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

 

Ticks Safety in the Apiary

Ticks are an increasing concern for people in Atlantic Canada, and beekeepers are particularly at high risk with long hours spent in fields, wooded areas, and tall grass, which are all habitats for ticks. Understanding tick risks, and associated disease prevention strategies, is essential for beekeeper’s health.

Tick Safety in the Apiary

The Maritimes are home to many types of ticks, but the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is the only one currently known to transmit disease to humans. These include Lyme disease, caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, as well as anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus disease ¹. Both Lyme disease and anaplasmosis are now considered endemic diseases in Nova Scotia ¹. Other ticks found in the Maritimes include the American Dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and the groundhog tick (Ixodes cookei). While these species can carry pathogens, they are not known to transmit diseases to humans in the Maritimes ².

Figure 1: Most Commonly Found Ticks in the Maritimes Showing (Left to right) the Black-legged Tick, Groundhog Tick and Dog Tick (Government of Nova Scotia ©, 2026) (Retrieved May 20, 2026)

Ticks in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are active when the temperature is consistently above freezing and can be found in woods, shrubs, leaf litter, long grass and gardens ¹. With a warming climate, black-legged ticks have expanded their range, meaning even beekeepers who have not encountered ticks in previous seasons should be aware of the risks ².

Ticks develop through four life stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult ³. Black-legged ticks feed on many hosts, including dogs, deer, rodents, birds and humans, allowing disease-causing bacteria to spread ³. Both nymphs and adults feed on animals and can spread diseases to humans.

Beekeepers can reduce the risk by taking precautions such as dressing appropriately, using repellents, managing the landscape of the apiary, managing tick hosts and doing thorough tick checks. When working in an apiary, an effective strategy is wearing correct clothing such as closed-toed shoes, long pants, long sleeves, and light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to spot, and tucking pants into socks or wearing tall boots to create physical barriers. Many of these practices also overlap with sting-prevention, making them easy to integrate into routine beekeeping strategies.

Repellents are another important step, but you must be careful that they will not disturb the bees ⁴. Using products that contain DEET or icaridin (picaridin) can be applied to exposed skin and clothing, and permethrin can be used on clothing to repel ticks on contact.  Make sure to follow label instructions when using these products. After spending time outdoors, beekeepers should perform tick checks, especially checking warm places on the body, as well as showering or bathing, and drying outdoor clothes on high heat to kill any ticks that may be attached.

Figure 2: Vegetation Management in an Apiary to Minimize Tick Habitat (Perennia ©, 2024)

Managing the environment of the apiary can also help reduce the risk of tick encounters. Keeping grass mowed, maintaining clear pathways to colonies, and placing hives on pallets or stands can make these areas less attractive to ticks ⁴. Some beekeepers also use gravel in the apiary to reduce vegetation around the hives and make the area less suitable for ticks. Reducing tick hosts, such as deer, small mammals and rodents, by using fencing or reducing rodent habitats around the apiary can lower the number of ticks around the bee yard. Together these prevention strategies create a safer work environment and can help beekeepers remain healthy.

 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

References:
1.    Government of Nova Scotia. (n.d.). Tick safety. Available at https://novascotia.ca/ticksafety/  (Accessed: 19/05/2026)
2.    Nova Scotia Zoonotic Diseases Technical Working Group. (2026). Tick-borne Diseases Response Plan. Available at https://novascotia.ca/dhw/cdpc/documents/Tick-Borne-Disease-Response-Plan.pdf (Accessed: 19/05/2026)
3.    Ogden, N.H., Koffi, J.K., Pelcat, Y. and Lindsay, L.R., 2014. Environmental risk from Lyme disease in central and eastern Canada: a summary of recent surveillance information. Canada Communicable Disease Report, 40(5), p.74.
4.    Kopco, J., Struckhoff, E. and Underwood, R. (2025). Tick Prevention for Beekeepers. PennState Extension. Available at https://extension.psu.edu/tick-prevention-for-beekeepers (Accessed: 19/05/2026)

In Atlantic Canada, there are multiple pests that threaten the safety of honey bee colonies. One major pest that beekeepers often stress about is bears, which will destroy equipment and eat honey and bees. An electric fence around an apiary is the most effective way to prevent a bear attack. Read this week’s blog to learn some key considerations for electric fencing.

What Beekeepers Should Consider about Electric Fencing

Bears present a significant threat to honey bee colonies across Atlantic Canada, with the exception of Prince Edward Island, which lacks a bear population. To safeguard apiaries from bear attacks, beekeepers often rely on electric fencing as a primary defense measure.

