From the Presidents Desk - January 2009
It's December and I am freezing! I got my bees put up for winter and I hope they are staying warm. It's a good feeling to have the season wrapped up before freeze-up. The only thing left to do now is to ship honey. The way that it is working is for me today is I am driving a forklift at minus 30C, all bundled up in my snow suit, fingers and feet freezing, while my employee is driving the barrel cart inside the trailer. It's starting to turn into a rather cold winter; I guess that is going to keep me in front of the fire and in my office more often.
Mark your calendars for the 2010 IPM Workshop, February 9-10. We confirm we will have world prominent speakers that including Dr. Mariano Higes and Dr. Raquel Hernandez, Honey Bee Researchers from Spain who first discovered Nosema ceranae in Spain and in Europe and Dr. James Elis, Professor at University of Florida, currently active in investigating Varroa mite control and sub lethal toxicity of pesticides in honey bees. It is an exceptional opportunity to attend and listen to new developments for Nosema and Varroa controls. I look forward to seeing you at the IPM workshop.
I wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Terry
The 2009 Annual General Meeting passed a resolution to recognize those supporters of our 'Honey Bee Health Program'. Following is our letter:
Dear Supporter:
Over the past three years the Alberta honey bee industry has experienced higher than average wintering losses. The cause of these losses has been a culmination of the Varroa mite, Nosema, and poor winter weather conditions. In response to this the Alberta Beekeepers Commission, Bee Health Committee alongside key industry supporters and the Alberta Agriculture established the Honey Bee Health Monitoring Program.
This Program proved to be a success in 2009 and has already become a vital tool that is available to all beekeepers within Alberta. In past years beekeepers have not been well prepared to deal with all the issues and changes facing them and their colonies. With the implementation of the Honey Bee Health Monitoring Program in 2009 beekeepers were able to receive immediate assistance from industry experts on how to test for prevailing pests, and what treatment methods were available to them. A direct result of this is that colonies within Alberta appear to have gone into the winter of 2009-2010 in much better health than the past three years.
On behalf of the Alberta Beekeepers Commission Board and its members, I would like to acknowledge everyone that worked hard in the creation of the Honey Bee Health Monitoring Program. Key contributors to the creation of this Program are: Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund, Poelman Apiaries, and Southern Alberta Beekeepers Association that is sponsored by Pollinators and all pollination companies including Bayer CropScience -Canada, Pioneer Hi-Bred, HyTech Production Ltd. and Monsanto Canada Inc. Greidanus Honey Mill contributed to provide Varroa shakers for all participant beekeepers in the Surveillance Program. Without the support and cooperation in the creation of this Program, the Alberta honey bee industry would not be in the healthier position as it is today.
The Alberta Honey Bee industry is in recovery mode right now. Varroa mite levels are under control in most apiaries that utilized this Program. Nosema levels have also dropped drastically since the spring of 2009. This Program is a vital part of our Integrated Pest Management Program and has allowed our industry to become proactive instead of reactive. We realize that even with the success of the Honey Bee Health Monitoring Program in 2009, there are still going to be pockets of higher losses across Alberta in the spring of 2010. Our hope is to find a way to keep this Program going and return our wintering losses and hive health back to acceptable levels across the province.
Again I would like to thank all those that were involved in the creation of this Program.
Terry Greidanus
From the Presidents Desk - December 2009
It's only been a short while since the Annual General Meeting and I've been thinking a lot about my first year as President, and about my responsibilities. It has been a huge learning curve on my part, learning how the office runs and meeting all kinds of new people. I would like to thank my Board, especially Gertie and Lee for helping me along the way. Without their help my job would have been considerably more challenging.
The Annual General Meeting elected three new members to our Board. Rodrigo Mendez will represent the Peace Region, Dean Malkewich the Northeast Central Region, and Neil Specht the South Region. I look forward to working with them and I am sure they will learn a lot as they experience a new and different aspect of this industry.
I would like to take the opportunity at this time to thank outgoing Board members Ernie Martins, Gerard Sieben, and Colin McCaig. During their time on the Board, these individuals worked hard for our industry. We also appreciate that their expertise will still be available to this current Board as they will continue to assist on several of the committees that they worked on.
For those of you who attended the 2009 convention, I thank you all. Because of you it makes our meeting a great success. Once again Gertie Adair and her assistants did a fantastic job of organizing and planning the convention. Without their talents the convention wouldn't happen. I would also like to thank the Exhibitors and the Sponsors for their contributions. A big part of our convention is to be able to meet with the suppliers and the companies that support and rely on the beekeeping industry here in Alberta.
We were very fortunate that Honourable Minister Groeneveld and Mr. John Knapp, Deputy Minister took time from their busy schedule to attend our President's Luncheon. Thank you both for supporting our industry.
