B-Notes
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B-Notes | ||
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By Stephen Daniells Propolis, the
waxy resin collected by honey bees and currently marketed for its
health benefits, could also find use as a natural food preservative,
suggests new research.
Suspicion over
chemical-derived synthetic preservatives has pushed food makers to
source natural preservatives such as rosemary extract. “It may be
concluded that the ethanolic extract of propolis tested,
under experimental
conditions,
will successfully
inhibit E. coli development in vitro and
at safe levels
for human consumption. And
consequently, they could be as
natural preventatives in ground fresh
beef or as non-specific
antibacterial food preservatives,” wrote lead
author Enzo Tosi in the Journal
of
Food
Chemistry. Tosi and co-workers from “Most propolis
components are natural constituents of food and recognized as safe
for
consumption,” added Tosi.
The researchers reported that an
average minimum inhibitory concentration of 14.3 mg of
soluble
compound per milliliter of the most active propolis was capable of
inhibiting E. coli populations of up to 10,000 cells per
milliliter. Such an extract was said to be composed of 32% total
soluble compound, comprising: 8% galangine,
7% caffeic acid, 5% quercitin, 2% coumaric, and 9% un-identified
phenolic compounds. “From a consumer
standpoint, a safe dose for human consumption would be 1.4 mg/kg
body weight/day, or approximately 70 mg/day for adults,” said
researchers. “Suitable levels of propolis as food
preservatives need
to be
developed by consumer
acceptance tests and trained
tasting personnel.” Further research is clearly necessary, as variations in local and botanical factors may affect the applicability and sustainability of this novel preservative. “The propolis extracts tested successfully inhibit the E.coli development in vitro, and consequently may be useful as natural food preservatives,” the researchers concluded. Previous testing reported that propolis contains about 180 different compounds and that the waxy resin has been previously linked to improvements in general health, skin, digestive and oral health. [From: Food Navigator.com April
2007] Population Growth Strains
Question: Green groups
don’t seem to discuss human population growth, but the biggest issue
confronting the planet seems to be the collective demand we put upon
it. And what is the difference in impact between population growth
in Third World countries, which are poor, against that in the
The global
rate of human population growth, or the speed at which humans were
reproducing, peaked around 1963, but the number of people living on
Earth – and sharing finite resources like water and food – has
grown by more than two-thirds since then, from about 2.5 billion
people
then, topping out
at more than 6.6 billion today. Human population, if left at current
rates of increase, is expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050.
Environmentalists don’t dispute that many if not all of the
environmental problems from climate change to species loss to
overzealous resource extraction – are either caused or exacerbated
by population growth. “Trends such
as the loss of half of the planet’s forests, the depletion of most
of its major fisheries, and the alteration of its atmosphere and
climate are closely related to the fact that human population
expanded from a
mere
few
million in
prehistoric times to over six billion today,” says Robert Engelman
of Population Action
International. According to
Population Connection, population growth since 1950 is behind the
clearing of 80 percent of rain forests, the loss of tens of
thousands of plant and wildlife species, an increase in greenhouse
gas emissions by some 400 percent and the development or
commercialization of as much as half of the Earth’s surface land.
The group expects that without significant curbs on population
growth, half of the world’s population will be exposed to
“water-stress” or “water-scarce” conditions feared to “intensify
difficulties in meeting consumption levels, and wreak devastating
effects on our delicately balance eco-systems” in the coming
decades. In less
developed countries, lack of access to birth control, as well as
cultural traditions that encourage woman to stay home and have
babies, lead to rapid population growth. The result is ever
increasing numbers of poor people across Africa, the Middle East,
While population numbers in
most developed nations are leveling off or diminishing today, high
levels of consumption make for a huge drain on resources. Americans,
who represent only four percent of world population, consume at least 25 percent of all
resources. Industrialized countries contribute far more to climate
change, ozone depletion and over-fishing than developing
countries. As more and
more residents of developing countries get access to Western media,
or immigrate to the Given the
overlap of population growth and environmental problems, many would
like to see a change in [Environmental Magazine January
2008]
Scientists find
3,000-year-old
beehives By Mattie
Friedman Beekeeping was
widely practiced in the ancient worlds of
Africa, Asia and the
Middle East, where honey was used for medicinal and religious
purposes as well as for food, and beeswax was used to make molds for
metal (lost
wax-casting) and to create
surfaces to write on
(encaustic writing). While bees
and beekeeping are depicted in much
of ancient
artwork, nothing similar to the Rehov hives had been found
before in the Middle Eastern regions, Mazar
said. The beehives, made of straw and
unbaked clay, have a hole at one end to allow the bees access in and out, with a lid at the other end to allow
beekeepers access to the bees
and honeycombs inside. They were found in orderly rows, three
high, in a room that could have accommodated perhaps 100 hives, Mazar
said. Accounts of similar clay hives are frequently recorded in
ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs but without the actual artifacts. The
Hebrew Bible repeatedly refers to “You can tell that this was an organized industry, part of an organized economy, in a very organized city,” Mazar said. At the time the beehives were in use, Mazar believes Rehov had around 2,000 residents, which were a mix of Israelites, Canaanites as well as others. Ezra Marcus, an expert on the
ancient Mediterranean world at [Associated Press August
2007] The
Neonicotinoids: By Bob Harrison
The subject of
Neonicotinoids or systemic insecticides seems to be lacking coverage
in most bee literature.
