HONEY BEES
The beekeeping industry has been growing in the past decade, with more than 40,000 honey bee hives now calling Atlantic Canada home. Hives are used for both pollination services (e.g. apple, wild blueberry) and honey production.
To welcome and train the many new beekeepers within the industry, several opportunities have arisen. For example, the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture (ATTTA), based at Perennia, was formed in April 2016 to provide extension and research services for beekeepers offering pollination services. New courses have been developed, and training opportunities featuring guest speakers have also been created.
Atlantic Canada is known for its delicious, high-quality honey. Honey is marketed directly to consumers as well as sold in bulk. Pollination services provided by honey bees contributes significantly to the wild blueberry industry in the Maritimes.
Innovative research and knowledge transfer is being conducted in Atlantic Canada by the Tech Transfer Team, including optimizing pollination, enhancing overwintering success, better managing pests and diseases, and improving overall bee health. Beekeepers are eager to participate in research trials and continue to move the industry forward.
Pest and Disease Management
- Report – Maritime regional survey on the prevalence of Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) in western honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, and the efficacy of amitraz for treatment 2025
- American foulbrood (Paenibacillus larvae)
- Wax Moth
- Fausse teigne
- Small Hive Beetle
- Petit Coléoptère de la Ruche
- Report – Atlantic Canada regional survey on the prevalence of Varroa mites (Varroa destructor ) in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, and the efficacy of amitraz for treatment 2024
- Report – Summary of Miticide Efficacy for Varroa destructor Management in the Maritimes 2024
- Varroa Mite Management Options for Atlantic Canada
- Evaluating Efficacy of Fumagilin-B® against Nosemosis and Tracking Seasonal Trends of Nosema SPP. in Nova Scotia Honey Bee Colonies
- What’s the Buzz about the Asian Hornet?
- Quoi penser du frelon géant asiatique?
- Nosema News from the ATTTA
- Formic Pro paper
- Apivar and Bayvarol paper
- Des options pour la gestion de l’acarien Varroa au Canada Atlantique
- Initial Findings on Miticide Efficacy in the Maritimes
- Summer Disease and Pest Monitoring in Honey Bees
- Dépistage estival des maladies et ravageurs chez l’abeille mellifère
- Condensed Report on Miticide Resistance in Atlantic Canada
Queen Production
- Honey Bee Queen Production: Canadian Costing Case Study and Profitability Analysis
- Maritime Queens: The importance of producing or purchasing local queens
- Reines des provinces maritimes: l’importance de produire ou d’aquérir Des reines localement
- Cell Builder Cheat Sheet
Pollination
- Protecting Pollinators from Pesticides – Wild Blueberry
- Supplement to Protecting Pollinators from Pesticides – Wild Blueberry
- Protéger les polinisateurs des pesticides – Bleuet sauvage (FR)
- Supplément au document Protéger les polinisateurs des pesticides – Bleuet sauvage (FR)
- Best Management Practices Guide for Honey Bee Pollination of Wild Blueberries in Atlantic Canada
- Guide des Meilleures Pratiques de Gestion pour la Pollinisation des bleuets Sauvages par les Abeilles Domestiques au Canada Atlantique
- Examining the Effect of Honey Bee Colony Stocking Density in Wild Blueberries
- Évaluation de l’effet de la densité des colonies d’abeilles mellifères dans les bleuetières
- Evaluating the effect of feeding pollen substitute to honey bee colonies destined for wild blueberry pollination in Colchester County, Nova Scotia
- Évaluer l’effet du nourrissement de galettes de pollen sur les colonies d’abeilles mellifères destinées à la pollinisation des bleuets sauvages dans le comté de Colchester, en Nouvelle-Écosse.
