What is EARS? January 2016

Background. Each year beekeeping associations in the Eastern region are invited to attend a meeting called by the Regional Bee Inspector (RBI). We hear about levels of disease around the region and about National Bee Unit (NBU) initiatives. It also gives beekeepers the opportunity to raise concerns with the Inspection Service. These sessions are very useful to all concerned.

It was at one of these meetings several years ago that Dr Giles Budge (then of the NBU) suggested that the associations might initiate a research project. The government’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) funds a number of research projects it considers worthwhile, if there is enough financial support from an appropriate industry partner. The industry partner has to provide £4k per annum for four years, the duration of the research.

At the outset, most of the Eastern Associations agreed to contribute and, when our commitments reached £4k per year, we applied for a BBSRC grant. BBSRC usually only works with a single industry partner where there is certainty of funding. We were different; it was good of the BBSRC to stretch a point and agree that our beekeeping associations could be considered as the industry partner and so fund a scheme. The end result is that for each pound that we beekeepers have contributed, BBSRC have provided a further six. This is really good value. Without our ‘pump priming’, this research would not have begun.

In 2009 Ricarda Kather was the first East Anglian research student (hence EARS, an acronym coined by David Bancalari, our first coordinator); she started work at Sheffield University with Dr Stephen Martin. The aims of her project were to find out how varroa deceives its host and discover how varroa manages to spread so rapidly. Her work showed how varroa makes itself ‘invisible’ to bees when it gets into a colony. A little more knowledge of varroa was obtained, scientific papers were produced and she achieved a PhD.

With Ricarda’s research completed, it was agreed at the next regional meeting that we should try for another project. This application was also successful and EARS 2 is now running at Aberdeen University with Dr Alan Bowman supervising Emma Bradford. Emma is investigating how deformed wing virus (DWV) changes as it is passed between varroa mites and bees. DWV is more virulent when varroa is present so this is another important research project. Emma is now in the second year of a four year project.

Before EARS, no local beekeeping association took any direct part in major research. The Eastern Region associations have found a novel way to do this. Others are now following our lead; we should be proud of ourselves. Scottish beekeepers are funding a second Alan Bowman varroa-related project. A major gain from EARS is that a new generation of students is being trained in first class bee research science. There are many issues affecting our bees; to find some of the answers, further research is essential.

Finally, do we want an EARS 3? Although no decision is needed before summer, Associations should consider this over the next few months. As mentioned above, we need firm commitments of £4k per annum before we can apply for another grant. Do place this item on the agenda for one of your meetings so that you can canvass opinion within your Association.

Wally Thrale

EARS Funding Coordinator

Associations contributing to EARS2

Association / Amount / Association / Amount
Beds BKA / £1,000 / Lincolnshire BKA / £1,290
Bee Farmers’ Association / £300 / Norfolk BKA / £0
Cambridgeshire BKA / £1,000 / Peterborough & District BKA / £200
Essex BKA / £500 / Stowmarket & District BKA / £100
Herts BKA / £0 / Suffolk BKA / £600
Hunts BKA / £100 / Welwyn BKA / £100
Kings Lynn & West Norfolk BKA / £200 / Morley Foundation* / £1,000
Leicestershire & Rutland BKA / £0 / Total / £6,390

* The Morley Agricultural Foundation is a charity set up to support farming in the East of England by funding agricultural research and educational projects.

Payment of contributions. Invoices will be sent by Stuart Grant to each participating association during the third quarter each year. Invoices should be paid as soon as possible. Email queries to Stuart at: .

The alert reader will have noticed that we are getting in more money than we need. The surplus may enable us to start EARS3 a year early or could be used to support other appropriate research, at Rothamsted or elsewhere.