Response: “Bees and Neonics”
I have known Jim Coneybeare for 6 years, worked with him very closely in the beeyard for 5, and currently have my own commercial beekeeping operation near Peterborough. I am shocked to read Terry Daynard’s piece entitled “Bees and neonics” in the October 20th paper. I couldn’t believe when I read the statement that Terry believes Jim and other Ontario beekeepers are “more focused on anti-pesticide activism than on better bee health per se”. Having worked closely with Jim, I can say that he cares more about bees and bee health than just about anyone I have ever met. He takes his time in the beeyard, carefully doing all that he can to ensure that his bees are healthy. Countless times I have witnessed him saving a single bee that is trapped in the honey house, or gently brushing one away before replacing a hive lid. Not only does Jim care deeply about his bees on a personal and moral level; he also depends on them for his livelihood.
Terry states that the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) does not support Ontario beekeepers in their conviction that neonicotinoids are responsible for a large amount of bee deaths. He neglects to mention that the directors of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association (OBA) unanimously believe that neonicotinoids cause bee deaths. Keep in mind that Canada is a VAST country, and land use in the Western and Eastern provinces is dramatically different than Southern Ontario (particularly Southwestern Ontario). If you take a drive in Alberta, you’ll see great areas of cow pasture. Take a drive anywhere near Guelph, and you’ll see acre after acre of corn and soy, all the way to the horizon.
Terry believes that Ontario crop farmers have already “largely moved away” from neonics to other insecticides. The last seed sale data we have shows a reduction of around 25%. We are far from out of the woods. Comparing Apivar use to neonicotinoid use just goes to show how ignorant Terry is on this issue. Like many other critics of the neonicotinoid issue, he cites other bee issues as the culprits of bee deaths. Though it is true to say that management of your bees and bee diseases is of upmost importance, that does not explain what I witnessed while working at Jim’s operation. When we were experiencing high mortalities, bee inspectors came and sampled for varroa (in addition to the monitoring we were already doing), and confirmed that the hives had little to no mite load. Jim is absolutely vigilant when it comes to testing and treating for varroa mites. Terry also lists “overfeeding” as a potential explanation of bee mortality. Jim is third generation beekeeper. Are you really going to pretend that he doesn’t know how to feed his bees?
Emily Mills
Emily Mills
