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October 24, 2023October 24, 2023

PESTICIDES RESIDUES IN HONEY – CORRECTED VERSION OF NEWSLETTER OF THE 31TH SEPTEMEMBER

Pesticides residues in honey

Josef van der Steen

September 2023

Summary
Pesticides can be detected in honey. There is nothing that a beekeeper can do about it, because pesticides are in the environment and bees collect these pesticide residues along with their food. Based on the recent EFSA report on pesticides in food, the most detected pesticides in honey are the agricultural pesticides thiacloprid, acetamiprid, bimoxystrobin, glyphosate, chlorpyriphos, fosetyl, flonicamid, boscalid, and chlorfluazuron. The varroa control substances amitraz and coumaphos were also detected. In about 4 out of 5 honey samples no pesticides were found in quantifiable amounts, and in 1 out of 5 honeys pesticides could be detected. Only in a few cases did the amount of pesticides exceed the MRL (Maximum Residue Level) threshold, but in all cases, the honey samples analysed met the food safety / trade threshold. How pesticides enter the hive, how the honey bee colony cleans the honey, and how pesticides in honey may relate to honey consumption and toxic effects, is described in this newsletter. Continue reading “PESTICIDES RESIDUES IN HONEY – CORRECTED VERSION OF NEWSLETTER OF THE 31TH SEPTEMEMBER”

October 23, 2023October 23, 2023

Worlds northernmost beekeeper

Sissel Goodgame is the worlds northernmost beekeeper. More then 2000 km north of Oslo, Norway. We found it so exciting to have her on the team, since she is so far away for everything – read “pollution”. On the annual Vossa møtet 2 hours from Bergen, Sissel made a great talk about her participation in the INSIGNIA project. INSIGNIA would not survive without our beekeepers or Citizens Scientist as we call them. They are all volunteers. We handed over our honor certificate for being an important part of INSIGNIA. “Sissel thanks a lot”. Hope there will be a next time and hope to have you on the team.

October 4, 2023October 23, 2023

The diversity of the pollen image of a bee colony

Within the INSIGNIA project we did sample pollen samples from our test colonies every second week from the 20.-23. April to the end of the project 24.-27. august. Every second week the Citizens Scientist went out an activated the pollen trap on the evening before and then did empty the trap next days evening. There was always an eye on the weather forecast. Should we move the collection with one or 2 days. The main part of the samplings were done over one day, few times 2 days.

Continue reading “The diversity of the pollen image of a bee colony”

August 4, 2023August 4, 2023

How are we doing?

Podcast on where we are after samplinground 7, we are so close to the final sampling round and there are samples all over europe on the way to the laboratories. We are so excited. So how are we doing. Listen to the sum up.

April 26, 2023

Portugal is started, even in rain!

The national coordinators of Portugal Alice Pinto and Andreia Quaresma from Instituto Politécnico de Bragança made the big tour, visiting all Citizens Scientist to support the start up of INSIGNIA sampling in Portugal. Have look on the nice video and see how and what they did. Even Portugal has “not so nice weather”. Really good investment of the coordinators. Secures a safe startup and getting closely connected to the Citizens Scientist.

April 23, 2023

It has started!

INSIGNIA-EU is now running in 27 EU countries, with 23 languages, having 316 Citizens Scientist using 632 bee colonies. It is with great pleasure and excitement that we have a short talk on the 4^th sampling day for the startup round. Have a look.

March 10, 2023

We are on our way

Two INSIGNIAS just finished the very last packing of the toolboxes. They are tired, but very happy. Have a listen!

February 15, 2023February 15, 2023

First meeting with all the 27 National Coordinators

And exiting workshop took place the last day (13^th-14^th February 2023) in Wageningen. Here we meet for the first time all our national coordinators from all EU countries. We did learn each other to know, we did practice, we did discus and we did socialize. Listen to our podcast.

February 15, 2023

INSIGNIA presenting themselves for EU

INSIGNIA-EU meets with European Commission in Brussels. Time for a short podcast on our meeting and what was going in Brussels.

February 7, 2023February 7, 2023

Sampling dates public

All the sampling dates for the INSIGNIA project is now public. This is important for the Citizens Scientist as well as the coordinators, since all people want to plane their summer and especially in regard to beekeeping activities. For all sampling windows the Citizens Scientist need to pick one of the 4 days available, where they can do sampling. So, for sampling round 1, you can choose to make your sampling on one of the days 4^th or 5^th or 6^th or 7^th of May. We also ask our Citizens Scientist to cooperate with neighbor beekeepers, in the case our Citizens Scientist themselves are not able to sample in one of the sampling rounds. For INSIGNIA it is important to have a full as possibly sampling.