Researchers have indicated that their research funding could
be stopped if they established a link between recent bee die-offs
and the widespread use of this class of insecticides. In attempting to gather
information for this article, the author found that only 1 in 10
chemical industry representatives would return his
calls.
Neonicotinoids
represent a whole class of rather new formulations of
insecticides. They are
a synthesized or artificial form of chemicals based upon the
structure of nicotine, which is the plant world’s way of warding off
insects. They act mainly as neurotoxins, particularly to
invertebrates and non-mammal species. The entire field of
Neonicontinoids, excepting one, Imidacloprid, have come on to the
insecticide market within the past six years. Imidacloprid was
registered for use in the mid-1990’s. Four of these formulations,
Imidacloprid, Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam and Thiacloprid are listed
as highly toxic by the
EPA. One
other, Acetamiprid
is listed as toxic. These five insecticides
are probably of most interest to beekeepers as they are used most
frequently on agricultural crops that bees visit. A New &
Large Class of Pesticides
The
Neonicotinoids are not simply a few chemicals or formulations now on
the market. They represent a very large class of products originally
intended to replace the organo-phosphates
(OP’s), which were
due to be gradually phased out of use due to the latter’s
persistence in the environment. The EPA has been dragging
its feet in getting the OP’s phased out, but they are eventually
scheduled to be discontinued. [Checkmite is an OP]. There are approximately six
subclasses and 190 brand/proprietary names for the
Neonicotinoids.
In
The
potentially largest problem with the Neonicotinoids is that they are
what is referred to as systemic insecticides. While many growers and
applicators may welcome this new class of insecticides, they present
a situation where they may provide excellent control of target
species, but wreck havoc on beneficial insects, particularly honey
bees. What Are
Systemic Pesticides?
Systemic
insecticides essentially get into and effect the
entire plant structure to which they are applied. They also remain in the soil
and environment that they are applied to-often for several years
after application. Whether applied to the seeds, leaves, other plant
structures or soil, the insecticide is taken up into the plant to
then be expressed in the sap, nectar and pollen of that plant. One product Temik, used by citrus growers (now
banned for that use) was touted for its ease of application because
it only had to be applied around the base of the trees! Water runoff
from fields treated with Neonicotinoids in the
One of the
Neonicotinoids (Acetamiprid) is listed for control on apples and
pears of: aphids, oriental fruit moth, rosy apple aphid, codling
moth, leafhopper, leaf miner, apple maggot, campy Loma, European
sawfly, pear psylla, San Jose scale, mealy bug, Japanese beetle and
plum curculio. To fruit
growers and applicators these products may appear to be a
dream. To beekeepers
they could be a nightmare. What Effect on
Honey Bees?
The chemical
companies and manufacturers of the Neonicotinoid products state
clearly what target species their products will affect and
kill. On the other
hand, most of these same companies either deny or discount the
effects that sub-lethal doses may have on other non-target
species. Conclusive
studies have proven that residues of neonicotinoids can be found in
all parts of the tissue and nectar of the plants to which they are
applied. The current
chemical industry position on these products is that the amounts or
doses found as residues is too small to cause problems, however they
resist further
scientific investigation.
Findings from
studies in Many Names
Many Uses
The following
product/proprietary names are used for the following general
Neonicotinoid compounds [Keep a copy of this list to compare to what
applicators may be using around bee hives]: Imidacloprid-Confidor,
Merit, Admire, Legend, Pravado, Encore, Gaucho, Premise. Registered in mid 1990’s for
use on: blueberries, citrus, cranberries, strawberries, pecans,
stone fruits, cotton, corn, melons, vegetables, ornamentals, turf,
forestry, et al. Thiamethoxam-Actara,
Platinum, Helix, Cruiser, Adage, Further Things
Beekeepers Should Know
In the past,
beekeepers could usually determine whether or not pesticide kills
had occurred by seeing dead bees in front of their hives. With the Neonicotinoids and
systemic insecticides generally though, such direct effects are
usually not apparent. Because these compounds work in less direct
ways and usually over longer periods of time, the symptoms displayed
may easily be confused with
those having other
causes. Many of the
symptoms associated with so called Colony Collapse Disorder are
similar to those
associated with sublethal
doses of Neonicotinoid poisoning.
Beekeepers
should also be aware that recently in a move to replace treated
lumber containing arsenic and other potentially toxic chemicals,
manufacturers are substituting them with Neonicotinoid compounds
(Imidacloprid). Home
Depot now sells Imidacloprid treated lumber (plus two
fungicides-tebuconazole & propiconazole) as a replacement for
CCA or chromated copper-arsenate lumber. Wood treated in this way can
be identified by the tag at the end of most lumber. L3 and CAD are two such
identifying letters/numbers. [Beekeeping woodenware made from these
products would be decidedly ill-advised.]
Beekeepers
need to become more familiar and aware of this new class of
insecticides, which are scheduled to eventually replace many of the
other classes of insecticides on the market. Current estimates are that
the Neonicotinoids now comprise about one-third of the
insecticide/pesticide products on the market or in use. Serious pressure needs to be
placed on political
and elected officials as
well as chemical companies to do further environmental studies before these products become
widely
available to
the public. [Adapted and
condensed from the article: “Neonicotinoids More Questions Than
Answers” American Bee Journal, April 2008] |
