What's New
SES Prof Solves Bee Loss Mystery
March 3, 2010
Varroa mites are the main culprit behind mysterious die-offs of honeybee colonies that have alarmed beekeepers, crop growers and the general public over the past three years, according to a new study by a University of Guelph biologist.
The study, published last month in the journal Apidologie, found that the parasitic mites were responsible for more than 85 per cent of honeybee colony mortality in Ontario. The next most important killers were too-sparse beehive populations in fall and insufficient food reserves for winter, says Prof. Ernesto Guzman, School of Environmental Sciences.
