Manitoba’s provincial apiarist says some commercial beekeepers are leaving the industry due to challenges caused by pests and unstable weather conditions.
“Beekeepers are struggling,” said Manitoba Agriculture’s provincial apiarist Derek Micholson. “Some have actually left the industry, others are kind of hanging on by a thread. Beekeepers are really passionate about what they do, so they want to continue hanging on, but it’s been a challenge for sure.”
Canadian honeybee colonies experienced significant losses in 2022, with nearly half of all colonies dying over the winter. Parasitic varroa mites were partially to blame, and they continue to plague hives today. But Micholson says weather is also a culprit.
“I think we’re all kind of crossing our fingers that we’ll have a fairly mild spring and not too many late winter storms in the spring, because that could really influence the overall winter mortality next spring,” Micholson said.
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Warmer weather caused by climate change also gives varroa mites more time to reproduce and spread.
“The mites are really the number one factor and in the other mite populations can be influenced by changes in seasons,” Micholson said.
While beekeepers can treat for mites in the spring, there are few treatments available for use over the winter. Micholson says the mites can also develop resistance to some of the treatments. While beekeepers can usually recover from a 15 to 20 per cent loss by breeding queen bees, anything over 30 per cent is dangerous territory.
For beekeepers like Michael Clark, whose family has kept bees since 1914, it’s a stressful time. Although he’s confident he’ll have low losses this year as he upped his mite treatments, he doesn’t know what his future in the industry will look like.
“I would say commercial beekeeping, and I reiterate commercial beekeeping, is becoming non-viable as an industry,” he said.
Clark also serves as the Manitoba Beekeepers’ Association Board director. He says fewer beekeepers in the business has a ripple effect on the agricultural sector.
“If we add 15 to 18 per cent to crop yields, that’s a profit ratio that farmers need,” he said. “I think you’ll see quite a few commercial beekeepers potentially go under, which will lead to lower yields for the farmers.”
He’d like to see government intervention to help the industry.
“The government needs to wake up and realize that these heavy losses, as well as with lower crop price, the commercial guys cannot stay in operation,” he said.
“I do like to believe that there is hope, or a silver lining or an end. But right now, things are difficult,” he said.
Micholson is also hopeful the projected losses don’t materialize, but says even with a good year, Manitoba beekeepers will need several more good years to recoup.
“I think beekeepers are a real resilient bunch, and they’re still optimistic that we might see some good conditions come the spring,” he said.
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