Muskoka Parry Sound Beekeepers Association

June 2025 Field Day – Full of Learning, Laughter and Friendship

On a beautiful day in a picturesque setting, Rob Key, President, welcomed member of the Muskoka Parry Sound Beekeepers Association to the 2025 Bee Social Day at Pam and Jane’s Bee Yard near Orrville.

Rob provided an overview of the Association’s purpose, the day’s activities and a reminder about registering your bee yard with OMAFA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness).

How to Get Your Beekeeper Certificate of Registration

Did you know that any person who owns or is in possession of honey bees or used beekeeping equipment in Ontario is legally required to have a valid certificate of registration?

The Ontario Bees Act is the legislation that regulates beekeeping in Ontario. Its main purpose is to protect the health of honey bees and it includes requirements for obtaining a certificate of registration.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) is responsible for the oversight and administration of the Ontario Bees Act. Its Apiary Program conducts regulatory inspections, monitors for pest and disease and issues beekeeper registrations, permits of sales and imports of live bees. Having your certificate:

• Allows you to purchase medication for treatment of mites, etc.
• Allows you to receive honey bee inspections services
• Allows you to apply for permits or funding programs
• Ensures you are informed if there are any diseases or issues near your bee yard

It’s easy and free to get or renew your certificate. Find out more at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-beekeeper-registration#section-7

BEE YARD DEMONSTRATIONS

How To Split A Hive: Pam, Jane and Rob demonstrated how to split a double deep hive into two hives by moving the Queen from the original hive to a new deep hive with frames of foundation, nectar, pollen, brood and bees and leaving the original hive with Queen cells that would hatch out.

Drone Trapping To Capture And Monitor Varroa Mites: In addition to other treatments, Pam and Jane use drone trapping to reduce the number of Varroa Mites and to check their mite numbers.

Drone trapping is based on the life cycle of the Varroa Mite and the mite’s preference for done brood. A female mite will enter the cell 1 to 2 days before it is capped, then wait for 60 hours after capping to begin laying her eggs. Since the drone pupae remains capped for about 3 days longer that workers, more mite eggs can be laid in the drone cells.

Research has shown that the population of mites in a hive can be greatly reduced if the drone brood is removed before the cells are uncapped and the mites emerge. Jane and Pam have found this method very helpful in controlling mite populations.

Bee-ing Social

It was an amazing day full of fun and learning. Special thanks to Pam and Jane for hosting, Stanley for helping to set up and take down the tents and to Rob for sharing his knowledge and making this day happen.

General

• Ontario Beekeepers Association (OBA)
  • our provincial advocacy group and an excellent general resource
  • extensive searchable list of Ontario bee and beekeeping suppliers
  • home of our famous tech transfer program
  • annual membership recommended and you can also get group insurance from them at an excellent rate (and they will name others on your policy as needed)

• Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Farming and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
  • all bee yards are required to be registered with OMAFRA by law (it is free and can be done online)

• OMAFRA Honey Labeling Requirements (199/11)
  • Ontario farm-gate and retail label requirements

• OMAFRA Essential Practices for Beekeepers in Ontario
  • A nice 6-page summary of all the things every beekeeper in Ontario should be doing (not necessarily how, but it is a great summary)
  • You can download a copy on our site in case the above link stops working.

Online How-to Videos (based in Ontario)

• University of Guelph, beekeeping videos – Southern Ontario
  • an excellent series of short how-to videos that cover nearly all aspects of beekeeping

• Devan Rawn, beekeeping videos – Southern Ontario
• MPBSA 2020 Virtual Bee Yard Tour Video – Gravenhurst, Ontario

Other beekeeping videos

• Ian Steppler, A Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog – Miami, Manitoba

Local Bee / Equipment Suppliers

• Ferrier’s Maplebee Farm – Kearney, Ontario
• Dickey Bee Honey – Cookstown, Ontario
• Innisfil Creek Honey – Innisfil, Ontario
• Glorybee Apiary – Loring, Ontario
• Board’s Honey Farm – Restoule, Ontario

Local Vets who can support beekeepers

As you probably know, beekeepers now need to get a prescription from a vet in order to purchase the Oxtytet we use to treat for American Foul Brood. Here are the names of 3 Vets that have been sourced by members of our organization.

• Dr. Peter Jones DVM Parry Sound Animal Hospital
  phone 705 746 5271 fax 705 746 7235
  parrysounddah@gmail.com
• Dr. Jason McLeod DVM
  705 789 5181 Huntsville Animal Hospital
  705 645 5090 Bracebridge Animal Hospital
  huntsvilleanimalhospital@gmail.com
• Dr. Neil Lawrence DVM Callander Animal Hospital
  phone 705 752 4550
  callandervet@gmail.com
• Dr. Fabio Tarable DVM Innisfill
  (arrangements can be made to p/u meds at Dickey Bee)
  fabio@fabulousacres.com

Beekeepers will have contact the vet and create a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) before a prescription can be issued.

Other Ontario Suppliers

• Dancing Bee – Port Hope, Ontario

Downloads

• Beekeeping Activity Calendar (from Claude Dupuis)
• Basic 10-frame Langstroth Woodworking Design / Notes (from beesource.com)