- Evaluating the Effect of Honey Bee Stocking Density on Bee Growth and Fruit Development in Wild Blueberry
- Évaluation des effets de la densité de ruches d’abeilles mellifères sur la croissance des colonies et sur le développement des fruits du bleuet sauvage
Beekeeping
- Managing a Nucleus Colony Part 1: What is a Nucleus Colony: Information for New Beekeepers
- Managing Nucleus Colonies Part 2: Care of a Nucleus Colony
- Electric Fences in Apiaries
- Clôtures électriques dans les ruchers
- Beehive Basics The Startup Setup
- Tick Safety in the Bee Yard
- How Drought Conditions in the Maritimes can Impact Honey Bees
- A Closer Look at Splitting and Nucleus vs Packages Buildup
- Qu’est-ce qu’un Nucléus: Information pour les nouveaux apiculteurs!
- Creating a Bee Yard
- La création d’un rucher
- Feeding Honey Bees
- Le nourrissement des abeilles
- A Comparison of Honey Bee Swarm Prevention Techniques
- Fall Honey Bee Management Guide
- Guide de gestion automnale de l’abeille mellifère
- Comb Rotation
- Spring Honey Bee Management Guide 2018
- Guide de gestion printanière de l’abeille mellifère
- Evaluating late summer pollen substitutes on the growth and overwintering success of honey bee colonies and analyzing natural fall pollen nutrition in Nova scotia, canada
- NSDA Report on the Status of NS Honey Bee Industry
- Small Hive Beetle Biosecurity BMPs
- Plan for Small Hive Beetle Response in Nova Scotia
THE ONTARIO BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
Contained in this link are the following useful fact sheets and publications on honey bee diseases and pests available for download: “An Introduction to Honey Bee Pests and Diseases in Ontario”
Varroa mites
“Varroa Mites – Biology and Diagnosis”
“Varroa Mites – Sampling and Monitoring Infestation Levels”
“Single Application Formic Acid Guide”
“Oxalic Acid Protocol”
“Oxalic Acid Safety Info”
American Foulbrood
“American Foulbrood – Biology and Diagnosis”
“American Foulbrood – Prevention and Management”
Small Hive Beetle
“Small Hive Beetle Info”
“Small Hive Beetle Treatment Recommendations”
Nosema cerenae
“What you need to know about Nosema Ceranae”
“Nosema Assessment Protocol”
“Nosema Sampling Vacuum Plans”
MID-ATLANTIC APICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CONSORTIUM
Contained in this link are numerous other useful fact sheets and publications on honey bee diseases and pests available for download.
The Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists has an excellent publication outlining diseases and pests of honey bees. It is available for order via this link
The Ontario Beekeepers’ Association Technology Transfer Program has a Integrated Pest Management for Beekeeping in Ontario’ that provides additional information for pest and disease monitoring and management. It is available for purchase following this link, as well as the above CAPA publication.
FACT SHEETS AND PUBLICATIONS ON OVERWINTERING
Successful overwintering is a significant challenge facing the beekeeping industry in Atlantic Canada and is a management point that must be tailored to specific Atlantic Canada conditions. ATTTA will be working on increasing overwintering success for bees and will provide information targeted to this region. Stay tuned for more information.
FACT SHEETS FOR BIOSECURITY/STERILIZATION
Biosecurity is important to all aspects of agriculture, including apiaries. By ensuring biosecurity is part of your bee yard practices, the risk of introducing diseases and pests can be minimized. There are national standards for bee farm biosecurity available from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. ATTTA will be addressing biosecurity in the near future.
FACT SHEETS FOR BEE NUTRITION/BEE YARDS
When bees have access to nutritious food sources throughout the season, they can be at their optimum performance. When bees are malnourished, stressors such as diseases and pests have an even greater impact. Here are some fact sheets outlining ideal bee yards, including which flowers to plant, where to implement bee yards and special considerations. Stay tuned for our own bee yard fact sheet adapted to Atlantic Canada.
- Enhancing Wild Bees for Crop Pollination, Bee Pasture Development (University of Maine Extension)
- Habitat Creation and Management for Pollinators (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK)
- Honey Bee Nutrition and Supplementary Feeding
- Honey and Pollen Plants for Canada’s Beekeepers
