Modern beekeeping requires beekeepers to keep track of a lot of information to meet current regulations for bee biosecurity and food safety. One of the challenges they face is sorting through extensive documents that they are sometimes overwhelming and confusing. The Canadian Beekeepers' Practical Handbook to Bee Biosecurity and Food Safety is a new tool to help beekeepers keep track of the information needed to meet current regulations. It is available on the Canadian Honey Council (CHC) website (www.honeycouncil.ca on the left hand panel under "Beekeepers' Handbook).

We won the Apimondia Montréal 2019 bid!!!! The vote took place at the end of the closing ceremony of Apimondia 2015 in Daejeon south Korea : 78 votes for Canada and 34 votes for USA.

It was a tremendous experience and a great team effort .

http://www.apimondia2019mtl.com/

Alberta Agriculture has developed an app for "Bee Health". Phase I of the "Bee Health" app is released. It focuses on bee diseases symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options. It is developed for iOS and Android platforms. It can be download to iPhone, Samsung phone family and iPad. To download to iPad, you need to use the iPhone only option for down loading.

We are currently working on the second phase that will include diagnoses of diseases based on symptoms. It will also include an interactive feature to communicate with Alberta registered beekeepers It will facilitate bee diseases diagnostics, and communication to provide recommendations on line. Pictures can be emailed to Alberta apiculture staff for assistance in diagnoses. Broadcasting warnings of pest outbreaks will also be included. All reports and findings will be recorded in the provincial bee pest surveillance database.
Please help yourself and download the app. To find the app, search App Store or Google Play store for "bee health" or visit the Alberta Agriculture Website [new window]

The Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry undertook a study on the current status of bee health and strategies for its improvement. During its study, the Committee went on fact-finding missions in Ontario and Washington, D.C. These fact-finding missions allowed the Committee to visit a beekeeper and a corn farmer in Ontario, and to meet with government officials and various stakeholders in Washington, D.C. Through its hearings in Ottawa, the Committee heard from 85 witnesses over 8 months. Witnesses included officials from the federal and provincial governments of Canada, the European Union, and Australia, as well as representatives from agriculture and agri-food associations, civil society, and academia. The purpose was to hear witnesses' perspectives on the challenges facing bee health and how governments can help stakeholders address these challenges.

Click here to view the entire The Importance of Bee Health to Sustainable Food Production in Canada [New Window]

Honey & Pollen Plants for Canada's Beekeepers
An Annotated Floral Calendar

www.beeflowerseasoncan.ca

The electronic floral calendar offers information on over 270 honey and pollen plants found across Canada, including the type of resource it provides for bees (nectar, pollen, resins) and photos to aid in identification. The list of plants is easily searched by the scientific and common names or by blooming season (Spring, Summer, Fall).

Why Make a Floral Calendar? Beekeepers are naturally interested in the flowers that provide sustenance for their bees. Some flowers provide mostly nectar which the bees make into honey, others produce only pollen which is the protein source for bee nutrition, and most produce both. Beekeepers find it useful to know what flowers are in bloom and when in their area of operation. Books on the floral resources used by honeybees have always been part of beekeeping lore, and the new website makes this information readily available to anyone with internet access.

The new site builds on the floral calendar previously created for Ontario beekeepers that was developed with funding from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and launched in late 2013. The expanded national version was created with in-kind support from Seeds of Diversity, which is the official home of Pollination Canada.

Please direct any questions or comments to canpolin@uoguelph.ca.