Raise the Hammer

MITES ARE THE PRIMARY FACTORS AFFECTING BEE LOSSES

Internationally-renowned researchers, like Dr Geoffrey Williams and Dr Ernesto Guzman, widely agree that bee colony collapse disorder is impacted by a combination of factors, the primary one being varroa mites. Prohibition against neonicotinoid insecticides used by the agriculture industry is not necessary. According to Dr Ernesto Guzman, the bee researcher at the University of Guelph, varroa mites continue to be the prime suspect in the bee losses. Dr Guzman has often said that there is evidence that varroa mites are the primary problem associated to bee losses in southern Ontario, although neonicotinoid insecticides have been associated to some isolated cases of colony losses. According to the U.S. Agriculture Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the single most detrimental pests of honeybees are varroa mites. According to the Alberta Bee-Keepers Commission, varroa mites are the cause of roughly half of bee deaths every winter. If varroa mites infest even one per cent of bees, within two years, the entire hive could be lost. The Alberta Bee-Keepers Commission, which represents the largest number of bee-keepers provincially, has never mentioned anything about neonicotinoid insecticides being a primary problem. In essence, bee-keepers must get their varroa mite problems under control to rein in the collapse of bee colonies. Unfortunately, bee-keepers appear to be unable or unwilling to get their pest problems, such as varroa mites, under control to rein in the collapse of their bee colonies. Moreover, bee-keepers ignore the weight of the scientific evidence that clearly shows neonicotinoid insecticides do not affect bees. Overall, if we had less conventional neonicotinoid use in the environment, we would still have bee colony collapse disorder, because many bee-keepers are simply not competent enough to manage their hives. PROHIBITION WILL NOT SAVE BEES. http://tinyurl.com/pxqzh6m