G&M - 58% Mortality Rate For Ontario Overwintering Bee Colonies In 2013-14
Last edited Thu Jul 24, 2014, 09:36 AM - Edit history (1)
A new report on the health of honey bees in Canada says 58 per cent of the colonies in Ontario did not survive the winter.
Among the possible causes cited for the colony failures are starvation during a long winter, weak queens, viruses, and poisoning from pesticides, said the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA), which compiled the survey. The report comes as the Ontario government moves toward a system of restricting or licensing the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, a widely used class of chemical linked to the losses of bees and other pollinators that are vital to the food supply.
According to the CAPA report, the Canadian average of overwintering bee losses was 25 per cent, a number that falls to 19 per cent when Ontario is excluded.
“This level of winter loss is considered a high winter loss for most Canadian beekeepers…” the report said. “Clearly the impacts of pest, pathogen and environmental factors continue to be a challenge through the year to beekeepers across Canada.”
EDIT
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/why-is-canadas-bee-population-so-drastically-in-decline/article19735416/?cmpid=rss1
= new reply since forum marked as read
That's depressing. 
[div class= "excerpt"]Neonicotinoids, known as neonics, are applied by the seed companies on corn, canola and some soybeans. They are also used by vegetable farmers and growers of ornamental flowers.
This stuff should be banned!