Another integral part of our Convention is all about getting up to speed on news and innovations concerning the different aspects of beekeeping. From issues in government to beekeeping in Australia, the wide range of topics allows for an interesting and varied convention. Beekeeping in Alberta is on the cutting edge, we pride ourselves in having the best honey and the best bees in the world and what we can take away from our speakers help us remain in the forefront.
Last but not least, I cannot forget Dr. Medhat Nasr, our Provincial Apiculturist. He rightly deserves receiving the beekeeper Achievement Award. He works tirelessly for the betterment of our industry, spending countless hours ensuring the health and wellbeing of our honey bee industry. And thank you for the use of your AV equipment.
In closing, this has been a year to remember. Some beekeepers were fortunate to have healthy hives and a good crop. And others struggled with weather, poor bees, and a short crop. We should now have all finished with our bees for the season and are busy marketing our honey and planning for the next year. On behalf of the Alberta Beekeepers Board of Directors I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and all the best in the upcoming 2010 honey season.
Terry Greidanus
From the Presidents Desk - November 2009
Another season has come and gone. I am assuming nearly everyone has put their bees to bed for the winter. We seem to be paying for an extremely nice September with a cold October. I find it hard to plan my schedule, because the weather man can't seem to get his forecast right. As soon as we finished with the honey season, we jumped right into putting on feeders, medicating and getting my bees ready for winter. It seemed as the feeding window was just long enough for the bees to take the sugar and then it got cold, so we started wrapping. Well, as I am writing this I have three days left to finish my bee season. They are calling for a Chinook for the next couple of days so the outlook is good.
As the bee season ended, the Alberta Beekeeper Commission season went into full swing in anticipation of the up and coming General Meeting. It is shaping up to be busy agenda with a lot of informative speakers. I am sure we will all come away with having learned something new. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Annual General Meeting. It is important that you all show up. We need your help in making decisions on different matters, to give us direction and steer us in the right direction. I am sure that there will be a lot of important issues to discuss.
Looking back, my first year of being President has been a huge learning experience. I am very grateful of our Board of Directors and our manager Gertie Adair for helping me along with all the issues that we faced this year. I appreciate the encouragement when I stumbled or started down the wrong path. This position is a huge time commitment and responsibility and without the help of all those that volunteer their time to the benefit of our industry, I would not be able to do it. It was good getting to know all the Government officials and staff. I look forward to the second year of my term, and look forward to working with our Board of Directors, and all the government staff members for the betterment of our industry.
The positions that we will be voting on are for the South, North West, NE Central and Peace Regions and the Canadian Honey Council Director. Take this opportunity to get involved with your organization and consider becoming a Director.
Once again, I would like to emphasise the importance of your attendance at our AGM and I hope you have made plans to attend. We need your input in our mandate and direction. There are a lot of excellent speakers with a lot of important information. If you want to know what is going on attend and get involved.
Terry
From the Presidents Desk - October 2009
The winter was long and hard …Spring took ages to arrive…and now the summer just does not seem to want to end. No complaints about the summer, though. It is the second week of September as I am writing this. Its warm outside and the forecast is good: mid twenties for the next week, and no frost yet. It's been a good and busy summer, at least that`s what I`m hearing from beekeepers in the southern end of the province. Honey was still flowing for some areas in the central areas of the province last week, but further up north the season was over before the end of August. As for me, I think that I am going to call it done soon. The honey flow is starting to taper off. The alfalfa is starting to burn up and there have been some reports of some frost here and there.
I hope that most of you have had a good summer, with plenty of honey with which to enjoy these strong prices for our liquid gold. Fall is in the air - the mornings are cool and the trees are just beginning to change, and winter is on all of our minds right now. There is a lot for us to think about right now - what is our mite load like? do we need to treat for mites, and if so what to we use? what about Nosema? how much fumagilin will I be needing to purchase and feed? do I dust the fumagilin? drench or medicate my feed? - wintering buildings need to be inspected. And on the list goes.
For some of you a couple of things to look forward to though:
• Selling honey - trying to get the best possible price for your hard work;• The Annual General Meeting and Convention - where we as beekeepers get together chitchat over drinks and coffee, and with any luck take some good information home with us as well and;
• Canadian Honey Council meetings in Florida - an excuse to take the kids to Disney World.
In all seriousness I would like to extend and invitation to everyone to our upcoming Annual General Meeting and Convention. We have excellent speakers lined up, just to mention a few: Dr. Somerville, NSW Australia, who has worked in many fields of apiculture research; Dr. Keenan, a futurist and science journalist; Honourable Minister Groeneveld; research and industry updates from Beaverlodge Research Farm and Alberta Agriculture; the popular beekeeper profile; lots of fun and excitement meeting with friends and fellow beekeepers. Check out the announcement in this issue.
I hope that we have all had a good season. There have been some reports that the crop this year has been better in the south central to southern area of the province due to the timely rain we had in mid August and then the heat that came after that. The north central to northern parts of the province didn't fare as well due to the drought conditions that persist. I don't think that anyone had a crop failure - not that I heard of, but then I am not on the phone very much these days trying to find out how every one is doing - that`s winter work!
