Paul van Westendorp

Provincial Apiculturist

B.C. Ministry of Agriculture

paul.vanwestendorp@gov.bc.ca

Western (European) Honey Bee

Other Insect Pollinators

Problem 1 – Bee Pathogens

• Varroa mite – V. destructor (1990) – Bee Viruses

• American Foulbrood (AFB)

• Nosema disease

Problem 2 – Farming Practices

• Monoculture

• Wild vegetation removal

• Habitat fragmentation

• Soil alteration

• Water table fluctuation

Problem 3 - Pesticides

• Increased bee losses in EU and N. America since 2000.

• EU: Colony losses near treated corn / potato plantings.

• => Earliest claim of suspect link of neonicotinoid insecticides and bee declines

• Fall 2006, large-scale losses of apparently healthy US colonies => Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

• Cause of CCD not identified. No evidence of correlation Neonicotinoids & CCD

• Declines in abundance and species diversity of pollinator fauna reported in other parts of the world.

Neonicotinoid Insecticides

• Nicotine; used as insecticide since 1770s; effective, quick breakdown, no persistence.

• First generation neonicotinoids 1980-90s; – Stable, persistent.

– high insect toxicity – central nerve system

– low mammalian toxicity – peripheral nerve system

– A.I. is an agonist of acetylcholine; synapsis, inhibitor enzyme blocked => non-stop stimulation => paralysis and death.

• Registration mid 1990s; – Imidacloprid, Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam: foliar/soil drench/systemic

– Registered in 120+ countries, many formulations in many crops.

Neonicotinoid Toxicity to Insects

• Systemics: high persistence + soil residue build-up => increased risk to non-target blooming crops.

• Leaching through run-off – residue in surface waters

• Tennekes 2010 et al.: Pesticide risk assessment systems flawed; designed to assess acute toxicity (~LD50)

• Real impact of neonicotinoids on pollinators;

Chronic exposure at sub-lethal levels. – Repeated sub-lethal dosages; Volume 6,000 less compared to single

lethal dose.

– Synergism with other pesticides, environmental conditions.

Neonicotinoid Impact on Pollinators at Chronic & Sub-Lethal Levels

• Behavioral changes - loss floral fidelity

• Reduced homing ability

• Impaired memory - premature dementia

• Impaired communication

• Reduced reproductive capability

• Neonicotinoid-induced reduction of disease resistance.

Neonicotinoid Status & Reassessment

• EU countries; temporary bans on systemic formulations.

• PMRA, June 2012: Reassessment of Imidacloprid,

Clothianidin, and Thiamethoxam.

• EPA, Dec. 2011: Review of all neonicotinoids as a group.

• EU 2013: Imposed Precautionary Principle on registration of

Neonicotinoids

• EPA, Aug. 2013: Changes of label instruction to protect bees

• PMRA (Dec. 2013): Broaden research scope on neonic impact.

Neonicotinoid Future, Environmental Implications

• Increased demand for Precautionary Principle

– Costly / time consuming registration; withdrawal?

– Return to OPs, OCs, Carbamates?

• Marketing of pesticides;

– Preventative => chronic use; indiscriminate

– Departure from Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

=> Long-term environmental impact.

Why Worry? It Has All to Do With Pollination

Complete & Incomplete Pollination Blueberry

Dependency on Pollination

• 1/3 of all our food production depend on bees

• Increased dependency on honeybees worldwide (wild

pollinator declines, increased acreage and development of

high yield varieties)

• Estimated Value Annual Crop Production:

BC $200 million+

Tomato $100 million (bumble bees)

Canada $1.5 billion+

USA $15 billion+

World $220 billion+(?)

Bee-Dependent Crops

Apples

Pears

Peaches, Almonds

Plums

Blueberries

Raspberries

Cranberries

Apricots

Coffee

Lychee, Rambutan, Guavas, Mango

Pumpkins, Squash

Vegetable seeds

Cherries

Cotton

Soya, Beans & Peas

Alfalfa & Clovers

Cantaloupe & Melons

Tomato & Peppers

Canola

Sunflower

What Can Be Done?

• Bee disease control & Management – Bee Breeding - disease resistance

– Changes in management – migratory beekeeping

– Apply IPM principles

• Riparian zones – Bee forage plantings

• Pesticide Use – Reduce, No Prophylactic Application

– Least toxic, formulations, follow label instructions

We Can’t Manage Without Them