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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>To view this impact story online, visit <a
href="http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/impact/2008/sbir/09081_megabee.html">http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/impact/2008/sbir/09081_megabee.html</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Media Contact: Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>An Energy Shake for Honeybees<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>By Stacy Kish<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been linked to the 40-60
percent decline in <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>
's honeybee populations whose pollination is valued at $15 billion annually to <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
agriculture. Researchers at SAFE R&D, LLC, are trying a new approach to
this problem - a bee smoothie - to improve honeybee healthy by improving their
diet.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>With funding from USDA's Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), Dr. Gordon Wardell, president of
SAFE R&D, LLC., and his research partner Fabiana Ahumada-Segura developed
MegaBeeTM as a nutritional supplement for honeybees that contains protein,
lipids, balanced amino acids and other nutrients that support healthy hive
development.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The pair believed that a severely restricted diet, brought
on by the policy of commercial beekeepers to limit a hive's range to one type
of crop, might have led to nutritional deficiencies within honeybee
populations.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>An independent study completed in 2007 compared the
effectiveness and efficiency of MegaBee to conventional sugar syrup. The study
found that brood production rates in honeybees consuming the MegaBee supplement
tripled. In addition, colonies fed MegaBee retained 30 percent more adult bees,
more efficiently converted food to the brood, had greater adult bee
populations, and were better able to pollinate.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>MegaBee mimics the natural texture and consistency of pollen
and is readily consumed by honeybees. The product is supplied to the beekeeper
as a powder, which can be fed to the bees in moist cakes that resemble cookie
dough or as a liquid that resembles a smoothie.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>"It's a very nutritional diet for the bees," said
Wade Fisher, a third-generation commercial pollinator who recently began using
the MegaBee supplement in <st1:State w:st="on">Florida</st1:State> and several <st1:place
w:st="on">New England</st1:place> states.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Climate change is forcing earlier than normal floral bloom
in many plants, including domesticated plants of agricultural significance.
This change of floral cycle significantly affects the bees. In addition,
several important agricultural crops, like almonds, naturally bloom in the
middle of winter. Colonies have to be stimulated to produce the number of bees
necessary to do an adequate job of pollinating these early season crops. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>"Supplemental food for our bees is not just recommended
today, it's mandatory," Wardell said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>MegaBee is produced and marketed by Yuma, Ariz.,-based
Castle Dome Solutions, LLC, in partnership with Hamilton, Ill.-based Dadant and
Sons, Inc., as a product for commercial and hobbyist beekeepers. Castle Dome
started manufacturing MegaBee in September 2007.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>CSREES funded this research project through the Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Through federal funding and
leadership for research, education and extension programs, CSREES focuses on
investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives
and the nation's future. For more information, visit <a
href="http://www.csrees.usda.gov/">www.csrees.usda.gov</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>###<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>This impact is a service of the USDA Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service. News on other research can be found on the
CSREES newsroom at <a href="http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/impacts.html"
title="http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/impacts.html"><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/impacts.html</span></font></a>.</span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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