Summer 2020 | Vol 33 # 3 www.honeycouncil.ca Covid - 19 The Official Magazine of the Canadian Honey Council, The Canadian Beekeeper and The Canadian Honey Packer and the CHC Native Irish Black Bees The Queen Castle The Benefits of Elderberry $4.95 Hivelights: The official magazine of the Canadian Honey Council, The Canadian Beekeeper and The Canadian Honey Packer. The Canadian Honey Council (CHC) is the national organization of the Canadian beekeeping industry and Hivelights is the industry’s magazine. In order to receive Hivelights you must be a current member of your provincial association. Non members such as Hobby Beekeepers, Honey Summer 2020 Vol 33 #3 Summer 2020 | Vol 33 # 3 Covid - 19 www.honeycouncil.ca Packers, Urban Beekeepers or Canadians with interests in Beekeeping can and the CHC The Official Magazine of the Canadian Honey Council, The Canadian Beekeeper and The Canadian Honey Packer subscribe to the magazine for a $25.00 subscription fee per year. International and U. S. subscribers can receive our high quality magazine Native Irish Black Bees for a fee of $50 Canadian per year. Schools, libraries, non beekeepers, university or government personnel Cover picture - Beehive built using Lego. See cover story, page 17. The Queen can receive Hivelights magazine through special membership as “Friends of Castle Cover photo by: Ruairi O Leocháin The Benefits Canadian Apiculture” at no charge. Please contact the Hivelights office for of Elderberry more information: [email protected] Hivelights is published quarterly (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter). $4.95 Deadline for submissions and adverts are 6 weeks prior to publication (i.e. Dec 15th for the Winter issue). The opinions expressed in the articles printed in Hivelights are those of the authors and do not imply endorsement of the Canadian Honey Council for the promotion of any product, goods or services Table of Contents mentioned unless specifically stated. 3 Canadian Honey Council Report .......................................................Rod Scarlett Advertising rates as are follows: 5 Covid -19 and the CHC ......................................................................Rod Scarlett Black & White Full Colour 1/8 page $100.00 $150.00 7 Regional Reports ...........................................................................CHC Directors 1/6 page $125.00 $185.00 1/4 page $195.00 $300.00 11 The Queen Castle ............................................................................Freddy Proni 1/2 page $360.00 $500.00 Full Page $700.00 $900.00 15 How did the creator of the world-leading feed supplement for bees, Business Card $50.00 $75.00 HiveAlive get to where he is today? 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A 25% discount applies if 4 adverts are placed for one full year (4 issues). 19 Native Irish Black Bees ..........................................................Galtee Honey Farm To obtain advert specifications and book advert space contact: Geoff Todd (403) 512-2123 [email protected] 21 Registered Medications and Pesticides for Honey Bee Health in Canada Publication Mail Agreement number ........................................................................................................Medhet Nasr 43070512 ISSN 1489-730X 23 Bee Health ....................................................................................................CHC Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Hivelights 27 The Benefits of Elderberry PO Box 914, Station T Calgary, Alberta T2H 2H4 Hivelights - The Magazine of the Canadian Honey [email protected] Council is printed with all natural vegetable based inks. www.honeycouncil.ca Please recycle this magazine. (403) 512 2123 2020 Directors • Canadian Honey Council / Conseil Canadien de Miel Chair 3rd Vice Director Director Jake Berg Maggie Lamothe Boudreau Stan Reist Micheal Yaremcio Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development Fédération des apiculteurs du Québec B.C. Honey Producers Bee Maid Honey Corporation 266, 9erang 6124 Metral Drive, Box 4031, Saint-Adrien d’irlande, Quebec Nanaimo B.C. V9T 2L6 CHC OFFICE Melfort, SK. S0E 1E0 G6G 5R6 Phone: 250-390- 2313 Rod Scarlett C: 306- 921-8360 T: 418-331-0527 E-mail: [email protected] Executive Director E: [email protected] [email protected] #218, 51519 RR 220 Director Sherwood Park, AB T8E 1H1 1st Vice Director Ron Greidanus T: 877-356-8935 Albert Devries Osee Podolsky Alberta Beekeepers Commission C: 780-498-0231 Ontario Beekeepers Association Manitoba Beekeeper’s Association Box 1581 E: [email protected] 44648 Ferguson Line Ehelbert Manitoba Stettler, Alberta T0C 2L0 St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 