I believe that this year has been in large part a recovery year for us. I believe that everyone's bees are in much better shape that they were last year. And if we play our cards right the bees will winter fine and we won't need to make any claims on our new insurance program.
There is a lot going on right now and many things for me to worry about during the next six weeks. So I am going to keep this short. I hope that by the time you are reading this, that all my honey will be extracted and my bees are fed and medicated. Its been a long season the busiest one that I can remember in a lot of years.
Terry
From the Board Desk - September 2009
Dan Tegart, Director at Large
By the time you read this I hope all of your warehouses are full of honey stacked to the rafters, and all your bees are in great shape going into the fall. Unfortunately for us up here in the Peace region it was another short and very spotty crop. At times it felt like we were going 100 mph and then at others it was like Mother Nature was slamming hard on the brakes. It is amazing after a year like this how "Average" sounds so good. Getting ready for next year is now our main focus.
Lessons learned from past years will have us promptly out there monitoring/treating/and re-monitoring. We are all fortunate this year to be able to take part in the Bee Health program. This extra set of eyes on your bees can never hurt. You can contact Sam Muirhead at 780-415-2309 for details and registration.
As many of you already know we have once again been granted use of Apivar by Pest Management Regulatory Agency. I would like to thank Medhat and all involved in getting this available to us. Supply is at the Co-Op and we now have the necessary time window to monitor/apply/and re-monitor. As all previous miticides there will come a day when this will not work. So please remember to re-monitor after all your treatments whether it is for mites or Nosema.
For those of you who wish to further add to your peace of mind this winter, AFSC has the Overwintering insurance program up and running. Deadline is or was (depending on when you read this) Sept 1st this year. I would like to thank all that have worked on this and I look forward to seeing this program succeed and help all beekeepers.
Finally if all of our best efforts to successfully over winter our colonies fail and AFSC have protected us financially, the question of importation will once again be a buzz. In the July issue your importation committee sent out a form, asking if you still support the resolutions to seek package bees from the continental USA. To date 39 beekeepers representing just over 82,600 colonies have responded favorably. If anyone has missed this opportunity to voice his or her support for importation, you may contact Gertie at the Alberta Beekeepers office and she will send you a form to sign and return.
I hope everyone has a smooth and successful fall season and that all your bees go into winter strong and safe.
From the President's Desk - July 2009
I hope everyone has recovered from most of their winter losses and are starting to see their hives growing rapidly. In our area, to date, we have had a pretty decent spring, although in many regions reports are that the cold weather and lack of moisture has set crops and hives back at least a few weeks. I have started putting on my third boxes and my bees seem to be developing well.
Extension Workers are currently moving throughout the province collecting samples and checking for Varroa and nosema levels. They are gathering two samples from each of six hives in three bee yards. We've included details about this program on page 4 of Alberta Bee News. I hope that everyone participates in the inspection program that we have developed with Medhat's office. It is extremely important that we know what our disease levels are, to see if our controls are working and if they aren't, to find out what we can do to lower these levels.
You will notice there is an insert in this issue. Please read it carefully and respond to it as soon as possible. We are trying to get this information out to all beekeepers across Canada. We have had three consecutive years of high winter losses and the industry needs more tools to maintain healthy colonies. We need access to affordable, healthy, Canadian equivalent bee stock to help ensure sustainability in our industry. We are doing this so that we can show CFIA that we are in dire need of new sources of bee stock!
We've had some fun the week of June 8th. Some of you may have been aware that Medhat's telephone number was redirected to the Ag Info Call Center in Stettler. We rushed around, made telephone calls and wrote letters. I had several conversations with the Assistant Deputy Minister of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Jason Krips. Once Mr. Krips realized how critical and vital it is for the beekeepers to reach Medhat at this time of year he reinstated the direct telephone number to Medhat's office. He determined that is was not the time of year to cut off our only contact for help for our bees. It seemed it was Agriculture's assumption that this action would result in reducing Medhat's work load; by trying to keep him from spending many hours on the phone answering to our concerns. We are very grateful to Mr. Krips' quick and prompt resolve to this issue. We truly appreciate his prompt action to calm the storm and positively respond to our request.
We look forward to a continued working relationship with Mr. Krips and Medhat in the next six months, before this decision gets revisited again. I have set up a Committee with Lee Townsend, Grant Hicks and myself to work with the department of Agriculture to recommend a plan to reduce Medhat's work load. Hopefully there will be a positive plan in place to get the best service available for the beekeeping industry. We need to address many honey bee health issues and rebuild a competitive, sustainable beekeeping industry in Alberta. This will require re-evaluating the Apiculture program to improve staffing and efficiency in responding to our needs.On another front, the PMRA has released a regulatory proposal regarding the reassessment of Note to CAPCO C94-05 65% liquid formic acid for use in beekeeping for mite control. It is proposing to phase-out the Note to CAPCO C94-05 by December 31, 2010. All uses of 65% liquid formic acid will therefore be required to be registered. If this proposal goes through it will impact the use of liquid formic acid in our treatment program for mites using the MiteWipe and similar applications methods.
