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

 

Last week the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture had the pleasure of attending the Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference in Moncton, NB. This was a joint event between the three Maritime wild blueberry associations: Bleuets New Brunswick Blueberries, Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberry Growers Association. The event was well attended with over 170 representatives from the three Maritime provinces. To learn the highlights of this event read this week’s blog.

Review of the Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference

On Friday morning, prior to the Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference, the PEI Wild Blueberry Growers Association held their own AGM at the same venue.  Taking advantage of the conference to hold their own business meeting, the PEIWBGA gathered in good numbers in Moncton to review the work of the year past and make plans for the future.  Anyone in attendance realized that the blueberry producers in PEI are resilient and optimistic for the future of their sector. The meeting was led by PEIWBGA’s current president, Benny Nabuurs, and supported by the executive director, JoAnn Pineau, to effectively work through a full agenda.  The meeting was concluded with the presentation of the Pioneer Award.  This is a recognition of the significant contribution to the industry of individuals who through their hard work, leadership and generosity helped build and shape the wild blueberry industry in PEI. The deserving recipients of the 2026 Pioneer Award are Paul Gallant and Rodney McInnis.

The Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference started with an update from each of the presidents of the three Maritime wild blueberry associations. Zach Fisher (Bleuets New Brunswick Blueberries – BNBB), Benny Nabuurs (Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberry Growers Association – PEIWBGA) and Andrew Dobson (Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia – WBPANS) each provided an overview of the associations’ activities and the provinces’ industry.

Donald Arseneault (executive director of Bleuets New Brunswick Blueberries) introducing each of the three Maritime wild blueberry association presidents.

The first presentation of the event was from Patrick O’Neil (Wild Blueberry Association of North America – WBANA) who provided an overview of WBANA’s activities for the past year. The association has been busy marketing the benefits of wild blueberries on a global scale, and working with various partners to spread that message.

Next, Colleen Craig (Wyman’s Director of Marketing) gave a health research update. The health research group is actively supporting numerous studies on the health benefits of wild blueberries, and aims to differentiate the numerous benefits of wild blueberries from cultivated blueberries.

Adriana Yunes (Agriculture Alliance of New Brunswick) discussed the seasonal workforce needs in agriculture. One of the main considerations Adriana highlighted is the benefit of having seasonal workers employed by multiply agriculture commodities to extend their employment season.

Michael Tesfaendrias (Department of Fisheries, Agriculture and Aquaculture) provided a presentation on timing fungicide applications to manage wild blueberry diseases during a sprout year. In particular, Michael highlighted the management of leaf rust disease and powdery mildew.

Sylvain Gadbois (Business Development Officer Department of Fisheries, Agriculture and Aquaculture) discussed two important programs that are available to Canadian farmers – Agri-Invest and Agri-Stability. To learn more about the benefits these investment and insurance programs can provide to wild blueberry growers visit the Government of Canada website.

Kim Lipsett (NB Agriculture Alliance) gave an overview on the structure, priorities and work of the NB Agriculture Alliance. The NB Agriculture Alliance works hard to advocate for the wild blueberry industry, and provides various programs that can be explored in detail on the NBAA website.

Cody Mallette and Ji Ma (Viridian Bioscience Company Ltd.) gave an overview of Viridian Bioscience  Ltd. and discussed the science behind biostimulants which can be used to target plant growth signals, and could be used within the wild blueberry industry in the future.

Janette McDonald (Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia) concluded day one’s activities.

To start the second day of the conference, JoAnn Pineau (Executive Director of the Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberry Growers Association) welcomed everyone to the second day of presentations. The first presentation of the day was from Gilbert Lavoie (Forest Lavoie Conseil) who provide a global wild blueberry market update. Globally, in 2025, there was 226 million pounds of frozen wild blueberries, which is down from the 10-year average of 298 million pounds. In Canada, for 2025, Quebec had above average wild blueberry production, but the Maritime region had below average production which is linked to severe drought conditions of the 2025 growing season. Currently, the wild blueberry marketing has high export prices and high demand for the premium product, which improves the price paid to producers. Looking forward to the 2026 season, Maritime growers are hoping for higher production volumes and continued high demand for wild blueberries.

