News

Texas Apiary Inspection Service Launches New ‘Master Beekeeper’ Program

November 5, 2014 by

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –Beekeepers in Texas will now have a way to further their knowledge and skill set in beekeeping as the Texas Master Beekeeper program officially launched this November.

Provided by the Texas Apiary Inspection Service in association with the Texas Beekeepers Association, the Texas A&M Honey Bee Lab, and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the program is an educational program to help increase the knowledge and skill level of participating beekeepers.

TAIS Chief Apiary Inspector Mark Dykes said that the Texas program is modeled after the program that the University of Florida had established for its beekeepers. Dykes said that he thought of the idea after beekeeper Lance Wilson contacted Mr. Dykes and asked if the state had a master beekeeper program.

“I had worked with the Florida Master Beekeeper Program for 6 years before I came out to Texas, so I was very familiar with the program. We decided that using an existing format would make implementation of the program much easier,” Dykes said.

Dykes said that by producing highly knowledgeable beekeepers the program can help lead the industry and act as honey bee ambassadors to the general public.

Administered by the TAIS, the program is a five year minimum program that trains and certifies participants in the basics of beekeeping, as well as bee-related topics. To enter the program, Dykes said, that applicants must be a beekeeper Once admitted, the program has four levels of training and advancement: Apprentice Beekeeper, Advanced Beekeeper, Master Beekeeper, and Master Craftsman Beekeeper. He said that except for the Master Beekeeper levels, most take a minimum of one year, with the Master level taking two years.

Some of the topics the program offers to beekeepers includes new beekeeping techniques and equipment, potential problems and tips and tricks for maintaining their apiaries. The format consists of a review of the materials and a written and practical examination.

“I think programs like this one encourage beekeepers to expand their knowledge and become better beekeepers,” Dykes said.

He also added that a key part to the program is public service credits in which the beekeeper students have to present information about beekeeping to the public.

“This outreach becomes a force multiplier to our efforts by making program participants honey bee ambassadors,” he said. “This in turn helps the industry by spreading science and research based information about honey bees.”

For more information about the Texas Master Beekeeper program, visit the website at http://masterbeekeeper.tamu.edu.

Former Student Helps Solve Everyday Problems In Agriculture

October 24, 2014 by

Brad Hopkins story1 — Brad Hopkins evaluating a cutworm trial in Brazil

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—Former student Brad Hopkins’ work and lab experience during his time as a grad student has certainly paid off in his career.

Since he graduated with his Ph.D. in Entomology in 2009, he has helped producers improve crops as a field researcher and is currently working with seed treatments to come up with solutions to prevent damage to seeds and crops.

Hopkins also received his Master of Science degree in 2006, as well as his Bachelors of Science in 2004, all from the Department of Entomology. He currently works as a Global Biology Leader at Dow AgroSciences in Indianapolis.

As a grad student, Hopkins worked in Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio’s lab where his research focused mainly on pyrethroid resistance management in the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa zea). From a research standpoint, he tested new technologies and assessed how they performed in the field. The testing of these new technologies allowed Hopkins to teach producers how they work and which ones will work best in increasing their profits.

As the Global Biology Leader and Technical Expert for Seed Treatments for Dow, Hopkins works with different clients including working with other companies that provide seed treatments to evaluate what Dow’s options are and to make recommendations to their seed brands globally. He also plans the company’s global internal research program and acts as a consulting resource to their seed brands for seed treatment.

Before he started at Dow as a field scientist, he worked as a crop consultant at Hopkins Agricultural Service, Inc. Hopkins said that the company specializes in crop consulting and contract research with producers of cotton and grain sorgum, as well as other crops in the area they covered.

“It was a tremendous background for doing field applied research and for my first position as a field scientist with Dow AgroSciences,” he said.

In addition to scientific skills, Hopkins said that his project management skills have helped him with his career the most.

“While the scientific education I received at Texas A&M always helps, it was really the non-technical skills that I picked up along the way that have helped the most’” he said. “Good project and time management is one of the most important things that I learned while juggling all sorts of projects during my graduate studies that really has paid dividends in my job.”

He also said that taking on leadership roles during college were helpful in his career path.