PMRA is suggesting that there is sufficient time between now and December 31, 2010 for submitting applications for registration of 65% liquid formic acid. However, we do not know who will step up and register this product in such a short notice. The PMRA will accept written comments on PRO2009-01 up to 45 days from the date of publication (June 4, 2009). I urge you that you send your comments demanding the availability of the liquid formic acid for use by beekeepers as it has been over the years. The use of liquid acid has been beneficial to beekeepers. Beekeepers can adjust the dose and use proper application methods that meet their management systems and climatic conditions. Thus, beekeepers will be able to control mites with minimal side effects on bees. Please forward all comments to PMRA Publications - phone: 1-800-267-6315/613-736-3799, fax: 613- 736-3758 or e-mail pmra_infoserv @hc-sc.gc.ca This is an important issue to bring our views to the regulators in Ottawa. This information is provided on page5 of this issue.
I hope that everyone has a great summer. All the bees get moved safely, and everyone gets sore backs from lifting plugged honey boxes.
Till next time,
Terry Greidanus
From the Board Desk - June 2009
From the Board’s Desk
Research Update
Colin McCaig, Research Committee Chairman
Here it is May already and I imagine that like us at Philpott Honey, you all are extremely busy. I hope that things are going well and all your hives are strong and healthy.
Research is an ongoing process with many people trying to find better and safer chemicals to battle the varroa mite, Nosema Ceranae and American Foulbrood, to name a couple of the big ones. In addition, there is research ongoing to improve foraging crops so that they do not disappear and leave our bees with nothing to live on. This research involves many individuals that dedicate themselves to better our industry.
Dr. Medhat Nasr is one such person. He devotes countless hours to bettering the beekeeping industry. His current project is titled DEVELOPING A PEST MONITORING SYSTEM WITH EFFECTIVE CONTROL OPTIONS FOR VARROA MITES AND NOSEMA DISEASE IN HONEY BEES.
The key objectives of this project are:
I. Develop a honey bee pest monitoring system for Varroa mites and Nosema disease:a) Identify and quantify seasonal abundances and distributions of Varroa mites and their resistant strains as well as the new Nosema fungal disease in Alberta.b) Validation and adaptation of a model for predicting pest population outbreaks and treatment time in Alberta.c) Develop a web based Interactive Information System with Geographical Information System (GIS) to support the management and control of bee diseases.d) Study factors affecting winter kill of bee colonies by evaluating currently used beekeeping management systems to identify efficacies of treatments, and optimization of treatments.
II. Screen and evaluate three new control miticides for controlling existing resistant Varroa mites to add more adequate tools for Varroa mite control options.
III. Conduct an outreach educational program. The outreach educational program includes on farm demonstrations to illustrate and facilitate the implementation of the developed management system.
Dr. Stephan Pernal is continuing his research on Nosema Ceranae and the detection of antibiotic residues in honey. Making our bees healthier and keeping our product free of contaminates is a goal that all beekeepers strive to achieve and can with the work of Dr. Pernal.
Dr. Maya Evenden from the University of Alberta is doing research on red clover. This project is directly addressing a new and devastating problem for Albertan forage seed and honey producers. The goal of the current project is to develop this pheromone into a monitoring program to detect and predict populations of red clover casebearer (RCC). This will improve the output of red clover and will directly benefit the beekeeping industry.
The total commitment for the Alberta Beekeepers Commission of these three projects is $44,000. That is not, however, the total cost of these projects. Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund, (ACIDF) supports many research projects and has made sure that the Alberta Beekeepers' industry get their fair share. Alan Hall and Doug Walkey deserve our thanks as they go the extra mile to help us with applications and getting our projects passed through their Board. Both Alan and Doug are more than willing to talk on the phone and answer all questions, no matter how trivial. They want to see our industry be as successful as possible and they understand the difficulties in obtaining research dollars. Without their help, we would have the funding support and be in a position of being able to get our projects off the ground. We thank you. And do keep up the great work that you do.
If anyone is interested in looking at the actual research proposals, they are posted on the Alberta Beekeeper website.
Colin McCaig
Research Committee
From the President's Desk - May 2009
In March I was edgy - April just makes me stressed. This time of year there is always so much to do and so little time to do it in. We had a good stretch of nice weather and had a chance to get into the bees. It's amazing how one area can winter better than another area. Our west hives, the yards around High River did better than the hives out east. Amazingly our indoor hives, the singles made up in July, did the best. All in all, so far this year I can live with my winter losses. I can't complain after suffering two bad winters in a row. I hope that we have an excellent spring, timely rains, warm weather and lots of pollen and nectar.
