Pesticide renewal worries beekeeper

 Don Wilson has been working with bees since he was in high school. Over the past few years, he has seen a drastic decline in bee populations in the area. Photo by Tyson Leonard

By Tyson Leonard

A local beekeeper says the renewal of certain pesticides will only add to the growing problems his bees already face.

“The honey crop is way down. We usually have at this time enough honey to carry us until next July, but we will be lucky to get to Christmas,” said Don Wilson, a local beekeeper.

Wilson helps his son Gonzalo run Wilson Apiaries on his farm in the Stirling area north of Belleville. Don Wilson has been working with bees for over 40 years.

The pesticide Wilson is concerned about contains the chemical clothianidin. This summer, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency renewed clothianidin insecticides for sale and use in Canada. The pesticides are mainly used on corn and soy crops.

Clothianidin pesticides have been proven to be highly toxic to bees. The PMRA is still looking into how the pesticides affect bees when exposed for long periods.

Wilson said even if farmers are careful with the pesticides, he has no way of making sure his bees don’t interact with sprayed crops.

“The bees will fly for three to four kilometres easily and perhaps further, and there is no way of knowing who is planting what in that kind of range,” said Wilson.

Wilson said the only solution is to ban the pesticides.

Beatrice Olivastri, CEO of Friends of the Earth Canada, agreed with Wilson that there should be a ban.

“It’s really critical that we hit the pause button and ban the use of this pesticide until we can get the science done,” said Olivastri.

Olivastri said it should be the responsibility of the manufacturer of the pesticide to do the research before the chemicals are even brought to Health Canada for testing.

“I think there is a pattern that is suggesting that the interests of chemical companies are more important to the government than the protection of the environment,” said Olivastri.

Health Canada was unavailable for comment.

“We think that the very central role that bees play in food production and biodiversity should way far more heavily than the profits of a couple of pesticide companies,” said Olivastri.

Bees’ pollination ensures crops produce a high yield by delivering pollen to a plants flower from another plant.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency estimates the contribution of bee pollination to crop value at $1.3 to $1.7 billion annually.

Wilson said that makes this issue about much more than just him and his bees.

“Honey is sort of a happy accident that we have it, but the real contribution of bees is of course pollination. If we lose that we are all in trouble, not just beekeepers,” said Wilson.

Last winter Ontario lost 40 per cent of its bee populations.