06/17/2020
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Ontario and Quebec Beekeepers Urge Caution After Mass Bee Kill
On June 5th, 2020 two Quebec beekeepers experienced a mass killing of their bees associated with the application of herbicides. 600+ hives were being prepared for travel to blueberry pollination sites when more than 50% of the colonies were destroyed. The beekeepers affected
were present at the time of the incident, were able to speak to the farmer and obtain the labels for the chemicals being sprayed - a mix of Vios G3 (Bayer) + Roundup (Glyphosate) + Engenia (BASF) with the active ingredient Dicamba. Quebec and Ontario beekeepers urge government to issue a caution to farmers and to immediately initiate research on the effect of acute and chronic exposure to combinations of
these chemicals. To avoid more mass bee kills, Quebec and Ontario beekeepers ask farmers to follow and
observe the cautions on the labels to avoid drift and not spray in hot and windy conditions. Farmers are asked to spray in the early morning and late evening to avoid spraying during the day when bees are active.
