Operation Sting: NL beekeeper sounds alarm after illegal import of queen by mail

Paul Dinn of Newfoundland Honey in Adelaide says the illegal importation of bees could harm the province’s bee population, one of the healthiest populations in the world. (Submitted by Steve McBride)

A St. John’s beekeeper shares the dangers of importing bees by mail to Newfoundland and Labrador, as the provincial government launches an investigation into a queen bee imported by Canada Post.

Paul Dinn, beekeeper and co-owner of Adelaide’s Newfoundland Honey, said that although importing bees by mail is common elsewhere in Canada, this practice is illegal in Newfoundland and Labrador in an attempt to maintain healthy bee populations in the province.

“Here in our province we have a very healthy bee population. We don’t want to introduce unwanted diseases or pests by accident, ”said Dinn.

“We don’t have the rural mite or the tracheal mite or the wax moth, and we don’t have a whole bunch of different diseases either. We want to be very careful.”

WATCH | Beekeeper Paul Dinn speaks with CBC’s Anthony Germain:

Anthony Germain speaks with Paul Dinn about the illegal importation of a queen bee into Newfoundland and Labrador 3:29

The comments follow a report from the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture which indicates that a queen bee was recently brought into the province by mail. In a statement to CBC News on Wednesday, the ministry said an investigation into the case was underway.

“Preventive measures for beekeepers are to always monitor the health of their colonies. They must also report any suspected illegal import to the FFA,” the statement said.

While Dinn said he believed the importation could be the result of a lack of understanding from the province’s bees, residents of NL. who want to keep bees have options.

“We have a lot of bees for sale if people want to get into bees. So if they can buy them locally, avoid bringing anything out of the province, we would really appreciate it,” he said. he declared.

“Don’t import bees. Do not bring them to the province, it could cause us to lose something very precious and beautiful that we do not want to see disappear.

Read more about CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

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