In the Maritimes, wild blueberry production depends on insect pollination and beekeepers play an important role in making that possible. Because honey bees are the main pollinator used in wild blueberry fields, the relationship between blueberry growers and beekeepers is very important to the industry’s success. Events like the WBPANS field day help strengthen that partnership and highlight important work happening in the industry.

Review of the 2026 WBPANS Field Day

June has been an eventful month for the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture! This week on Wednesday June 24^th, ATTTA attended the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia (WBPANS) annual field day in Onslow. This field day provided an opportunity for producers to engage with new products, industry updates, and advanced techniques all related to the wild blueberry industry.

The morning began with registration, followed by an overview of the day’s events. Attendees then travelled to a local producer’s blueberry fields, where, along with blueberry specialist Hugh Lyu (Perennia), the impact of last year’s drought was discussed. This also included a mention of the impacts on wild blueberry production of this spring’s colder than average weather. This set the tone for the group to tour the Wild Blueberry Research Institute, learning about ongoing research projects from Dr. David Percival (Dalhousie University). The morning taught producers and beekeepers more about the current struggles happening in the industry, research on wild blueberry production, and provided the chance to ask questions directly to industry experts.

Figure 1: Peter Swinkels, blueberry producer, (Left) and Hugh Lyu (Right) on a Wild Blueberry Field (ATTTA ©, 2026)

After returning to the main venue, River Breeze Farm, participants spent the rest of the morning viewing trade show exhibits, which featured equipment suppliers, agri-businesses and research groups.  This experience gave attendees the chance to connect directly with service providers and build up an appetite. Lunch was catered by Sizzlers BBQ, which included a delicious wild blueberry crumble for dessert.

Following lunch, opening remarks from the WBPANS president Andrew Dobson, were followed by greetings from The Honourable Greg Morrow, Minister of Agriculture. The Minister recognized both the importance and the challenges of the wild blueberry industry. The WBPANS executive director, Janette McDonald, provided updates on the WBPANS organization. Hugh Lyu delivered an industry overview, discussing struggles producers have faced over the last year, and indicated that there is an optimistic expectation for wild blueberries this year.  It was predicted, looking at the current situation, that the Nova Scotia crop yield may be 30-40 million pounds.

Figure 2: Andrew Dobson, President of the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia  (ATTTA ©, 2026)

Following the speakers, attendees moved outdoors for field demonstrations, and equipment displays. ATTTA hosted a display which focused on how to set up an electric fence to protect honey bees and bumble bees in areas with high bear pressure. This included how baiting techniques are used to train wildlife about fences, proper grounding for reliable fence performance, and considerations for placing honey bee and bumble bee colonies in wild blueberry fields, including recommended distances between them (100m). These demonstrations highlight to producers the importance of protecting hives, how to reduce wildlife conflicts and how to support pollination for wild blueberries.

Figure 3: ATTTA’s Demonstration of an Electric Fence designed for High-Bear Pressure Areas (in front of the River Breeze Farm)  (ATTTA ©, 2026)

The WBPANS Field Day was another successful event, with help of producers, researchers and industry partners to show support for the industry of which they are part. The turnout was amazing, with 214 people registered for the event! Thank you so much to the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia for hosting such a great field day!

Written by Kaitlyn Newton, ATTTA Seasonal Apiculturist

Connecting with ATTTA Specialists

If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:

visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/

Email attta@perennia.ca

 

The Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture recently hosted a full day introductory queen production workshop for beekeepers across the Maritimes. This event brought together experienced beekeepers for a day focused on learning, discussion, and hands-on practice in both the classroom and apiary. This workshop exposed beekeepers to the basics of queen productions practices.

Review of the 2026 Queen Production Workshop

This past Wednesday, June 17^th the workshop took place in Bible Hill, combining classroom learning, hands-on demonstrations, and time in the apiary.  Over the day, learners applied techniques discussed in class to practices in the apiary. This workshop reached full capacity, reflecting the strong interest in queen production in the Maritime region. Participation was offered to beekeepers with a minimum of three years of experience. 

The morning portion of the workshop focused on the fundamentals of honey bee queen production in the Maritimes. The requirements for becoming a queen producer, the considerations involved in large-scale production, and the equipment and resources needed to support a successful queen rearing operation were discussed. This part of the training provided a strong foundation for understanding what influences grafting success and colony performance.

Figure 1: Students observing a cloake board colony (ATTTA ©, 2026)

Following the classroom session, the group transitioned outdoors. In the apiary, participants examined examples of suitable grafting frames from colonies. Students also viewed a prepared Cloake board set up and had opportunity to look at mating nucs. One of the highlights of the afternoon was the hands-on grafting practice. Participants had the choice of a Chinese, German or Swiss grafting tool to try grafting larvae. 

Figure 2: Participants practicing grafting with various tools (ATTTA ©, 2026)

Throughout the day, beekeepers had the opportunity to ask questions, share knowledge and discuss their thoughts on queen production in the Maritimes. This event was a great introductory level course on queen rearing.

Overall, the event was a great success, and ATTTA was pleased to see such strong engagement from all three provinces. With a full waiting list and continued interest, ATTTA hopes to offer similar workshops in the future. 

Written by Kaitlyn Newton, ATTTA Seasonal Apiculturist

Connecting with ATTTA Specialists

If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:

visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/

Email attta@perennia.ca