Paul van Westendorp Provincial Apiculturist B.C. Ministry of Agriculture

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1 Paul van Westendorp Provincial Apiculturist B.C. Ministry of Agriculture

2 Western (European) Honey Bee

3 Other Insect Pollinators

4 Problem 1 Bee Pathogens Varroa mite V. destructor (1990) Bee Viruses American Foulbrood (AFB) Nosema disease

5 Problem 2 Farming Practices Monoculture Wild vegetation removal Habitat fragmentation Soil alteration Water table fluctuation

6 Problem 3 - Pesticides Increased bee losses in EU and N. America since 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.

7 Neonicotinoid Insecticides Nicotine; used as insecticide since 1770s; effective, quick breakdown, no persistence. First generation neonicotinoids s; 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.

8 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.

9 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.

10 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.

11 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.

12 Why Worry? It Has All to Do With Pollination

13 Complete & Incomplete Pollination Blueberry

14 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 Tomato Canada USA World $200 million+ $100 million (bumble bees) $1.5 billion+ $15 billion+ $220 billion+(?)

15 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

16 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

17 We Can t Manage Without Them