Despite being thrown some serious challenges in winter and spring 2025, beekeepers servicing New Zealand’s major kiwifruit growing areas appear to have – for the most part – filled their role adequately. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing though, with some disaster stories around hives failing their audits, meaning the proposition of securing enough quality beehives to pollinate the valuable crop in coming seasons should concern growers.

Queen breeders’ phones have been ringing off the hook this spring, with huge demand for mated queens, queen cells and nucs from – mainly – North Island beekeepers, while more than 700 beehives have crossed Cook Strait, destined for kiwifruit orchards in the Bay of Plenty. Increased orchard areas are undoubtably driving demand, but there is more at play too.