Beekeepers call for import ban on non-North American bees as deadly mite spreads

Canadian beekeepers are sounding the alarm a couple of pest that’s spreading in parts of Asia, and calling on the federal government to take motion.

A bunch representing the Canadian Beekeepers Federation and the Alberta Beekeepers Commission was on Parliament Hill today as a part of a lobbying effort.

They’re alarmed by the spread of the tropilaelaps mite, a parasite that could be devastating to pollinators.

In accordance with the Canadian Cattleman’s Association, the mite’s spread wouldn’t only devastate beekeepers but in addition agriculture more broadly because honey bees are critical pollinators of many crops.

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The president of the Alberta Beekeepers Commission says Canada should halt all imports of bees from outside North America to stop the pest from spreading here.

Honeybees aren’t native to Canada they usually struggle to survive the winter, so bee imports are critical to the industry’s survival.

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Alberta Conservative MP Arnold Viersen says he also wants imports from the US to resume — something Canada has banned for years due to other pests.

With files from Global News.

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