Nearly 2M bees imported to Vancouver Island from New Zealand
![bees Bees are pictured in North Oyster, Vancouver Island. (CTV News)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2023/3/17/bees-1-6318593-1679096685927.jpg)
Some 1.75 million bees from New Zealand are acclimatizing to Canada's climate on a farm in North Oyster, Vancouver Island.
The imported bees have been added to a range of domestic hives in the Cowichan Valley, bringing the total to number of bees in the region to 3.5 million.
A team of apiarists from Nanaimo and Saskatchewan are caring for the bees before they are taken to Saskatchewan to begin pollinating canola and other crops.
"With a lot of seasonal variation, that’ll probably be end of April early May-ish, when hopefully the rest of Western Canada is thawed out a little bit more," said apiary technician Ryan Oman as he stood among the buzzing bees that he's helping care for.
The warmer temperatures on the island are ideal, but the lack of blooming flowers requires the bees to be fed a sugar-water syrup and artificial pollen.
Oman said New Zealand is considered a safe place to import bees from as it only exports bees and does not import them.
The need to import bees is due to a continued die-off in Canada caused most likely by mites.
"Varroa destructor, it causes havoc on the hive," said Oman.
"It’s a tricky one to deal with too. We’re starting to see resistance to a lot of common place treatments. You have to be smart to deal with the mite."
Oman says importing will continue until Canadian beekeepers are able to produce enough bees to share with others in the business.
As challenging as keeping bees can be, Oman says it is rewarding.
"If you like working with your hands, if you like biology, if you like science, if you like nature, it’s cool that way," he said.
"Anyone who tells you they know everything about beekeeping, they’re lying to you, because there’s always something to learn," he added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6978649.1722015109!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga, Ont.: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Ont., Peel police say.
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump's near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president's ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former president's injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.