The Ontario Beekeepers Association said that more than 50 per cent of colonies were lost in the winter of 2025, one of the highest rates since the OBA started tracking winter loss statistics.
Tag Archives Beekeeping
Ontario beekeepers continue to struggle with winter losses
Ontario Beekeepers’ Association says more research, funding needed to understand contributing factors
New bee health product receives federal approval
Hops provide the key ingredient for a new bee immunity tool approved for beekeeper use in Canada
Hops provide the key ingredient for a new bee immunity tool approved for beekeeper use in Canada by Health Canada.
Putting more buzz into bee management
Nectar is a Canadian company that brings digital data to beekeeping decisions
Apiarists now have software to manage data from hives to make more informed decisions about disease and hive movement. Canadian company Nectar aims to be the “operating system of the global bee industry,” says Marc-André Roberge, CEO of Nectar. Why it matters: Beekeepers lose many bees each year and more management data could reduce those […] Read more
Ontario beekeepers reeling from triple-season hit
Poor weather and varroa mite extract heavy toll on colonies
A tough fall, unstable winter temperatures and a cool spring have conspired to take a major toll on honeybee populations in Ontario and throughout Canada. Populations of varroa mite, a parasitic pest that attacks honeybees, have also been high this spring. With limited means to control varroa, Canadian beekeepers could face losses even greater than […] Read more
More ‘murder hornets’ found in B.C., Washington
Findings suggest some were able to overwinter
Reuters/Staff — Officials in British Columbia and Washington state have confirmed new sightings of the Asian giant hornet, dubbed the “murder hornet,” indicating the invasive, predatory insect survived the winter in the Vancouver area and U.S. Pacific Northwest. The stinging hornet, whose queens can grow as large as 2-1/2 inches in length, could potentially pose […] Read more
University of Guelph creates bee research centre
The University of Guelph is expanding its pollinator health and conservation program into North America’s first one-stop shop for honey bee research, education and outreach. The university is planning a $12-million facility aimed at helping understand the stressors affecting honey bees and other pollinators. A recent gift from the Riviere Charitable Foundation will cover a […] Read more
Beekeeper makes a big bet on bees
Dancing Bee is a rapidly growing supplier of all things honey. Here’s how they got there
For more than a decade, Todd Kalisz’s adaptability and business sense has meant success for his Dancing Bee Equipment in Canton. But the business, already the largest beekeeping supplier in Canada, is taking its next leap, growing hive numbers and honey processing capacity. Why it matters: Honey bee producer numbers are growing across Canada, and […] Read more
Pollinator plots open eyes and create conversations
Sixty plots will be established at the edges of farms after two years of the program
Across Ontario’s farm country over the past two years, small patches of fields have been transformed into a mix of flowering plants ideal for attracting bees and other insects and birds, as part of Operation Pollinator. There’s no confirmation on whether the global agricultural input company that created and supported the project, Syngenta, will continue […] Read more
Bee-based disease prevention
Inoculating flowering plants with insect-delivered fungus can help limit disease
Fungi that can inoculate crops against disease can be applied using insects — bumblebees, to be specific. According to Bee Vectoring Technology (BVT) — a Canadian company with offices in the United States and Europe, and in the process of commercializing such a service — Bombus-delivered inoculants offer fruit farmers another way to augment their […] Read more
Producer urges CFIA to take action on fake honey
A British Columbia beekeeper spent $1 million on a new test and implores the government to make sure it is used
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency uses an ineffective method to detect fake honey, which has forced a Canadian beekeeper to take matters into his own hands. Peter Awram is a second-generation beekeeper who has apiary facilities in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and produces honey north of Edmonton. “There is so much fraud in the industry, […] Read more
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