{"id":184283,"date":"2023-10-01T08:00:32","date_gmt":"2023-10-01T18:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=184283"},"modified":"2023-10-04T10:11:47","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T20:11:47","slug":"kauai-cc-honeybees-disease-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/01\/kauai-cc-honeybees-disease-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Bee-ware: Kaua\u02bbi <abbr>CC<\/abbr> honeybees among last disease free sites"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n<div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_64766\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XrUlfzVkOSA?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Bee-ware: Kaua\u02bbi CC honeybees among last disease free sites\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>In a critical race against time, the dedicated staff and volunteers of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kauai.hawaii.edu\/welcome\"><span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span> Community College<\/a>&#8216;s Apiary Project are working tirelessly to combat the alarming decline of honeybee populations in the United States.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-184303\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-bees-hive-214x300.jpeg\" alt=\"Bees in their hive\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-bees-hive-214x300.jpeg 214w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-bees-hive-93x130.jpeg 93w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-bees-hive.jpeg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/>In June, an <a href=\"https:\/\/beeinformed.org\/2023\/06\/22\/united-states-honey-bee-colony-losses-2022-23-preliminary-results-from-the-bee-informed-partnership\/\">annual report on honey bees in the United States<\/a> showed that beekeepers lost nearly half (48%) of their managed colonies, the second-highest death rate on record. The biggest culprit was the Varroa mite, a parasite that feeds on bee larvae and transmits viruses.<\/p>\n<p><span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span> <abbr title=\"Community College\">CC<\/abbr>\u2019s hives are one of the few disease-free honeybee sites left in the state. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/hdoa.hawaii.gov\/pi\/varroa-mite-information\/frequently-asked-questions-about-varroa-mite\/\"><span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai\u02bbi<\/span> Department of Agriculture<\/a>, <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai\u02bbi<\/span> was free of the varroa mite, until it was detected on <span aria-label=\"Oahu\">O\u02bbahu<\/span> in 2007. Since then, the varroa mite has also been found on <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai\u02bbi<\/span> Island. Only <span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span>, Maui and <span aria-label=\"Molokai\">Moloka\u02bbi<\/span> have so far remained free of the pest.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most important things <span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr> Apiary Project volunteers do is breed queen bees in order to continue to protect the island from the varroa mites.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-flying-bee.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-184300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-flying-bee-300x169.jpeg\" alt=\"A bee flying over a hive\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-flying-bee-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-flying-bee-130x73.jpeg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-flying-bee.jpeg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u201cOne of our main reasons for being is to be able to raise queens here right on the island, to make them available to other <span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span> beekeepers to lessen the chance that someone will import a queen bee,\u201d said Alan Spencer, a volunteer and instructor.<\/p>\n<p>Spencer\u2019s years of experience were on display as he collected a ripe queen from a busy buzzing hive with his bare hands and placed her into a vial-like container for transport.<\/p>\n<h2>In the bee-ginning<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184306\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-184306\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-184306\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-bee-alan-field-300x169.jpeg\" alt=\"Beekeepers showcasing different hives\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-bee-alan-field-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-bee-alan-field-130x73.jpeg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-bee-alan-field.jpeg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-184306\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Alan Spencer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr>\u2019s Apiary Project started in 2010 with some funding from the <span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span> Rural Development Project. Additional funding in later years came from the <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai\u02bbi<\/span> Department of Agriculture, a Carl <abbr>D<\/abbr>. Perkins Career and Technical Education grant and local donors. The college started offering continuing education classes in beekeeping and garnered first place awards in the Hawaiian Honey Challenge in 2018 and 2019. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.<\/p>\n<p>Spencer and a cadre of volunteers kept the apiary alive. The lifesavers included retired electronics instructor Francis Takahashi Jr. and, more recently, Academic Advisor Valerie Melle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe long-term goal is to support beekeepers on <span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span>, offer technical support and really educate the public,\u201d said Takahashi Jr. \u201cAgriculture is really important on this island.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184302\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-184302\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-184302\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-francis-beeswax-300x169.jpeg\" alt=\"Francis with a beeswax collection\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-francis-beeswax-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-francis-beeswax-130x73.jpeg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/kauai-francis-beeswax.jpeg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-184302\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francis Takahashi Jr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Agriculture is also important far beyond <span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span>, as the Apiary Project estimates that one-third of Americans\u2019 diet is directly or indirectly derived from honeybee pollination.<\/p>\n<p>Melle got involved when she was looking for something different to do during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was the wildest thing that I saw happening on campus,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I just jumped in and I was so inspired by their class that I\u2019m still here.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Bee-utiful future<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-184596\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/kauai-bee-honey-square-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Packaged honey\" width=\"214\" height=\"214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/kauai-bee-honey-square-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/kauai-bee-honey-square-130x130.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/kauai-bee-honey-square.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/>Melle has since taken on the role of volunteer marketer for the Apiary Project and has big ideas for the future, such as restarting the college\u2019s application to the Department of Agriculture to export their bees. She recently got a query from a hotel that is interested in collaborating with <span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr> to start an onsite apiary as part of its hospitality and culinary offerings. There was also mention of someday being able to export to clientele in Japan.<\/p>\n<p>The more immediate future may hold launching an adopt-a-beehive program to generate more education and support.<\/p>\n<p>Interim Chancellor Margaret Sanchez said her long-term hope is to eventually have a for-credit program so that students may earn college credits along with a certificate in beekeeping.<\/p>\n<p>Sanchez said, \u201cThe overall hope is to expand our program and offer it to more people on <span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua\u02bbi<\/span>, so that we can increase the health of the bees, the health of our farms and the health of our crops.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<em>by Kelli Abe Trifonovitch<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=&#8221;vc_gid:1696450022085-9340a673-3e14-5&#8243; include=&#8221;184305,184301,184310,184356,184355,184309&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last year, <abbr>U.S.<\/abbr> beekeepers lost nearly half of their colonies&#8212;most were devastated by the varroa mite.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[64],"class_list":["post-184283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-kauai-community-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184283"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":184598,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184283\/revisions\/184598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}