Finally after a couple of years I am hearing that Western Australia is once again shipping package bees to Canada. Hopefully, they (the packages) will all travel well. I have heard of one report of a pallet of bees from New Zealand showing up at a beekeepers' yard 100% dead. They died of heat and lack of oxygen, either because the reefer wasn't turned on, or it was turned on but the driver didn't stop to check on the bees - in any case, the fault lies at the door of the trucking outfit. Can you imagine getting ready for 600 packages only to have them all perish before they reach your farm?
I have also heard of mixed wintering results with some farmers faring well, while others face a big chore ahead to get their numbers back. We as beekeepers now need to be on the ball. It is crucial for us to know what is happening in our hives. What is the Nosema situation…do I need to treat with Fumagillin…what is my mite load? These are questions we need to consider. I can tell you this: "If you try and save a dollar it could cost you two, and if you decide to spend the extra dollar it could make you two". I have decided that for me it is important to make up replacement hives for next year. I did this last year and am very happy that I did because now I do not need to make up these splits or purchase these packages, and they wintered better than my normal production hives.
As for what is happening at the Commission it will be easier for me just to cut and paste some of the highlights from our last teleconference meeting.1. Bee Health
- The Committee is hopeful that ACIDF will approve Dr. Nasr's application on bee health research for the work to begin this spring. The office will forward Medhat's proposal to all the Board members.
- Approval for Apilife Var has been lengthy; Shaffeek Ali is working with Medivet on the project.
2. Food Safety
- In addressing the 'honey bulk container standards' issue, Billy Bee Honey Products and other packers are examining the possible use of totes;
- Club Root may be an issue for producers who are moving colonies on and off cultivated land. Additional information is being provided by seed companies, outlining specific protocols that will have to be followed.
3. Labour
- The Labour Committee has been successful in implementing a group insurance health plan for temporary foreign workers at a reasonable premium. Details will be available on the website and in Bee News.
- Service Canada has implemented changes to the 'low skills' and 'beekeeper' categories and advertising criteria have also been modified. Many producers are experiencing major delays in acquiring foreign workers from the Philippines. The MEXSWAP program appears to be more accessible and easier to work with our industry.
4. Research Colin reviewed the committed projects to date:
- Dr. Steve Pernal -- Integrated Management of Nosema and detection of Antibiotic Residues. This is Year Two of a three-year project. The amount of funding is $20,000. Dr. Maya Evenden for the development of a Pheromone-based program for the red clover case bearer on clover in Alberta. The amount of funding is $4 000.ACIDF have confirmed their support of $30,000 for our project 'A proposal to investigate the reopening of the Canadian border to imported honey bee packages from the United States'.
- There is no confirmation for Dr. Medhat Nasr application 'Developing A Pest Monitoring System And Control Options For Honey Bee Parasitic Mites and Diseases'.
I hope that everyone has an excellent spring, and we all recover after having experienced a long and drawn out winter. The price of honey is strong; let's hope that it stays that way.
Terry
From the President’s Desk - April 2009
Well, spring is almost here. I'm getting edgy; I can't wait to get into my hives. I have to be patient; it is still early in the season, and there is nothing to do with them yet. I am not losing any sleep over wondering…yet. I did what I could last fall. Still, I can't help but wonder how they will look . . . . am I facing a wreck, or are they OK? I guess we are all in the same boat. Just need to be patient, find out what the story for the spring of 2009 will be. I hope it is good reports all around.
It seemed to be a slow month for the presidency, I don't know if this is good or bad. After the IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Workshop, things seemed to slow down for me, the telephone stopped ringing. I am very thankful for the excellent Board that we have. They are a great group of guys; each seems to specialize in their own specific area. They keep me up-to-date and informed on what is happening on their end. I have great faith, that whatever decisions that they make will be in the best interest for our industry. Thank you.
There is an insurance program being developed as I write this that will probably help us sleep a little easier next winter. Yup, you guessed it: Overwintering Insurance. It sounds exciting, and quite reasonable. I've heard some of the preliminary numbers, seen suggested premiums of somewhere around the five dollars per hive, and payouts between $100 and $120 per hive. I believe AFSC will have some information in this edition of the Alberta Bee News. Keep checking Bee News and the website for updates, and details on how the program will work.We are still waiting on our application for funding for the proposed extension program with Medhat's Office. We are trying to get him some more help. We would like to start a Pest Surveillance Program (basically hire some more inspectors), which will aid in determining the health of our industry, where the problem areas are, and details like that. Such a Program will also educate our beekeepers in proper surveillance techniques, so they can determine if their pest management practices are working or not. At the same time these inspectors can educate and support the beekeepers in their methods and techniques.
I am optimistic that this year is going to be a good year for our industry. Honey prices so far are staying strong which mean that consumption must be good. We have some excellent tools in our tool belt. Plus, we have a government that seems to support our industry. All in all, I have to confess, my hopes are high. Let's hope the weather cooperates!
Terry Greidanus
From The Board - March 2009
Who is that Todd Guy???
