Honey Bee Health Management

Operational improvements for the purpose of reducing biosecurity risks, overwinter loss and to manage or prevent the introduction and spread of honey bee pests and disease, including but not limited to:

• Hive health management to a limit of $750 in cost-share funding:
  • Baseline laboratory testing at a recognized facility for disease (e.g., Nosema, tracheal mites) as part of a disease management plan
  • Testing (e.g., Pettis testing) at a recognized facility for determining varroa mite resistance to conventional treatments
  • Field testing for hygienic behaviour or other beneficial traits in managed honey bees
• Purchase of equipment necessary to improve hive health management practices
  • Purchase of new beekeeping equipment and modifications to hive management systems, including:
    • Winter wraps to a limit of $2,000 in cost-share funding
    • Indoor overwintering facilities
  • Purchase of equipment, new construction or modifications to a honey house to make it bee tight, improve biosecurity, improve cleaning and disinfecting practices, and prevent robbing
  • Replacing old brood comb with new, disease-free comb to reduce biosecurity risks
  • Installing pest control devices or deterrents such as small hive beetle traps or purchasing pest monitoring equipment such as diagnostic test kits, varroa mite shakers or a microscope for disease monitoring onsite to a limit of $500 in cost-share funding
  • Purchase of equipment, new construction or modifications to facilities for freezing honey bee equipment or processing wax to mitigate the introduction, spread and impact of pests such as small hive beetle and wax moth