“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to serve on many different committees and in a variety of capacities during school, and this also prepared me for working on a variety of different projects and being able to transfer my knowledge of entomology to different areas of study such as weed science, plant pathology, agronomy, plant physiology, etc,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins said that working in Pietrantonio’s lab and his education here at A&M has been instrumental in helping him with his career.

“My time as a graduate student was invaluable and I feel like Dr. Pietrantonio’s PhD program really prepared me for my job after school,” Hopkins said. “There were many opportunities to present and publish my research, which got me ready for employment and also introduced me to many of the folks I still work with today.”

Hillel Jewish Student Organization Visits Rangel Lab and Apiary

October 7, 2014 by

Students from the Texas A&M Hillel Jewish Student Organization recently visited Dr. Juliana Rangel's lab at Riverside Campus to learn about honey and how it is connected to the Jewish New Year celebration Rosh Hashanah. Photo by Juliana Rangel. — Students from the Texas A&M Hillel Jewish Student Organization recently visited Dr. Juliana Rangel’s lab at Riverside Campus to learn about honey and how it is connected to the Jewish New Year celebration Rosh Hashanah. Photo by Juliana Rangel.

BRYAN, Texas – Members of the Hillel Jewish Student Organization headed out for Texas A&M’s Riverside campus to get the latest buzz on honey and how honey is made during a recent tour in September.

The students learned several different things about honey, including how it is made, what part honey bees played in the role, and how honey is used in such religious celebrations as the Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah.

Hillel’s Jewish Student Life Coordinator Veronica Beskin said that the trip was perfect because they celebrated annually by eating symbolic foods, such as apples, dipped in honey, which represents making the year ahead a sweet year.

During the tour, group had the chance to visit with the staff and researchers and listen to presentations from several of the grad students on their research in the lab and got a chance to taste different types of honey.

adrian-fisher — Grad student Adrian Fisher showing a honey comb from the apiary during the tour. Submitted Photo.

Beskin heard about Rangel’s lab after talking to Rangel when planning the organization’s yearly events and wanted to do something different to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

“Back in May I was planning our holiday programs and did research looking for something fun and unique to celebrate the holiday. Some people go apple picking, but since this an agricultural school I knew there would be more options,” she said. “I honestly found the Honey Bee Lab website and emailed Dr. Rangel asking if a tour would be possible. She put it together and included a wonderful event for us as well.”

Rangel was very excited to have the group visit to learn about bees and how honey was produced.

Pierre Lau showing his research to students from the Hillel Jewish Student Center at a recent tour. Photo by Juliana Rangel

“We are delighted that diverse organizations in our community can take advantage of the great resources available at our bee research facility,” Rangel said.

“We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit. I brought 10 students last week, and they have informed me they want more programs just like that! Our experience at the Honey Bee Lab exceeded my expectations,” Beskin said.

Insect of the Month: Green June Beetles

September 25, 2014 by

Photo of a Green June Beetle. Photo by Mike Merchant. — Green June Beetle. Photo by Mike Merchant.

It’s the time of year that green june beetles are spotted in large clusters around Central Texas.

According to Extension Program Specialist Wizzie Brown, these beetles are known by their velvety green appearance and measure about one inch long and one-half inch wide. The beetle’s top is a dull green with yellow-brown markings on the wings and the underside is bright, metallic green with yellow-orange markings. The larvae, usually called grubs, are creamy white and shaped like the letter C with well-developed head capsules and legs and can grow over an inch in length.

Brown also said the adult beetles are large and conspicuous and like to eat thin-skinned fruits (such as grapes, peaches, figs and others) or fermented fruits and some flowers. Adults may also be found on trees that are oozing sap, but the beetles are not causing the sap to ooze from the tree.

Larvae feed in the soil and eat plants such as turfgrass, vegetables and ornamental plants. Grubs often will emerge from the soil at night and crawl on their backs instead of using their short legs. The grubs also may cause small mounds of soil on the turf that may be mistaken for fire ant mounds or earthworm castings.

To check for grubs, which are the damaging stage, Brown recommends cutting several 4″ x 4″ soil sections in different areas of the turf and look in the root zone and soil for presence of grubs. It is possible to have grubs in the turf and not see any damage. If a turf is kept healthy, then it can withstand some damage from insects.

