90 % losses - Vancouver Island

That's harsh. Just checked mine over the last week, looks like losses will be 15-20%. The survivors look real good. Phewww. I'm pleased.

Sorry to hear that. I think once we get a good picture of the losses going into Calf. for almonds it is going to be ugly in the States for commercial beeks also.

alpha6 said:

Sorry to hear that. I think once we get a good picture of the losses going into Calf. for almonds it is going to be ugly in the States for commercial beeks also.

Click to expand...

Do many hives 'crash' while in the almonds? Just wondering if the move to almonds is = our spring in that we've suffered the worst of our losses til this time next year.

No they do well once in the Almonds. Seems a lot of bees were dead outs or really weak and didn't make the grade before getting into almonds. These were strong when shipped to the holding yards in Nov/Dec. Seems there were real problems with bees coming out of SD and ND but I have also heard of some trailer loads out of TX that were mostly dead so not sure what to make of it. Right now I don't have any details about what the causes are or the extent of the losses...just what I have heard from brokers when checking on the status of my bees.

I think the losses on Vancouver Island were from Nanaimo south. Norh of that they are still alive for now. As for Vancouver Island with 25% of the bees in BC. That would mean 10-11 000 hives there. Didn't think there were that many. Many are in the hands of small beekeepers. They've historically kept the Island closed to imports to bees from other parts of Canada since tracheal then varroa mites were discovered in Canada. On the other hand they are open to importing bees from New Zealand and Australia. Go figure eh.

Jean-Marc

this news story says they have 2000-3000 hives on the island. its a fact every dead bee story always has somethin wrong.

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Vancouver+Island+beekeepers+warn+crisis/2660548/story.html

But Stan Reist, president of the B.C. Honey Producers Association, said a variety of factors contributed to the deaths -- including a late fall harvest that tires out the bees and the timing of pesticide treatments." and "Meanwhile, in the Fraser Valley, where there are many large commercial apiaries, keepers are reporting that it looks like a stellar year for bees. If the beekeepers in the Fraser Valley and in the B.C. Interior have been so successful this year, then it gives hope that the problem in the Cowichan Valley is isolated, said provincial apiculturist Paul van Westendorp"