In response to raising concerns of honey declines across the state, the New York State Pollinator Protection Plan announced the development of the NYS Beekeeper Tech Team.
The Beekeeper Tech Team is an interdisciplinary group that works directly with beekeepers to improve honey bee health, reduce colony losses, and increase profitability of the beekeeping industry. The program began in August 2016 and is open to hobbyists, sideliners, and commercial beekeepers who operate a beekeeping business that generates $1000 in revenues each year. The Tech Team meets with participants to provide them with data from their colonies and recommendations that they can implement in their operations.
Improving Colony Health: What information does the Tech Team collect?
The Tech Team gathers the following data participants' colonies at two time periods (late spring and late summer):
- Varroa mite levels
- Nosema spore counts
- Pesticide levels in wax (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, miticides)
The Tech Team gathers the following data from participants through surveys:
- Operation demographics
- Colony loss records
- Management practices