most pesticides on the market are broad spectrum, meaning that they can kill many different organisms. Which means that they can kill bees, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese chemicals just happen to be a little less toxic to bees than mites,\u201d says Kiesewetter. \u201cBut there are sublethal effects, and some people suspect that these pesticides are harming the hives. We don\u2019t know. But my question is, can we design a pesticide that is essentially nontoxic for bees while hitting the target\u2014the mites\u2014that we want?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a graduate student at Stanford University, Kiesewetter was interested in polymer synthesis and renewable plastics. In particular, his research considers how materials, including plastics, can be more sustainable. He carried that interest through a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then to the 溏心vlog免费B站, where he arrived in 2013. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kiesewetter realized his experience in organic chemistry could help him develop new miticides that can evade resistance, in addition to plastic-based delivery systems that could make natural options safer and more effective. What if, for example, he could construct a hive using plastic that degrades to produce a mite-controlling agent? But, while he was a pro at chemistry, he was an amateur when it came to honeybees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Steve Alm is no bee amateur. The professor of plant sciences and entomology is an expert in pollinators of all kinds, from the honeybee to the estimated 250 native bee species buzzing around Rhode Island. Kiesewetter heard through the grapevine that Alm had hives at 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s East Farm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roughly 85-acre spread of East Farm is the place for 溏心vlog免费B站 students and faculty to experiment with flora and fauna. The location, about a mile southeast of the Kingston Campus, facilitates bobcat and coyote research; efforts to develop stronger breeds of rhododendrons, azaleas, and apples; and studies on Atlantic salmon. It\u2019s also home to beehives and pollinator meadows. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Research associate Casey Johnson, M.S. \u201922, in the pollinator meadows at 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s East Farm Agricultural Experiment Station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m picturing it right now,\u201d Alm says, remembering his first meeting with Kiesewetter. \u201cI was in Woodward Hall teaching a course on bees and pollination. Matt came in, and he had this idea for controlling varroa mites. He had the chemistry, and I had the bees.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, a collaboration began. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kiesewetter says, \u201cI found Steve by accident, and I couldn\u2019t have found a better collaborator if I had tried. He has been so willing to do this work and is just great. And it\u2019s been a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alm explains the risks inherent in the process of treating a hive with standard commercial products with formic or oxalic acids, both naturally occurring chemicals. \u201cProducts with formic acid say right on the package that they may kill your queen and up to 1,500 bees. So yeah, that\u2019s very rough on a colony. And with oxalic acid, you need to wear a special respirator, so it\u2019s noxious for beekeepers, as well. Sometimes the cure is almost as bad as the disease. We\u2019re trying to find safer materials for the bees and the beekeepers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One particularly challenging aspect of studying varroa mites is their short lifecycle. Mite populations are at their peak in August, September, and October. Scientists want to study mites during this peak, but three months isn\u2019t much time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMy question is, can we design a pesticide that is essentially nontoxic for bees while hitting the target\u2014 the mites\u2014that we want?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Matt Kiesewetter <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Casey Johnson, M.S. \u201922, a research associate, adds that while there are methods to rear varroa mites outside of a honeybee colony and their natural lifecycle, \u201cIt\u2019s very work-intensive and not foolproof. With our methods, we can get them to live for 24 hours in the lab outside of a hive, but that\u2019s it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there are the additional challenges of maintaining the hives and controlling the scale of experiments, things Kiesewetter had to adjust to when turning his attention to honeybees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou think about a hive being 50,000 bees and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh gosh, this is great,\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cBut it\u2019s only one hive. Fifty thousand bees are a data point of one. If you have five experimental hives and five control hives, you can see how things can get out of hand, real fast. Our initial tests are meant to figure out if we should scale up.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julia Vieira \u201921, M.S. \u201923, a student in Alm\u2019s lab, tells us about a recent experiment designed to address these challenges, saying, \u201cThe idea was, could we get another species that is comparable to varroa, and has a similar mortality rate, that we could use for preliminary bioassays when we don\u2019t have access to varroa populations?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

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Drink a Beer, Save a Bee<\/h2>

Alumni craft brewers donate a portion of their profits to 溏心vlog免费B站 bee research.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Read the Story<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n

