Sask. beekeepers struggle with honey production

CBC
·3 min read
Sask. beekeepers say they are struggling with low honey production as the season draws to a close. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press - image credit)
Sask. beekeepers say they are struggling with low honey production as the season draws to a close. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press - image credit)

Gary Keller says his honey business has produced well over the past few years, but this season is looking less successful.

Keller, the owner of Keller's Bee Happy Honey, said the bees had a hard time collecting nectar and pollen due to the cold and wet spring, and the hot summer meant a short blooming window for canola flowers that produce the nectar bees need. These factors have him expecting less production for beekeepers across the province.

"Already the flowers are stopping giving nectar, so it's going to be a very short honey flow," he said.

Gary Keller says this year's honey season has been a setback for beekeepers across the province. He says the poor winter and spring weather lead to less nectar for honeybees, resulting in less honey production.
Gary Keller says this year's honey season has been a setback for beekeepers across the province. He says the poor winter and spring weather lead to less nectar for honeybees, resulting in less honey production.

Gary Keller says this year's honey season has been a setback for beekeepers across the province. (Kirk Fraser/CBC News)

Keller said that although the season is not done yet, he anticipates about 50 per cent less honey than a normal year.

"The bees are strong and healthy, it's just that they didn't bring the numbers in," he said.

Andrew Hamilton of Hamilton Apiaries shares the same concerns. He said he's been more focused on selling other products this year.

Hamilton has been operating the business for 10 years. He also extracts honey for other people and said beekeepers across the province are experiencing low production this year.

"There's just no honey out there," he said.

Andrew Hamilton says his business usually produces around 200 pounds of honey per colony, but this season he's expecting to produce between 80 to 100 pounds. He is one of many beekeepers struggling with honey production this year.
Andrew Hamilton says his business usually produces around 200 pounds of honey per colony, but this season he's expecting to produce between 80 to 100 pounds. He is one of many beekeepers struggling with honey production this year.

Andrew Hamilton says his business usually produces around 200 pounds of honey per colony, but this season he's expecting 80 to 100. (Tyreike Reid/CBC News)

Hamilton said there wasn't a lot of nectar for bees in the spring, leading keepers to use supplemental feeding to get them through the season. Despite that, he had high hopes for the summer, but they have come crashing down.

Hamilton said his business produces 200 pounds of honey per colony during a normal year.

"But this year we're looking at around 80 to 100. It's way down," he said.

Bees experiencing health issues across the province

Saskatchewan is typically one of Canada's top honey producers on a per-hive basis.

The province typically produces 180 pounds per hive and has around 100,000 colonies, according to Geoff Wilson, an agriculture specialist for the Saskatchewan government.

While the weather played a major role in this year's production, Wilson said bee diseases have also been cropping up more. He said a bacterial disease called European foulbrood has been making its way through the province "at levels we haven't seen before."

Saskatchewan's agriculture specialist, Geoff Wilson, says a bacterial disease known as the European Foulbrood has been increasing in bee colonies this year. The honeybee parasite, Varroa Mites, have also began to spike, causing poor health conditions for bees.
Saskatchewan's agriculture specialist, Geoff Wilson, says a bacterial disease known as the European Foulbrood has been increasing in bee colonies this year. The honeybee parasite, Varroa Mites, have also began to spike, causing poor health conditions for bees.

Geoff Wilson, an agriculture specialist for the Saskatchewan government, says a bacterial disease known as European foulbrood has been increasing in bee colonies this year. Varroa mites, a parasite, have also spiked. (CBC News)

He also said varroa mites, a reddish-brown honeybee parasite, have become a problem.

"The mites are currently much, much higher than typical at this time of year," he said.

It's not the first time the mites have caused problems in the province. In 2022, bee mortality rates shot up due to the mites proliferating during the winter season.

Wilson said the mites could affect the bees' wintering this year, which would then impact next season's honey production, but the European foulbrood has most likely already impacted this year's harvest.

Keller said it's best to deal with the pests as soon as possible. Although this year's honey season is close to an end, he's remaining optimistic for the future seasons.

"You just gotta do your due diligence and hope for the best," he said.

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