Bees

Jorge E. Macias-Samano, a research scientist at Simon Fraser University, holds a varroa mite trap that was removed from a bee hive at an experimental apiary, in Surrey, B.C., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. A team at SFU is testing a chemical compound that appears to kill varroa mites without harming the bees, in hopes it could one day be widely available as a treatment for infested hives. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. scientists hopeful in fight against mites that puncture and kill honeybees

Varroa mites kill bees by puncturing their exoskeleton, creating a wound that doesn’t close

 

A queen of the species bombus kirbiellus, Credit: Hanna Jackson.

Bumble bees are being harmed by temperature changes due to climate change: B.C. study

New study found bumble bee species are impacted by temperature changes due to climate change

 

Thirty-two per cent of honey bee colonies were lost this winter according to a survey by the province. (Photo courtesy of Pexels, via Pixabay)

B.C. honey bee keepers lost 32% of colonies over winter – which is higher than normal

The losses are caused by a combination of factors including pests and climate change