Nature Recombined Sciences Inc. (NRCS) works with Canadian beekeepers to research the health of imported bees from overseas. It has become the new normal for Canadian beekeepers to import bees due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which causes significant population losses.
When bees and hives become infected with parasites and disease they weaken, causing them to fail in season or die during Canada’s harsh winters. This often results in complete colony collapse.
It has now become standard practice for beekeepers in Canada to import replacement bees from several different countries, such as the United States, Italy, New Zealand, Australia and more.
Check out this chart showing the sources of honeybee queen imports and the dollar value of the imports:
From the publication: "Statistical overview of the Canadian bee and honey industry in 2021".
The top countries exporting honeybee queens into Canada as of 2021 were the US, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, and Chile.
Honeybees in Canada are not successfully overwintering because they suffer from several significant health factors. Pests and disease are the most important factors causing honeybee mortality and colony loss. Other factors, such as pollution, pesticides, malnutrition, and climate change, also contribute to colony collapse.
A study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations discovered that the varroa mite alone causes 29% of all bee deaths globally.
From: The United Nation's Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Fortunately, nucleus colony suppliers (nucs) worldwide aim to fill the massive gaps left behind by this population decline.
The Canadian industry can replenish its stocks by importing bees from overseas, which sustains honey production and pollinates crops. This has become a worldwide norm, with sales and international shipments starting every spring.
NRCS has partnered with an apiary in New Zealand to test bee health during transit to Canada. Our partner farm, which operates in Alberta and Manitoba, will receive the bees. This partner will help NRCS facilitate several key research projects related to importing bees and maintaining their health throughout that process.
This process will go as follows:
This project is about discovering how to nurture the health of these vital pollinators, ensuring the sustainability of the honey and pollination industries.
NRCS’s mission is to identify ways to support bee health in as many ways as possible, whether this results from infestation, disease, poor nutrition, or pesticide interference.
See below, the nucs arriving from New Zealand and landing on a rainy day in Vancouver:
The operation began with an ambitious order of 9 skids, totaling 500 boxes weighing 1.5 Kg each. A total of 750 Kg of bees were flown from New Zealand to Canada. New Zealand is renowned for its healthy, robust bee populations, making it an ideal partner in this transcontinental beekeeping venture. The number one goal is to reduce the loss of bees in transit and ensure healthy, energetic bees at their destination. Imports from any of the significant bee-exporting countries can be treated in the same manner.
Canadian beekeepers rely on imported queens and packages of bees each spring to replenish and expand their colonies. This compensates for over-winter losses and fosters growth and productivity throughout the season. These international reinforcements are necessary for domestic beekeeping operations to meet the demands of agriculture and the broader ecosystem services bees provide.
Check out these skids of bees, ”buzzing” excitedly and ready to work the fields in Canada!
This test is an innovative approach to bee health and management, focusing on how ApiSaveTM treatment during shipment can significantly improve the bees' well-being. By monitoring the recently arrived boxes, researchers aim to demonstrate that strategic interventions en route can maintain, if not enhance, bee health. This sets a precedent for future importations.
While many precautions are taken to ensure no diseases are brought with the bees to Canada, this cannot be avoided entirely.
It’s common for bees to be imported to Canada with existing varroa mite and foulbrood infections, making this epidemic a global issue. Beekeepers struggle to keep bees healthy on all fronts, whether at home, in the bees imported from abroad, or while the bees travel.
Fortunately, the bees imported in this shipment were looking pretty healthy upon arrival:
When the bees reach the fields, they will become part of a research project to test the ApiSaveTM ability to improve bee health. This test will provide valuable knowledge about travel, considering the immense stress bees undergo during transportation while confined in a closed environment, making them vulnerable to health issues.
The studies will also provide longer-term insights into how ApiSaveTM, if used during travel, can affect bee overwintering.
The implications of this project are critically important. Beyond just aiding in seasonal replenishment, there's a vision for helping Canadian bees thrive through harsh winters and emerge healthier, laying the groundwork for Canada to be a consumer and potentially an exporter of healthy, resilient bees. This shift could prove monumental for Canadian businesses and the beekeeping industry, offering a sustainable bee health and management model.
The collaboration between NRCS and our partners, both domestically and internationally, is more than a logistical feat of transporting bees across hemispheres. We are innovating bee health, sustainability, and industry support and simultaneously addressing an existential global challenge for the bee industry.
This initiative aims to revolutionize beekeeping practices by understanding and mitigating bees' challenges during transport and overwintering. It will contribute significantly to the global bee population's health and underline bees' critical role in our ecosystem.
As this project unfolds, it promises to save Canadian businesses and set a precedent for worldwide bee conservation and industry sustainability.
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