by Robyn Underwood The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, is an introduced plant hopper from China that is rapidly expanding its range in the United States. Since arriving in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014, lanternflies have spread to and become established in 13 states (CT, DE, IN, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, and VA). This invasive insect is a significant economic threat, as it feeds on and damages grapevines […]
There are around 4,000 bee species in the US and over 400 in Pennsylvania (Figure 1). With so many species it’s very difficult to know what’s going on with each species and any collection of species that co-occur at any given location. There’s growing concern that bees are declining because of a variety of stressors such as habitat loss, pesticides, invasive species, and climate change. While there is good evidence that some bumble bee species […]
This post is contributed by Tony Shaw, a Master Gardener who is a member of the Pennsylvania Bee Monitoring Project. Early in Summer 2021, the Master Gardener Leadership Team invited Master Gardeners across the Commonwealth to participate in a new partnership with PSU professor Dr. Margarita López-Uribe. Her lab spearheads pollinator and bee research at Penn State University. Quoting the MG Leadership Team’s invitation, partnering with the Master Gardener program “ . . […]
Varroa mites are, without a doubt, one of the most difficult challenges for beekeeping management. Treating for mites is tricky: if you don’t treat for mites the probability of colony survival decreases by ≥55%, but if you overtreat mites may evolve resistance to treatments or there can be negative side effects for the bees. Thus, our general recommendation for beekeepers is to treat mites only when colonies are above threshold while using the least toxic, […]
Pathogen transmission from honey bees to wild bees has been attributed as one of the major negative impacts that managed honey bees have on wild bee populations. Among the many pests and pathogens that attack honey bees, the varroa mite and its associated virus, deformed wing virus (DWV), are most abundant and detrimental to honey bee health. The synergistic interactions between this virus and varroa mites have increased the amount of DWV in honey bees […]