The Hon. Pat Finnigan (Minister of the Department of Fisheries, Agriculture and Aquaculture) addressed the industry highlighting that wild blueberries are a healthy, favourable fruit and a significant part of New Brunswick’s agriculture industry. The minister also addressed the impact the 2025 drought had on the wild blueberry industry, but also the beneficial research and technology that is continually being produced within the sector.

Cora Hornbrook (Department of Fisheries, Agriculture and Aquaculture) gave an overview of the Resilient Agriculture Landscape Program and how wild blueberry producers can utilize and benefit from the program.

David Percival (Dalhousie University) discussed current research of his team at Dalhousie which includes wild blueberry disease management and the use of drone technology to apply pest control products. When discussing options for pest control products growers should always check with their processors to ensure that the selected product is on the list of approved agrochemicals.

Kwasi Boakye-Boateng (Future Tech Atlantic) provided a presentation on the Future Tech Atlantic company and discussed their research on soil sensors, which provides real time information for farmers. The hope is that this advanced technology will be researched and utilized for wild blueberry production in the future.

Dr. Andrew Byers (Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture) provided a research and extension update on behalf of the ATTTA team. Overall, the team has had a busy winter and is nearing the start of the 2026 field season. One of ATTTA’s projects that was highlighted during the update was their Varroa mite regional survey and amitraz efficacy testing, which will continue for the third and final season this year.

Dr. Craig MacEachern (Dalhousie) discussed research occurring in Dr. Esau’s precision agriculture lab. Dr. MacEachern highlighted the lab’s research on prescription mapping using drone technology, and also his own research on the efficiency and performance of wild blueberry harvesters.

Pattrick Hennessy (Dalhousie) gave an update on new technology in pesticide applications. Patrick discussed the results of field trials for using smart sprayers and machine vision technology to treat various weeds, detect and treat various wild blueberry diseases, and identify wild blueberry growth stages.

Marion Tétégan Simon (Valores) discussed restoring wild blueberries using transplanting services. There is an economic impact of a field with greater than 20% bare land, which is when a growing may want to explore restoring the land.

Dr. Scott White (Dalhousie University) presented on the biology and management of weeds. Scott discussed the biology and treatment options for 2 main weeds of wild blueberries – sheep sorrel and hair fescue.

Michel Melanson (Department of Fisheries, Agriculture and Aquaculture) provide a research update on New Brunswick wild blueberry production fertilizer trials. Wild blueberry fields were split in half, where one side received fertilizer application and the other did not. In a single season there was no observed benefit of using the fertilizer to increase yield, but, in the future, researcher would like to investigate if there is a cumulative benefit of using fertilizer for multiple years.

The final presentation of the meeting was from Andrea Keddy (Koppert) who highlighted the benefits of using bumble bee quads to meet wild blueberry pollination demand. Andrea provided some guidelines for securing and using quad boxes to pollinate.

Donald Arseneault concluded the meeting. This event was a great opportunity for the three maritime industries to network and to share both their challenges and successes within the wild blueberry industry. Thank you to all members of BNBB, WBPANS, and PEIWBG, who helped organize this great event. Also, thank you to all the sponsors of the event, and to those who work to support the wild blueberry industry.

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 is continuing with their second year of a regional varroa mite survey. This survey aims to determine seasonal trends in varroa mites across the region, and help assess the efficacy of mite management. This week’s blog will explore early season trends in varroa mite populations across our Maritime region, and discuss how this year’s mite levels compare to 2024, and other regions within Canada.

Early Season Regional Trends in Varroa Mite Populations

For the second season, ATTTA is conducting a regional varroa mite survey to assess temporal trends in mite levels and to assess the efficacy of amitraz (active ingredient in Apivar® - a synthetic miticide). This year, the survey consists of 20 beekeepers (7 in Nova Scotia, 9 in New Brunswick, and 4 on Prince Edward Island). For trial one, which took place mostly before colonies went to wild blueberry pollination, there was a total of 71 samples/colonies included.

