Honey Bee Disease Control

Honey Bee Disease and Pest Information

Ontario Honey Bee Breeding Program

Infiormation regarding the Ontario Mite and Disease Resistant Honey Bee Breeding Program.

Beekeeping Workshops And Courses

Workshops are available every spring.

Ontario Beekeepers' Association, Technology Transfer Program

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The Ontario Beekeepers’ Association (OBA), Technology Transfer Program (TTP) was established in the early 1990’s by Dr. Medhat Nasr. The mandate of the TTP is to conduct research for Ontario’s beekeeping industry, to facilitate a honey bee breeding program in Ontario and to transfer information, skills and methodologies to the beekeepers.

The OBA Tech-Transfer Program is unique because it operates directly for the beekeepers of Ontario, focusing on issues which are of importance to them. Base funding is received from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The beekeepers also donate funds for research and additional funding is sought from agencies such as the Agricultural Adaptation Council. The focus is devloping a current Integrated Pest Management approach to beekeeping. A large component of this is the breeding program. Tech-Transfer also test a variety of treatments for the control of varroa mites. The goal is to be pro-active and to limit the number of treatments that must be applied to the bee hive each year.

The current TTP research crew, Les Eccles, Janet Tam, Melanie Kempers and Devan Rawn, are based in Guelph. Collaborators include the Provincial Apiarist, the University of Guelph and co-operating beekeepers. The OBA TTP includes an advisory committee of Pat Westlake (Business Admin), John Van Alten (OBA President) and Paul Kozak (Provincial Apiarist).

Educational, hands-on workshops are conducted every spring by the Tech-Transfer Program, at various locations in the province. Introductory Beekeeping, Integrated Pest Management & Beekeeping and Introductory Queen Rearing are the current workshops being conducted.

The results of the work by the OBA TTP is presented at the annual OBA meetings, to local beekeepers associations within Ontario, to other beekeeper associations in Canada and the US, and to school and community groups with an interest in honey bees.

Donations

Beekeeper donations help keep the program active. Monies received from the industry and interested public are used to show support (and are double, tripled and even quadrupled by funding agencies) for the various projects that TTP apply for and administer. The Tech-Transfer Program appreciates your support!

A BIG THANK YOU to the Dufferin Beekeepers' Association, the Huronia Beekeepers Association, the Golden Horseshoe Beekeepers' Association, the Thunder Bay Beekeepers' Association, the Durham Region Beekeepers' Association and the United Counties Beekeepers Association for their generous donations over the past 6 months.

KUDOS to the Golden Horsehoe Beekeepers' Association for multiple donations!

Current Events

Mite Away Quick Strips™ (MAQS) in now registratered for use in Ontario.

MAQS is a 7-day, single application mite control product registered for use against varroa and tracheal mites. There are two critical application times. MAQS can be used during the honey flow but since it is best to have healthy colony populations going into the honey flow, spring treatment 4 to 6 weeks before the flow is recommended. A honey super can be on. To allow the bees time to produce a healthy winter cluster, MAQS should be applied at the end of the honey flow, usually while the last super is still on. For most parts of Canada this will be late August or early September.

For more information call toll free 866-483-2929 or check MAQS out at www.miteaway.com.

Also, watch this video.

Conference Recordings are now available on DVD for the 2011 Ontario Beekeeping Association Annual Meeting held in Niagara Falls.

The two days of conference are available on 2 sets of DVD's.

Disc Set 1 - Day 1 of the Annual AGM: Speakers include Rod Scarlett (CHC), Les Eccles (TTP), Alice Sinia/Pegah Valizadeh/Gun Koleoglu (Dr. Guzman - UoG), Paul Kozak (OMAFRA), Dr. Frank Eischen (USDA), Gary Reuter (UoM) and Karen Miles (BeeMaid).

Disc Set 2 - Day 2 of the Annual AGM: Speakers include Nancy Comber (OBA), Paul Bailey (OMAFRA), Don Ledrew (ACC Farmers Financial), Dr. Frank Eischen (USDA), Rebecca Metzger (Agricorp), Gary Reuter (UoM), Janet Tam (TTP), Ginger Reuter and Paul Kozak (OMAFRA).

$40 for each Disc Set OR $60 for Both Sets (plus applicable taxes and shipping).

Contact Melanie at obatechtransfer@rogers.com or 519-836-3609 to order.

Also, check out the NEW Tech-Transfer Store to order DVDs, Manuals and Books.