3.33 - History (Works of A.Betts, L.Bailey and B.Ball)

Question 1

Annie Betts - useful facts (13)

Bettsia Alvei (pollen fungi named after her)

Published 4 x books

Founder member of Apis Club

Editor of Bee World

Answer 1

1. Eminent bee researcher, bee desease expert, author and editor
2. Beekeeper. Researched fungi in the hive
3. Discovered Perecytes alvi stored in pollen (now known as Bettsia alvei)
4. Published “The Fungi if the Beehive”, The Constistency of the Pollinating Bee and Practical Bee Anatomy. In 1934 she published The Diseases of Bees which she updated and republished in 1951.
5. Founder member of the Apis Club and its director from 1929-1949
6. Editor of Bee world including 170 of her own articles which were always higly regarded.

Question 2

Dr Leslie ‘Bill’ Bailey

Jooined navy volunteer reserve as an observer and mentioned in dispatches after HMS Bismarck sinking as played pivotal role

Went to Cambridge after the war ten became biochemist in hospital

Nosema apis study

Bailey comb change

EFB (1956)

Electron microscope revealed new pathogens ABPV and CPBV (1963)

Sacbrood (1973)

Author of Infectious Diseases of the Honey Bee, first published in 1963

Worked with Brenda Ball

Answer 2

1. Navigator and Entomologist. Born 5 May 1922. Died after a short illness 1 May 2017 aged 94
2. Degree natural sciences from Cambridge.
3. In 1951, with no previous experience of working with bees, he accepted a job in the Bee Department at Rothamsted Experimental Station.
4. Initiated studies on bee diseases at a time when insect pathology was in its infancy and he did much to establish standard methodologies in many different areas of investigation.
5. He commenced work on Nosema apis, determining its cycle of annual incidence and means of transmission, devising methods of comb fumigation for its control as well as the need for regular comb change (Bailey Comb Change). He also turned his attention to the troublesome bacterial disease of the larval honey bee, European Foulbrood.
6. Developed a medium for the laboratory cultivation of the organism and the first experiments with pure cultures showed it to be the primary pathogen. Studies continued on its natural history and epidemiology; knowledge essential to devising rational control measures.
7. All the major parasites and pathogens received his attention at some time, but perhaps his greatest contribution was in the field of insect virology.
8. With the advent of the electron microscope to reveal new pathogens, in 1963 he reported the isolation of the first two viruses of honey bees, acute and chronic bee paralysis. This heralded a new era for insect pathology.
9. More viruses were added over the next 10 years
10. His investigations demonstrated that most, if not all the wide variety of bee pathogens can occur in colonies that continue to appear healthy. This conclusion considerably modified concepts of honey bee pathology.
11. Bill’s practical skills were employed to great effect in the laboratory as he designed and often assisted in making items of equipment required for specific investigations. He remained a “bench scientist” throughout his career and brought the same meticulous analytical approach to all aspects of his work.
12. Author of Infectious Diseases of the Honey Bee, first published in 1963 - updated by Brenda Ball in 1991
13. After retirement, Bill continued to write scientific papers for Bee World and the Journal of Apicultural Research. He contributed to the COLOSS BEE BOOK chapter on viruses in 2013.

Question 3

Brenda V Ball

Answer 3

1. Still alive
2. Also a member of the bee team at Rothamstead with Bill Bailey
3. Worked with Bill to update Honey Bee Diseases in 1991
4. Went on to work on varroa
5. Scores of her papers on honey bee diseas are available online
6. Past president of Central Association of Beekeepers