Overall, the average mite load for trial one (April 30, 2025 – May 28, 2025) was 0.02%, 96% of colonies had 0% mite load, and no colonies had a mite load greater than 1% (Figure 1). The average number of bees per sample for trial one is 278, with a target sample size of 300. In comparison, in 2024, the average mite load for trial one (May 16, 2024 – June 25, 2024) was 0.09%, 93% of colonies had 0% mite load, and 5% colonies had a mite load greater than 1% (Figure 1). More data is needed to help establish a baseline for mite levels in spring across our region. Although there is a decrease in the percentage of colonies with detectable varroa, and the percentage of colonies with mites levels above 1%, between 2024 and 2025 (Figure 1), additional data is needed to support a downward trend, or assess if levels are potentially increasing or remaining stable from year to year.

Figure 1. Comparison of varroa mite loads in the Maritime region between 2024 and 2025.

It is important that beekeepers understand that 0% mite load, as determined by an alcohol wash, does not mean that no mites are present within the colony. There is always a background population of varroa mites within a single colony, and without frequent and representative monitoring the population can quickly increase above the level of detection. Beekeepers should manage their mite levels to be below 1% all throughout the beekeeping season, and intervene with treatment if levels reach/surpass 1% (1 mite per 100 bees).

A recently published study which took place in Ontario beekeeping operations (2015-2019) demonstrated a similar seasonal pattern in varroa mite populations, as observed from ATTTA’s research in 2024, and preliminary data for 2025 (Sobkowich et al. 2025). This seasonal pattern can be described by an initial spike in early spring around hive opening, followed by a sharp decline due to initial spring treatments, succeeded by a gradual population increase over the summer, leading to exponential growth in the mite population in early fall. This seasonal trend is consistent with previous knowledge on varroa mite population dynamics and global observations based on reported mite levels to the World Organization for Animal Health (Fanelli and Tizzani, 2020).

The Maritime industry must remain vigilant regarding the efficacy of Apivar® (active ingredient amitraz) as this is the only recommended synthetic miticide available, and widespread resistance is being reported across the globe. Following severe colony losses reported in early 2025 across the United States, researches of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), analyzed honey bee samples from 6 large commercial beekeeping operations and have submitted their results for publication. These operations represent a collective summertime high of 183,750 managed colonies, which is roughly 6.8% of all managed colonies in the United States. One of the preliminary results of this research is that 100% of the sampled varroa mites (n = 39) had amitraz resistant genetics.

Overall, although the early season trends in varroa mite populations across the Maritime region seem well managed, beekeepers must remain vigilant when monitoring for mites, and practice integrated pest management in all aspects of their mite management. For questions regarding mite management and treatment please reach out to the ATTTA team. We would like to thank all beekeepers who participated in trial one of our survey. We will be reporting on trial two of our survey later this summer.

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

References

Fanelli, A., & Tizzani, P. (2020). Spatial and temporal analysis of varroosis from 2005 to 2018. Research in Veterinary Science, 131(January), 215–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2020.04.017

Sobkowich, K.E., Berke, O., Bernardo, T.M., Pearl, D.L. and Kozak, P., 2025. Time series analysis of Varroa destructor counts in Ontario honey bee colonies and their association with weather variables. Journal of Apicultural Research, pp.1-8.

Last week (April 11^th and 12^th) the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture attended the Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference in Moncton, NB. This was a joint event between the three Maritime wild blueberry associations: Bleuets New Brunswick Blueberries, Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberry Growers Association. The event was well attended with over 200 representatives from the three Maritime provinces. To learn the highlights of this event read this week’s blog.

Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference 2025 Review

Last Friday and Saturday the three Maritime wild blueberry associations held a joint meeting in Moncton, NB. The first presentation of the event was from Patrick O’Neil (Wild Blueberry Association of North America – WBANA) who provided an overview of WBANA’s activities for the past year. The association has been busy marketing the benefits of wild blueberries on a global scale, and working with various partners to spread that message widely.

Next there was a presentation from Jupia Consultants Inc.  entitled “The Future of Agriculture and Food Sustainability” (David Campbell – president and Patricia Seamans – strategist). The Agriculture Alliance of New Brunswick (AANB) commissioned Jupia Consultants to a partner in developing a Strategic Plan for the advancement of the agriculture sector in the province of New Brunswick.  This plan laid out a range of actions to develop agricultural in that province.

Stephanie Tuttle (Agri-Commodity Management Association - ACMA) gave an update on the federal Advance Payments Program. The program advances up to 50% of the market value of a product during production, to be repaid as the product is sold.  ACMA administers the program in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and nationwide with advances available for various commodities.

Darcy Herauf (Farm Credit Canada AgExpert) discussed the AgExpert Sustainability Tool which tracks both carbon sequestration and carbon emissions on farms, and users can generate a report to share with their financial institution and also identify profitable land management practices of farms.

One of the final presentations of day one was from Massimo Bergamini (Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada - executive director) who discussed some of the challenges and opportunities for wild blueberry growers and other farmers across Canada.

The day wrapped up with a panel discussion from the three Maritime Ministers of Agriculture (Hon. Pat Finnigan – NB Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Hon. Bloyce Thompson – PEI Minster of Agriculture, and Hon. Greg Morrow – NS Minister of Agriculture). The panel discussed some of the greatest challenges facing the wild blueberry industry, including land access, climate change, pollination demand, and cost of production. The Ministers discussed the opportunities for collaboration between the Maritime wild blueberry industries. They discussed both the risks and impacts of recent United States tariffs. Finally, the Ministers discussed the pollination demand of each province and current status of importing and exporting pollinators.

Benny Nabuurs (Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberry Growers Association) leading panel discussion consisting of Hon. Pat Finnigan – NB Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Hon. Bloyce Thompson – PEI Minster of Agriculture, and Hon. Greg Morrow – NS Minister of Agriculture at the Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference 2025 (ATTTA©2025).

Donald Arseneault (Bleuets New Brunswick Blueberries – general manager) concluded day one of the event.

Peter Burgess (Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia - executive director) welcomed everyone to the second day of the event. The first presentation of the day was from Marion Tétégan Simon and Irina Randrianalidera (Valores) discussed restoring wild blueberries using transplanting services, and the various growing conditions required. Additionally, they discussed monitoring research for spotted wing drosophila and blueberry maggot and various tested control products such as Bassidor. 

Dr. Andrew Byers (Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture) providing an update on both the extension and research work of the team at the Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference 2025 (ATTTA©2025).

Dr. Scott White (Dalhousie) presented information on water sources used for pesticide applications in wild blueberry production, and the various impacts water quality and characteristics can have on the efficacy of products. Depending on the type of pesticide being used the pH of the water source can have an impact on the product’s efficacy. Continued research is required to identify optimal water sources for various products being used in wild blueberry production.

Kim Lipsett (Agriculture Alliance of New Brunswick) gave an update on the tools available to help address seasonal workforce needs on farms. The AgriNB Job Bank is a comprehensive online platform that connects agricultural employers with job seekers in New Brunswick.

The final presentation of the event was from Paul Kelley (Koppert) who discussed the benefits of using bumble bee quads to meet wild blueberry pollination demand. Paul generally explained the process of bumble bee production, and provided some guidelines for securing and using quad boxes to pollinate.

JoAnn Pineau (Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberry Growers Association) closed the event. This event was a great opportunity for the three maritime industries to network and to share both their challenges and successes within the wild blueberry industry. Despite the many challenges the industry has, the wild blueberry industry is resilient, and it works to produce a quality product for which there is an ongoing demand. Thank you to all members of BNBB, WBPANS, and PEIWBG, who helped organize this great event. Also, thank you to all the sponsors of the event, and to those who work to support the wild blueberry industry.

