In case you were wondering..importing nucleus hives and package bees from the United States into Canada is currently prohibited (as of June 2025). The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has maintained this restriction since 1987 due to concerns about introducing pests and diseases such as Varroa mites resistant to amitraz, antibiotic-resistant American foulbrood, small hive beetles, and Africanized honey bees.Â
In 2023, the CFIA initiated a new import risk analysis to evaluate the possibility of allowing approximately 50,000 honey bee packages per year from the continental U.S. The risk assessment, completed in the fall of 2024, concluded that the risks associated with such imports remain above acceptable levels. Consequently, the importation of honey bee packages from the U.S. continues to be prohibited.Â
While the CFIA permits the importation of honey bee queens from approved countries under specific conditions, the importation of packaged bees and nucleus colonies from the U.S. remains restricted.