Honey bees put under surveillance.
Surveillance system to document national health of at-risk colonies
The federal government launched a national healthcare project Tuesday aimed at tracking the well-being of an at-risk population of a different sort — honey bees.
Honey bee colonies across Canada will be scrutinized under a four-year surveillance project aimed at documenting the insects’ national health profile.
“Our government understands the fundamental role bees play in keeping Canadian agriculture strong,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, who announced $1 million in funding for the project.
In 2013, the Canadian honey crop was valued at $176 million. Honey bees also pollinate agricultural crops.
The project aims to track diseases, pests and chemical residues in apiaries.
While bee health has been monitored on a regional basis, the system will increase co-ordination and allow researchers to compare populations nationally.
The money goes to the Beekeepers Commission of Alberta, which represents more than 1,300 beekeepers who produce 60 per cent of Canada’s honey crop. Much of the work will be done at the National Bee Diagnostic Centre in Beaverlodge, Alta.
The baseline data will help document the presence and intensity of known and potential diseases, pests and parasites, said Grant Hicks, president of the Beekeepers Commission of Alberta.
Mites, for example, suck the blood of bees and can transmit viruses between them.
The surveillance will also help Canada when it comes to cross-border trade. “Countries around the world can be satisfied that bee health in Canada meets their standards,” Hicks said.