Leading Bee Researcher and Administrator
By: Jay Evans
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Dr. Hachiro Shimanuki was born in Hawaii and obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Bacteriology at the University of Hawaii in 1956. He then served in the U.S. Army in the Biological Warfare Laboratories at Ft. Detrick, MD and upon completion of his military obligation attended Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where he studied American foulbrood of honey bees. In 1963, he obtained his Ph.D. in microbiology and entomology under the tutelage of Drs. Paul Hartman and Walter Rothenbuhler. After four years of working with honey bees he was “hooked” and he accepted a position with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service at the Bee Disease Investigations Laboratory in Laramie, WY. In 1967, he was transferred to the Bee Laboratory in Beltsville, MD, where he remained for over 30 years.
He inherited a USDA laboratory that was already world-renowned for its research and diagnostic service but, due to budgetary cuts and retirements, was reduced to one scientist, two technicians, and one secretary. Under Dr. Shimanuki’s leadership and the support of the ARS administration, the laboratory grew to 8 professionals. He attributes this growth primarily to the work of his co-worker’s research.
In addition to administrative duties, he authored and co-authored over a hundred research papers and book chapters. He has continued his interest in bees even after retirement, attending meetings and co-editing the award-winning 41st edition of The ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture. Dr. Shimanuki is modest to a fault and, along with the efforts he discusses below, he testified before a subcommittee of Congress on Africanized honey bees, worked with NASA and a Science Fair student on bees in space, and advised graduate students at the University of Wyoming and University of Maryland. With computer specialists, he attempted to produce one of the first simulation models for honey bee populations. Finally, as a great contribution to the future of bee research, he curated the USDA National Agricultural Library’s bee bibliography, including 35,000 microfilmed and computerized bibliography cards.
Below, he addresses questions from his long and illustrious career.
Jay
How long did you work in Beltsville and were you always associated with the bee laboratory.
Dr. Hachiro
I worked in Beltsville for 33 years and would you believe it, always in the same building. At this point let me put in a plug for the late David Knox who was in charge of the diagnostic service and served as my co-worker for 33 years. For a few years there was no Bee Laboratory. I was put in charge of the Beneficial Insects Laboratory which included bee research and the bee disease diagnostic service. Fortunately, at the urging of the bee industry, the ARS administrators re-established the Bee Laboratory and appointed me the Leader.
Jay
You wore many hats over your career, how would you describe your career.
Dr. Hachiro
I think my peers should make that judgement, but from my viewpoint I considered myself a researcher and research leader, educator, and liaison. I always tried to keep a positive spin on beekeeping, no doom and gloom and I tried to encourage cooperation between and among scientists, beekeepers, and administrators. I think one of my main contributions was serving as a resource person with institutional memory for all our clients. If I didn’t know the answer to a question, I would often know who to contact.
Jay
Looking back on your career, what was the most difficult bee problem you and your co-workers faced.
Dr. Hachiro
That’s a difficult question, I believe the second half of the twentieth century was the most challenging period for the beekeeping industry in the U.S. In 1968 it was chalkbrood disease, then in 1984 the tracheal mite, varroa mite in 1987, Africanized honey bees in 1990 and the small hive beetle in 1996. In addition to these problems, there were massive bee kills from various insecticides. The problem of massive bee kills first began in the late 1950’s when Sevin was used in an aerial spray.
If I have to choose one, the most difficult problem has to be the tracheal mite. This was a new pest and the bees in the U.S. were highly susceptible. Furthermore, the detection of mite-infected bees was difficult, and sadly colonies were destroyed in a futile attempt to eradicate the mite.
Jay
In your 33 years in Beltsville how did the change of National Bee Program Directors affect your career?
Dr. Hachiro
It’s a difficult question, and I’d like to answer in this manner. Beltsville has always been the headquarters for the ARS Bee Program Directors which seem to change frequently, seems like every four years. Some of the Directors had knowledge of bees and others were novices when it came to bees. For this reason, I was called upon often to provide information to news services and assistance to various divisions of the USDA and Federal Agencies like the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the State Department and the Food and Drug Administration.
Within the ARS bee program I was frequently called upon to be a fact finder and to evaluate bee problems, hence you can find my publication list to include a diverse set of subjects: chalkbrood disease, Nosema disease, infant botulism, pesticides, tracheal mite, Varroa, Africanized honey bees, and small hive beetle. Many of these assignments required traveling domestically and internationally.
Jay
You mention travel, what meetings and where did you travel?
Dr. Hachiro
One of the things I should emphasize is the wonderful staff that I have had over my career. It is the staff that supported my travel. In North America I frequently attended meetings of the American Beekeeping Federation, the American Honey Producers Association, the Apiary Inspectors of America, the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists and many state and local meetings. I also made trips to the ARS bee laboratories, in Baton Rouge, Madison, Westlaco, Laramie, Logan, and Tucson and visits to bee laboratories in various Universities.
Jay
What about international travel, any memorable meeting?
Dr. Hachiro
In terms of international travel, excluding North America, I traveled to over twenty countries while attending ten Apimondia and four Asian Apiculture Conventions. The most interesting meeting I was invited to was one sponsored by the Office of International Epizootics in Nice, France. The purpose of this meeting was to formulate standards for international shipment of bees. Present at the meeting were representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and a number of other countries. As I remember Russia had two scientists and a translator. At the end of the meeting the Russian representatives proposed a toast with Vodka that they brought with them from Russia.
Jay
Did you participate in other international activities?
Dr. Hachiro
I was honored by being elected as the President of the International Bee Research Association, an honorary position. Additionally I served as the English editor for Apidologie, a scientific journal published in German, French, and English.
Jay
What differences do you see in bee research?
Dr. Hachiro
That’s an interesting question, and one that I have given much thought. My co-workers when I was first hired by ARS were primarily Apiculturists, then the next group of hires were Apiculturists with a strong second speciality such as chemistry, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, etc. and today many new hires have no exposure to Apiculture. With the addition of these new disciplines I am hopeful that there will be new methods to identify and reduce the unsolved mystery of bee losses.
The second half of the twentieth century was the most difficult and challenging period in beekeeping in the U.S. and in my opinion also the golden age of bee research. I feel privileged in having worked with some of the giants in beekeeping and research. Yes, without the beekeeper support many of us would not have had a job. I won’t mention any names for fear that I might miss someone but I am extremely thankful for the support of beekeepers and my colleagues in science.