Ontario beekeepers lost 22.6 % of colonies over winter: Report

MILTON — Ontario beekeepers lost 22.6 per cent of their colonies over the winter, a massive drop from last year’s 45.7 per cent and the fourth lowest in 13 years, says the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA).

Since CAPA started releasing numbers in 2007, the lowest winter loss in Ontario was 12 per cent in 2012, while the highest was 58 per cent in 2014. The 13-year average is 32.6 per cent. Eighty-seven beekeepers with at least 50 colonies responded to the survey, and those respondents represent about 48 per cent of all colonies in Ontario.

Ontario beekeepers that had winter loss numbers of at least 25 per cent said the main reasons were starvation, poor queens, weather and weak colonies in the fall.

Meanwhile, the Ontario Beekeepers Association’s (OBA) annual survey said that 21 per cent of Ontario beekeepers lost more than 70 per cent of their colonies this past winter. That’s down from last year’s 32 per cent.

About 660 beekeepers responded to the OBA survey, which doesn’t differentiate between commercial beekeepers (more than 50 hives) and hobby beekeepers (less than 50). Those with at least 50 colonies are eligible for Agricorp insurance to cover losses from weather, diseases and pests.

Blaming pesticides as a reason for winterloss was also down this year. Only 11 per cent of beekeepers said pesticides were to blame, down from 20 per cent a year ago. The OBA frames the pesticide answer a little differently than the rest of the answers. Instead of just listing pesticides as a reason, beekeepers can respond “I suspect pesticides.”