Additional help coming for Northwest honey bees and beekeepers

Good news for the honey bees and beekeepers in PG!

The B.C. government has hired on two new bee inspectors to join the provinces apiculture inspection team.

This team will provide support to bee industries all over the province.

“Honey bees play a critical role in the daily lives of all British Columbians. As a former farmer, I know how much farmers rely on pollination to maintain their livelihoods,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture.

“That’s why we are committed to providing support and we are increasing inspection services to beekeepers in the province to ensure the health of our honey bees.”

The two new bee inspectors have been appointed to the northwest region of the province.

One has been appointed to the McBride-Prince George-Vanderhoof region, and the other to the Telkwa-Smithers-Terrace region.

"I think it is important for honey bee health to have consistent inspection of bee-colony sales throughout the province,” said Kerry Clark, president of the B.C. Honey Producers Association. “It is great that bee producers in the northwest will now have good access to inspectors."

The Ministry of Agriculture will be allotting $25,000 in support of the B.C. Honey Producers Association.

All funding will go towards researching bee health and pollination through the BeeBC program.

To celebrate the honey bee and their significant contributions to our planet, the provincial government is proclaiming May 29, 2018, as the Day of the Honey Bee!