It’s not easy keeping honey bees alive; beekeepers spend a lot of time, money and energy keeping their bees healthy. The main cause of the loss of a bee colony is a mite, aptly named Varroa destructor. Varroa are present in almost every hive, unless it has just been treated. These little parasites spread viruses, and weaken individual bees and entire hives. Beekeepers have many choices when dealing with mites, all with varying degrees of success. Foremost is monitoring hive health and mite loads; then managing varroa and diseases using integrated pest management (IPM). Going from less invasive interventions to chemical miticides. It’s an ongoing battle; last winter NZ beekeepers lost an average 10.7% of their hives, with varroa being cited as the main cause, down from previous years. This is a worldwide problem while the USA had a particularly bad winter with 55.1% of all colonies lost. As beekeepers, we have learned to manage varroa mites, as eradication is not possible yet.
We do have a far more deadly bee disease but fortunately it is less common, it is called American Foulbrood (AFB). It is a developmental disease affecting the young brood before they mature into adults. The AFB spores are very hardy and can survive for over 40 years in unused hiveware, making it very easy to spread and hard to stop. NZ has taken a tough stance against this disease since 1906 with the aim of elimination. The introduction of the Pest Elimination Plan 1998, requires all beekeepers to register their hives and follow best practice, which includes euthanising hives that are infected with AFB and burning any associated hiveware. This is run by the beekeeper funded AFB Management Agency. I should point out at this stage, that I do work as an AP2 (appointed person level 2) and carry out inspections for AFB Management Agency when called upon. I enjoy this as it gives me the opportunity to meet other beekeepers, see some lovely parts of the upper North Island, and help educate less experienced beekeepers. If you’ve seen some beehives that you think aren’t registered or hiveware that has been abandoned, you can easily report them by calling 0800 AFB PMP (0800 232 767) or by email info@afb.org.nz.
It can be difficult for suburban beekeepers to dispose of old hiveware as there is a risk that it could be infected with AFB or other diseases and sending it to the dump could further spread diseases. Old hiveware is coated with residual propolis, wax and honey, making it attractive to bees who could then return to their own hive with bacteria spores. At Auckland Beekeepers Club we have started a biannual programme of collecting old used hiveware and disposing of it safely, in a burnpit. On Saturday May 24th from 9am to 11am we will be accepting hiveware at five hubs around Auckland; the closest two will be Mairangi Bay and Westgate. It is manned by volunteers and we ask for a $5 koha per box of frames or bin bag. Everything should be wrapped and “bee-proof”. Go to the Auckland Beekeepers Club website for more details or email me ken@ministryofbees.co.nz. This could be useful if you have abandoned hiveware on your property; old hiveware in your barn; or some hiveware that is too worn to use.
Ken Brown
President Auckland Beekeepers Club
Apiculture tutor with Land Based Training Ltd
