Beekeepers across the country are finding large amounts of their bees dead when checking on them this spring. Varroa destruction mites seem to be the cause of these deaths, with some producers losing up to 90% of their hives.
Allan Campbell is a beekeeper originally from Dauphin, who was with the Manitoba Beekeepers Association for ten years.
Controlling the mite is the best available option for us right now, but once mite levels hit a certain level, they kind of spiral out of control, and that's when you really start to see disease and health issues.
Manitoba is home to around 900 beekeepers, and about 25% of those are commercial beekeepers with 50 or more colonies. Every year, Manitoba produces 8,500 metric tonnes of honey.
