Survey Work

We will be conducting surveys to assess beekeeping practices. For this research, we ask that you complete the a questionnaire. Your contact information will be kept confidential. We also ask that you allow us to inspect your beehive. You may view a copy of our inspection form. This survey should take no longer than 5-10 minutes. Because it is a legal requirement for beekeepers to register their hives with the state apiary, only those who have registered their hives are able to participate in this study. This survey has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Research Procedure

If you consent to participate in this research study, as indicated below, there are two parts. First, you will be asked for contact and location information, about your apiaries, beehives, beekeeping practices, demographic data, and how welcome you feel in the beekeeping community.

Second, we will conduct one inspection each in the spring, summer, and fall for each participating beekeeper. Inspections will consist of opening the hive, performing a sugar shake test for varroa mites, and looking for visual signs of small hive beetle, wax moths, American foulbrood, European foulbrood, chalkbrood, deformed wing virus, chronic bee paralysis virus, acute bee paralysis virus, nosema, laying workers, and absence of a queen. We will minimize risk to the hive by only inspecting in temperatures of 50-100F/10-37C, and when precipitation is not expected. The beekeeper will be present for the inspection and responsible for opening their hives and removing frames. We will practice social distancing and all participants are required to wear masks.

We will also collect microclimate data on temperature, wind, humidity, and cloud cover at the study locations.

Risks

The biggest risk involved is that of a participant finding that their hive is contaminated with American foulbrood or Africanized honey bees. We will be required to report these findings to the state apiary inspector, and, if confirmed, the hive must be destroyed. In the case of American foulbrood, all equipment that has been in contact with the hive will be incinerated. However, American foulbrood would most likely have led to loss of the colony without the survey, and could have spread to other hives as well. We will observe each hive for this and sanitize what equipment we can (e.g., a metal hive tool). Any equipment that cannot be sterilized (e.g., leather gloves) will be destroyed if it comes into contact with an infected hive. This is not a common disease, so we do not anticipate this issue. There have been 8 reported hives with American Foulbrood out of 40,000 registered hives in Tennessee.

Another liability issue is accidental killing of a queen. To help minimize this risk, we require that the beekeepers are present, open the hive, and remove frames. This way, we are not liable in case of the accidental killing of a queen bee, and we are transparent with our inspection.

Benefits

Benefits to the beekeeper will include free inspections on their beehive(s) and education about pests and diseases. We will report these findings to the beekeeper, along with some recommendations on how they may follow-up. Further benefits include contribution towards beekeeping knowledge in the Chattanooga area.

Confidentiality

Data collected in this study is confidential and will not be shared outside of the study. Dr. DeAnna Beasley, Dr. Alexandria Zelin and Caitlin Jarvis will have access to data. Data will be stored in a laptop protected computer and will not be destroyed. Should your hive have an American foulbrood we will need to report this to the state apiary inspector.

All data collected will be presented in the aggregate in research reports and presentations.

Participation

To participate in this study a person must have a registered beehive in Tennessee or Georgia, be 18 years or older, and agree to let us inspect their hive while they are present. Additionally, the participant will be the one to open the hive and remove frames. Participation is voluntary and may be discontinued at any time. If you would no longer like your data used in the study you may contact Caitlin Jarvis for removal of your responses and apiary findings.

Contact

On-site research will be conducted by Caitlin Jarvis, tmm368@mocs.utc.edu. Dr. DeAnna Beasley, deanna-beasley@utc.edu, and Dr. Alexandria Zelin, Alexandra-zelin@utc.edu, will be conducting research on this

project.

The research project (IRB# 21-015) was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. You can also contact Dr. Susan Davidson, the Chair of the Human Subjects Committee, Institutional Review Board at (423) 425-5568. Additional contact information is available at www.utc.edu/irb.