For many New Zealand beekeepers propolis has long sat in the background as an easy add-on, a modest earner, something that can be collected with relatively little extra effort. But in recent years, it has also become a source of frustration, as global supply chains and shifting demand reshape the market in ways that don’t always favour local producers.

This month, we look at some new pieces of work on ways of potentially mitigating some of the effects of varroa...