Brown recommends trying nematodes or pesticides for treating the grubs. When choosing nematodes, be aware that they require moist soil to move and parasitize prey. If the cities people live in are under watering restrictions, she said that the above method may not be a feasible option. Pesticides come in granular or liquid formulations with systemic (i.e. the active ingredient imidacloprid) or contact (i.e. the active ingredient cyfluthrin) modes of action.

Contact products need to come in contact with the grub for it to kill the insect, so it will require watering in to carry any pesticide to the soil where the grubs are located. Systemic products also require watering in, but the turf will take up the active ingredient into the roots and the grub will get a dose when it feeds on the turf. Granular products should be applied with a properly calibrated spreader and then watered in. Always read and follow all label instructions, she said.

For more information about green June beetles, see the Field Guide To Common Texas Insects website at http://texasinsects.tamu.edu/bimg142.html or the Green June Beetle Biology, Damage and Control fact sheet at https://insects.tamu.edu/extension/publications/epubs/eee_00044.html.

For additional help on control and management, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent.

Grad Students Receive AFRI Travel Grant for ESA Meeting in November

September 16, 2014 by

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Ph.D. students Freddy Ibanez and Carrie Deans will be able to travel to the national meeting of the Entomological Society Meeting this year thanks to a travel grant from the US Department of Agriculture.

Deans and Ibanez were two of 10 students that were selected to travel to the meeting that is scheduled to be held in Portland, Ore., on November 16-19.

According to the ESA’s website, the grant provides financial support to allow graduate students to travel to the annual meeting to allow them to experience such opportunities as networking and presenting to peers and colleagues. The grant is sponsored by the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, or AFRI.

Deans is co-advised by Dr. Gregory Sword and Dr. Spencer Behmer . Her research focuses on how nutrition impacts stress response in insects. Ibanez is advised by Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy.

A native of Jackson, Minnesota, Deans was first introduced to and worked with insects and entomology while she was an undergraduate at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. While at St. Thomas, she worked in the labs of Drs. Adam Kay and Kyle Zimmer. She was involved in projects focusing on the nutritional ecology of aquatic insects.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Environmental Studies at St. Thomas, she worked in the natural resources field. After serving with the Minnesota Conservation Corps and working at Willow River State Park in Wisconsin, she then pursued her Master of Science degree in Ecology and Natural Resources at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

During the time she was at St. Cloud State, she worked in Dr. Neal Voelz’s stream ecology lab on her research on the field of ecological stoichiometry. She said that ecological stoichiometry is a sub-field of nutritional ecology that focuses on the balance of elements in consumer-resource interactions. Deans then received her Master of Science in Ecology and Natural Resources before joining Texas A&M.

During her career, Deans received the C. Everette Salyer Fellowship in Cotton Research in 2011, the 2014-2015 Texas A&M University Dissertation Fellowship, and the Best Ph.D. Student Oral Presentation Prize in the Insect Control section during the Beltwide Cotton Conference in New Orleans in 2014.

Deans was excited and grateful to receive the grant and hopes that this will give her the opportunity to share her research with peers.

“I am very honored to receive this award, especially knowing the high caliber of research going on in the field of entomology right now,” she said. “The funds provided by this award will allow me to perform some analyses that will really improve my dissertation project and will hopefully produce data that will allow us to better understanding the nutritional impacts on stress and the environmental constraints on pesticide efficacy.”

Ibanez received his BS in biochemistry at the University of Santiago in 2006, where he served as secretary of the Biochemistry Undergraduate Student Organization. Freddy’s interest in insect biology started years ago when he was working as a research assistant in the laboratory of Dr. Veronica Cambiazzo at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology in Chile

He joined Texas A&M University as a research assistant in the Department of Horticultural Sciences in 2010, then joined Dr. Tamborindeguy’s lab to learn and understand how the pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum and its vector Bactericera cockerelli will colonize potato and other solanaceous crops which results in a plant disease. In potato this is known as Zebra chip, which is associated with the dark bands produced when potato chips are processed.

In August, 2013, Freddy started to pursue a PhD degree in entomology in Dr. Tamborindeguy’s group, where he is dedicated to studying Bactericera cockerelli reproduction, determining the effects of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum on insect fecundity, and identifying novel targets to control psyllid populations.

“I am honored to be chosen,” Ibanez said. “This is a great opportunity for me to network with all the great researchers in entomology.”