Some beekeepers in the province could face challenges heading into the spring as the mortality rate for bees is expected to be above average.
The Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development Commission says the projected average loss will be between 30 to 35 per cent while the usual is between 15 to 20 per cent.
President Nathan Wendell said some producers are reporting losses as high as 60 to 80 per cent.
The main culprit is the varroa destructor mite, a pest that feeds on and attacks honey bees. The pest is known worldwide.
“They can really cause a lot of problems quickly in honey bee colonies because their population numbers can grow very, very high very quickly,” said University of Saskatchewan biology professor Art Davis.
Wendell says last year with the early spring and late fall, the bees remained active for a longer period of time, giving mites more time to reproduce and cause problems.
Davis says three-quarters of Canada’s honey comes from the prairies and there’s “much at stake for the commercial beekeeper.”
“I certainly feel for those producers who have had a big loss this year, it’s devastating to them, to their livelihood,” Wendell said.
Some beekeepers in Alberta and Manitoba are already projecting a loss of up to 90 per cent of their colonies.
The commission says the usual option for beekeepers who see high mortality rates is to source bees from Australia, New Zealand and Chile but that option is declining with COVID-19 related problems.
“Folks will be looking to their neighbours, to their friends to any available stock to replace those bees,” Wendell said.
Lalonde Honey Farms says they’ve had an average year when it comes to mortality rates and it’s already familiar with helping out those in need. Last year the farm sent 700 to 800 smaller beehives to Alberta and has already been asked for more this year.
“We’re definitely going to do our best to try and get other guys back on their feet and help them out however we can,” said co-owner Simon Lalonde.
The warm spring weather isn’t quite here yet in Saskatchewan so beekeepers will have several weeks before they’re able to get a full picture of their bee stock for the year.