Ensuring the effectiveness of an electric fence requires proper installation and regular maintenance. Adequate grounding is crucial, particularly in environments like blueberry fields where the soil is typically sandy. To function properly, the ground must contain sufficient moisture to conduct electricity. Grounding rods should be buried at least 3 feet deep to ensure optimal performance. Otherwise, during drought conditions, beekeepers might need to moisten the area around the electric fencing to sustain conductivity.

ATTTA©2022

Unlike humans, bears are not instinctively aware of the danger posed by electric fences. Therefore, it is essential to bait new fences to train bears to avoid them. Baiting methods such as bacon strips or cans of tuna attached to wires can effectively teach bears to steer clear of the charged fence.

Another key consideration is that when hives are rented for pollination, the grower and the beekeeper need to determine who is to be responsible for installing and maintaining the fence. Addressing colony protection in pollination contracts ensures that both parties are aware of their obligations.

For new beekeepers, there is a cost-benefit analysis that should be considered before purchasing an electric fence. A new beekeeper should weigh both the cost of installing an electric fence and the current value of their colonies. If the cost of purchasing a fence is significantly higher than the value of their colonies, it may not make economic sense to invest in a fence. However, if the beekeeper anticipates expanding their operation in the near future, then buying a fence is likely a good investment. Conversely, if a beekeeper's colonies are valued higher than the cost of a fence, it would be unwise to put their operation at risk by not protecting their colonies, especially in an area with a high bear population.

Finally, when selecting a charger for an electric fence, it is essential to consider various options. The key factor to prioritize is the power output of the charger. For optimal bear deterrence, the charger should output a minimum of 1 joule. Other factors come into play when choosing a charger. Solar-powered chargers, while more expensive, require less frequent checks. On the other hand, battery-powered chargers are more budget-friendly, but it is essential for beekeepers or growers to ensure that the batteries are consistently fully charged. Opting for a 12-volt (2 joules stored) solar-powered charger is advisable, as it maintains a reliable charge and delivers sufficient shock to discourage bears from returning. Alternatively, a 9-volt (less than 1 joule stored) D cell battery-powered charger is a common choice, but it may not provide the necessary shock to deter bears, and the batteries need regular replacement. A third option is a fencer that can be plugged into a home power grid. This option is only possible if the apiary is located near a home or farm building to which the beekeeper has power access. Finally, a good fence tester is a helpful tool to determine the fence is working properly during each apiary visit.

For more information about electric fencing please reach out to ATTTA.

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 this week’s blog, we will return to our discussion of biosecurity and honey bee management. Remember from Blog #118 that biosecurity is important for beekeeping operations of all sizes to reduce and contain the spread of pests. Read on for insight into management practices that can be incorporated into your own beekeeping operation to best protect your colonies from pests and associated diseases.

Honey Bee Biosecurity: Part 2

The Honey Bee Producer Guide to the National Bee Farm-level Biosecurity Standard is a valuable document for Canadian beekeepers which offers extensive information on biosecurity practices. The suggestions in this blog come from this national standard. Incorporating recommended practices from this guide can help reduce the spread of pests. 

In the previous blog, we highlighted that good biosecurity dictates that bees must be obtained from reliable and safe sources. This is also true of all hive equipment and any other inputs into your apiary, such as hive boxes, feed, and treatments. For example, it can be tempting to buy inexpensive hive equipment that has been stored unused for years, but unfortunately the reuse of hive equipment can be high risk. Spores of harmful disease-causing bacteria, such as Paenibacillus larvae which causes American Foulbrood Disease, can persist on untreated woodenware indefinitely. For this reason, it is important to know the history of the woodenware and recommended to scorch all reused equipment with a torch before introducing it into your apiary.

Biosecurity practices are relevant even when you are not explicitly introducing new bees or inputs into your operation. Pests, such as Varroa mites, can enter without your knowing via honey bees from nearby hives. Furthermore, there are honey bee pests which go unnoticed when their populations are low but can be devastating if populations increase or the afflicted colonies become stressed.  A good example may be the fungus Ascophaera apis which causes chalkbrood disease. Part of reducing this risk is regularly cleaning and disinfecting all tools, including protective clothing such as gloves and jackets. For example, hive tools should be disinfected with a torch between use to kill any harmful pathogens. See ATTTA’s demonstration video on how to disinfect your hive tool for more information. 

Scorching hive tools can reduce the spread of pests between honey bee colonies. (ATTTA©2022)

Keeping your hives, personal protective wear, and beekeeping tools clean is just one aspect of maintaining the cleanliness of your entire apiary and associated facilities. There are pests associated with beekeeping that thrive in stored equipment, such as wax moths. So how you store your own equipment must be considered in your biosecurity practice. To this end, all dead outs should be assessed as to why they died, equipment promptly disinfected, and stored in bee-proof conditions away from the apiary. All facilities, such as honey houses, should be regularly cleaned. 