Hello, greetings from that Todd guy. I guess I am kind of the 'new kid on the block', but I have already met a lot of the members of our association and I look forward to continuing to meet more members. I am also a 'rookie' member of the board, having been elected director of the North West Region at our last convention and annual general meeting. For the past five years I have been working in the family business - P&J Apiaries, in which my family manages about three thousand hives throughout the Athabasca, Thorhild and Westlock Counties. Our honey plant/shop is located in the beautiful Tawatinaw Valley just north of Clyde. I guess enough said about myself, hopefully I can provide you with some information regarding our bees and our industry.
In December 2008, the board's task was to develop a new 'Strategic Business Plan' that would provide the board with a vision and mission to focus on issues affecting our membership and the industry until 2012. I can assure you that all directors were in agreement that the number one focus area should be 'Bee Health' in the strategic plan. This is the current issue that leaves all of us beekeepers wondering what will the upcoming spring be like? How many dead hives? How many infested and weak hives to kick out? Maybe, that is why we still don't sleep well in the winter months or why I have so much gray hair at thirty five years old?
'Bee Health' seems to be everyone's main focus now, and that was reflected by the success of this year's IPM workshop 'Beekeeping for the Future - Integrated Beekeeping Systems.' We had a great turnout with beekeepers from Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Alberta Beekeepers Commission would like to once again thank Dr. Medhat Nasr, and his team of technologists, for the informative workshop and for the wealth of enlightening information, which I am sure we are all still trying to cram into our heads. Also, the Alberta Beekeepers Commission expresses their gratitude for the guest speakers Dr. Mark Goodwin, Mr. Randy Oliver, Mr. Rheal Lafreniere and Mrs. Marcia Hewitt-Fisher, who travelled from neighbouring provinces, neighbouring countries and even as far as across the world to attend the workshop. Finally, we all know who does all the work behind the scenes, so again thanks to Gertie for all her hard work contributing to the success of the workshop.
If you were unable to attend the workshop, the key topics focused on the challenges we all share as beekeepers with the health of our hives, which include Nosema and Varroa. The guest speakers, whom were very engaging to listen to, provided their ideas and methodology pertaining to hive health/nutrition, detection/treatment of the nosema 'twins' (apis & ceranae) and monitoring/control of the varroa mite.
If we could only 'walk away' remembering one item learned at the workshop, I would have to agree with Medhat and the other speakers, that hive health is in the hands of us the beekeepers. We can no longer hide our heads in the sand, and it is up to us to be vigilant in continually testing, diagnosing and monitoring our hives. It is imperative that we know what our nosema and varroa infestation levels are. It was hilarious when Dr. Mark Goodwin commented that at meetings in New Zealand, beekeepers now stand up like at an 'Alcoholics' Anonymous' meeting and pronounce that 'I am a beekeeper and I also have a Varroa problem'.
Ever since last spring 2008, our company's goal was to be more diligent in testing and monitoring our hives. To truly know what was affecting our hives we completed wash tests last spring. In the fall alone we completed about four hundred wash tests on our hives, so we could try to determine our varroa infestation levels. Also, with the help of my wife, we have turned our kitchen table into our company nosema laboratory, where we continue to dissect and diagnose our own bee samples. With a lot of practice and a little patience, I believe any beekeeper can self-diagnose nosema. Therefore, invest in a good microscope and give it a try.Ultimately, 'bee health' has become a long term battle for us, therefore to win the fight we need to know and size up our 'opponent'. As beekeepers we can determine the strength of the 'opponent', nosema and varroa, through implementation of a continual testing and monitoring program in our management of the hives.
As a final note, since most of my spare time recently has been spent working with Dave Tharle, Chairman of the Labour Committee, I thought I would give a recap and update on some of the issues that have come to light in the recent weeks, which some members may not be aware of.The first issue is in regard to members hiring Philippine National Temporary Foreign Workers. The Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) now requires us, as employers, to have our company and our worker's employment documents authenticated/verified by the Philippines Overseas Labour Office (POLO) in Vancouver prior to issuance of a worker's exit visa. This issue was quickly addressed by the Labour Committee, whereby the labour committee compiled a list for the POLO office to consult and immediately process the documents of members to avoid any further delays. I have heard from some of the beekeepers in my area, and from other beekeepers at the IPM workshop, that they have already heard from the POLO office and that their documents were being processed. If you have not been aware of this issue and you are hiring Philippine National Temporary Foreign Workers, please consult February's issue of the Bee News or our website www.albertabeekeepers.org for a link to all the information on the issue and details on submission of the required documents.
