SASKATOON – Now that the vicious varroa mite is through the Saskatchewan door, honey producers want to shine a light into the dark corners to find where it’s skulking.
During May and June, all commercial honey makers in the province are expected to be checked by the provincial agriculture department to see how many beehives have been infected. The varroa mite can kill a hive within three years if untreated.
Saskatchewan was the last province in Canada free of the lethal arachnid, but late in the year hives near Regina, Saskatoon and Porcupine Plain were all found to be infected. About 4,000 hives near Porcupine Plain are infected, 75 near Regina and one outside Saskatoon.
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Aid in control
Provincial apiarist John Gruszka said it’s important to know where the varroa mites are because producers may be able to control them.
Gruszka said some chemical treatments can kill up to 99.5 percent of the mites, so “we won’t see any detrimental impact on honey production as long as we stay on top of it.”
The tracheo mite, another bee pest that infiltrated the province in 1987, has been restricted to one-third of Saskatchewan hives, he said.
Provincial authorities will quarantine any operation with mites. The infected operations are allowed to produce honey but cannot move bees to other areas.
Gruszka said there are too many hobby hives and not enough money to survey all Saskatchewan hives, so the province will focus on commercial producers.
