New Zealand: Beekeepers share expertise to improve hive health

A new research project has given beekeepers a platform for sharing their expertise to improve the health of the nation’s beehives. Although the varroa mite has been in New Zealand for 24 years, the destructive parasite continues to kill beehives and is the main reason colonies die in winter. 'Project Varroa', an operational research project by Biosecurity New Zealand, got some of the country’s best beekeepers together to discuss ways to tackle this relentless parasite. "The beekeepers already had many of the answers, our study has just given them a voice to connect and share those answers with each other," says principal scientist Dr Richard Hall. The research project involved beekeepers from a wide range of contexts – including large and medium scale commercial beekeepers, as well as hobbyists. The first phase of the research involved practical work with beekeepers in their own apiaries, to help them refine the methods they use to track varroa infestations. The second phase of ...