Hopping the Tasman – Roving Kiwis Report from Australia’s Beekeeping Conferences

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.

By Eloise Martyn

State-based beekeeping conferences are the norm in Australia and, while many states may have year-round honey flows and thus long beekeeping seasons, winter is still the time to get together. Over two full days, May 22-23, The New South Wales Apiarists’ Association (NSWAA) AGM and Conference took place, while more recently, June 11-13, the Victorian Apiarists’ Association hosted its annual conference in the north of the state.

“I really enjoyed the conference – two full days with around 20 exhibitor booths, numerous presentations and workshops, and a huge number of attendees,” says NZ Beeswax general manager Nick Taylor, who made the trip to the small tourist town of Beechworth for the Victoria event.

“For an industry going through tough times, it's encouraging to see beekeepers still attending.”

Taylor remarked that Beechworth’s 19th century goldrush history meant it felt like being in Queenstown or Central Otago – picturesque and crisp, with even a touch of frost during the visit. From a beekeeping perspective, they have even ‘added’ varroa to make it more like New Zealand.

“Varroa is still very new to Victoria, only arriving within the last six months. I didn’t meet anyone there who had encountered it directly yet. Compared to NSW, where varroa has been present for 18 months to two years, it felt like stepping back in time. The thought processes and challenges in Victoria are only just beginning to form, and there are many hurdles they haven’t begun to tackle,” Taylor says.

With 20 exhibitor booths, numerous presentations and workshops, and “a huge number of attendees”, NZ Beeswax GM Nick Taylor says the attendance levels were encouraging at the Victorian Apiarists’ Association conference June 11-13 in Australia.

What Kiwi beekeepers in New Zealand learned about dealing with varroa over several years – through trial, error, and experimentation, Australian beekeepers have picked up in around six months, Taylor believes. This rapid learning has been driven by Australia’s unique environment and climate, particularly the high density of feral colonies and the long brood period. These conditions have accelerated the spread and visibility of challenges like varroa, forcing Australian beekeepers to adapt quickly, essentially compressing years of learning into a much shorter time.

“Australians are focusing on DNA analysis and mapping the origins of varroa to better understand bee populations. They’re studying the traits of bees, particularly their ability to resist varroa, and researching novel methods to combat the mite. This research aims to accelerate research in other parts of the world and adapt those learnings to make it more relevant to Australia,” the NZ Beeswax GM says.

While the pesky mite is a pressing concern, there were other topics of discussion and Taylor notes that the varroa experience has reinforced the importance of biosecurity measures in protecting the industry. As is the norm with beekeepers anywhere, updates on honey production, and pricing were communicated.

“Victoria and South Australia have been experiencing a severe drought. When talking with beekeepers there, many mentioned that their honey yields have dropped drastically – some by half or even worse. For example, one beekeeper said, ‘I used to produce 70 tonnes, and now I’m down to 40 tonnes’,” Taylor says.

Add to that drought conditions in Victoria and Australia and the honey market has undergone a swing.

“The market has gone from an oversupply swing to an undersupply. I heard from guys that they had sold their whole crops at a better price than last year.”

Down the Road – New South Wales Conference

SJA Honey owner Jason Marshall says Australian beekeepers are anxious about how they will manage varroa while keeping treatment residues out of their honey.

The NSWAA AGM and Conference, in Ballina in the state’s north, was packed with sessions covering key topics such as mite management, hive transport options, bee health tools, and pesticide impacts. Attendees also heard from a range of guest speakers sharing research findings and practical insights relevant to the apiculture industry.

Jason Marshall, owner of SJA Honey in Waitoki, North Auckland, attended and highlighted that varroa – like it would be in Victoria several weeks later – was a major topic for discussion.

“There’s a lot of anxiety around varroa for the Aussie beekeepers and how they’re going to manage it. Australia’s first incursion was three years ago, and it’s slowly spreading across the country,” Marshall says.

“Australia has always been proud of having no residues in their honey. Initially, they tried using oxalic-acid staples and fogging to treat varroa, but what they’re finding is that it’s not working. Now, they’ve started using strips like we are here in New Zealand.”

Nick Milne, of Blue Sky Beekeeping in Tasman also attended the conference, as organisers clearly had the pesky mite in mind.

“I was lucky enough to be asked to speak by the NSW Apiarist Association about our breeding program and the management of varroa in our operation.” Milne says.

“Beekeepers are, on the whole, focused on the challenges associated with varroa and a hard economic situation on the ground. Sound familiar?”

Tasman beekeeper Nick Milne addresses NSW beekeepers, at their conference in May, on the topic of varroa management.

Australia’s beekeeping industry is facing challenges beyond varroa though.

“The Australian market now is very similar to what ours in New Zealand was five years ago. They have sheds full of honey that they can’t sell,” Marshall says.

“Labour is a big problem over there, young people don’t tend to like the idea of being a beekeeper, it's challenging mentally and physically, and hours can be hard for those with children.”

As for the ‘battle’ over ‘manuka’ honey, Marshall says there appears little interest in the fight from honey producers.

“New Zealand has a big issue with Australian manuka, but when you talk to the Aussie beekeepers, manuka isn’t even on their radar,” Marshall explains. “They can get 100 to 200 kilograms of non-manuka honey from a single hive each season, selling it for $4 to $6 per kilo – so why would they be worried about manuka?”

Both Milne and Marshall said the conference highlighted the need to revive New Zealand-based events and boost networking among Kiwi and Australian beekeepers.

“We can definitely learn something from our friends across the ditch, as our industry looks to create a functioning, effective, well-led industry body that can support those on the ground and lead beekeeping in New Zealand into the future,” Milne says.

“Organisations both locally and nationally seem to be working well together. There appears to be a strong structure that brings all related parties together and has scale. They also have buy-in and financial support from the government, something we are sadly missing across the ditch.”

One outcome of a strong beekeeping group is often a strong conference, which Marshall noted.

 “Attending the conference and talking with the Aussie beekeepers really showed how much value both they and we got from it. It’s important to have a national conference as a reason for us to come together, exchange ideas, and network. We need to get them up and running again,” The SJA Honey owner says, adding there is scope for greater collaboration from beekeepers on either side of the Tasman.

“We should be working more closely with Australian beekeepers. Their way of beekeeping is different from ours, and I think we can learn a lot from them, and they can learn a lot from us. We need to network more in New Zealand as well as with the Aussies, sharing knowledge and working on innovation.”