Honeybees can’t rid themselves of deadly mites as effectively after neonic exposure, researchers say.

Neonics leave bees vulnerable to mites, study shows

The pesticides are shown to affect bees’ ability to groom themselves

Neonicotinoid pesticides affect honeybees’ ability to groom and rid themselves of deadly mites, a University of Guelph study has revealed. The research comes as Health Canada places new limits on the use of three key neonicotinoids while it decides whether to impose a full phase-out of the chemicals. Neonics are the most commonly used insecticides

Manitoba Agriculture’s Pratisara Bajracharya says periodic reviews of pesticides are a part of the regulatory landscape in Canada.

How and why: What drove the proposed neonic ban?

There are a number of reasons a pesticide might come under review after registration

As growers still wait for the final decision on whether certain neonicotinoid seed treatments will be banned in Canada, many are still scratching their heads about how the proposed ban came about. As it happens, the re-evaluation of pesticides is a legal requirement and it was during a periodic routine re-evaluation that the Pest Management


Health Canada proposes some neonic restrictions

Health Canada is proposing some restrictions on the use of three neonic pesticides for horticultural production but they would still be registered for use on field crops such as corn and soybeans. Meanwhile the department will continue working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of California on the impact of the pesticides

Beekeeping is catching on in cities, and enrolment has jumped for a University of Manitoba course for hobby beekeepers.

Training critical for new beekeepers to avoid disease woes

Beekeepers stress the need for industry newcomers to be trained in disease and pest management

Manitoba’s honeybee population has recovered from 2013, when a harsh winter saw hives drop almost eight per cent, but commercial apiarists say that growth could have risks if it doesn’t come with disease management training for new beekeepers. “Education is very important in those regards and I think probably one of our largest concerns is

Predators, such as (A) an Orius nymph, (B) Asian lady beetle, (C) aphid midge larva, and (D) parasitic wasps typically suppress early-season infestations of soybean aphid.

U.S. study questions neonics for soybean aphid control

The effectiveness of the insecticide has diminished by the time the plants 
are at the stage when the insects arrive

A multi-university study says that neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments have little effect on soybean aphid populations, as the pesticide has disappeared in plant tissue by the time the aphids arrive. The two-year study was a joint effort of Purdue University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, North Dakota State University, the University of Minnesota, South


Melanie Dubois, an AAFC senior riparian and biodiversity biologist at the Brandon Research and Development Centre, displays some of the native bees she’s collected in her research into their habitat requirements.

Pollinator support program coming to Manitoba this summer

The North America-wide initiative between General Mills and the Xerces Society aims to establish 3,000 acres of pollinator habitat in Manitoba 
by 2021. The program will host demo workshops here this summer

Native bees play a crucial role in a healthy environment but they need our help. That’s the message an Agriculture Canada staffer had for farmers and other rural landowners meeting here earlier this month. Melanie Dubois is a senior riparian and biodiversity biologist, based at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Brandon Research and Development Centre, who

Bee deaths appear to be declining during planting season thanks to protective measures.

Bee death reports continue decline: Health Canada

Neonic pesticides have been widely blamed for these losses but the reality is much more complex

Measures to protect pollinators from pesticide residues in dust generated by corn, soybean and canola planting have continued to reduce bee deaths during the planting season, says Health Canada. Following the introduction of the measures in 2014, the number of bee death incidents have remained well below the high levels of 2012 and 2013, the

A bee busily pollinates a canola flower.

Chemical companies pitch bug-killing options

Some environmentalists say just switching to new products won’t solve the underlying problem

Companies that make bug-killing chemicals and natural remedies are racing to take advantage of restrictions on neonics, blamed for harming bees and mayflies. Global sales of neonicotinoids, or neonics, were US$3.01 billion last year, accounting for almost 18 per cent of the global insecticides market, according to consultancy Phillips McDougall. Insecticide sales fell sharply year


Neonic makers respond to Health Canada actions

Neonic makers respond to Health Canada actions

The plan is to phase out imidacloprid while clothianidin and thiamethoxam, 
popular in seed treatments, will undergo a special review

[Updated Dec. 9] – Several years ago when neonicotinoids were linked to bee and other pollinator deaths sparking calls to ban the insecticides, farmers and neonicotinoid makers strongly defended them. Now those products are under fire again due to their effect on aquatic insect life. Health Canada announced Nov. 23 plans to phase out imidacloprid

Close up view of the working bees on honeycells.

Bee health creating a buzz

The bee industry wants to see government support for ongoing research to continue

While bee health has received a lot of attention in Canada in recent years, it’s not time to stop learning about them, says the head of the Canadian Honey Council. Kevin Nixon, the organization’s president, told the Senate agriculture committee there’s still plenty to learn about bees and what’s causing overwintering losses and how various