GUELPH — Health Canada is throwing the baby out with the bathwater with its proposed neonicotinoid ban, said University of Guelph environmental scientist Paul Sibley. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency has proposed phasing out agricultural use of imidacloprid, the least used neonic in Canada, over three to five years.
Sibley took some heat for his comments in the Western Producer that the decision had more to do with politics than science. But he stands by that position, he told Farmers Forum. “I can’t not draw the conclusion that it’s at least in part politically motivated.”
Scientists prostituting themselves by delivering “bespoke” scientific findings for their corporate sponsors and corrupting the scientific literature is a favorite trope of environmental and anti-industry activists. They rail against undisclosed conflicts of interest that, were they known, should exclude the individuals–and their technical expertise–from regulatory studies and deliberations, thus leaving the activists’ specious views largely unopposed.
Some of the most insightful research into the parasite is done in northern Utah, in the lab of James Strange, a research entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Lately, Strange has studied a close relative of the rusty-patched bumblebee, the Western bumblebee, rearing colonies in his lab, exhausting himself to get them healthy, then infecting them with a parasite that bloats male bees until they’re impotent.
Malcolm sees a “massive need” for good genetics in the industry – for resistance to the varroa mite and to produce high performing queen bees.
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“We have another evaluation programme where we take 50 high-performance hives out of the field and monitor them for two or three years. We measure for temperament, hygiene, egg-laying capacity, varroa tolerance and honey production. The data is measured and compared – hives are played off against each other.”
But here’s something you probably haven’t heard: there are more honeybee colonies in the United States today than there were when colony collapse disorder began in 2006. In fact, according to data released in March by the Department of Agriculture, U.S. honeybee-colony numbers are now at a 20-year high. And those colonies are producing plenty of honey: U.S. honey production is also at a 10-year high.
St. Louis — A new honey bee testing service announced this week will allow beekeepers to more effectively identify and address diseases plaguing bee colonies, according to the National Agricultural Genotyping Center (NAGC).
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“It’s the first time we have a panel of the most common honey bee diseases in North America all in one test,” said Pete Snyder, president and CEO of the NAGC. “So we can diagnose problems, get results in 30 days and allow beekeepers to pursue the right treatment.”
The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) is seeking proposals for research related to improving the health of honey bees. Proposals should focus on research to manage, suppress, and eradicate Varroa mites, small hive beetles, and other pests, pathogens, and diseases contributing to colony losses. Summaries of previously funded projects can be found at http://pollinator.org/honeybee_health.htm. Review and selection of proposals will be conducted by members of the Honey Bee Health Task Force.
The biggest threat is the Varroa mite. Its scientific name is Varroa destructor and it can eliminate a hive in 18 to 24 months. The Varroa mite is an external parasite that attacks adults and their developing litter. It feeds on the bee’s blood, weakens it and also transmits bacteria and viruses. It’s like having a five-pound weight on your back, sucking your blood. “If I had a magic wand and could end a plague, this would be the Varroa mite,” says Reed Johnson, an assistant professor in the entomology department at Ohio State University.
