Nearly three centuries ago, on May 20, 1734, beekeeper Anton Janša, a Slovenian pioneer of modern apiculture, was born and baptized. His birth date was later chosen to become World Bee Day, a day to celebrate bees and pollinators and the role they play in local ecosystems.
"Today's about raising awareness. What can we do to support [pollinators]? And what's happening around the globe as far as technology goes to try and support what they do?" said Minister of Agriculture and Food Lana Popham. "We need pollinators. And I think most people enjoy honey. So we need honey producers as well."
Popham, ministry staff and other stakeholders got the opportunity to tour Country Bee Honey Farm in Central Saanich, and try some of their honey to commemorate the day.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the western honey bee is the most widespread managed pollinator globally, with more than 80 million hives producing around 1.6 million tonnes of honey annually. Bee populations, however, have been in decline due to habitat loss, intensive farming practices, climate change and the excessive use of agrochemicals like pesticides.
To support both domesticated and wild bees, Lindsay Dault, the owner of the farm and a longtime beekeeper, explained that residents can put out water for the bees, can plant native, rather than foreign plants, in their garden, and avoid using pesticides and fungicides, which can wipe out entire colonies.
"Last year, we had somebody spray, and it killed two of our hives, and pretty much destroyed the six other ones in that one yard, so they never produced for the rest of the season. It has a huge effect," said Dault. "If you can take the time to just pull your weeds in your garden instead of spraying, it makes a huge difference."
In her new position in the agriculture ministry, Popham, whose dad was a beekeeper himself, says that they are working to further support beekeepers. That includes promoting and supporting technologies and research that look at parasites and diseases that affect bees, while also funding local farms and beekeepers with small grants through the Bee BC program.
"We're really lucky here that we have a mix of honey producers and just general pollinators, but today I think it's about all of it," said Popham. "It's about how can we make sure that we're planting food for bees, making sure we're being careful when we're using chemicals out there, and also in B.C., how do we collect all the information that beekeepers need in order to go out there and be the most prepared they can be as the season begins."
