In a recent report by the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists, it was revealed that more than 41% of honeybee colonies in Alberta failed during the winter of 2025 due to the challenging cold climate in Canada.
To address this issue, Beekeeping Innovations Ltd., based in the Calgary area, has introduced an innovative solution known as the Bee Cube. This unique apiary features a fully climate-controlled environment designed to accommodate multiple honeybee colonies, with the aim of ensuring the bees’ comfort and survival throughout the winter season.
Herman Van Reekum, the company’s founder and CEO, emphasized that the primary objective of the Bee Cube is to facilitate the production of queens in a safe and cost-effective manner. By establishing a self-sustaining system for queen bee reproduction, the company believes it can revolutionize the beekeeping industry in Canada.
Importing foreign queen bees has been a common practice among Canadian beekeepers, with approximately 300,000 queens brought in annually from countries like Australia, New Zealand, California, and Hawaii. However, Van Reekum highlighted the risks associated with introducing non-native queens, including the potential spread of harmful pests such as varroa mites.
One of the major concerns is the threat posed by the Tropilaelaps mite, which, although not yet present in North America, has been documented in honeybee colonies across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Van Reekum stressed the importance of developing a domestic source of queens to mitigate the risks associated with importing foreign bees.
By breeding local queens, beekeepers can reduce mite infestations and potentially cultivate bees with genetic traits that enhance their ability to withstand the harsh Canadian winters. The process of queen bee production involves careful selection, feeding, and monitoring to ensure the successful development of new queens within a colony.
In Alberta, which boasts nearly 40% of Canada’s bee colonies, beekeeping is a thriving industry and a vital contributor to the country’s agricultural economy. The 2025 honey harvest in Canada was valued at $241 million, underscoring the significance of beekeeping not only in honey production but also in pollination services that support billions of dollars worth of agricultural crops.
Van Reekum emphasized the critical role of bees in pollinating various food crops, highlighting their indispensable contribution to the production of canola, orchard fruits, blueberries, and other essential foods that rely on bee pollination for growth and reproduction.
