Healthy bees are well-fed bees
Project Description
In Canada, 7 species of bumble bees are threatened with extinction according to the COSEWIC. However, most of the knowledge on bumble bees available is on commercially bred species, such as Bombus impatiens. Information on wild species is comparatively lacking. As part of the “Solutions for Farmers and Food for Bees” project (supported by the Liber-Ero program), we initiated work on the benefits of native pollen on the reproductive performances native bumble bee species, in collaboration with farmers, ENGOs and industry partners. The general objective of our K2A group is to build on this work to improve knowledge on the nutritional requirements and health of native bumble bees and provide science-based solutions to the conservation of endangered species. Specifically, we aim at: 1. Characterizing the nutrient profile of native plants’ pollen and of pollen maximizing queen reproduction. 2. Developing non-invasive techniques to assess bumble bees’ health, including parasite loads and viral loads.
Principal Investigator
- Patrick Bergeron Bishop’s University
Collaborators
- Valérie Fournier Université Laval
Student members
- Mathilde Tissier Bishop’s University
Other participants on this project
- Declan Schroeder, University of Minnesota
- Amy Chabot, African Lion Safari
- Yann Loranger, bee-o-pharm Inc.
- Isabelle Rabat, bee-o-pharm Inc.
