Ontario looking at pesticides as possible cause of bee deaths
Posted: July 10, 2013
Categories: Food in the News / GoodFoodBites
Concern over deaths of honeybees in Ontario has led the provincial government to look into the use of pesticides. An expert panel will specifically look at how to prevent bee exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides, pesticides that are toxic to bees and on virtually all corn and soybean seeds in the province.
Neonicotinoids have been scrutinized as a contributor to declining bee populations in North America and Europe. Just in April, the European Union passed a two-year neonicotinoid ban.
Ernesto Guzman, Head of the Honey Bee Research Centre at the University of Guelph, explains that “the issue of debate here is how much or what proportion of the die-off cases can be attributed directly to these pesticides?”
Many beekeepers in Ontario are convinced neonicotinoids are the culprit. Guzman shares that the honeybee population in the province has declined by 30 to 35 per cent every year since 2007. However, some farmers argue that the pesticides significantly improve yields.
The bee panel is scheduled to make recommendations in time for planting season next spring.
All above information is from a Toronto Star article – Read the full article from the Toronto Star here (published July 9).