OTTAWA — Canadian beekeepers are asking the government to ban all overseas bee imports, arguing the sting it would cause local industry would be less painful than risking importing a parasite that is devastating colonies in Europe and Asia.

If there’s one pest keeping the Canadian beekeeping industry abuzz these days, it’s tropilaelaps mites.

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The one-millimeter-long parasite, which is currently found in Asia and small pockets of Europe, will wreak devastation on a honey bee colony. According to Curtis Miedema of the Alberta Beekeepers Commission, an infected beehive will collapse within two months.

Miedema and his colleagues flew to Ottawa this week to convince the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to ban all foreign bee imports for the time being, even if it wi

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