Kashmir virus hits western Canada

Pollination in British Columbia, Canada has been hit hard by the Kashmir bee virus according to the province's government bee expert, Paul Vanwestendorp, quoted in a CBC news report.

“No bees – no fruit. That's basically what it boils down to.”

Vanwestendorp says more than $150 million of the province's agriculture could be in jeopardy.

The virus has been in BC for decades and no-one seems to know why it has suddenly turned deadly. Varroa may be a trigger. The Okanagan, the Kootenays, Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley have been badly hit, but no-one yet knows the real extent of the problem.

The news report has probably played up the severity of the problem, but it did give a great headline: “Bees dropping like flies”.

Update: yes, the problem has been overblown says later report.