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 has been conducting research related to Varroa mite management since 2017. This year the ATTTA team decided to conduct research in the form of a regional Varroa mite survey. This survey is important to the Maritime beekeeping industry as it will assess the efficacy of mite management across our region. Read this week’s blog for a mid-season summary of the results to date.

ATTTA Varroa Mite Survey Mid-Season Summary

This year ATTTA has been conducting a regional Varroa mite survey involving 18 different beekeepers from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. These beekeepers represent a significant portion of Maritime beekeeping operations. The survey is intended to broadly sample across the Maritime region. Those who participate have been asked to provide ATTTA with 3 samples of approximately 300 honey bees 3 times throughout this beekeeping season (prior to pollination, after pollination and late season). Samples were only taken from commercial beekeepers who use their colonies for wild blueberry pollination. The survey has several main goals, including determine Varroa mite levels across the region at three important time points during the current season; collect Varroa mites for miticide efficacy testing; establish temporal measurements for annual comparison of Varroa burden for the Maritime region; and create a stored bank of samples for possible future testing (e.g. tracheal mite).

Varroa wash being performed on a colony (ATTTA©2022).

After conducting various testing, ATTTA informs participants on the health of their bees (Varroa mite load and efficacy of mite treatments). This blog provides a summary of trial 1 and trial 2 to date, which occurred between May 11, 2024 to June 27, 2024 and July 3, 2024 to July 31, 2024 respectively. 

To date, ATTTA has received samples from 20 apiaries, 66 colonies, and processed a total of 105 samples. For details on Varroa mite load, which is determined using an alcohol wash, please refer to Table 1.

Table 1. Summary of results for ATTTA Varroa Mite Survey between May 11, 2024 and July 31, 2024.

Sampling Period	Colonies Positive for Varroa Mites	Colonies Above the Economic Threshold Requiring Treatment
Trial 1 (Pre-Pollination)	3 /42 (7%)	1 / 42 (2%)
Trail 2 (Post Pollination)	18 / 63 (29%)	4 / 63 (6%)
Overall Sampling	21 /105 (20%)	5 / 105 (5%)

The number of colonies with detectable Varroa mites from an alcohol wash increased by 22% from early-season (pre-pollination) to mid-season (post-pollination) (Table 1). The number of colonies above the economic threshold increased by 4% from early-season (pre-pollination) to mid-season (post-pollination) (Table 1).

It is important to understand that the population of Varroa mites increases throughout the beekeeping season, which is reflected by the increase in mites sampled between May/June (trial 1) and July (trial 2). The results of this survey support the fact that the population of mites increases as the beekeeping season progresses. This makes early spring monitoring and treatment for Varroa mites crucial, because the population can quickly get well beyond the economic threshold if waiting until the fall to treat colonies again. Beekeepers need to be vigilant with monitoring for mites each month to ensure that colonies will be strong and healthy by the time winter preparations occur. If a beekeeper is seeing mites during the early part of the beekeeping season, then they should be prepared to provide treatment by fall. There is also the potential that the number of mites will exceed the economic threshold prior to the fall if colonies are not treated in the spring, in which case a mid-season knock down treatment may be indicated to keep the mite population under control until fall treatments can occur.

With monthly monitoring, treatment is only indicated when the mite population is at or above the economic threshold. Beekeepers should keep in mind that current economic thresholds are conservative, and if they have questions about treatment options and/or when treatment is indicated please reach out to the ATTTA team. In recent years the beekeeping season within the Maritimes has been growing longer, which presents a greater concern for managing Varroa mites.

Overall, the results of the survey to date indicate that beekeepers are doing a good job at managing mites in the Maritimes, and that current treatments continue to be effective within our region.

The ATTTA team will be conducting the final trial for the survey in early September. Additionally, the team has plans to conduct testing on the efficacy of amitraz (active ingredient in Apivar) later this season using mites collected from Maritime beekeepers.

