Hobby beekeeper Ramin Abdolahi remembers opening a hive this spring, only to find a pile of dead bees at the bottom.
“It’s very, very heartbreaking,” said Abdolahi, who lives in Kitchener and keeps his hives on a farm near Shakespeare, Ont.
Heartbreaking – but not unusual this season.
According to the Ontario Beekeepers Association, beekeepers across the province are reporting heavy losses in up to 90 percent of their colonies.
The problem is so significant that the association’s president, Bernie Ville, is concerned that it could affect not only honey producers but also fruit growers. Some beekeepers provide pollination services for orchards in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, he said.
“We’re really worried we won’t have enough bees,” said Wiehle, who is also a commercial beekeeper near Rodney, Ont.
Although many factors can affect bee health, a small parasite called varroa is thought to be responsible for most bee deaths this year.
Early spring recipe for trouble
Mites feed on bees’ blood and protein reserves and can spread viruses to bees and weaken their immune response, according to Paul Kelly, head of research and apiaries at the Guelph Bee Research Center.
Last year, spring came early, Kelly said, which was good for the bees, but also good for the varroa mites, which managed to start breeding early.
“The earlier spring, the more reproductive cycles these mites can go through,” Kelly said.
“It’s like exponential growth.”
Dennis Schmid raises bees in Waterloo, Ont., And is president of the Wellington County Beekeepers Association. (Submitted by Denis Schmid)
Dennis Schmid, who usually keeps between 20 and 30 colonies in the Waterloo apiary, said all but one were destroyed this year.
Schmid was not completely shocked – there were not many signs of life from the hives in the winter – but the losses were still devastating, he said.
“I’ve heard stories of beekeepers crying when they finally open their hives and find that their livestock died in the winter,” said Schmid, who is also president of the Wellington County Beekeepers Association.
Kelly hopes that further research into varroa mites and honey bees will lead to solutions to keep the problem under control. The center is also testing the use of essential oils and organic acids to kill mites without harming bees, he said.
Packed bees in short supply
Abdolahi opened a hive this spring, only to find a pile of dead bees at the bottom. (Submitted by Ramin Abdollahi)
As for beekeepers like Schmid and Abdolahi, they now hope to start regenerating their own colonies. For some, this may be easier said than done, Wiehle said, as there is a huge demand for packaged bees this year and there is almost no supply.
“They’re just not available and outrageously expensive – the price has probably doubled.”
Wiehle hopes to meet with Lisa Thompson, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, to discuss financial relief for commercial beekeepers severely affected by mites.
In response to a request from the CBC, a Thompson spokesman said the minister’s office was working to schedule a meeting soon.
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