It turns out, the answer was yes. In 2022, Kiesewetter, Alm, Vieira, and Johnson, along with colleagues Elizabeth Varkonyi, M.S. \u201922; Howard Ginsberg, scientist emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey\u2019s Eastern Ecological Science Center; and Kassie Picard, Ph.D. \u201923, published a paper demonstrating their findings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research, published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, tested four organic acids at a variety of concentrations on varroa mites and three insect species. The results showed that varroa had levels of mortality consistent with the other species, suggesting that other, more easily managed test subjects can be used when testing varroa mite treatments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kiesewetter is pleased with the experiment, which also tested methods of applying the various acids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese organic acid treatments are very popular,\u201d he says, adding that he uses them in his own hives. The research gives insight into how they work and paves the way for more experimentation. \u201cIn the future, we\u2019ll experiment with some synthetic pesticides that are less toxic to bees and more toxic for mites. We\u2019re trying to scale up and see what kind of plastic-based delivery systems can have good effects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The beekeeping community must contend with varroa mites in order for hives to survive. And Johnson points out that varroa mites are a problem for honeybees now but says, \u201cThere are documented cases of pathogen spillover from managed honeybees to native bees. Beekeepers,\u201d she explains, \u201chave a responsibility to monitor and treat varroa to help mitigate the spread of diseases into our native wild bee populations.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

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Bee Lab researchers Julia Vieira \u201921, M.S. \u201923; associate professor of chemistry Matt Kiesewetter; Casey Johnson, M.S. \u201922; and professor of entomology Steve Alm at East Farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are different perspectives on how best to treat the mites and ensure a healthy honeybee population. One approach is what Kiesewetter calls Darwinian beekeeping: using no controls, in order to develop a strain of bees with inherent mite resistance. But that\u2019s a long game, and Kiesewetter isn\u2019t sure it\u2019s a realistic approach. Other beekeepers are interested in physical methods, like heating hives to a temperature that harms mites but not bees; and using powdered sugar to coat bees, then shaking them until the mites release their hold. But research, including a soon-to-be-published paper by Johnson, shows that powdered sugar is effective for monitoring mite populations, but not for eradicating them. And studies on heat treatments are in the early stages. So that leaves chemicals, synthetic and natural. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt might sound like, \u2018Oh, of course the chemist wants to use chemicals,\u2019 but it\u2019s not really like that,\u201d Kiesewetter says. \u201cPesticides work. They have sustained the beekeeping world for decades. But if people stop using them or if mites develop resistance, that would be catastrophic for the beekeeping community.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a chemist and a beekeeper, Kiesewetter wants to keep his hives healthy, and yours, too. Even if beekeeping didn\u2019t end up being the nonscientific hobby he first imagined, it has meant a lot to him over the years. It gave him a new direction and exciting collaborations across 溏心vlog免费B站. And don\u2019t forget the honey. So much honey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast year, I got about 200 pounds,\u201d he says, laughing. \u201cIn the summer, people are probably tired of seeing me show up because I\u2019m just carrying jars of honey around. I try to give it all away.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos: Casey Johnson, Gilles San Martin, Nora Lewis<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These Bees Are Locals<\/h1>\n
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Since the emergence of colony collapse disorder in 2006, interest in backyard beekeeping has grown among people looking to support global bee health and local ecosystems. While keeping bees is a worthwhile hobby, there are other, less labor-intensive ways to support pollinators.<\/p>\n

Honeybees are not native to North America\u2014they were brought over by honey-craving colonists in 1622. Before that, plants were pollinated by native species, including the much-loved bumblebee and the much-maligned wasp, a group of insects that Johnson calls \u201cincredibly misunderstood\u201d and that she lauds for their pollinating and pest-control abilities.<\/p>\n

We need all pollinators\u2014not just honeybees\u2014for a healthy world. Of all the crops grown worldwide, about 75% require pollination. Without pollinators, we wouldn\u2019t have pumpkins, raspberries, tomatoes, onions, or many, many others.<\/p>\n

Kiesewetter and Alm recommend that Rhode Islanders looking to support native pollinators fill their gardens and flowerpots with native plants. Consider blueberries, bee balm, goldenrod, beardtongue, native milkweeds, hyssop, and asters. To convert your turf lawn into a bee lawn, incorporate clovers (especially medium red clover), selfheal, or creeping thyme.<\/p>\n

If those aren\u2019t your style, don\u2019t worry. You can still nourish your local pollinators.<\/p>\n

\u201cA very simple equation is: more flowers equals more bees,\u201d Alm says.<\/p> \n

For more information on ongoing research and pollinator gardens, visit the Bee Lab at uri.edu\/beelab<\/a>.<\/em><\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chemistry professor Matt Kiesewetter and entomology professor Steve Alm are developing better ways to fight honey bees\u2019 number-one enemy: the varroa mite. Plus, alumni craft brewers donate a portion of their profits to 溏心vlog免费B站 bee research.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":9453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[316],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-summer-2023-cat","architecture-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9418"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9418\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13422,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9418\/revisions\/13422"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}