Terry Fehr had good reason to smile last week as he crisscrossed the countryside in search of summer’s sweetest rewards.
The beekeeper was finding a strong flow of honey in his bee colonies, a signal that this could be a bountiful season for the Gladstone, Man., producer.
But based on past experience, Fehr knows the harvest can go from sweet to sour in a short time.
“If it carries on like this for another two weeks, it’ll be a really good year,” he said last week. “If it turns off in two days, it’ll be poor.”
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Provincial apiarist Don Dixon foresees a large leap in Manitoba’s honey harvest if current conditions prevail. He predicts the harvest could be up as much as 20 percent when compared to 1997.
“With any luck, we could have a pretty big crop,” Dixon said. “It’s turning out to be a fairly positive year.”
The main reason honey production might jump this year is because there are more bees buzzing about. The bees overwintered well due to the milder weather associated with El Nino.
Fair weather in April and May improved the health of the hives, allowing for a surge in the bee population. That prompted beekeepers across the province to create more colonies. Failure to do so could have meant swarming, which occurs when colonies become overcrowded.
“Either the beekeepers split the colonies or the colonies will split themselves,” said Fehr, vice-president of the Manitoba Beekeepers’ Association. “Bees out in the woods are of no use to the beekeepers.”
A similar scenario unfolded in Saskatchewan, where beekeepers were optimistic last week when asked about the outlook. Although he couldn’t cite exact numbers, Yorkton beekeeper Wink Howland is confident Saskatchewan has more bee colonies this year.
“I haven’t talked with anybody who isn’t enthusiastic about what’s happening right now,” said Howland, a director for the Saskatchewan Beekeepers’ Association. “I think we’re probably quite consistent with what’s happening in Manitoba.”
In Alberta, honey extraction began 10 days to two weeks ahead of normal, said provincial apiculturist Kenn Tuckey. The crops that bees draw nectar from began blossoming early.
“We’re going to end up with a better than average crop,” Tuckey said. “How much better depends on what happens in the next two to three weeks.”
Early August will tell the tale for prairie beekeepers. Canola blooms are fading and a stretch of hot, sunny weather can quickly curb the nectar available in other crops such as clover and alfalfa.
“By the end of August we’ll have a better idea of where things are at,” Dixon said.
