Despite reports that the population of bees worldwide is seriously declining, an Airdrie beekeeper says things aren't as dire in Alberta.

Kim McLean is a retired school teacher and what he calls a "hobby beekeeper" who got into beekeeping six years ago with one hive.  Since then, his hobby has grown to eight hives.  He's a member of the Calgary and District Beekeepers Association.  

He says that bee colony numbers in Alberta are actually growing due to the abundance of good food for bees in the province.

"There are a couple of things going on world wide that are a challenge for bees, but in Alberta our colony numbers are going up.  We have an abundant source of food for bees, a lot of canola and a lot of agricultural crops are really good for bees.  So our hives are doing quite well on a provincial basis, the hive numbers are going up."

McLean says that doesn't mean there are no challenges for Alberta bees and individual beekeepers.  "The biggest one is this little critter called the Varroa Mite.  It's a little bug that's got into bee hives.  It started over in Asia and it's migrated around the world.  It attacks the bee larvae and it attacks the adult bees.  Over time, if a beekeeper's not careful to treat that and watch that, those little mites can actually kill a hive."

Around the world, things are not as rosy as they are in Alberta.  McLean says, "You've probably heard of beekeepers in other places in the world where bee hives just disappear.  In the U.S. they do a lot of transportation in bee hives across the country to pollinate almonds and soy beans and corn and things like that.  That's really tough on bees because you're putting all the bees in one place and if there's a disease, one beekeeper might infect the hives of other beekeepers."

Since 2006, honeybees in the U.S. have declined by 40 per cent.  Earlier this year, the Rusty Patched Honeybee became the first honeybee to be placed on the endangered species list.  In Alberta, the Canadian Wildlife Federation says the Western Bumble Bee and Yellow Banded Bumble Bee are endangered.   Climate change and the use of pesticides are two contributing factors into bee decline, but again in Alberta, McLean says we're fortunate to have responsible agricultural producers.

"I think the way that our farmers are managing those chemicals, they're doing it in a way that isn't as harmful as it has been in other places.  I think in Alberta farmers are pretty good about knowing how to apply and when to apply."

McLean says the average gardener can help the bee population simply by planting wildflowers in their gardens.  

 

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