The Rural Voice, 1990-07, Page 27Peace River country out west — "the Mecca of
Beekeeping," Toby calls it — where they studied
some of the most advanced techniques of bee-
keeping and breeding and honey production.
Peace River is one of the largest honey -produc-
ing areas in the world, and its expanses of clover
and canola as well as its long summer days make
it a paradise for bees.
The Bruces are now the keepers of some-
thing like 50 million bees collecting nectar from
30 different locations in a 20 -mile radius near
Chatsworth as well as from additional locations
around Alliston.
Kelly is in charge of breeding and Toby in
charge of the hives; both look after the extraction
of the honey, the filtering, the packaging and
labelling, and the marketing. Fore eight months
of the year, they have one full-time employee,
plus part-time students during the summer.
"The main ingredient in beekeeping and
honey production is meticulous management,"
Toby explains. Kelly uses a careful breeding
program to ensure the maintenance of a good
stock of queen bees. "We look for good honey
producers, good wintering stock, good survivors
for resistance," she explains, then adds with a
smile, "and gentle characteristics!"
No matter what an apiarist may try to do,
bees will by instinct defend themselves against
any intruder, though selective breeding can
produce strains that are easier to handle. "But
you don't get used to it," Toby says. "A bee
sting hurts every time."
Toby's contribution to the management of the
operation is mainly in the areas of hive mainten-
ance and location and improved extraction pro-
cesses. Location determines the kind of honey
the bees will produce. Most of the Bruces' hives
are located in clover areas, the most abundant
source of nectar around Chatsworth. Alfalfa and
trefoil are the second most abundant source, with
star thistle, buckwheat, basswood, goldenrod,
milkweed, and wildflowers making up the rest.
The nectar, in turn, determines the colour,
smell, and taste of the honey. Clover results in
the light, pleasant honey most people know and
like. Buckwheat, on the other hand, produces a
heavier, dark and nutty type of honey. Other
sources create their own unique colours and
flavours, adding an interesting variety to the
commonly produced "No. 1 White Honey."
For 10 days in spring, the Bruces also place
200 hives in apple orchards around Collingwood
and Meaford for yet another type of honey. If a
specific nectar accounts for more than 50 per
cent of a certain batch, it can be labelled with the
name of the nectar and sold separately for its par-
ticular taste. "You can smell it when the honey
is extracted," says Kelly, who can distinguish
JULY 1990 23