Bees and borders


Dwindling pollinator population on this side of the 49th blamed on 26-year ban against imports fromCalifornia. By Judie Steeves


S


ince the closure of theU.S. border by the Canadian government to the importation of packaged bees


in 1987, the number of beekeepers and bees in Canada has dropped instead of expanding to keep upwith the demand for pollination of food crops in this country, says Peter Awram, of HoneyviewFarminRosedale, one of the largest beekeepers in the province. He says 30 per cent of Canada’s


honeybee populationwas lostwhen the borderwas closed, because of difficulties overwintering bees in Canada’s colder climate. “We relied on packages of bees from


California because honeybees don’t like this cold a climate. California produces good bees. They have an earlier spring,” he explains. Canadian beekeepers have been


struggling ever since the border closure because overwintering the queens is so difficult here. A package is a screened cagewith two


pounds ofworker bees, a separate queen and feed. It’swell-ventilated and is far cleaner and freer fromdisease than a comb, explains Awram. Canada has never permitted importation of bees on comb and he is adamant it shouldn’t now. Packages are a natural disease


control, as is swarming, amethod of keeping hives strong because it gets themaway fromthe comb and brood, which is good for Varroamite control, he explains. Varroamites are the reason the


borderwas closed in 1987. That September, Varroamiteswere discovered in theU.S. and the Canadian government had already declared it a pest, so it closed the border to


importation of packages ofU.S. bees in order to prevent its spread into Canada, explains provincial apiculture specialist Paul van Westendorp. Even though the


mitesmade their way into Canada anyway, he says today there are other issues. For instance, the SmallHive Beetle is


JUDIE STEEVES


Peter Awram with his demonstration hive at Honeyview Farm.


considered an exotic pest that is nowin theU.S. and is notwanted in Canada. Aswell, a pesticide called Amitraz has


been used somuch against Varroamites in theU.S. that some have now


developed a resistance to it, and if they come into this country, Canadian beekeeperswill no longer have that tool against Varroamites, said van Westendorp. And then, there is the ongoing debate about possible exposure to African bees,


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