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Honey Bee Health Management

Closed
 

Stream: Producer

Code:

AHAP-PD-A

Projects will focus on equipment, new construction or modifications to existing beekeeping equipment, as well as adopting or implementing practices to prevent the introduction and spread of honey bee pests and disease within a beekeeping operation.

Who should apply?

Ontario beekeepers holding a valid certificate of registration, issued under the Bees Act, for the current beekeeping season.

To apply you must have

  • Ten (10) or more colonies registered with the Provincial Apiarist for the current beekeeping season

Eligible activities and expenditures

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
    • Honey extraction equipment to improve the timing of extraction and the storage of honey supers which will help with cleanliness and to avoid biosecurity risks.

Ineligible activities and expenditures

  • Activities and expenditures as detailed here
  • Fencing or demarcation of parts of the operation that are not subject to biosecurity measures or protocols
  • Washers, dryers, furniture or equipment for transition areas that are not directly related to biosecurity
  • Modifications related to increasing production, health and safety requirements or reasons not directly related to improving biosecurity
  • Ongoing consumables (e.g., disposable coveralls, boot covers, gloves, masks, disinfectant, soap, bait)
  • Purchase of sealed containers or bins to store bagged or loose feed securely, or modifications/repairs to existing feed or bedding storages
  • Modifications and repairs as part of routine maintenance (e.g., replacing old surfaces with the same material; replacing/repairing doors; repairs to roof, exterior walls or foundation; fencing)
  • Multipurpose items (e.g., tractors)
  • General clothing and equipment for use in the restricted access zone (RAZ) or controlled access points (CAPs) (e.g., coveralls, boots, buckets, brushes)
  • Establishing a water source (e.g., drilling a well, accessing a municipal water supply or irrigation pond)
  • Time to complete cleaning/disinfecting activities
  • Training, materials and skills development projects that fulfill any academic requirements towards the completion of a professional certificate, diploma or degree program
  • Professional services not directly related to the eligible activity
  • Ongoing routine activities, such as:
    • Sampling and testing costs to maintain or monitor health status
    • Sampling and testing costs to determine annual requirements for animal nutrient control (e.g., feeding programs)
    • Diagnostic and treatment costs (e.g., costs of medications, vaccinations, post-mortems)
    • Repeat services for the same operation or farm property (premise)

Available cost-share

50 per cent, up to a maximum of $15,000 per business for commercial beekeepers and $6,000 per business for hobbyist beekeepers, for all cost-share funding paid under the Targeted Intake to Support Managed Bee Health.

Commercial beekeepers are those with 50 or more hives as of the date of the first approved application to this intake.

Hobbyist beekeepers are those with less than 50 hives as of the date of the first approved application to this intake.

Required documentation

  • Valid certificate of registration issued under the Bees Act, for the current beekeeping season
  • Quotes or proposals for all activities to support costs

Merit assessment criteria

  • Commodity-Specific Targeting – targeting commercial beekeepers and bee breeders and producers
  • Size of Operation – priority given to beekeepers with the largest number of colonies
  • Identified Level of Risk – priority given to proposals that will have the greatest impact based on risk of spread or introduction of pests/disease
  • Geographic Location – priority given to operations located in remote areas (e.g., Northern Ontario)

Other useful information

The following exceptions are in place for applicants and projects submitted under the Targeted Intake to Support Managed Bee Health:

  • Applicants are not required to have a Premises Identification Number for the farm property where the project is to take place
  • The maximum amount of in-kind payment for labour and equipment is $500
  • Applicants that are not required to have a Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN) according to the Farm Registration and Farm Organizations Funding Act are eligible for cost-share funding under the condition that they are a registered beekeeper and hold a valid certificate of registration, issued under the Bees Act for the current beekeeping season.

Projects approved after October 12, 2022, under this category must be complete and operational, including having received all goods and/or services, no later than November 30, 2022.

There is no limit to the number of applications that a registered beekeeper may submit.

See other eligible activities and expenditures under funding for Advancing Beekeeper Business Capacity.

What's Next?

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Is this project for you? Find out if you meet the program requirements
Program Requirements

 

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For more information, visit ontariosoilcrop.org

Is this project for you? Find out if you meet the program requirements

Any established farm business that is a legal entity and produces agricultural commodities in Ontario under a valid Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN), or an allowable exemption, is eligible to apply for cost-share funding under the Partnership—provided that the farm business meets all of the requirements set out in the Program Guide. You must also have a valid and up-to-date Premises Identification (PID) Number for the farm property where the project is to take place. In addition, you are required to be in compliance with all Requirements of the Law and remain in compliance for the duration of the project.

A business may have up to two (2) applications under consideration at one time. A separate application must be submitted for each project. Businesses can only have a maximum of two (2) applications approved under the Targeted Bee Intake starting June 21, 2021.

Applications are evaluated based only on the information submitted and will not be considered if they do not meet eligibility criteria or if they are incomplete.

Complete applications that meet eligibility criteria are assessed using Merit Assessment Criteria, which is specific to each Project Category. Applications that are selected using a merit-based review process are approved on a continuous basis while funds remain available.

Conditional approval for funding may be granted for complete applications with high merit that require confirmation of additional information before project approval.

Applications are submitted electronically.* You can apply and submit all required documentation at ontarioprograms.net.

You can also complete the Application Form for the Project Category you are applying under, and submit with all required documentation by email to CAP@ontariosoilcrop.org. Copies of Application Forms are available at ontarioprogramguides.net.

*If you cannot apply online or by email, you may send hard copy applications and all required documentation to OSCIA by post or courier to 1-367 Woodlawn Road W, Guelph, ON, N1H 7K9.

Applications will be reviewed, and cost-share funding decisions will be made after the Application Intake has closed. You will be notified by mail and/or email approximately 45 business days from the date a given Application Intake closes. (If there is an exception to this, it may be noted in the Project Category Description.) There are three possible outcomes:

  • Application is approved – you will receive confirmation of claim procedures and submission deadlines, and a questionnaire that must be completed at the end of the project.
  • Application is conditionally approved – you will be notified about what additional information is required to finalize approval of your project.

Application is declined – you will receive a brief explanation for the decision.

The start date for your project is the date on the Approval or Conditional Approval Letter issued by OSCIA for each successful project. Projects cannot be started before that date. Eligible costs can only be incurred, invoiced and paid for by the applicant after the date on which the Letter is issued (if there is an exception to this, it may be noted in the Project Category Description).

The completion date for your project will be specified in the Approval Letter issued by OSCIA for the successful project. Eligible costs must be incurred, invoiced and paid for by the applicant on or before this completion date.






Edit date: November 1, 2022

Need Help?

For assistance with the Online Program Guide, please contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre – Mon. to Fri., 8 am – 5 pm, 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca