Canadian beekeepers have dealt with the varroa mite for decades—but there is a new mite causing even more concern.
The tropilaelaps mite—or (t-mite) short—has not been found in Canada or the United States, but it is spreading in places like China, India and Papua New Guinea. It is feared the t-mite could end up in Australia, which is a Canadian source for packaged bees to replace hives that do not survive the winter cold or insect/disease issues.
Curtis Miedema is president of the Alberta Beekeepers Commission and spoke to reporters on Tuesday at a news conference on Parliament Hill. He wants Ottawa to halt the import of packaged bees from outside of North America.
Miedema explains why the t-mite is a much bigger concern than the varroa mite.
Heidema believes Canadian beekeepers can adapt if packaged bee imports are banned.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says imports of worker bees from the U.S. have been restricted since 1987 because of “unacceptable levels of risk to the health of the Canadian bee population” caused by various hazards, including other parasites and Africanized honey bees. Only queen bees and their attendants can be imported from California and Hawaii.
