Ontario
beekeepers lost more than twice as many bees as the national average last
winter, but it was still much better than the year before.
A
national survey found that Ontario losses averaged 37.8 per cent compared with
the national average of 16.4 per cent.
The
winter before, Ontario losses averaged 58 per cent.
The
Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists says the national colony
loss last winter was one of the lowest since 2006-07 and was 34 per cent less
than the winter of 2013-14.
The top
four possible causes of colony losses reported by beekeepers were starvation,
weak colonies, poor queens, Nosema (a
tiny fungal parasite) and weather conditions.
