Honeybees have a reputation for hard work, but not all their activity is honest work. When food is needed, some bees will invade another hive and steal whatever is available. In the world of beekeeping, they are known as robber bees. “Robber bees are regular honeybees that invade another beehive and steal honey. They open […] Read more
Tag Archives Bees — page 4
Cold spring hammers bees
Last fall Simon Lalonde had around 3,200 bee hives and things were looking good when the colonies were put away for the winter. By late April about 1,300 of those hives were dead or had too few bees to survive as a colony. “We had about a 41 percent (winter) loss…. That’s about double our […] Read more
Source of bacterial disease in Peace region bees a mystery
GIROUXVILLE, Alta. — Bees in the Peace region are facing a new problem that has researchers looking for answers. Carlos Castillo, an applied scientist and manager at the National Bee Diagnostic Centre in Beaverlodge, Alta., has been delving into what’s believed to be an increase of European foulbrood in the region. European foulbrood is a […] Read more
Northern Prairies beat south for honey production
This year’s drought in parts of Western Canada hurt honey production, but beekeepers in more northerly regions had a good to excellent honey crop. For example, producers in southern Alberta had a poor year but yields were better north of Calgary. “Everybody is pretty happy with their crop … for the majority,” said Mike DeJong, […] Read more
Looming antimicrobial rules will be tough on beekeepers
Few Canadian veterinarians are able to write antibiotic prescriptions for bees, which could affect hive health
A list of antimicrobials given to livestock will be available next year only with a prescription. Canadian farmers who raise cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry are gearing up for the change, but the beekeeping industry isn’t ready for the new rules. That’s because most veterinarians in Canada don’t have the knowledge or training to write […] Read more
Honey production better in north than south this year
This year’s drought in parts of Western Canada hurt honey production, but beekeepers in more northerly regions had a good to excellent honey crop. For example, producers in southern Alberta had a poor year but yields were better north of Calgary. “Everybody is pretty happy with their crop … for the majority,” said Mike DeJong, […] Read more
Looming antimicrobial rules will be tough on beekeepers
A list of antimicrobials given to livestock will be available next year only with a prescription. Canadian farmers who raise cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry are gearing up for the change, but the beekeeping industry isn’t ready for the new rules. That’s because most veterinarians in Canada don’t have the knowledge or training to write […] Read more
Poor quality queens focus of colony loss
For a long time, Canadian beekeepers have said that varroa mites are their number one problem and the main cause of bee colony failure. Not this year. In 2017, beekeepers have said that poor quality queens are the primary factor for bee colony loss. “The most frequently cited causes in order from high to low […] Read more
Winter colony losses up
Bee colony losses were higher in Canada this year, partly because April was a cold and snowy month on the Prairies. In its annual report, the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) said Aug. 21 that bee colony losses in Canada were 25.1 percent for the winter of 2016-17. (PDF format) The national winter loss […] Read more
Bees thrive on farmland: study
A recent study has determined that cropland benefits bees. In a paper published in the Journal of Economic Entomology (PDF format), University of Tennessee scientists, including lead author Mohamed Alburaki, compared beehives located in agricultural land to bee colonies in non-farming areas. They found that bees that foraged on farmland thrived, and bees that foraged […] Read more
