The Wynne government has introduced rules to cut the use of certain pesticides by 80 per cent in two years in an effort to ensure the health of the province’s honey bees. As this is done, one may wonder if legislators have their fingers crossed that they know what they are doing. There is deeply contradictory information about the issue. Beekeepers have been nearly hysterical in their concern that the honey bee is potentially facing extinction. There was a 34 per cent death rate last year, it is said. Farmers and pesticide makers point to Statistics Canada figures that bee hive numbers rose by 38 percent between 1994 and 2014. The implications of a honey bee die-out is profound for nature and all we expect of it in growing food. The linked story makes you want to cross your fingers. Globe and Mail
