Beekeepers in Manitoba seeing higher numbers in hives after increased death rate in 2022

Honeybees fly outside a bee hive at a Simon Fraser University experimental apiary in Surrey, B.C., on Wednesday, August 31, 2022. A team at SFU is testing a chemical compound that appears to kill varroa mites without harming the bees, in hopes it could one day be widely available as a treatment for infested hives. The mites kill bees by puncturing their cuticle, or exoskeleton, creating a wound that doesn't close leaving an opening for disease and the weakening of bees' immune systems. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Manitoba beekeepers are having a bounce back year following a tumultuous 2022.

Last year, the Manitoba Beekeeping Association said it had received reports from some beekeepers of higher than normal loss in their hives, in some cases seeing 90 per cent of their bees die.

Drought the previous year mixed with varroa mite – a parasite that attacks honeybees – are believed to have factors in the deaths.

This year however, Manitoba Beekeeping Association chair Ian Steppler said situations for many have improved.

"Now that the weather's turned around, I think things are starting to progress as they naturally should. I'm hearing a lot of good things," said Steppler.

Even though 2023 is shaping up to be a better season, Steppler noted it will still take some time.

"If we look at a loss like we saw last year, we're looking at probably two if not three years before we fully recover. It's just a slow progressive rebuild of the colony numbers. So it takes a while."

Verne Darraugh runs Derrco Apiaries near Anola, Man. with his son. He said they lost about 60 per cent of their hive last year. Due to the loss, he said they sacrificed some honey yield so that they could get the hive numbers back up before winter.

He still had to deal with some mite disease, but noted they were able to manage better this spring.

"So we are probably in a 10 per cent (loss) range, which is a pretty normal range for Manitoba," said Darraugh.

Moving forward, he said a lot of work is still needed to ensure the bees stay healthy.

"So basically mite control, virus control, and just being on top everything. Can't drop the ball for even a week. It's just because we have short, short seasons," he said. "Then if our bees do good enough, then we'll try to do a little expansion if possible to winter a little bit more to carry over for the next year."

Both Steppler and Darraugh said good weather needs to roll in through the summer to ensure a successful bee season, but both are optimistic there will be a big improvement compared to last year.

"The spring started out slow, but now things have turned around and we have the warmth and we the trees and you know the shrubs and everything is blooming," said Steppler. "So we should be able to get some fresh nectar in these colonies and once we get a real good flow and some nice weather, these colonies are just going to explode."

He added Manitobans throughout the province can also do their part to help bees by planting different flowers and shrubs which gives honeybees a source of nectar and pollen.

"So if we just put a little bit of effort here and little bit of effort there to be able to promote little pockets of flowering growth, then that little contribution goes a long ways to help not only honeybees, but native pollinators that also survive on our landscape."

-With files from CTV News' Danton Unger