The Value of Insect Pollination Beekeeping Nova Scotia

The Value of Insect Pollination & Beekeeping Nova Scotia Kevin Bekkers, PEng. NS Department of Agriculture Margaret Cornect Apiarist

How Important are Insects for Pollination of Agriculture Crops Very Important ? Some what ? Unknown ? Let’s take a closer look ……. . .

Importance of Plant Pollination �Approximately 3000 plants world wide used for food production �Of those only 300 grown widely around the world � 12 of which make up 90% of worlds food supply � 7 Grains – Rice, wheat, corn, sorghums, millets, rye and barley �Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Cassavas, Bananas and coconuts

�Grains are wind or self pollinated, Coconuts are wind and partially insect, remaining are propagated asexually or develop pharthenocarpically � 2/3 worlds population is in Southeast Asia where the staple diet is rice.

�Superficially it would appear that insect pollination has little affect on world’s food supply. �So where do bees fit and what do they pollinate? More importantly who eats the food they pollinate? �Considering the number of people in the world living in poverty, perhaps that changes results.

1/3 North American diet dependent on insect pollination �This food comes from two sources � 1) Animal products – poultry, beef, pork, dairy products are derived one way or another from legumes �Legume crops such as alfalfa and clover are produced from seeds pollinated by honey bees

� 2) Fruits, Vegetables and Nuts �Apples, cherries, peaches, pears, prunes, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, pumpkin, squash, mustard, buckwheat, fababeans, blueberries, melons, grapes, almonds, etc. �Dependent upon insect pollination

Fats and Oils �More than ½ the worlds diet of fats and oils come from oilseeds dependent or benefit from insect pollination. (oil palm, olives, peanuts, soybeans, sunflower, canola)

Yield Benefits of Pollination �Farmers can provide all the ingredients to grow a good crop, with the exception of weather. Example Apples -Create the orchard, prune the trees, select the variety, frost protection, fertilize, irrigate, manage pests, etc. -If sufficient blossoms are not pollinated the input costs may exceed the crop yield. -Maximize the potential of the crop with honey bees -Farmers cull apples under good pollination to improve size

Ecological Relationship �Productive farm crops produced by limited strains of plants makes the food supply vulnerable to plant enemies. �Irish Potato famine 1840’s �Cross pollination can be a means of preventing such disasters.

Economic value of pollination �$6 Billion in crop value was attributed to honey bee pollination in the US in 1967, �The honey and beeswax produced were valued at only $45 Million �In other words honey bee colonies are worth 100 times as much to the community as they are to the beekeeper.

1998 Canadian Data �Total value of Honey Bees to Canadian Agriculture $782 million � 8 times greater than the value of honey and wax which was worth $93. 5 million �The value of honey bee pollination represents 21% of the total farm value of approximately 26 crops in Canada.

Crop Value Examples � 1998 Quebec apple crop value was 22. 6 million of which 90% was credited to Honey Bee Pollination �The Canadian blueberry crop yield relies 85% on Honey Bee Pollination

NS Beekeeping � 275 Beekeepers in NS � 18, 500 Colonies �Only 25 Beekeepers with greater than 50 Colonies �These 25 Beekeepers represent 95% of the NS Industry �Average Commercial Beekeeper 650 colonies

NS Beekeeping � 2 sources of income for Beekeepers �Hive Rental for Pollination Main Source �Honey / Wax Sales � 16, 500 colonies used in Blueberry Pollination �Farm gate value for Beekeepers of $1, 700, 000

Hierarchy of the hive �Queen – only one per hive �Lay upto 1500 eggs/day �Workers – female, nurse bees, wax building, pollen/water collection �Drones – males only purpose is to mate with a virgin queen, cannot even feed themselves �Mating – takes place in flight queen mates with 10 drones

Egg to Adult Cycle

Year in the life of a Beekeeper �Margaret Cornect, Guysborough County �Overview of each of the seasons, �Challenges of beekeeping �Products produced �Rewards