The Nova Scotia Beekeepers Association is not happy
that blueberry growers will rent about 500 hives from Ontario beekeepers if the
Nova Scotia government allows.
The association fears the Ontario bees could pass “small
hive beetles” to Nova Scotia’s hives, reports the CBC.
"The risk is, the beetle lives in the cluster and
even through an inspection process it's very difficult to ensure that we can
find all of these beetles," said association president and beekeeper
Lauren Park.
The problem is that small hive beetles taint the taste
of honey.
"If they were to become established in Nova
Scotia there's a chance we would never be able to get rid of them," Park said.
"We have a very robust, rigid
protocol around inspection of hives before they come in to Nova
Scotia," said Frank Dunn, deputy minister for the Nova Scotia Department
of Agriculture.
Dunn said the province
will send a bee specialist to Ontario to ensure that the
hives are safe and beetle-free before they come to Nova Scotia.
