Where are the bees? How Saskatchewan finds itself in a honey shortage

The Prairies are well-known among beekeepers as the powerhouse for honey production in Canada. But this year, things are looking a little less sweet.

In 2024, Canadian honeybee colonies across Western Canada say honey production is down while bee disease is on the rise.

“One stack of boxes or one colony can produce up to 200 pounds on average or more of honey in a year,” Sarah Wood, the University of Saskatchewan associate professor and research chair in pollinator health, described.

“In years where we have less nectar or the weather doesn’t cooperate as much, then we can expect lower yields.”

Wood said lots of the stress on the colonies comes from the cold spring across the province, and now the extreme heat. As a result, the bees are much more susceptible to disease.

“Particularly a disease called European foulbrood that affects the baby bees in the hive and prevents the colony from growing as quickly,” Wood said.

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European foulbrood disease can devastate a full-sized colony, reducing it to half or a third of its strength.

And while there isn’t much beekeepers can do about the disease, Wood and her research team are using the downfall of honey production to help manage and discover new ways to treat it.

“We sort of took advantage of a natural outbreak of this disease and we explored different treatment options,” Wood said.

Another concern for beekeepers is the Varroa mites parasite.

“Varroa mites are the biggest killer of bees in north America, if not the world,” Geoff Wilson, an apiculture provincial specialist said. “If we don’t get them under control they will affect the wintering of the bees for next spring.”

Wood said honeybees are one of the most important agricultural pollinators. Roughly one-third of people’s food relies on their pollination.

As for the honey shortage, Wood said bees don’t currently have much in the environment for them to forage, so her team is finishing gathering honey for the last time this season.

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