If true, that would make for some interesting news. At best... I bet it is just packages... if anything.
If it were wide-open.... It would make a nice place for some southern bees to spend the summer.... I wonder which would be better... Manitoba or Saskatchewan? Just get out of there before the snow flies...
Nick can you offer some more info. on where you heard the rumor and under what terms? I read recently that Blueberry growers in Canada were looking into opening the border so that they could source US bees at a cheaper costs for pollination. Would be a game changer.
Border is not YET open to package bees.....patience lads.....very high losses in many parts of Canada,and growing blueberry pollination in Quebec and maritime' s. Meeting 's are being held, livelihoods are at stake, a bee business without bees is not a viable business.
It should have never been closed in the first place, it only bought us time in dealing with varroa and the African bee was never a threat.
Bureaucrat bungling ,the powers to be ,knew nothing ,feared the African bee and only that some beekeepers were successfully wintering their whole outfit and getting huge crops to boot.It first closed in Eastern Canada then a year later in the west....it may open the same way and just as fast as it closed. The border will I bet remain closed to bees on comb, same rule as was when it closed
How long has the boarder been closed to bees on comb?
What will change if packages are allowed across, if anything other than more sales for southern package producers and better availability of bees for Canadian producers?
Irwin, do you know why there is huge opposition from Canadian producers to allowing the boarder to open to US packages? I do not understand why there is so much opposition,
Irwin, do you know why there is huge opposition from Canadian producers to allowing the boarder to open to US packages? I do not understand why there is so much opposition,
I'm not Irwin, but I have been doing a little reading on this subject - ever since I read "Bad Beekeeping" by Miksa. Today's objections by Canadians seem to be based on a belief that SHB and AHB will follow an opening of the border. Highly unlikely, I would think.
I believe at some point of time in the past , early 1970's-60's American colonies were used in the Maritime 's to pollinate blueberries, an American company ,Bragg Lumber worked pollination on both sides of the border,permits were issued, pollination done, bees returned stateside
"do you know why there is huge opposition from Canadian producers to allowing the boarder to open to US packages?"
Be-careful for what wish for ,sometimes you get more than what you bargained for. US honey producers would love to have access to the vast Canadian land mass and its bountiful honey flows, and would probably allow Canadians access to Almond pollination .More regulation , would accompany this, most provinces do not have registered beeyards like Montana and the Dakotas and a limited distance between those beeyards.I believe the figure was 600,000 colonies in North Dakota on registered sites.
"why would allowing packages across equal access for american migratory beekeepers? " It shouldn't but you should look at the NAFTA agreement, the US might ask for an open border as a condition of supplying packages
and thats the crutch of all of the opposition. I see.
Im in favour of bringing in packages, but I dont feel loosing our forage territory is worth bringing in packages,
hope the boys know what they are doing
At least we have a government with some balls right now
Hey Irwin, I like your way of thinking. I run bees along an 80 mile stretch of Canadian border. When making locations the game plan is the closer to the border the better many of which are just a few yards away. I've often thought it's just a tease to the untapped potential north of the USA. ehh! Afterall there's no comparison in the honey making potential of a package and a parent hive running wide open. I can't be the only one with this crazy idea. Lol.
P.S. no offense with the ehh my dads side are all Canadian.
Queens are imported from Hawaii - there referred to as Kona queens, so must be big island. Our packages are imported from New Zealand. A 1 kg package cost $143 two years ago. Queens were $26 last year.
Queens are imported from Hawaii - there referred to as Kona queens, so must be big island. Our packages are imported from New Zealand. A 2 kg package cost $143 two years ago. Queens were $26 last year.
I suppose a $3 QC and $70 packages isn't attractive enough for Canada to consider lifting the border. Even with Kona Queens and New Zealand packages, isn't a certain amount of genetic stagnation a problem? From below the border it looks like lifting the border would be a win-win situation for Canada.... but then again I have not walked in your shoes.
Canada would be flooded with american honey colonies, and half of canadian beekeepers would be in california driving down polination contracts. + what Allen said about package prices. Lose Lose. No thanks
And I would think that Canadians would insist on opening the border to Canadian pollinators who would lower the pollination fees in the Almonds and probably the eastern coast blueberries. Of course, there usually is a flaw in isolationist economics somewhere...
How many 2 pound packages can bees off the almonds average? At best I'm would guess 3 per hive. I would think producing packages could be more lucrative than chasing honey in the Dakotas and a lot less trouble. Should access to southern packages be allowed, I wouldn't assume Canadian honey producers won't overwinter their bees. The number of hives on the prairies has regressed and stagnated since the border closure. Increased access to replacement stock is vital to maintain and grow our potential. With 600,000 colonies just to the south of our border, it is foolish to think we're keeping out any potential problems, they're all here at the moment. For example, last summer, strong southern winds blew up leaf hoppers which in turn brought us yellow aster disease which decimated a vast portion of the prairie canola crops. Hive beetles were found in operations in southern MB. The mite is here and is the biggest problem by far.
Letting packages back in to Canada seems like a good idea to me. After all, the USA is open to Canadian honey. Seems we should be able to sell you packages.It worked ok for many years.
Opening the border to hives may not be such a great idea. If the US/Canada border were to open to hive movements, Mexico could also demand access to the almond orchards and Canadian prairies. The drug cartels would love that.
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