'Swarming season' might sound scary, but N.L. beekeepers are buzzing

The idea of a honeybee's "swarming season" might sound terrifying to some, but it's music to the ears and the start of a new year for beekeepers across Newfoundland and Labrador.

Paul Dinn, a beekeeper atAdelaide's Newfoundland Honey, said the season usually lasts about three months, andhelps bees reproduce, prosper and find a new home.

"The queen that's in the hive now, and about 60 per cent of the bees in the hive, will actually leave the hive and go looking for a new home," Dinn told CBC News. "A new queen will emerge, and reproduce and start a colony there, and the old queen will find a new home."

When a group of bees leave their old hivethey find a new home in trees orbuildings. Dinn said once thecreation of a new home is underway, it can look almost like a basketball made up entirely of bees.

"They might find a crack in a little side of the home, get intothe eave, and then the bees will start to actually build honeycomb and establish themselves," he said. "That's what we want to prevent. We want beekeepers to learn how to prevent swarming in the first place, but then also if they need to rescue the bees we want to do that safely."

If a swarm does pop up in areas like a home or a yard, Dinn said, it's important not to panic;assess the risk and contact a beekeeper to help. Safety is a priority for beekeepers, who work to protect both the bees and the public, he said.

"You want to make sure that you'resafe so you can keep the bees safe," he said.

Dinn said swarms can also affect beekeepers, as fewer bees in a colony can often mean less honey for people to harvest.

Newfoundland's going tohave a great future in bees.- Don Paul

Outside the swarm, however, beekeeper Don Paul hopes a new bee colony isn't the only thing that will grow this year.

Paul is the first beekeeper to begin operations onFogo Island, after moving therefrom British Columbia, where he kept bees for 20 years. As the 2021 season begins, he said,he's happy to get started on the island.

"FogoIsland is such a wild and wonderful location," Paul told CBC Radio's Weekend AM."It's just been my goal to start growing bees on FogoIsland, to see if I can create morefor Fogo and of course for Newfoundland."

Both Dinn and Paul said the province's bees are unlike thoseanywhere else in the world, which puts the province in a unique position.

Paul said Newfoundland bees are free of varroa mites, which have ravaged bee populations across North America. Because it's an island in a province that hasstrict importation rules, Newfoundland is one of just a handful of areas in the world withoutvarroamites.

"The Newfoundland bee is hearty because of our northern climate, and has to winter longer. It makes the bees clean and strong, and they survive really well," said Paul.

The uniqueness also presents an opportunity, according to Paul, who said sending clean bees across Canada could be possible as thebeekeeping scene develops.

In the meantime, Paul said, he hopes to continue to expand around Fogo Island as beekeepers elsewhereinthe province look ahead to thenew season.

"I've been hearing nothing but happiness from all the beekeepers that have made it through the winter with their bees this year," he said.

'Newfoundland's going tohave a great future in bees."

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