This past weekend, the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture attended the 2026 Atlantic Bee Tour, hosted by the Prince Edward Island Beekeepers Association in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. With 50 attendees, the event brought together beekeepers, industry members and researchers from across the region. As in previous years, the Atlantic Bee Tour served as an important opportunity for beekeepers to network, learn, and share knowledge. This event included industry updates, hands-on demonstrations and visits to local businesses, all showing the essential role of honey bees in the Atlantic region.
Review of the Atlantic Bee Tour 2026
The first day of the tour consisted of
presentations and educational learning about current challenges, industry
updates and important information to help other beekeepers. Stephen Farmer, a
local beekeeper from PEI and executive member of the PEIBA board, started off
the event with an introduction and to say thank you to everyone involved. Cameron
Menzies, PEI Provincial Apiarist, opened the morning with an update on the
state of beekeeping in the province. He noted that PEI is home to roughly 5,000
commercial hives, used for honey production, pollination, or both, and that the
province continues to face significant overwintering challenges. The 2025-2026
winter losses were driven primarily by weak colonies going into fall, harsh
weather conditions, poor queens, and starvation. Despite these setbacks,
Cameron shared encouraging results from the 2025 summer inspections, which
showed low Varroa mite levels, no small hive beetle, and only low levels of
European foulbrood. He also emphasized the importance of wild blueberry
pollination in PEI, which relies on a 1:1 ratio of local hives to imported
hives, showing how important local pollinators are for growers across the
province.
Following Cameron’s update, attendees heard
from Lauren Park of the Canadian Honey Council, who provided a national
perspective on current industry priorities. She outlined topics the council
focuses on, like miticide registration, pollination issues, and national policy
discussions. Lauren also addressed concerns surrounding honey adulteration and
importation issues. Lauren also highlighted upcoming industry events, including
the 2027 Pollination Symposium in Quebec.
The Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for
Apiculture shared updates on disease monitoring and research, including Varroa
mite surveys, amitraz efficacy testing, and ongoing work related to emerging
pathogens such as Vairimorpha (formerly Nosema) and Lotmaria
passim. These updates offered attendees a clear picture of the scientific
work underway to support evidence‑based management practices throughout the region.
Jeff Lee from Honey Bee Zen Apiaries
discussed his own operation in British Columbia, sharing his knowledge of different forages and cover crops to improve forage
density and pollinator pathways; this approach is used to strengthen both honey
bee and wild pollinator health. Amanda Goodman Lee shared an engaging session
on honey marketing, explaining why local honey remains a strong competitor in
the market and how producers can communicate value to customers. Also, Jeff and
Amanda both talked about tricks they have learned from their beekeeping
experience.
The afternoon sessions shifted toward
practical demonstrations and applied learning. Karen Thurlow led a microscopy
display, showing participants how to prepare slides, identifying Vairimorph,
and showed different types of pollen found in colonies. She also shared
practical tips from her own operation, offering guidance on efficient equipment
use and management strategies. The first day was filled with a balance of
scientific and practical learning, providing attendees with lots of
informational knowledge.
The second day of the Atlantic Bee Tour
brought participants on a bus, showing diverse beekeeping and honey-related
companies in PEI. The morning began at Ella’s Forest, where attendees toured
the facility and learned about the dried wild blueberry products made. Then
followed an in-hive demonstration for determining hygienic behaviour. From
there, the group travelled to Red Island Cider for a behind-the-scenes tour of
their production facility. The cidery even created a special honey-infused
cider for the Bee Tour!
After lunch at Founder’s Hall, the tour
continued to Island Honey Wine Co. where participants sampled a variety of
meads, learned about the business and had a chance to tour the area. This trip
showed the diversity of how honey and in-hive products can be transformed into
innovative products! The final destination of the tour was at a local
beekeeper’s operation, Jason and Monica Campbell. Then the tour ended at New
Glasgow for a delicious lobster supper!
The Atlantic Bee Tour was a great event for beekeepers across the region, offering valuable opportunities for learning and meeting members of the industry. The ATTTA team extends sincere thanks to the PEI Beekeeper’s Association for hosting this amazing event. We will look forward to the next Atlantic Bee Tour in 2028.
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