It’s been said ‘an army marches on its stomach’ and any beekeeper worth their salt knows that their honey bees’ diet (including ‘salt’!) is essential to their output, in peace and war. As yet we haven’t been able to fully replicate a complete, naturally-foraged diet with supplementary alternatives. Could that soon change?

When dnature Diagnostics and Research first coined their concept of qPCR testing for American foulbrood (AFB) it was predominantly with swabbing of hive entrances in the field in mind. Nothing stays the same for long in the New Zealand honey industry though and now, as removing spores from export honey becomes a pressing issue, alongside a huge upswing in the trade of used equipment, its value to beekeepers and honey sellers grows.

So, our school holidays went down like a lead balloon. As the term ended, the playground plague was activated with warlike precision. Reminds me of the previous holidays actually – a time to puke, a time to cry, I wish that cough had passed us by. Four spluttering, snotty weeks later, the 100-day cough has ripped through all but the youngest of my four kids.

With harvest behind us, the kiwifruit industry turns to the season ahead. Winter canopy management moves into budbreak enhancers, from which spring will flourish and the arrival of the bees.

All the best and brightest minds in New Zealand’s honey bee research in one room, along with the beekeepers who want to be brought up to speed on the latest findings – that’s the idea behind the New Zealand Honey Bee Research Symposium which will see its sixth iteration take place in Wellington, Thursday August 28.

The Honey Industry Trust (HIT) is set to come to the rescue of Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ) – for the short-term at least – with a...

On June 27 the Minister for Biosecurity, Andrew Hoggard, dropped a bombshell announcement – the sole compulsory levy funded aspect of the beekeeping industry, the American Foulbrood Pest Management Plan (AFB PMP) would be under new governance, in the form of a Charitable Trust led by existing board members. The news has been met with anger from some beekeepers decrying an “abhorrent lack of transparency” and “despicable conduct”. Despite this, tentative steps towards an impro

Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ) – caught in limbo over a Board proposal to disestablish – is calling an “open session on how we can regenerate industry leadership and determine how that is organised” to bookend their Annual General Meeting in July, thus forecasting the Christchurch meeting as a crucial juncture in the history of an organisation with roots dating back 112 years.

At the time Australia’s largest manuka honey producer, Hive & Wellness Australia Pty Ltd, launched an attack on New Zealand manuka honey – as detailed in Capilano Trash Talks New Zealand Manuka – the company was marketing three manuka honey products as “UMF certified”. It still does.

While Christchurch will play host to beekeepers over two days, centred around the Apiculture New Zealand AGM on July 17, a week prior and a week later two North Island open days are set to provide highly informative and social, as well as free, get togethers for all beekeepers.

Both the publicly listed Comvita Ltd., and privately owned Mānuka Health, will soon have new CEOs in place, while Comvita’s chief financial officer (CFO) has also handed in his notice. Both companies are putting on a brave face as they make the announcements, but Comvita’s share price has plunged to new lows.

Despite 107 years of family-involvement in the beekeeping industry, up until business sale and retirement in 2024, Murray Bush has been removed from industry governance roles and even industry-body membership in recent years. Therefore, standing on the middle-ground of “The Great Unwashed”, the Marlborough apiarist offers his opinion on the considerations and compromises needed to move forth greater industry representation.