Bruce Smith of Morell did not experience big losses in beehive numbers this year.
Smith, who has been involved in beekeeping on and off since 1980, says he only lost two of his eight beehives over the course of the winter.
Smith feels his 25 per cent loss is on average with other years.
“I had two weakish hives going into the fall,” explained Smith. “One of them didn’t make it and the other did but is weak and I’ve put it on top of another hive.”
He says the bees in the other beehive may have died as a result of varroa mites.
The care for his bees includes giving them artificial pollen patties and sugar syrup in the spring to get them buzzing.
He lives on six acres – half of it is cleared and half of it is woods – with plenty of food nearby.
“There is lots of poplar trees and birch trees that both produce a lot of pollen.”
He is also a big believer in letting his dandelions grow all over his property.
“The lawn is just yellow,” said Smith.
He recently bought two nucleus beehives from Antigonish, N.S., to bring his beehives numbers back up to eight.
Smith said he is renting out two of his bee colonies to apple orchards and four of them are going to blueberry producers.
The remaining two are going to the hexagon bee houses behind the Charlottetown Research Centre.
The grand opening for the hexagons will be held June 21 at 5 p.m.
