Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/399958
Bees are dying. It has been all over the news this year. We are told there is a connection to pesticides. Is there a connection to golf courses? Let's review the most recent information and discuss possible implications for the industry. Expect to be surprised! (Image 1) About the chart: Causes of honeybee colony losses as reported by domestic-market beekeepers. Summary from annual surveys conducted by US Department of Agriculture and the Apiary Inspectors of America. Published in Good Fruit Grower, March 2014 There are many factors that cause bee mortality over the winter. Beekeepers themselves report 9 different reasons, including varroa mites, Nosema fungi, poor nutrition and very cold temperatures. Direct exposure to pesticides is one reason reported by beekeepers. Annual surveys conducted in the USA indicate this factor may account for under 10% of honeybee losses. (Image 2) Credit: The IPM Practitioner (published in California), Sept 2008 The problem is not new. Bee mortality has been happening for over 60 years, for many different reasons. What changed recently is the type of bee mortality. The discussion is not so much about dead bees that are visible but rather dead bees that are not seen. Beekeepers open their hives in the spring and note a large number of bees are missing. There are no dead bees inside or outside the hives. There are no opportunistic invaders inside the hives. The bees are not returning home and are presumed dead. The problem has been called "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD for those who like acronyms). It was f i r s t f o r m a l l y reported in France in 1994. A similar situation occurred in the United States in 2 0 0 6 a n d i n Germany in 2008. According to the C a n a d i a n A s s o c i a t i o n o f P r o f e s s i o n a l A p i c u l t u r i s t s , beekeepers expect losing 15% of their colonies over the winter. Over the past six years, the loss of honeybees across Canada has averaged 30% annually. Last winter, the loss of honeybee colonies was 25% across Canada and 58% in Ontario alone. (Image 3) Credit: Good Fruit Grower magazine, March 2014 What is the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder? At this time, nobody knows for sure. Many stresses are implicated, including parasitic mites, viruses and cold winters. Is there an impact related to the use of neonicotinoid pesticides? Some scientists think the bees are made weaker after exposure to these pesticides and become more susceptible to mortality from other stresses. Neonicotinoids are pesticide products introduced in the 1990s for use in agriculture and horticulture. They have gained popularity because of their low toxicity to humans and their effectiveness against insect pests. European scientists were the first to make a connection. Italian scientists reported that bees exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides in the field later developed higher levels of virus infection after contact with Varroa mites. A restriction on the use of these p r o d u c t s i n F r a n c e a n d Germany has coincided with a dramatic recovery in bee hive winter survival. In December 2013, a 2-year ban was imposed across Europe on any u s e o f neonicotinoid pesticides on crops that may be visited by bees. (Image 4) Source: Document available at the website of Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps- spc/pest/part/consultations/_noi20 13-01/noi2013-01-eng.php In Canada, the problem was raised by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) after reports of extensive bee mortality in Ontario and Québec in the spring of 2012 and again in 2013. The PMRA concluded that 70% of dead bees had residues of neonicotinoid pesticides, against a very low percentage in unaffected bees Interim measures were immediately implemented regarding the use of neonicotinoid pesticides for seed treatment of corn and soybean. (Image 5) Source: Document available at Friends of the Earth, http://www.foe.org/beeaction Bees and pesticides - environmental groups jumped on the story. In 2013, the US based "Friends of the Earth" reported that 54% of common garden plants purchased at retail stores contained neonicotinoid residues. In 2014, the group published a similar study for plants purchased in Canada. (Image 6) Credit: Globe & Mail, July 9, 2014 All these reports had repercussions. Earlier this year, Bailey Nurseries, one of the largest in the United States, announced it will "eliminate" all foliar INDUSTRY RESER Y MARIO LANTIER CROEALT ADISING RESEARC ELOWNA RITIS COLUMIA WWWCROEALTCOM Bees and estiides TE ONNETION TO GO ORE Continued On Next Page 36 TURF LINE NEWS