Record keeping is another valuable tool. The Canadian Honey Council (CHC) has created documents to support beekeepers in this effort. The Canadian Bee Industry Safety Quality Traceability Producer Manual – Good Production Practices is one such document. This manual is focused on honey production and has extensive information which goes beyond biosecurity as well as useful templates for record keeping. Recently, these templates have been updated by the CHC in the Canadian Beekeepers’ Practical Handbook to Bee Biosecurity and Food Safety. This is a more concise document with updated record keeping templates. Both resources have useful information for Canadian beekeepers and should be considered in creating your biosecurity management plan. 

In developing a plan, make sure that all personnel engaged in the apiary are fully informed. Regularly training all people who will be working in your beekeeping operation is important to upholding the integrity of your biosecurity management. Keeping up to date on new and relevant biosecurity risks is critical, as well. To help with this, joining your provincial beekeepers association can be a valuable resource for staying in tune with your regional beekeeping community. Also be aware of the regulations in your own province around biosecurity, buying and selling used equipment, and the storage of hive components.

Remember that biosecurity in your apiary has repercussions on your neighbor’s honey bees! The strength of the Atlantic beekeeping community as a whole depends on each beekeeper’s participation in proper management of pests and diseases. 

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

As beekeepers, it is our responsibility to take care of the health of our honey bees. The practice of managing your beekeeping operation to reduce the introduction and spread of disease causing pests is referred to as biosecurity (CFIA 2022). Honey bees present a biosecurity situation unique from other livestock species because they have freedom to roam and can interact with other bees and apiaries. This means that the health of our honey bees as a region depends on every beekeeper, regardless of operation size. In the upcoming blogs, we will discuss biosecurity and how to incorporate it into your apiary management.

Honey Bee Biosecurity 

Honey bees are susceptible to a wide variety of pests, some of which come with the risk of disease. Biosecurity practices help us reduce the risk of introducing these pests into our colonies as well as contain the spread, should they be introduced. The introduction of pests can be thought of on a wide scale. For Canadian beekeepers, this could be as broad as pest spreading into Canada or as close as moving from one hive in our apiary to another. 

The Honey Bee Producer Guide to the National Bee Farm-level Biosecurity Standard is a document that has been produced to help beekeepers across Canada improve their biosecurity practices. It outlines a management standard which can be voluntarily practiced and is applicable to both large and small-scale beekeepers to help prevent and control pests. Introducing these practices into your management will support stronger colonies with a more vigorous capacity for pollination and honey production, reduce overwintering losses, save money on expensive treatments, slow the timeline of pest resistance to our important chemical treatments, and more. 

A critical step in keeping your apiary free of pests is by obtaining new bees and bee products from reliable sources with documented the health records. When buying bees from within your own province, make sure to ask the seller about the health of their colonies, recent treatments, and a record of a health check from a provincial inspector. Importing bees from outside of the province or outside of the country requires more action to ensure biosecurity. CAPA has produced a Guide for Beekeepers on Procedures to Move, Export, or Sell Honey Bees Across Canada, which contains up to date information for procedures and relevant contact information for all provinces. There are also importation protocols which are unique to each Atlantic province, listed below. In addition to reviewing these protocols, it is advised to communicate directly with your provincial apiarist before doing any honey bee importations. 

A honey bee afflicted with Deformed Wing Virus. This is an easily identifiable virus and should also alert beekeepers to test for Varroa mite levels. ATTTA© 2022

Biosecurity management practices apply within your apiary, as well. The first line of defense is to maintain strong colonies that are less susceptible to pests. For example, this includes ensuring your bees have adequate nutrition year-round and providing them with a hive that protects them from the elements. Another important aspect of biosecurity is being able to accurately identify pests and their symptoms in your bees. Beyond this, it is important to have a plan of what to do if a pest is then detected. For example, what treatments are appropriate and whether your provincial apiarist needs to be informed. To reduce spread, it is also recommended to minimize the contact between an impacted hive and the rest of your colonies. This includes direct bee to bee contact as well as indirect contact through actions like feeding and handling. 

For more detailed information on all of the actions you can take to improve biosecurity in your apiary, the Honey Bee Producer Guide to the National Bee Farm-level Biosecurity Standard offers very detailed and complete guidance. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs also offers relevant, more concise information on biosecurity practices which can be applied in Atlantic Canada. Next week, we will return to this topic and discuss specifically how biosecurity can be incorporated into your facilities management. 

Provincial Protocols for Honey Bee Importations

Nova Scotia

New Brunswick

Prince Edward Island

Newfoundland

Reference
Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2022). Honey Bee Producer Guide to the National Bee Farm-level Biosecurity Standard. https://inspection.canada.ca/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/biosecurity/standards-and-principles/honey-bee-producer-guide/eng/1378390483360/1378390541968

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