[Pollinator] Bees and Swallows

[Roger Downer]

A colleague of mine received this message the other day and I wondered if 
anyone is working in this area or knows of anyone who is.

Thanks

Roger Downer

>>Dear Dan Fickle,
>>I received your e-mail address from Jack Volker, telling me you are
>>working with bees and that you are interested in my project. I received 
>>by mail and collected myself  over 20 dropping samples under the nests 
>>from many places in Europa  and found that Barn Swallows feed honeybee 
>>drones to their  nestlings.
>>To my surprise, the American Barn Swallows do the
>>same. That aroused my interest so much, that I want to look at some more
>>samples. One more question is, among many others, how much is it
>>correlated to the distances to bee hives. The samples I collected
>>recently, when I  visited the U.S.A. again in Wilmington Delaware , I
>>found remains of  93 drones under one nest. In Ohio in the area of Magee
>>marsh, Lake Erie I found only about 10 each under two nests. Jack Volker
>>is so helpful to gather some more feaces samples as soon as possible. It
>>would extremely interesting to know more about the other swallow species
>>in the States (purple martin,  Cliff swallow, Barn swallow  and tree
>>swallow). In some cases, I am afraid,  we probably have to wait until 
>>next summer.
>>However, as long the material stays dry in a barn, the dropping can
>>still be used.  For more detailes you may get in touch with Jack Volker
>>again. I would welcome any kind of cooperation with you as an
>>entomologist. You probably have contacts to some other coleopterogists,
>>because in the samples there are so many undetermined beetles. It would
>>be great to find someone, who could find out at least a few beetles
>>more.  You might write to me, in what cases we could be able to work
>>together. We probably could coauther a paper in English in the States.
>>My English is not as good, to do without a "nativ speaker". First we
>>would need some more samples. By the way, I am an alumni from Bowling
>>Green State University OH, studied biology from 1975 till 1980 and 
>>specialised in birds and rodents.  Just some years ago,  I started 
>>working as retiree  on my  own insect projects.
>>I am looking forward receiving your suggestions.
>>regards Manfred Temme
>>
>>Dr. Manfred Temme
>>Biologist
>>-Alter Horst-18
>>26548 Norderney
>>Germany
>>Tel. 0049 4932 1277


Roger A. Downer Ph.D
Research Scientist
Lab for Pest Control Application Technology
OARDC/OSU
1680 Madison Ave.
Wooster OH 44691
Phone: 330-263-3931
Fax: 330-263-3686
e-mail: downer.2 at osu.edu 
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