We would like to thank all the Maritime beekeepers who have participated in the survey to date. The research ATTTA does is dependent on the involvement of beekeepers, and in turn we aim to provide regionally specific information for the industry.

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 abyers@perennia.ca

In last week’s blog, we discussed the foraging behavior of honey bees while placed on almond orchards for pollination in Australia. In Atlantic Canada, honey bees are most heavily employed for the pollination of wild blueberries. Read on for insight into the foraging behavior of worker bees during this important period of the beekeeping season.

Honey Bee Nutrition in Wild Blueberry Fields

Providing wild blueberry pollination services is a major activity for many Atlantic Canadian beekeepers. Wild blueberries typically bloom in late May and early June, shortly after local forage sources have begun to proliferate. There are concerns that when bees are moved to blueberry fields, stress causes colonies to become weakened and susceptible to disease such as European foulbrood. In 2019, ATTTA did a study in Colchester county, Nova Scotia to explore this concern and improve our understanding of forage availability to honey bees (Olmstead et al. 2019).

Wild blueberry field in bloom. (ATTTA©2021)

ATTTA’s study explored nutritive health of pollinating honey bees by supplementally feeding and tracking hives during and after wild blueberry pollination. Seam counts and brood assessments revealed the colonies to be in good health. Colony growth and rate of EFB infection were not significantly different between hives fed pollen supplement and hives which were not. All colonies were at or above the Nova Scotia pollination standard for the duration of the trial and there were minimal instances of EFB.  In addition, pollen traps were mounted onto a sample of hives. After 24 hours, the collected pollen reflected a range of forage availability. 

The first published study to assess honey bee forage on wild blueberry fields in the Maritimes revealed that honey bees collected a very marginal amount of wild blueberry pollen during pollination (Colwell et al. 2017). This is distinct from honey bee pollination on almond orchards, where almond pollen is collected abundantly (Bezerra da Silva Santos et al. 2022). When honey bees are foraging on wild blueberry fields, they are nectar foraging (Javorek et al. 2002). They are moving from flower to flower, incidentally moving pollen in the process, but with the purpose of collecting nectar. Nectar is a valuable energy source for honey bees, while pollen provides protein and other nutrients that are important to honey bee health and brood rearing (Di Pasquale et al. 2013). When foraging wild blueberry fields, honey bees must rely on pollen from other resources.

ATTTA continued to sample pollen collections from honey bees during wild blueberry pollination in 2021 and 2022 to add to the breadth of knowledge that beekeepers and blueberry producers have about typical forage availability during this time. Stay tuned as we disseminate the results of these collections in upcoming meetings and publications. 

References

Bezerra da Silva Santos, Karen Cristine, Elizabeth Frost, Ulrika Samnegård, Manu E. Saunders, and Romina Rader. 2022. “Pollen Collection by Honey Bee Hives in Almond Orchards Indicate Diverse Diets.” Basic and Applied Ecology 64 (November): 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2022.07.006.
Colwell, Megan J., Geoffrey R. Williams, Rodger C. Evans, and Dave Shutler. 2017. “Honey Bee‐collected Pollen in Agro‐ecosystems Reveals Diet Diversity, Diet Quality, and Pesticide Exposure.” Ecology and Evolution 7 (18): 7243–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3178.
Di Pasquale, Garance, Marion Salignon, Yves Le Conte, Luc P. Belzunces, Axel Decourtye, André Kretzschmar, Séverine Suchail, Jean-Luc Brunet, and Cédric Alaux. 2013. “Influence of Pollen Nutrition on Honey Bee Health: Do Pollen Quality and Diversity Matter?” Edited by Jochen Zeil. PLoS ONE 8 (8): e72016. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0072016.
Javorek, S. K., K. E. Mackenzie, and S. P. Vander Kloet. 2002. “Comparative Pollination Effectiveness Among Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) on Lowbush Blueberry (Ericaceae: <I>Vaccinium Angustifolium</I>).” Annals of the Entomological Society of America 95 (3): 345–51. https://doi.org/10.1603/0013-8746(2002)095[0345:CPEABH]2.0.CO;2.
Olmstead, Sawyer, Robyn McCallum, and Jillian Shaw. 2019. “Evaluating the Effect of Feeding Pollen Substitute to Honey Bee Colonies Destined for Wild Blueberry Pollinaiton in Cochester County, Nova Scotia.” Perennia.

