Sure: there are two aspects to this. The issue of neonicotinoids and bees is a PMRA, or Pest Management Regulatory Agency, issue. This is an acute issue, something that is dealt with through regulatory mitigation measures that PMRA is putting in.
The kind of work we are doing is more long term. It's important to recognize that pesticides are just one of many factors that influence survival. There are nutrition and culture, which means the way you manage them and transport them. There are pathogens prevalent in bees as well. There are environmental factors. The quality of the queen is also important.
Some of the work we are doing is really looking at the interaction of these influencing effects in the long-term survival of bees. We're also looking at molecular tools as we look at how we can improve the survival of these bees. So the work currently being done at AAFC is really focused on the long-term issues with bee survival.