CAPA Releases its Annual Colony Loss Report This Week for 2018-2019
July 23, 2019
The Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists conducts an annual survey of Canadian beekeepers' overwinter losses.
For winter 2018-2019, survey results just posted showed that the national level of wintering loss including nonviable colonies was 25.7%, with individual provincial percentage ranging from 19.8% (in Nova Scotia) to 54.1% (in Prince Edward Island). Ontario's losses were reported as 22.6%.
The overall winter loss percentage for 2018-2019 was lower than 2017-2018 which had a loss rate of 32.6%. The level of winter loss varied from province to province, and among beekeeping operations within each province. In general, most provinces reported lower mortality in 2018-2019 than the previous year, the exception being Nova Scotia reporting similar mortality to last year and Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland/Labrador reporting higher mortality than last year. Prince Edward Island reported the highest winter losses of 54.1% in 2019 with weather cited as being the most frequent cause contributing to colony mortality. The lowest winter loss (19.8%) was reported by Nova Scotia again this year.