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 abyers@perennia.ca

This week we are excited to introduce two new members to the team! ATTTA welcomes John MacDonald and Rebecca Campbell, who will be assisting us this year with new and continued research projects. Read on as we introduce our new members as well as some of our plans for the summer, including research on Varroa mite treatment and honeybee pollination of wild blueberry fields. 

Welcoming our Summer Students!

John MacDonald

John currently lives in Pleasant Valley, Nova Scotia, and has completed four years of Dalhousie University’s Plant Science Degree program, with honors, and is working towards certificates in Organic Agriculture and Integrated Pest Management. John is currently working on his thesis project in collaboration with the ATTTA, and Dr. Chris Cutler in the entomology lab at Dalhousie to measure the efficacy of Apivar and ApiLife Var against Varroa mites in commercial beekeeping operations in the Maritime provinces.

Varroa mites are a major issue throughout Canada (excluding Newfoundland), exacerbating the spread of viruses and overwintering losses of honey bees. There is only one reliable chemical treatment, ApiVar, used to control this parasite in Canada, but there has been a rising concern brought to the attention of ATTTA and the Canadian Honey Council (CHC) from beekeepers across Canada that Varroa mites are becoming resistant to ApiVar.

 Alternative control methods for Varroa mites are needed to slow the development of mite resistance to the synthetic treatments. ApiLife Var is a formulation of essential oils, including eucalyptus oil, levomenthol, camphor, and thymol, that was licensed in Canada in 2020. Essential oils have more variability in efficacy than synthetic chemicals, due to environmental conditions, so it is important to test these products in our Maritime climate. To date, no research has been done.

With the cooperation of commercial beekeepers who provide honey bees for blueberry pollination in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick, John and rest of the team at ATTTA will carry out miticide efficacy testing during the 2022 beekeeping season. This will provide valuable information on Varroa populations that may be resistant to ApiVar and for use of ApiLife Var as an alternative control method.

 Rebecca Campbell

Rebecca is a new member of the team and will be joining us for this year’s wild blueberry and honeybee research. She is 22 and a fifth-year Dalhousie student studying Bio-veterinary Science and hoping to pursue a career in apiculture research. Four years ago, Rebecca moved to Nova Scotia from Ontario. She has been fortunate to meet many new friends and family here and has built a great life. After traveling up and down this province and seeing many beautiful things, she plans to stay in Nova Scotia and make it home.

Our new summer student, Rebecca Campbell.

Rebecca will assist in a continued pollination study, this year measuring the effects of sequential loading and hive rotation on the pollination success of wild blueberry fields. Blueberry farmers all over Atlantic Canada have generously agreed to collaborate with the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team of Apiculture, allowing us to observe over a dozen fields throughout New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. These fields will be visited multiple times this season to collect data on the growth of the wild blueberry crop regarding sequential loading methods. The overall goal of this trial is to optimize wild blueberry pollination and determine the most beneficial way for sequential loading. During this project, the effect of hive strength on pollination will be observed to gather comprehensive data on how the strength of a hive can affect the pollination of wild blueberry fields. Another project this season will observe honeybees’ nutritional state during wild blueberry pollination. This continued project will look closely at the pollen collected from select hives to determine the species of plants the pollen is being collected from.

By the end of this 2022 season, we will have collected data on multiple projects regarding the honeybee pollination of wild blueberry fields across the Atlantic provinces. This data will help us understand more beneficial methods and techniques for the apiculture and agriculture industries.  

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 abyers@perennia.ca