Northern Alberta researchers seek solutions to leading cause of bee death

Honey bees crawl over a honey comb at the Honey Meadows Farm in DeWinton, Alta., Tuesday, May 28, 2024.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

New funding for Northwestern Polytechnic’s (NWP) National Bee Diagnostic Centre (NBDC) may lead to finding solutions to protecting honey bees.  

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The NBDC received $195,000 from the Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) grant.

“Beekeeping and pollination management are vital to the Canadian agricultural economy,” said Patricia Wolf Veiga, NWP Applied Research and Innovation acting dean. 

“This study will provide valuable insights so that the industry has the best tools to combat one of the primary threats to Canadian apiaries.”

Researchers will look into the leading causes of honey bee hive loss, the varroa mite, also known as the Varroa destructor, and the viruses it carries.

The mite attaches itself to honey bees, weakening them and ending in the colony’s death. 

“The Varroa destructor poses a significant threat to the health of honey bees, and therefore, the NBDC’s research is vital to finding a solution to mitigating the threat of this parasite,” said RDAR vice president of research Clinton Dobson.

Wolf Veiga said the Varroa destructor mites have been found in colonies in the Peace Region and in 80 per cent of Canadian apiaries.

“Varroa mites were first detected in Canada in the 1989, and in Alberta in the early 1990s,” she said.

The NBDC will screen Varroa mite populations in Canadian apiaries for genetic mutations associated with acaricide resistance.

“Over the last decade, the preferred method to control Varroa mites has been Amitraz acaricide,” said Wolf Veiga. “However, beekeepers in the US, Europe, and Canada have recently begun to report reduced efficacy.”

“Amitraz has been a reliable of option of treatment for over a decade. 

“Unfortunately, mites have developed resistance to this acaricide, and a few genetic mutations have been associated with miticide resistant including Amitraz and Pyrethroids.”

Researchers will collaborate with scientists, beekeepers across Canada, regulatory agencies, and federal and provincial government partners to help inform future trade and policy decisions,” said NWP in a media release. 

Honey production in Canada is a $278 million business, according to Statistics Canada, that notes beekeepers provide between $4 to $5.5 billion in additional value through crop and hybrid canola seed pollination services.

“This project aligns with their mission to advance the competitiveness, profitability, productivity, and sustainability of agriculture in Alberta and will enable NBDC to evaluate solutions to this destructive pest,” said Wolf Veiga.

Results Driven Agriculture Research is a not-for-profit organization mandated to target strategic investments in producer-led, results-driven agriculture research to power the profitability, productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability of agriculture in Alberta.

Jesse Boily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Town & Country News