Photo: Rick Atkinson

Yes, it’s been a wet week or 10 days, here in the St. John River Valley of New Brunswick!

A lot of farmers were flooded out, and we’ve yet to see how that situation might set back the crop pollination schedule and the demand for bees.

The River flooded to levels that well exceeded the height of the 2005 flood, but the water rose more slowly than in 1973 (the last “Big One”) and gave some time for people to take precautions. The river level seems to have been dropping in the Fredericton area overnight, and to have stabilized downstream in the Maugervlle / Sheffield area. The experts are saying the worst of the flooding is over, and evacuated families will soon be able to return home. Then, of course, comes the disheartening job of counting up the damage and cleaning up.

So far we’ve had no reports of bee hive losses, although not all beekeepers “got off easy” personally or as farmers — several of the Central Beekeepers live on the fertile agricultural land of the flood plain, and our sympathies are with those who have sustained damage to their homes and properties.

Our thoughts are with those who suffered losses in the flood, and this might be a good place to mention that the Canadian Red Cross has launched an appeal for funds to help the New Brunswick flood victims get back on their feet.

Canadians wishing to help people affected by flooding are encouraged to contribute by donating online, calling 1-800-418-1111 or contacting their local Red Cross office. Cheques should be made payable to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked “Flood Appeal 2008” and mailed to the Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2.

… and a Bit of Better Bee News

Early reports from the bee yards across the province are sounding pretty positive — for once, New Brunswick bees seem to have wintered over quite well, and now that the forage has started to bloom — and once the river water goes back down! — there’s a sense of cautious optimism that the 2008 season might turn out to be a good year for bees.

Here’s something light for a weekend…

Urban Honey is a 4-minute documentary video by student filmmaker Matt Fisher, about an unconventional San Francisco man who keeps bees in his urban backyard.

Jon Rolston originally wanted to raise chickens, but thought they might attract rats and rile up the neighbours… so he settled for a hive of bees. Rolston’s approach to apiculture, not to mention some of his beekeeping methods, may raise a few eyebrows among more experienced beekeepers, but the video itself is nicely crafted with some beautiful close-up shots of the backyard hive.

Enjoy!

Thanks to Michael Martine for spotting this video and sending in the link.

NOD Apiary Products, the Manufacturer of Mite AwayII, presents a 3-hour (no charge) workshop for beekeepers:

The Reality of Sustainable Beekeeping

Monday April 14, 2008
1:00 p.m.
Moncton Lions Community Centre
473 St. George Street, Moncton, New Brunswick

Hosted by: Country Fields Beekeeping Supplies

Please RSVP by either calling George or Ruth at 506-387-6804 or email info@countryfields.ca — or just come on out!

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As if American beekeepers didn’t have enough to deal with in Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD — the mysterious syndrome blamed for devastating losses of honeybees in the United States last year), now there’s a new threat to their hives: crooked humans. A nationwide bee shortage resulting from CCD means demand far outweighs supply for this pollination season, pushing the cost of hive rental as high as $200 in some locations, according to a Business Week report — the kind of money that means crime does pay.

“If you can get 50 strong healthy hives on a medium sized truck and get them to a grower who is desperate for bees in his orchard,” says Kim Flottum, “you can make yourself some good money. At $150/colony, that truckload of bees amounts to $7,500 for a couple hours work. Not a bad night’s haul.”

Beekeepers know that it’s a challenge enough to do the rounds of distant bee yards for the normal purposes of hive maintenance and inspection — imagine trying to arrange round-the-clock protection for those hives sent out to pollination, isolated in the middle of enormous orchards where they may rest unattended for days at a time.

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