SASKATOON — People in the province shouldn’t be too surprised if they happen to see large bees flying around during this time of year. Assistant professor of entomology at the University of Saskatchewan Sean Prager says it’s likely a queen bee. Queen bees are up to twice as large as worker bees and are common in the early spring as they look for nests, he said. Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development Commission President Nathan Wendell says people might also be seeing other insect species such as wasps. “There's literally hundreds of species of different native bees of pollinators in the province as well as other flying insects so there's really a broad range of things that could be mistaken for a honeybee,” Wedell said. Wendell is also a third generation beekeeper at Wendell Estate Honey and adds it’s “completely natural” to see a variety of insects come out in spring. “(Insects) remain dormant through much of the winter. And so as the weather warms up and spring comes, they're getting out there to scout for resources they're looking for food.” Prager and Wendell both say bees are likely also looking for a new home or shelter. Last year experts were urging Canadians to plant wildflowers to save bees that are declining. Wendell says seeing bees is a “really positive thing” because they’re a critical part of the ecosystem. He adds bees survived the winter “very well” this year as it was a relatively mild winter. While a person's first instinct of seeing a bee while outside might be to run, Wendell wants people to know that native bees and and flying species are not aggressive by nature. “Having said that, there is always the risk with insects and having an allergic reaction which can be quite serious for some people. And so we caution people to be careful around them but in general it's really not something to worry about.”
