In the film Fantastic Fungi by Louie Schwartzberg, amazing time lapse photography shows the growth of numerous kinds of fungi as they digest dead plant and animal material and in so doing enrich the earth. Fungi, a separate form of life from plants and animals, have healing properties for the immune systems of animals, including humans, which are beginning to be researched. The film, which stars the mycologist Paul Stamets, among others, has an important section on the use of fungi to help bees resist viruses in their hives.
According to a new paper from Washington State University (WSU), and colleagues at Fungi Perfecti, a mushroom extract fed to honey bees greatly reduces virus levels in their hives. Colonies fed mycelium extract from amadou and reishi fungi showed a 79-fold reduction in deformed wing virus and a 45,000-fold reduction in Lake Sinai virus compare to control colonies.
Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, threadlike hyphae. It penetrates deep into the soil. Fungi Perfecti is a business dedicated to promoting the cultivation of high quality medicinal mushrooms. Paul Stamets grows his mushrooms organically in the Pacific Northwest.
"Our greatest hope is that these extracts have such an impact on viruses that they may help varroa mites become an annoyance for bees, rather than causing huge devastation," said Steve Sheppard, a WSU entomology professor and one of the paper's authors. "We're excited to see where this research leads us. Time is running out for bee populations and the safety and security of the world's food supply hinges on our ability to find means to improve pollinator health."
The research was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
At present, the mycelium extract isn't currently available in levels for beekeepers to purchase for their hives.
"We are ramping up production of the extracts as rapidly as is feasible, given the hurdles we must overcome to deploy this on a wide scale," Stamets added. "Those who are interested in being kept up to date, can sign up for more information at http://www.fungi.com."
Sheppard said he and his colleagues plan to do more work to refine their now-published results. That way beekeepers will have the best information when supplies are more available.
"A portion of this project was funded by USDA-NIFA project WNP00604.
1. Paul E. Stamets, Nicholas L. Naeger, Jay D. Evans, Jennifer O. Han, Brandon K. Hopkins, Dawn Lopez, Henry M. Moershel, Regan Nally, David Sumerlin, Alex W. Taylor, Lori M. Carris, Walter S. Sheppard. Extracts of Polypore Mushroom Mycelia Reduce Viruses in Honey Bees. Scientific Reports, 2018; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32194-8
The effects of this insecticide on animals and humans has been widely studied since the 1970s. Chlorpyrifos affects living things to various degrees: it is very toxic to birds and insects, including bees, quite toxic to fish, and also toxic to humans. Home use of chlorpyrifos was banned in 2000, when Dow withdrew it from the market voluntarily, though it is still found in insect baits. Golf courses still combat pests with it, and it is also
used by farmers on nearly 50 crops—many of which we consume, like oranges—and in cattle ear tags. Farmworkers are exposed, and pregnant farmworkers may have lasting damage to their children. Recent studies of small children have found a link between chlorpyrifos and lower IQ and developmental problems
Hawaii is the first state to ban Chlorpyrifos. California should follow suit. Contact your congressperson, senators and governor Gavin Newsom to ban this highly toxic chemical.
used by farmers on nearly 50 crops—many of which we consume, like oranges—and in cattle ear tags. Farmworkers are exposed, and pregnant farmworkers may have lasting damage to their children. Recent studies of small children have found a link between chlorpyrifos and lower IQ and developmental problems
Hawaii is the first state to ban Chlorpyrifos. California should follow suit. Contact your congressperson, senators and governor Gavin Newsom to ban this highly toxic chemical.
Sadja Greenwood, MD, MPH
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