As I mentioned at the IPM workshop, the second issue is in regard to the cost of private health insurance for non-Mexican (SAWP) temporary foreign workers, such as Filipinos and Nicaraguans. The Labour Committee's initial goal after the Christmas break was to find another association or industry group health insurance plan that these workers could become part of. Unfortunately, at this time we are still seeking to find that special association or industry, which would probably realize us the largest savings on health insurance premiums. But, as a tentative measure, we have been working with a Co-operator's agent and TIC Insurance to provide us a quotation for health insurance premiums, based on the scenario that all members together would be 'buying in bulk' from TIC Insurance through a single agent. At the time of writing this article, members have already been submitting information regarding their workers to the Labour Committee, for final submission to TIC Insurance and a final analysis of any savings. If you are hiring foreign workers, and you would like to participate in a group insurance plan, and you haven't already sent in your worker's information, please contact me at (780)348-5755. Again, please consult our website www.albertabeekeepers.org for updates on the insurance plan from the Labour Committee.
Well, it was my first article for the Bee News; hopefully Gertie will let me write again or maybe not? As a new honey season is approaching, I hope we all have an abundance of healthy hives. Happy bees makes for happy beekeepers.
Todd Eastman
Director, North West Region
From The Presidents Desk - February 2009
Greetings. I would like to begin with extending my deepest condolences and prayers to our General Manager, Gertie Adair, on the passing of her Mother December 26, 2008.
So far it has been a long winter, with lots of snow and cold and big drifts. I haven't seen this much white stuff for quite a few years. I wonder how my bees are doing inside my covers. I am sleeping well at night knowing that I did everything that I could to prepare them for winter. It is nice to see the snow though because it will hopefully provide necessary moisture for good early pollen as soon as spring breaks.
I have been taking it easy this winter and relaxing a fair bit, after having a number of hectic years building a new honey farm near Cayley, Alberta. This is the first winter where I can say that it is complete. For those of you that are passing through, you are more than welcome to stop in for a coffee, but please call first to make sure that I am around. My cell number is 403-809-0122.
On the fun side of things I recently had the opportunity to guide a snowmobiling trip with some of our Southern Alberta Beekeepers into the Cattaract area west of Longview, Alberta. It was an excellent opportunity to have some fun and enjoy Creation.
On the serious side of things, we have had a productive winter so far. We've had several meetings with our provincial bureaucrats trying to gain their support and help in furthering our industry. We are working with them to develop an Extension/Development Program that we hopefully can implement this spring (which means that we will have more inspectors helping us diagnose health issues in our beehives). We also sat down as a Board to create a New Strategic Plan directing our focus for the next several years. As with most government-related issues the gears of change and progress can grind slowly, but I am very positive that we have made some decent progress. I, along with our executive hope to meet with our Agricultural Minister George Groeneveld in the near future so that we can present him with our resolutions and explain to him the dire situation of our beekeeping industry.
Last month, Vice President, Lee Townsend, wrote last month that there will be no "free" money. We have to work for it. We beekeepers need to be proactive, as individual businessmen. Although we (as an Executive) have had a Board meeting with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, we need the beekeepers of this province to write letters to their MLA's. Meet with them and explain to them about the dire situation of our industry. I was told that there is a Rural and Agriculture Caucus. Our concerns need to be discussed in this Caucus meeting. They need to know that we have serious disease and resistance issues. They need to know that we need an economical source to replenish bee stock. We need to open the US border to package bees. We need more government support. We need some of that money that is going to waste bailing out the cattle industry.
I strongly believe that we need to "hound" our MLA's if we are going to make our industry healthy. Our issues need to be brought to the top of the pile. We can't forget about the Federal government. Even though this is where the Canadian Honey Council steps in, write them letters too. So, while most of us are in our 'slow time' (if not on holidays), lets put pen to paper and get our concerns heard at government levels. I received a fax from a local beekeeper stating that he wrote a letter and met with his local provincial MLA - thank you. I would love to hear more of the same.
I want to see a healthy bee industry, one that is self-supporting and does not have to rely on others to maintain itself. We need the tools to do our job. Right now we don't have all the tools, but we all need to work together to get them.
Till next month
Terry Greidanus
From The Executive's Desk - January 2009
It’s definitely been a busy 6 weeks since the AGM. On December 3rd and 4th members of the Alberta Beekeepers attended AFSC workshops in both Stony Plain and Grande Prairie. The three topics of discussion at these meetings were Crop Insurance, Overwintering Insurance, and AgriStablility (CAIS). It was refreshing to see that AFSC is finally willing to sit down with our industry and work with us to make their programs work properly for us. The Overwintering Insurance is still in the initial discussion stages but AFSC is willing to look at administering such a program once the Alberta Beekeepers Feasibility Study regarding Overwintering Insurance is complete. AFSC also presented us with a new Agristability form directly meant for our industry. My only concern regarding the new form is that AFSC never sat down with the Alberta Beekeepers Crop Insurance Committee to help create it. The best way for both organizations to work together is to have feedback and cooperation regarding these issues, and I hope in the future we will be able to accomplish this.
