Fewer bees could mean less produce

A blow to New Brunswick's beekeeping industry could have an impact on other branches of agriculture.

Hundreds of beekeepers in New Brunswick, Ontario and the northeastern United States are saying a mysterious disease or parasiteseems to be killing most of their bees.

While no one is certain what exactly is killing the bees or how the trend can be stopped, fewer bees could mean fewer fruits and vegetables from area producers.

Fredericton-area apple grower Allison Carlisle rents hives from beekeepers every spring to get the blossoms on his apple trees pollinated. He worries that this bee decline could mean a smaller harvest for him this year.

"It leaves me to wonder what my production will be like because I know last year I was pleased with the production at this orchard because of the hives that I rented," Carlisle said Wednesday. "I know some other orchards where there were no beehives rented, and there were very few apples last year at all."

New Brunswick beekeeper Earl Gilby says beehive rentals are normally the most profitable part of his operation.

He rents out hundreds of hives to about a dozen harvesters around the province each year, but this year, he says, he won't have enough bees to go around. Gilby suspects the bee deaths will cost him at least $70,000.

"It's just going to cripple the operation," Gilby said. "We'll be going from a commercial status to a very small hobby beekeeper if we even stay with it at all. Just too discouraging."

New Brunswick Beekeepers Association president Paul Vautour said Tuesday U.S. researchers are workingon the problem, but no solution is in sight.