he adds. Although it seems unlikely they could establish themselves here, in summer ourweather would suit them. “We set ourselves up for


legal issues ifwe allowed (killer bees) Africanized bees into the country and they stung someone.” There is also a shortage of


bees in California already, vanWestendorp added. Awrampoints out that


theU.S. still permits packaged bees to be imported fromCanada. He believes that a border


open bothwayswould benefit all farmers and beekeepers. With devastating drought in parts of


Almond groves in California could be pollinated by B.C. bees sent there to spend winter in warmer climes.


theU.S. and loss of bee forage for other reasons in theU.S., opening the Canadian border to packaged bees could be a real help to farmers and beekeepers on both sides of the border, he feels. He envisions sending packages of


bees down to California to overwinter them. They could use themtherewhen the almond trees are in bloom, earlier in spring than anything ismoving here. This year, he says theyweren't able to


meet the honeybee needs of the almond growers. VanWestendorp agrees it is time to


start “thinking outside the box.” Perhaps itwouldmake sense to help California by sending packages of bees to overwinter there and pollinate the almonds, then send packages of bees back in time to pollinate our crops in April orMay, he admitted. Awramsaysmost of Canada’s


beekeeping is in thewest, but the reason the closure continues is because eastern Canadian beekeepers are protectionist andwant it to be closed, he contends. “They havemore power even though they’re in theminority.” Bees don’t recognize international


borders and theywill fly three kilometreswithout giving it a thought, especially if they need food. If they’re desperate for honey theywill


fly 12 to 13 kilometres, says Awram, adding, “Honeybee behaviour is different than that of any other bee.” So, closing the bordermade no


difference, and themites are in Canada despite the closure, he says. He notes that in 1984 theOntario


borderwas closed, yet by 1987 there weremites inOntario bee colonies. Everyonewas trying to prevent the


          


spread ofmites.NewZealand got Varroamites in 1999 and the government claimed itwould eradicate them, but that country still has them, he says. Ironically,NewZealand is one of the


countries Canadian beekeepers are allowed to import package bees from, but Awramsays that’s not nearly as sensible as bringing themin from California. In fact, he saysNewZealand and


Australian bees have some diseases that are evenworse thanmites, plus it costs twice asmuch and the bees are inferior —they come froma countrywhere the seasons are at opposite times of the year and they’re travelling halfway around theworld to get here. “Iwould be happy to endorse the


border closure if itwould get rid of them, but that’s amyth,” says Awram. There’s no doubt that the Varroamite


is a nasty thing, butmanagement techniques exist to help dealwith it. The mite isweather-dependent too. Bees can outgrowdiseases if the hive is healthy


and the bees are getting lots of nectar fromflowers. Supplemental feeding is also possible, but Awramnotes it’s simply not the same andmacro- nutrients aremissing fromthe bee’s diet. Whereas a bee lives for 30 to


40 days in summer, inwinter theymust live for fourmonths, which is hard on them, he explains. Pesticides are another issue


that can cause deaths in hives, but it’s difficult to trace. Cleanliness and sanitation are


essential in beekeeping. “You need to be tidy and careful,” he notes. Awramclaims lots of


government scientistswill agree in private that the border should be opened, but it’s a political issue. “The blueberry industrywill be in big


troublewithout this being changed,” he believes.


Beekeepers sue


feds for losses A group ofWestern Canadian


beekeepers, including Peter Awram, launched a class action lawsuit this year (for all beekeepers with more than 50 hives who have been in business since 2006) against the federal government for damages caused by closure of the border to importation of packaged bees in 1987. The suit asks for $200 million in


damages just for six years of losses, from 2006 to 2013.


Pollination Services 7,000 Colonies Available


Blueberry, Cranberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Strawberry, Currants, Kiwi, Pumpkin, Zucchini, Squash


Contact: John Gibeau President, Honeybee Centre Cellular (604) 317-2088


Email: Gibeau@HoneybeeCentre.com British Columbia Berry Grower • Summer 2013 9


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