June 2025 marks three years since the beekeeping nightmare that is Varroa destructor was first detected in Australia, at a New South Wales (NSW) port. Unsurprisingly then, management of the mite is a hot topic say three Kiwis who flew across the Tasman recently to partake in Australian beekeeping conferences.

The owner of Capilano, Australia's biggest-selling manuka honey brand, has launched a blistering attack on New Zealand manuka honey, throwing facts and decorum to the wind and sinking trans-Tasman honey ties to a new low.

With a blatant assault on New Zealand’s manuka honey industry being delivered by a leading Australian honey seller recently – as detailed in Capilano Trash-talks New Zealand Mānuka – we seek out an explanation from Capilano and get the reaction from a miffed honey industry on New Zealand’s side of the Tasman who are calling it “absolute nonsense”, “cultural appropriation” and “PR nonsense … with so little of substance”. However, an awkward truth overshadows this war of words.

‘Beekeepers need a standalone industry-good group’. That was the conclusion of the latest of three ‘roundtable’ meetings hosted by New Zealand Beekeeping Inc (NZBI), on March 26 via Zoom. Even a previously key proponent and driver of the combined packer-beekeeper model of governance backed beekeeper-only representation as the best solution, at least for now. How would a beekeeping group be formed? Who would lead it? And – surprisingly important the meeting deemed – what might

While wider beekeeping industry representation and what to do about it – as detailed in Industry Roundtable 3 – ApiNZ Leader Backs Beekeeper-Only Approach  – concluded the most recent roundtable meeting of New Zealand Beekeeping Inc (NZBI) leadership and assorted industry stakeholders, the pressing issue of improving a woefully inadequate Biosecurity programme for apiculture was pushed to the forefront of talks.

Following Darren Bainbridge’s The Future of Beekeeping Representation: Let’s Talk About It column last month – where he called for fresh thinking and fresh leadership to help overcome the issues besieging beekeeper representation – Apiarist’s Advocate editor Patrick Dawkins has conversed with more than a dozen candid beekeepers to garner their thoughts on what would entice them to support a national-level group to represent their interests.

Last month Darren Bainbridge surveyed the apicultural landscape from his position as a small-scale beekeeper and management software supplier to the industry, to detail what he saw as the failings in the status-quo of industry governance. Now, he expands on that thinking with a potential structure to consider moving forward under.

The Capilano Honey leaflet that berates New Zealand mānuka honey as inferior to Australian mānuka honey in seven categories reads as an enemy act. Yet from the viewpoint of marketers, Capilano has done the right thing.

Whether its public nuisance, ?? or just an unproductive spot, Hawke’s Bay beekeeper John Berry has witnessed many poorly-located beehives through the years (some, on reflection, his own!). He shares what he’s learnt, and some best-practice does and don’ts.

The owners of Bee Supplies Otago have listed the Mosgiel-based business for sale. Eloise Martyn speaks to Murray Rixon to find out more about the diverse business and what’s behind his decision to offer it up.

Honey bees challenge many of the ideas we have about ageing (imagine doing the most physically demanding work of your life at the very end, or your mother naturally living more than 30 times as long as you…). Science writer Dave Black takes a look at what we know about our honey bees’ ageing process.

Last month, the government pushed through changes to the pay equity laws. Leaving aside the protests and the rather unseemly political drama that surrounded the passage of the Bill, we might use this to look into some of the assumptions that surround our view of what matters in our society and economy.