On December 4th the Alberta Beekeepers Bee Health and Research Committees sat down alongside Dr. Cornelia Kreplin, Paul Laflamme, Dr. Medhat Nasr, and George Lammertsen from Bayer Crop Science to discuss the future of our industry. We went to this meeting with the mindset that since the Minister of Agriculture has informed all industry there is no more “free” money available, we will work together with the government, industry, and private corporations to help hire more extension staff and create more research funds. I do feel we made progress regarding these issues, but it’s going to take a great deal of work and determination by all parties involved to make this happen in a timely fashion. We do hope to have something in place by April, and for it to take us from being an extremely reactive industry to one that is very progressive and able to deal with any issues that are thrown our way.
Personally I just got back from the first Young Farmers Summit of the Americas in Calgary that was hosted by the Canadian Young Farmers Forum. This was my third CYFF AGM and it was easily one of the most informative and intriguing. One thing that I can pass on to the membership of the Alberta Beekeepers that I’ve learned from these meetings is that we all need to establish a more open and cooperative dialogue between the older generation and young upcoming generations. The biggest mistake us as a younger generation can make is not listening and respecting the older generations knowledge, experience, and hard work. But on the flip side of that, the biggest mistake the older generation can make is not allowing the younger generation to take more responsibility and more of a management role in the farm. If you have someone that is young and energetic about farming, work with them, talk to them, and allow them the opportunity to prove they are serious about farming. Succession planning is imperative in this day and age, as farming is no longer solely a way of life. It is a business that needs to be treated as such. The most potent combination for success in farming is new, energetic ideas from Young farmers and the experience and knowledge of the older generation working together as one voice, not two distant ones. If anyone has any questions about our provincial young farmers group (FABB) and the national group (CYFF) please feel free to contact me and I’d be more than willing to help you out in whatever way I can.
Finally, I’m very happy to hear the positive feedback regarding the restructured Alberta Beekeepers website. If anyone has any suggestions for articles they find in the media or elsewhere that could be used on the website, please pass them along to myself or Gertie for the site. This also applies for any general structure comments regarding the site.
I hope everyone has a Happy Holidays and a Prosperous New Year!
Lee Townsend
From The President's Desk - December 2008
Well, it's been a short while since the Annual General Meeting and Convention and I've since been contemplating a lot about my new responsibilities. It's been over ten years since I was last on the Board of Directors of the Alberta Beekeepers Association and a lot has changed since then. I am looking forward to working with our Board members, new and former. I believe we have an excellent group of people working for the Alberta Beekeepers.
I would like to thank the Past President, President Nixon for all the hard work he has done. It is no small job. Kevin did an excellent job representing Alberta Beekeepers over the years he sat on the Board of Directors and as President. I would also like to thank Kevin for his offer to continue sitting on some of the Committees that he is currently working with. It will take me a while to be brought up to speed as to what is happening with the different Committees. I anticipate being able to move forward with the different issues that we are dealing with.
Next, I would like to thank all those that offered to help me with my new position. I can use all the help that I can get. I'll work hard to get a grasp on how everything runs, and would like to see things run the same as they were before until I get a handle on how things function, so those that are currently on a Committee I would like you to stay with that Committee and keep things progressing.
I would like to thank all that were able to make it to the 2008 convention. It was a great success. Once again Gertie Adair and her helpers did a fantastic job of organizing and planning the convention. Without their talents the convention wouldn't happen.
Thanks also to the Exhibitors and Sponsors: A big part of our convention is to be able to meet with the suppliers and companies that support and rely on the beekeeping industry here in Alberta.
Another integral part of our Convention is all about getting up to speed on news and innovations concerning the different aspects of beekeeping. From issues in government to beekeeping in Poland, the wide range of topics allows for an interesting and varied convention. Beekeeping in Alberta is on the cutting edge, we pride ourselves in having the best honey and bees in the world, and our speakers help us achieve this.
I would like to acknowledge our outgoing board members, Mike Paradis, Ron Greidanus, and Chris Malcharek, for all their hard work in the furthering of our industry and Commission. And I would like to welcome our new Board members Todd Eastman, Dan Tegart and Jerry Poelman.
I cannot forget Dr. Medhat Nasr, our Provincial Apiculturist. He is working very hard for the betterment of our industry. Thank you for your work with the emergency approval of Apivar, and the countless other hours spent making our honey bee industry healthy, also thanks for your help at the convention, we appreciate the use of your AV equipment.
In closing this has been a year to remember. Some beekeepers were fortunate to have healthy hives and a good crop. And others struggled with weather, poor bees, and a short crop. We should now have all finished with our bees for the season and are busy marketing our honey and planning for the next year. On behalf of the Alberta Beekeepers Board of Directors I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and all the best in the upcoming 2009 honey season.
Terry Greidanus
From The President's Desk - November 2008
From The President's Desk - October 2008
From the President's Desk - September 2008
From the President’s Desk – July 2008
From the President’s Desk – June 2008
From the President’s Desk – May 2008
From the President’s Desk – April 2008
From the Presidents Desk – March 2008
From The Presidents Desk - February 2008
From The Presidents Desk - January 2008
