Honeybee Diagnostic Services in the Peace Country

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The alarming decline of honeybee colonies around the World raises concerns on the sustainability of beekeeping and pollination services, and the impact it could have on food production. There is consensus in the scientific conununity that pests, diseases and parasites are among the main factors contributing to colony collapse. With average ovetwinter losses over 30% in the past few years and rising, Canadian beekeepers are at present struggling to remain in business. In Alberta it costs between $16.7-$24.7 million annually. The National Bee Diagnostic Centre (NBDC) is a new facility of Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) in partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada- Beaverlodge Research Farm developed to provide diagnostic services to the beekeeping industry. The Centre is the only specialized laboratory in Canada for a comprehensive analysis of honeybee stock, employing state-of-the-art equipment, smmd technical capabilities and up-to-date molecular tools. The NSERC-TAC grant will enhance beekeepers productivity and innovation by ensuring access to the NBDC diagnostic services; and facilitating access to GPRC- faculty expertise andCentre equipment for their applied research needs. We will systematically collect and diagnose samples from honeybee farms in the Peace Country, generate valuable data, and develop an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy in order to reduce winter hive mortality by half retmning to the normal average of 15% or below. This project is a pivotal further step for the NBDC to gain experience and eventually adapt IPM strategies, support new applied research and expand diagnostic services to beekeepers all across Canada.