Spotlight on Saskatchewan Beekeepers

Pedersen Apiaries

Cutknife, Saskatchewan

I’m Karen Pedersen.  I’ve been beekeeping officially for around 30 years, but like most beekeepers’ children, I actually started hanging out with the hives while I was in diapers and started in the honeyhouse over 40 years ago.  I’m a 5^th generation beekeeper that we can trace, though most of the beekeepers in that lineage were hobbyists.  It was just the last generation of Gil, John and Ed Pedersen that were commercial beekeepers. They really influenced my beekeeping because I was still young when they realized that overwintering singles worked better for them and wrote about it.  I remember listening to calls where I could tell the other person on the line was telling them it couldn’t be done and they would just reply, “We’ll keep doing it.” Therefore, I love observing and learning from the bees.    It’s why I like raising queens and working in the mini mating nucs.  It’s a challenge to see how I change their behaviour through breeding.  The mating nucs, which are just tiny hives, amplify problems and behaviours so that they are easier to identify and teach me so much more than the full-sized hives.

My most rewarding part of beekeeping has actually been becoming a mother.  I’ve known about Shayla since before she was born, but I met her for the first time at her fathers wedding in July of 2016.  At the wedding, he was looking for potential jobs for her.  My crew was full, but I told him if she wanted to learn about bees, I would teach her and provide room and board.  A few weeks later, Shayla showed up at my door. She was eager to help and learn from the beginning.  We offered her an actual paid job within 4 days.  After that, Shayla tested me hard to see if my offer was authentic.  I am a woman of faith and in my prayers, I knew the Lord was telling me to offer her a place to live.  My words were, “I’m not qualified.”  The Lord’s response was, “Don’t worry, I am.”  So, within the week I had offered that she could stay with me for as long as she liked.  It has been the greatest blessing of my life.

Hi I’m Shayla Lynne Dyck.  I grew up in Burnaby, BC with my mother and I spent my summers with my father in Lucky Lake, SK.  In 2016, I came to visit Karen because I thought it would be cool to learn about bees.  Little did I know that this decision would change the trajectory of my life.  In my teen years, I struggled with school, anxiety and my mental health.  I was 9 when I started self-harming (cutting myself).  It was my method of emotional management.   In 2016, I was 19 and still struggling with these issues.  Bees seemed interesting.  I don’t know why, but I would say they chose me rather than I chose them.

Karen started teaching me about how the bees work right away.  The intricacies of beekeeping fascinated me from the beginning and the physical demands of the job kept me engaged.  I had to be on a regular schedule of eating and sleeping to get the work done.  The bees taught me the hard way that they would react to my emotions.  I could trigger their reactions almost instantaneously.  If I was anxious, angry, frustrated, or stressed out, the bees would become defensive and start to run on the combs.  I would have to step back, and calm myself down.  The difference was night and day.  The bees were so much more effective at teaching me to regulate my emotions than a parent or a teacher ever could be.

One of my most asked questions to fellow beekeepers was, “How many times do you get stung?”  Nobody could answer the question.  I was determined to answer it.  I kept track for the first 3 years with a total of 365. (115 – 2016, 112 – 2017, 138 – 2018) I was told that when I was a “real beekeeper” I would no longer be able to keep track.  I lost count after 3 years.

I continued to cut into the middle of 2017.  We made many trips to the emergency room for stitches and Karen would dress them up with a mixture of propolis and honey to ward off infection.  I could feel it sucking out the infection every time.  I also want to start a process of bee-sting therapy because I think it might help with some of my chronic health issues, but we haven’t quite got that figured out yet.

I’ve never regretted my decision to learn about bees.  If I were to encourage someone who wants to be a beekeeper this is what I would say:  Focus on knowledge first – do as much research and planning before you get bees and make sure you find a mentor close by and listen to them.  Don’t forget to start small, have patience with yourself and with the bees and remember you should only stop learning when you are dead.  Fear will be your greatest hurdle.  Face it head on and work through it.  You will never regret it.

Genereux Honey

Broderick, Saskatchewan

SBDC: Tell the millions (well hundreds) of readers who you are?

Lee & Judy Genereux, and our daughter Ruth.  We keep a small commercial operation near Broderick Saskatchewan.  My grandfather had bees in the 30’s and dad had bees in 70’s.  Dad quit before I was born when packages jumped from $7 to $15, so I didn’t know any family as beekeepers before I started.

The irrigation district is a unique area for beekeeping.  Well sheltered yards are difficult to find, our temperatures are generally warmer, and we have less moisture than most beekeeping areas in the province.  Irrigated alfalfa fields are cut as soon as there is any evidence of bloom, multiple times until the end of the season.  Despite the challenges, the irrigation keeps canola blooming during less than ideal conditions, we often have warmer temperatures for the spring build up period, great foraging weather for the main flow, most of my yards have water access with the canal system, and seed canola pollination is right out my back door.

SBDC: How long have you been beekeeping?

Genereux: I started in 1999.  Judy started in 2019.  I started with 1 hive, and that slowly got out hand.  In 2024 we sent 800 colonies to seed canola pollination.

SBDC: Is beekeeping the only thing you do or do have other jobs? And if you have other jobs, what do you both do?
We are both part-time teachers in our local school division as well.  Beekeeping is the main profession. I have served on the executive of the Saskatoon Bee Club for many years, as vice-president and president.

SBDC: What got you into beekeeping?

Genereux: My neighbor Fred Baran figured I should give it a try, so I did.

SBDC: Who has been the biggest inspiration and cheerleader over your beekeeping career?

Genereux: In our beekeeping community it’s hard to call out individuals on this without missing someone.  I have learned many tips and tricks from many conversations at meetings, auctions, visits to other operations and phone calls over the years. My parents have provided a lot of support over the years.

SBDC: What benefits do you see from being a part of the “bee community” and the SBDC?

Genereux: The connections we make as Saskatchewan beekeepers.  We are all going through similar challenges in our operations, and it is important to have a unified body to tackle these challenges.  The research towards bee health will also provide strong returns to the health of our bees.

SBDC: What do you think your greatest triumph has been from day one to current?
Genereux: Not getting the shovel!

SBDC: If you could offer any advice to someone looking to start beekeeping, what would you tell them?

Genereux: Join your local bee club or association.  The connections you build there are essential for your success.  We are a small community with a common passion for bees, and it’s essential to be a part of that community.  We all have challenges in beekeeping, and sharing those challenges (and possible solutions) has saved a lot of beekeepers from disasters.
Sample and keep your mites under control. Learn to raise queens and nucs early on.
Take the course.  Listen to your neighboring beekeepers.  They have gone through the challenges you will go through. Use standard equipment and buy good quality frames.

In my time as a beekeeping, a lot has changed and presented challenges.  Since I started, I have dealt with varroa moving in (then Apistan resistance, then amitraz resistance), tracheal mite, an AFB outbreak and Nosema.  These challenges certainly make it a lot harder to keep bees alive and thriving, but they also make us better beekeepers.  Originally honey production was my goal, but have recently moved into pollination, and I’m hoping to add extra nuc production and sales in the coming years.

We are proud producers of Beemaid honey with Alberta Honey Producers Coop