A long summer in 2021 created conditions favorable to the spread of varroa destructor, a parasite that attacks bees.
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Quebec’s beekeepers, saying their hives have suffered a higher-than-expected mortality rate, on Wednesday called on Quebec and Ottawa to provide their industry with emergency aid.
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The members of the Apiculteurs et apicultrices du Québec (AADQ) told reporters they had recorded an average mortality rate of 60 per cent in their hives this season. Over the past five years, the average mortality rate has been about 21 per cent.
A long summer in 2021 created conditions favorable to the spread of varroa destructor, a parasite that attacks bees. AADQ president Raphaël Vacher described the situation as “historic” and “critical.”
Treatments exist against the parasite but leave a lot to be desired, Vacher said, and more research is needed.
Vacher is calling for $12 million in emergency aid from Quebec and Ottawa for the province’s beekeepers, many of whom saw more than half of their hives destroyed. He noted that beekeepers’ problems could have an impact on food prices if the lack of plant pollinators — “between 15,000 and 20,000 hives” are lacking — reduces the supply of produce.
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Government support would allow the stricken businesses to re-establish their hives in the hope of a “more normal” season in 2023. Without it, “it’s certain we risk losing these businesses,” Vacher said.
Quebec Agriculture Minister André Lamontagne said he was “very concerned” about the situation. I have left the door open to supplemental assistance through existing programs. “I continue to monitor the situation closely. An investigation into hive mortality continues and we’ll act based on its results.”
His federal counterpart, Marie-Claude Bibeau, was not immediately available for comment.