[getsmart-l] The loss of 35 per cent of Ontario’s honey bee colonies last winter . . .

[John O'Gorman]

http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/News/356521.html
Reason, solutions for bee die off discovered
But at least one local beekeeper isn’t convinced 

By Stephan Kleiser STAFF WRITER Tillsonburg News
Friday November 23, 2007

     

The loss of 35 per cent of Ontario’s honey bee colonies last winter was likely caused by a combination of diseases and environmental factors, according to research conducted by the Ontario Beekeepers Association. 
The good news is that the problem is expected to be resolved.
But at least one local beekeeper isn’t convinced they’ve found all that ailed the hives.
Over the past year, the association has studied the different techniques beekeepers were using and examined numerous affected hives. 
Both "live and dead bees were tested for varroa mites, tracheal mites and nosema, a protozoan which affects the bees’ digestive systems," Alison Skinner, a technology transfer specialist with the Ontario Beekeepers, said in a release.
What the team found was surprising. Nosema was evident in every sample with many of the spore counts numbering over 1 million. However, skinner said the nosema wasn’t the sole factor in the bee deaths. "The bees were already under stress from a high incidence of varroa mites as well as the environment. Due to a wet fall, the bees were not able to gather enough pollen to use as a protein source for raising young bees in the spring." 



Now that the problem has been diagnosed, the Tech Transfer Team is busy sharing the results and outlining the only known treatment, the use of "Fumagilin B" fed in sugar syrup to kill the nosema spores. 
Tillsonburg beekeeper David Brandon however, said he is not convinced.
Brandon said he already did all the things now recommended last fall, but it didn’t help.
"I did all of that, before there even was a problem, and I still lost 75 per cent of my bees. I really think there was something else going on there as well, but we may never know what it was."
Brandon saw his bee population crash from about 170 hives to just 45.
He is now back to about 110 and said he will split hives again in the spring to get back to the numbers he had before the kill.
"But I still would like to know what caused this, I’m simply not convinced that we have the full story," he said. 
According to the Ontario Beekeepers Association, at an average value of $225 per hive, last winter’s loss equated to almost $6 million. Some large beekeepers and beekeepers in regions such as Niagara and Haldimand-Norfolk suffered losses over 90 per cent. Winter losses are normal, though not at this level. Of the almost 76,000 bee hives in Ontario, almost 27,000 died with many of the remaining colonies being severely weakened. 
But their prognosis is good for the bees. Many of the province’s 2,400 beekeepers either split their colonies, or purchased new bees throughout the summer, so the populations are back up and will hopefully be healthy through the next winter. The remaining sick bees are being treated, monitored and should recover. 
Honeybees not only provide honey but also pollination for many fruits and vegetables. It is generally accepted that honeybee pollination is responsible for one-third of our food, and adds $171 million to the economy. 
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