Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week 2014

Hive and the Honey Bee

Beekeeping and Beekeepers Grey/Bruce County

Hugh SimpsonCommercial Beekeeper

www.ospreybluffshoney.ca

Background

3000 Beekeepers in Ontario 87,000 hives 200 Commercial beekeepers 80% of

beehives Grey County: Approx. 120 hobby Beekeepers Approx. 16 Commercial with over 7000

hives One of the most productive areas for

Nectar in Eastern Canada

Grey/Bruce region has a number of large- scale Beekeepers each with 1000 hives or more

Many are multigenerational with hives in the same bee yards for over 50 years

Commercial pollination continues to be important in this region

The region also supplies honey bee Queens and bees in nucleus (nucs) colonies and full sized colonies to other parts of Ontario and Canada

Pollination is responsible and necessary for 1/3 of the world’s food - “if its colorful and juicy” its insect pollinated

Honey bee is the most significant of the pollinators Over 1500 Grey County hives go out to fruit

growers for pollination within this region Common for Honey bee pollination to increase a

canola crop yield 25% and critical for apple crop In the US almond pollination involves “millions of

beehives” and honey production is secondary Honey production for Grey and Bruce ranges

upwards of 1,000,000 lbs

Honey Bee Health

“So how are the bees?”Average Winter losses in Ontario

approx 30% with wide ranges both above and below

Threats include:Disease Pesticides Parasites Wildlife damageForage, quality and amount Weather and yes…..Beekeeper error

Honey Bee Health

The Varroa “Mite” is prolific and is believed to be the vector for many problems affecting the health of the hive

Pesticide exposure and its effects is under great scrutiny right now--”neonics”

A strong hive with lots of healthy bees has a better chance of surviving threats - Beekeepers’ work is all about building and keeping strong hives

Keeping the Canada US Border closed to the importation of bees from the United States to Canada

This policy is under pressure as trade between US and Canada opens further and as bee colony losses remain high - but it is critical for us to preserve the healthy bee genetics work which is being done in Canada and specifically in Ontario

BioSecurity -- Bees and our Borders

Many of the health issues related to bee mortality have over time been imported or are threatened to be imported thru the transport of bees from high risk / affected areas:Varroa Mites - key threat now found in

Canada Small Hive Beetles- now found in Canada American Foul Brood- found in Canada

todayAfricanized Bee genetics - not yetColony Collapse Disorder CCD - yet to be

confirmed here in Canada

Partners with Growers, Government and IndustryGrowers:

Provide access to their land for beeyards

Consider honey bee health in Ag practices; crop spray, seed treatments (IPM), crop rotation, mtnce of fence rows

Include crops with nectar yields, clovers, alfalfa, trefoil, canola and let natural wildflowers dandelions, goldenrod, joe pye weed etc flourish in fence rows

Employ local hives for their pollination needs

Buy local honey :)

Government: Acknowledge and promote the importance of

the honey bee to the food and agriculture system

Introduce and pass laws/ policies and programs that support the health of the honeybee and the beekeeping sector e.g.

Promote the use of local / domestic honey Support objective scientific research with funding Monitoring and enforcement of Ag crop spray/seed

treatment, IPM and Best Management programs Allowances for beeyards within rural municipalities Promotion of natural forage areas in municipal and

provincial parks, ditches, fence row retention Retention of the Provincial Bees Act as separate

and distinct from the Animal health Act for Ontario

Industry: Crop Protection product mftr’s / distributors

Continued research, development, commercialization and education for effective and economic pollinator/environmentally -safe products and their usage

Planting Equipment mftr’s / distributors Ramp up on engineering, production and training

for equipment and use that considers the threat of unintended consequences toward pollinators and the environment in general

Crop Insurers Modeling and introducing fair insurance programs

that include non-treated crop applications

Beekeeping = Managing the risks and leveraging the opportunities(sound familiar?)

Managing Production and Leveraging Opportunity

Production risks:Pests - IPM natural and other treatment applications and practices for Varroa Mites, lethal Brood Diseases, even for Bears and Coons/skunks and …yes….even Bee Hive Rustlers :(

Forage quality - work closely with farmers on cooperative use of pesticides, crop selections, access and Ag practice, promotion of fence rows and natural landscapes for forage variety

Weather - just wait or hurry up

Market risks:

Honey prices - diversify markets between, commodity, wholesale and retail Buyers

Market development - Network, Educate, Cooperate

Get on-line - @twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Time for Questions? Thank you for your support of the

Honey bee and Grey/Bruce County Beekeepers

Hugh Simpson

Beekeeper@ospreybluffshoney.ca

Twitter @ospreybeekeeper

Facebook OspreyBluffsBeekeeper