Beekeeping in New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Beekeeping
in New Zealand started as a home craft in the 1850s, not long after initial European settlement and is now an established industry as well as being a hobby activity.
, valued for its antibacterial properties, is increasingly important. Pollen, beeswax, and propolis
are also produced. Beekeepers provide pollination services to horticulturists, which generates more income than the products of bee culture. Approximately 20–25 thousand queen bees, and 20 tonnes of packaged bees (which include worker bees and a queen) are exported live each year.
The National Beekeepers' Association of New Zealand established "National Bee Week".
The Green Party
are calling for a phase out of pesticides that are toxic to bees as is happening in the European Union
.
Honey
containing the poisonous tutin can be produced by bee
s feeding on honeydew
produced by sap-sucking vine hopper insects (Scolypopa genus) feeding on tutu
, a plant native to New Zealand. The last recorded deaths from eating honey containing tutin were in the 1890s.
In May 2011 there were fears the colony collapse disorder
had begun in New Zealand. Losses of up to 30% had been reported with Canterbury and Poverty Bay being hardest hit.
, Malpighamoeba mellifica and acarine mites. American foulbrood is present in a small percentage of hives with Sac brood and Chalk brood occurring in isolated cases.
mite, a parasite that attacks honey bee
s, was discovered in the North Island
of New Zealand in 2000 and the South Island
in 2008. The Varroa mite is classed as a "Notifiable Organism" under the Biosecurity Act
.
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers...
in New Zealand started as a home craft in the 1850s, not long after initial European settlement and is now an established industry as well as being a hobby activity.
Industry
New Zealand had 2,944 registered beekeepers in September 2010, who owned more than 377,000 hives in over 22,000 apiaries. In 2007 total honey production was 9.7 thousand tonnes. The production of manuka honeyManuka honey
Manuka honey is a monofloral honey made by bees in New Zealand that frequent the manuka bush, Leptospermum scoparium. Only 10 percent of all Manuka Honey is claimed to have antibacterial properties because of its non-hydrogen peroxide antibacterial content, which is known as NPA Manuka honey...
, valued for its antibacterial properties, is increasingly important. Pollen, beeswax, and propolis
Propolis
Propolis is a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive. Propolis is used for small gaps , while larger spaces are usually filled with beeswax. Its color varies depending on its...
are also produced. Beekeepers provide pollination services to horticulturists, which generates more income than the products of bee culture. Approximately 20–25 thousand queen bees, and 20 tonnes of packaged bees (which include worker bees and a queen) are exported live each year.
The National Beekeepers' Association of New Zealand established "National Bee Week".
The Green Party
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...
are calling for a phase out of pesticides that are toxic to bees as is happening in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
containing the poisonous tutin can be produced by bee
Honey bee
Honey bees are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis...
s feeding on honeydew
Honeydew (secretion)
Honeydew is a sugar-rich sticky liquid, secreted by aphids and some scale insects as they feed on plant sap. When their mouthpart penetrates the phloem, the sugary, high-pressure liquid is forced out of the gut's terminal opening. Honeydew is particularly common as a secretion in the Hemipteran...
produced by sap-sucking vine hopper insects (Scolypopa genus) feeding on tutu
Tutu (plant)
Tutu is a common name of Māori origin for plants in the genus Coriaria found in New Zealand.Six New Zealand native species are known by the name:*Coriaria angustissima*Coriaria arborea*Coriaria lurida*Coriaria plumosa...
, a plant native to New Zealand. The last recorded deaths from eating honey containing tutin were in the 1890s.
In May 2011 there were fears the colony collapse disorder
Colony Collapse Disorder
Colony collapse disorder is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or European honey bee colony abruptly disappear. While such disappearances have occurred throughout the history of apiculture, the term colony collapse disorder was first applied to a drastic rise in the number of...
had begun in New Zealand. Losses of up to 30% had been reported with Canterbury and Poverty Bay being hardest hit.
Pest and diseases
Pests include Nosema apisNosema apis
Nosema apis is a microsporidian, a small, unicellular parasite that mainly affects honey bees. It causes nosemosis, also called nosema, which is the most widespread of adult honey bee diseases. The dormant stage of Nosema apis is a long lived spore which is resistant to temperature extremes and...
, Malpighamoeba mellifica and acarine mites. American foulbrood is present in a small percentage of hives with Sac brood and Chalk brood occurring in isolated cases.
European foulbrood
European foulbrood is not present in New Zealand. In the 1990s suspected cases of European foulbrood were found and a wider survey of hives was carried out but the samples proved to be negative.Varroa mite
The Varroa destructorVarroa destructor
Varroa destructor is an external parasitic mite that attacks honey bees Apis cerana and Apis mellifera. The disease caused by the mites is called varroatosis....
mite, a parasite that attacks honey bee
Honey bee
Honey bees are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis...
s, was discovered in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand in 2000 and the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
in 2008. The Varroa mite is classed as a "Notifiable Organism" under the Biosecurity Act
Biosecurity Act 1993
Biosecurity Act 1993 is an Act of Parliament in New Zealand passed in order to prevent pests and other unwanted organisms. It was a world first.Part 5 of the Act provides for a National Pest Management Strategy and Regional Pest Management Strategy....
.
External links
- Biosecurity New Zealand – Varroa mite page
- American Foulbrood Pest Management Strategy
- Apiaries Act 1969 (repealed)