3T3 T: (204) 742-3555 E: [email protected] T: 519 868-9429 E: [email protected] W: 403 323 0234 E: [email protected] Director Hivelights Magazine Editor & Advertising Sales 2nd Vice Chris Lockhart Geoff Todd Box 914, Stn. T., Calgary, Alberta T2H 2H4 Curtis Miedema Maritime Beekeepers Association T: 403-512-2123 E: [email protected] Alberta Beekeepers Commission Box 965 Box 39, Site 11, RR#1 Antigonish, Nova Scotia Design and Production .................................................Cristian Campean Barrhead, AB T7N 1N2 B2G 2S3 Advertising enquiries .............................................................. Geoff Todd T: 780.206.4483 E: [email protected] Publisher .....................................................Bunker to Bunker Books Inc. E: [email protected] Printed in Canada HiveLights | Summer 2020 | 1 2 | Summer 2020 | HiveLights Canadian Honey Council Report he events of the first half of 2020 fragility of industry, it is also important that exposed, what I believe to be, a we maintain a degree of reliance on our in- great flaw in the Canadian bee- ternational trading partners in order to ensure keeping sector – an over-reliance that if something disastrous happens domes- on stock and manpower from out- tically, we are not left with any alternatives. Tside of Canada. For the past ten years I have Somewhere, somehow a balance needs to heard all sides of the argument – how we need struck, but for now, attention must be placed packaged bees from the United States to how on addressing our own issues with our own we can supply all our own stock needs with solutions. the possible exception of queens early in the With everything that went on in the ag- Rod Scarlett, Executive Director, CHC year. The truth be said, there are strong cases ricultural sector, I must say I am very proud to be made from both camps but ultimately, to have been working in a sector that was not our reliance on foreign entities to meet the de- continually calling on the government for mands of our domestic industry exposes us to action and money, but sought solutions for issues that we may have absolutely no control themselves. From March to June, I have been over. Many commercial operations have diver- on conference calls sometimes daily, some- sified and can, in normal times, maintain col- times every second day and listened to many ony numbers and handle much of their queen commodities demand more and more finan- production. While not every can or will follow cial assistance, and while yes, some operations the same business model, this should be the desperately need that assistance , others do goal for the future. Domestic self sustainabil- not. There are programs out there that bee- ity should be something that more and more keepers and others can take advantage of that industry players should strive for. It allows for will help offset lost revenue and that should be a diversity of operations and in fact, opens up the intent of the programs. new business possibilities. Research being con- On a different topic altogether, over win- ducted by Andre Rousseau and Renata Borba/ ter losses varied substantially from province Shelley Hoover on over-wintering queens may to province, but it seems the prairie provinces address one of the big issues. This could lead and, in particular, Alberta were hit the hardest. to business opportunities in producing pack- Because this area represents the largest num- ages, and earlier nucs. It also means labour re- ber of colonies, I would expect the national quirements may start earlier and employment average to jump substantially. Now this is all opportunities may last longer attracting more cursory as CAPA should have the final num- local applicants. bers in late June early July. A decent spring in Certainly, another vulnerability for the in- much of the prairies has helped and beekeep- dustry is commercial air travel. I am not sure ers have been working overtime to get those there are many solutions for this other than numbers back up. Indications to date are that charter flights but recognizing this is a pivotal honey prices will continue to rise and that cre- component of the sector, it may allow for better ates a degree of hope for the future. Everyone planning and the exploration of contingencies. have a great summer! ¾ While the Covid 19 outbreak exposed the HiveLights | Summer 2020 | 3 4 | Summer 2020 | HiveLights Covid -19 and the CHC Surveys were once again sent around to employers and 40 employ- ers responded needing help in getting their workers into Canada. In- Rod Scarlett, Executive Director, CHC quiries were even also fielded from American beekeepers wanting to know if we could handle