Cold spring leaves a drowsy bee population on Vancouver Island

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Vancouver Island’s chilly spring left a drowsy bee population, delaying honey production and pollination.

Honey bees are just getting to work, on the hunt for food that’s just starting to appear.

“They can’t produce honey if they can’t get the nectar, and if the trees and the plant life aren’t producing that nectar cause it’s cool then everything gets delayed,” says Bill Fosdick, Beekeeper and President of the Capital Region Beekeepers Association.

Honey bees work hard to help plants grow and produce food and they do so by transferring pollen between flowering plants, but, if it’s too cold the bees won’t leave their hive, and without sufficient nutrients, they’ll starve.

“They can’t produce new brood, they can’t produce new honey, and the pollen stores that they’re going to need for themselves,” adds Fosdick.

While Fosdick’s bees are in good health, other local beekeepers haven’t been so lucky.

Katie Dragert had two hives, both of them died over the winter. She blames the cold temperatures and also, killer mites.

Across the prairies, varroa mites have devastated colonies, with beekeepers reporting major losses and it could be a devastating combination here on the island.

“A common challenge on the west coast is cold or colder-ish wet conditions, and bees do not do well in wet conditions,” says Dragert.

According to provincial stats, Vancouver Island was the third-largest honey-producing region in BC producing over 240,000 kilograms of honey in 2021.

Despite this troubling start to spring, local beekeepers are holding out hope the island will continue to stay buzzing.

Hannah LepineHannah Lepine

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