Transcript Beekeeping in 15 min or less

Beekeeping
In 15 minutes
or less
David Westervelt
Chief of Apiary inspection
Bureau of Plant and Apiary inspection
Division of Plant Industry
Doyle Conner Building, 1911 SW 34th St.
P O Box 147100, Gainesville, FL 32614-7100
Office phone=352-395-4633
Cell= 352-267-2568
Apiary Inspection
• We are the Government and We are here
for You…Consumer Services.
Research / Inspection
Regulated Honey Bee Pests
• Federal and State Laws and Codes
1. American Foulbrood Disease(AFB)
2. Tropilaelops clarea
3. Any other honeybee pest determined by the
department to be a threat to the state.
Unwanted races of Honey
Bees
1. Apis mellifera scutellata, African honeybee.
2. Apis mellifera capensis, Cape honeybee.
3. Any other unwanted races of honeybees
determined by the department to be a threat
to the state.
Regulated Articles
1. Honeybee. All forms of the insect, Apis mellifera.
2. Used Beekeeping Equipment
3. Any other article capable of transporting a regulated
honey bee pest or unwanted race of honey bee
Africanized Honey Bees?
Unwanted Race with Africanized Honey Bees
Honey Bee Bait Hive
Florida Counties to confirm AHB
presence
as of November 2015
Significant Challenges
Insects
Virus
Varroa Mites
Bacteria
Yeast & Fungi
Tracheal mites
November, 2015
• Registered Florida Beekeepers now are
approximately 4000 and 500,000
colonies
• And growing 10 – 15 beekeepers a
week
• Report from FDACS registration
Migration of Commercial
Beekeepers
January - February
March - April
May - June
Insect pollinators contribute
$29 billion to U.S. farm
income
2.74
million
colonies
of bees
in the
USA
Honey bees pollinated
$19.2 billion
Niche Pollinators
U.S. Honey Production
2014
• 2.74 million colonies
• 178 million pounds produced
– 65.1lbs average per colony
Honey Production
in Florida
• 13,420,000 lbs of honey!
• 245,000 colonies
– 60 lbs average per colony
• $27.4 million in honey production!
5 to 7 major nectar flows
10 to 15 minor nectar flows
•
Report is from producers with 5 or more
colonies.
Nectar plants
THANK YOU!