Last week the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture organized and facilitated a beekeeping workshop in partnership with the PEI Beekeepers’ Association. This workshop took place over 2 days, with several guest speakers, covered a wide range of beekeeping topics and providing the opportunity for new and experienced beekeepers to network and learn from each other. This week’s blog will highlight some of the discussions that took place during the event.
Review of PEIBA Spring Workshop
On April 24th
and 25th ATTTA, partnered with the PEI Beekeeping Association, hosted
a spring beekeeping workshop in Charlottetown. The event was attended by
approximately 15 beekeepers from the Island and from New Brunswick, and there
was an additional 4 guest speakers in attendance. The event started with a
provincial update from Cameron Menzies (provincial apiarist) on the PEI
beekeeping industry. In 2025 there was approximately 30 commercial beekeepers
managing over 5000 colonies. There was an estimated 4675 PEI hives provided for
pollination. Additionally, the province imported 3472 colonies for pollination
from Ontario and British Columbia. The average rental price for a PEI colony
for pollination in 2025 was $228. For honey production, there was an estimated
4000 honey producing hives with an average of 30lbs per hive last season.
During provincial inspections there was no detected American foulbrood or Small
Hive Beetle in the province, and detected Varroa mite levels were low (less
than 1%). It is worth noting that for imported hives 16% of colonies were
inspected, which is in excess of the required 10%. Last winter (2024-2025) the
island had a sustainable winter loss of 23% of colonies, and beekeepers are still
in the process of determining their winter loss for 2025-2026.
Stephen
Farmer (Vice President of PEI Beekeepers’ Association) provided an update on
behalf of the beekeeping association. Currently, the PEIBA has 114 members
which consists of beekeepers, supporters of the industry and students. The
province is excited to be hosting the Atlantic Bee Tour this summer, which will
take place on July 31st and August 1st.
Rémi Padé
(Véto-pharma) discussed Apivar 2.0®, Amiflex® and Bactobee®. Only Apivar 2.0®
and Amiflex® are registered in Canada both of which have the active ingredient
amitraz. Apivar 2.0® has a few important differences from the original Apivar®
product. Apivar 2.0® is a larger strip than Apivar®, with a lower concentration
of amitraz, which results in an equal delivery of amitraz as the original
formulation. The design of the plastic
strips has improved tabs for hanging strips between frames, which helps increase
contact of the product with bees and mites. Additionally, Apivar 2.0® does not have a withdrawal period prior to placing honey supers. Amiflex®, also containing the active
ingredient amitraz (1.99%), is administered to colonies as a gel. Amiflex®
works as a flash treatment, which can quickly knock down mite populations, but
needs to be complimented with long-term release products as part of an
integrated pest management approach.
To conclude
the first day of presentations, JoAnn Pineau (Executive Director of the PEI
Wild Blueberry Growers’ Association) gave an update on the association’s
activities. JoAnn highlighted recent events of the association such as the
Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference, upcoming events such as the PEIWBGA field
day (details to be determined), and research priorities of the association.
To start the
second day of the workshop, Dr. Andrew Byers (ATTTA Program Lead) discussed the
ATTTA program, and highlighted some of ATTTA’s research and extension work.
There are several upcoming training events that will be of interest to
beekeepers including: New Brunswick Beekeepers’ Association Workshop
(Memramcook – May 23), Queen Production Workshop (Bible Hill – June 17), and a
summer technical session (Parrsboro – June 29).
Kayla Gaudet (ATTTA) gave a presentation on ATTTA’s Regional Varroa
Mite, and amitraz efficacy testing for the region. This upcoming season will be
the third and final year of data collection for this project. Additionally,
Kayla discussed Varroa mite monitoring and the accuracy of both alcohol washes
and sticky boards. The take home message is that monitoring (washes, sticky
boards, or a combination of the two techniques) is essential for a successful
Varroa mite management program.
Andrew Byers then discussed Tropilaelaps mites including the biology
of the mite and the threat the mite presents to the Canadian beekeeping
industry. Overall, there
is still a lot of unknowns around the risk and management of Tropilaelaps mites
to the beekeeping industry. ATTTA will be publishing a blog and factsheet on
Tropilaelaps mites in the near future to share current knowledge of the biology
of the mite and current research regarding monitoring and management of this
pest which is happening globally.
Kayla Gaudet presented on wax moth management. Wax moth is primarily
an issue with stored beekeeping equipment but can also be a problem with weaker
colonies. The moths prefer infesting stored combs that are not actively
populated by bees. Cultural practices are one of the most useful tools for
beekeepers to prevent wax moth infestations. This includes proper storage of
used hive equipment and hive products. All hive equipment should be stored in a
closed building or storage container and should not be left outside.
Andrew Byers provided an update on growing degree days research, tools
and applications for wild blueberry pollination. Across Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick there is a network of weather stations which provide real-time data
on weather conditions, and provide the required data for predicting the growing
degree days of wild blueberries for a localized area. The PEI wild blueberry
industry is aiming towards having networked weather stations installed on the
island in the future, which provide a great benefit for determining wild
blueberry plant development and planning for pollination.
To conclude the workshop, Kayla Gaudet discussed queen production and
queen banking. Kayla discussed past research regarding indoor and outdoor queen
banking in Canada, and within the Maritimes. The ATTTA team has been working
towards doing an outdoor queen banking trial, with plans in place to set-up a
trial this coming fall.
Thank you to all beekeepers and speakers who participated in last
week’s workshop. The event was an excellent opportunity to learn and engage
with beekeepers. The ATTTA team wishes all PEI beekeepers an enjoyable and
successful 2026 beekeeping season.
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