Local beekeepers are facing a rapid decline of their hives recently being linked to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Beekeepers around the Peace Country are experiencing a large loss of their bees due to disease. Although the disease has not been pinpointed, many assumptions have been made as to what is killing off the bees. “Average loss for local beekeepers is between 50 and 60 per cent,” explains veteran beekeeper Luc Desaulniers of Wardes Honey. “I have lost 80 per cent of my hives over the last five months.” Desaulniers explains that he has consulted a apiculture specialist who is visiting local beekeepers to see if the link to CCD is accurate and to determine what can be done to aid these businesses. “I’ve read stories about beekeepers in the States that see no bees coming back to the hives (during pollenation),” explains Desaulniers. “That’s what many of us are seeing.” He says that he began feeding his bees in January, and while wintering he noticed more dead bees than usual. “There is a number of diseases that we’ve been warding off over the years,” he explains. “Two of the diseases are varroa and nosema.” Varroa is widely considered to be one of the world’s most destructive honey bee killers. This is a mite that causes viruses including deformed wing virus and acute bee paralysis virus. Nosema is caused by a spore forming protozoan that invades the digestive tracts of honey bee workers, queens and drones. This is thought to be treatable by fumagillin. Currently the diseases are being treated with formic acid of which beekeepers are fearful the mites may have become immune. Desaulniers says that many local beekeepers were using formic acid last year and still suffered a large loss of bees this spring. The incredible decline of bees will negatively affect the Peace Country because of its large number of hives. In this area alone there are 50,000 hives which produce a whopping 10 million lbs of honey each year on average. “This year there are 250,000 operational hives in Alberta,” says Desaulniers. “Major problems we face is being able to eliminate the diseases and to restock the lost bees.” Desaulniers explains that beekeepers in Canada used to be able to buy packages of bees from the United States in the spring. However; 21 years ago beekeepers across Canada made a vote to close the border and to not allow the bees to come north. This was decided based on an influx of CCD in U.S. bee hives. The only countries that Canadian beekeepers can purchase bee packages from are Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately the bees purchased from these countries are their fall bees. Because their summer falls at a different time of year, bees purchased are from their last honey production season. As a result, many of the bees brought to Canada are old bees and do not survive the necessary length of time. Although Canadian government is working to find a chemical that will aid the beekeepers, Desaulniers says that a short-term solution could be to re-open the border. “Opening the border would make the process easier for beekeepers,” he explains. “Bee packages could be more readily available and we could repopulate our hives more efficiently.” Desaulniers says that the seriousness of decreasing bee population effects more people than just beekeepers. He explains that short-term we will see a decrease of honey production driving prices through the roof. More disconcerting is that if bees die off there will be little way to pollinate crops. “The last five years the disease has really got out of hand,” says Desaulniers. “If we don’t open the border soon, we (the beekeeping industry) will be dead in the next five years.”