Prince George, BC - Canadians may have noticed that there were decidedly fewer bees buzzing about their gardens and parks this past summer.

In the past year alone, nearly 36 percent of all Canada’s honeybees died over winter, more than twice the normal mortality rate of 15 percent. The trend in BC is no less severe, with select geographic areas such as Vancouver Island and the Peace River District suffering far greater losses.

According to Paul van Westendorp, BC’s Provincial Apiculturist, these numbers are simply not sustainable for breeders, and pose serious environmental and economic risks, not to mention threatening the Province’s food supply.

“Reduced honey production is only the tip of the iceberg,” he says. “When we look at what bees do in the larger context of agriculture, which is most notable in terms of crop pollination, we are talking about a value of $200 to 300 million a year in BC alone.”

So why are the number of bees dropping at such an alarming rate? It seems that the mites and bacteria, which have plagued them for years, are becoming increasingly resistant to traditional treatments such miticides and antibiotics. The bees are unable to defend themselves, and those without natural genetic resistance inevitably die.

But a new Genome BC research project will soon put advanced genomics tools into the hands of bee breeders, enabling them select only the strongest, most resistant bees for breeding programs.

Dr. Leonard Foster is leading a one-of-a-kind research project entitled Apis mellifera Proteomics of Innate reSistance, which will be announced at the BC Bee Breeders Association annual conference on October 24.

Dr. Foster (UBC) and his fellow investigators Dr. Stephen Pernal (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) and Dr. Katherine Baylis (UBC) will develop a set of tools to identify disease resistance in natural bee populations.

The researchers will use the bee genome to identify molecular markers of resistance to both mite and bacterial infections by doing proteomic analysis of different bee populations.

“By understanding the traits that make bees naturally resistant to pathogens the long-term hope is that beekeepers will no longer need to use miticides, fungicides, and antibiotics to control them,” says Foster. “We will be able to improve the efficiency of bee breeding by using protein markers to map desirable traits in bee families through generations.”

Michael Campbell, general manager of Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm and Meadery, keeps honeybees that pollinate valuable blueberry, cranberry, and pumpkin crops in BC’s Lower Mainland. “Recently we’ve been hit by mites that are resistant to most miticides. As a result, we have a very poor over-winter survival rate, which weakens the hive and makes it really hard to produce,” he says.

But Campbell remains optimistic about what Foster’s new research will allow them to accomplish. “What everyone is hoping for with this proteomic approach is that we will know what to look for in a disease-resistant bee, instead of guessing. Essentially, it will reduce our dependence on chemicals - something most bee keepers disdain, but are obliged to employ in order to save their hives.”

“Genome BC is very pleased to support such a critical and unique project,” says Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC. “Honey bees provide immeasurable value both economically and in terms of our food supply. We look forward to the results that this project will yield, within the next two years.”

For van Westerndorp, those results won’t be a moment too soon. “We are running out of time. Our breeders can’t develop bee stock fast enough to keep up with the rate of disease.”

About this Project
The total investment for this project is $2.8 million. The project is also funded by UBC. It is one of a new suite of projects that is part of Genome BC’s Applied Genomics Innovation Program, designed to deliver results within two to three years.

Backgrounder: Bee Project

About Genome BC
Founded in 2000, Genome BC works collaboratively with government, universities and industry as the catalyst for a genomics-driven life sciences cluster with significant social and economic benefits for the Province and Canada. The organization’s research portfolio, over $380 million since inception, includes 58 projects and technology platforms focused on areas of strategic importance to British Columbia such as human health, forestry, fisheries, bioenergy, mining, agriculture, ethics, and the environment.

For more information contact:
Rachael Froese Zamperini
Genome British Columbia
T: 604 612 6345

OR

Julia White
Genome British Columbia
T: 604 889 1503