Background

Honey bee queen health and performance is a crucial determinant of colony health and productivity. In Canada, a large number of queens are imported, mainly from Northern California and Hawaii, although queens may also be imported from Australia, New Zealand, and Chile. In 2015, 250,000 queens valued at $7 million were imported to Canada. According to beekeepers, the performance of local and imported queens is variable, and queen replacements are needed more often than in the past.

Objectives

Investigate the health status of freshly mated queens, both locally produced and imported, by analysis of pathogens and the quantity and viability of the sperm the queen carried. Potential causes of low sperm quality will be considered, including challenges during mating or transport from the vendor.

Strategy

Stock purchased from leading foreign producers (Chile, Australia, Hawaii, and California) and several Canadian provinces are assessed for sperm count and viability. Both queens and shipment attendants are evaluated on a panel of viruses, Nosema species identification, and Trypanosomes. This research will compare locally produced honey bee queens with imported queens.

Outcomes

Queens were purchased for the past 3 production seasons (2014-2016) from local (Canadian) and foreign producers and are being analyzed​.

Project Funding

100% NSERC