Q. Is bee pollen at risk of tutin contamination, or does tutin only affect honey? Dr Linda Newstrom-Lloyd is a Trees for Bees botanist. A. The green parts and the sap of the tutu plant contain tutin, a neurotoxin, that is harmful to mammals, but bees are unaffected. The tutin toxin is not expressed in [...]
Q. Is there an aphid (or another bug) that lives on mānuka and secretes a honeydew that is active? Dr Ronald van Toor is a Senior Scientist at Plant and Food Research, working in bioprotection. A. I am aware of only three scale insects that excrete excess sap sugars in mānuka sufficient to [...]
20 February 2024 New Zealand Honey Strategy resets industry ambitions for a strong future A plan to revitalise New Zealand’s honey sector and set it on a new, more sustainable and profitable path for the long term was launched today by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon Todd McClay. The strategy project was initiated by [...]
14 December 2023 Wet weather killed 2023 honey production, better prospects for this season The impact of wet and wild weather last summer on the 2023 honey production season was confirmed today with the publication of the annual MPI Apiculture Monitoring Data. The reported data shows the total annual honey production reached only 12,000 [...]
30 August 2023 Bee Aware Month launched by Associate Minister for Agriculture Jo Luxton at Te Aro School Associate Agriculture Minister, Hon Jo Luxton, has officially launched Bee Aware Month 2023, an annual nation-wide celebration of bees and their importance to our ecosystem, food chain and economy. Minister Luxton inspected the Te Aro School [...]
Recipe supplied by Maureen Conquer Moroccan Spice Pumpkin and Manuka Honey Dip INGREDIENTS 400 grams pumpkin or squash: deseeded, peeled, cut into 3cm cubes. 3 teaspoons olive oil 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamon 1 heaped tablespoon mānuka or another bold honey like [...]
Media advisory 18 May 2023 Bee engaged in pollinator-friendly practices: World Bee Day, 20 May 2023 Planting a range of bee-friendly plants and protecting pollinators is the focus of this year’s World Bee Day on Saturday 20 May. “Not only does the honey bee provide us with a great source of natural food, but it [...]
31 March 2023 Colony losses plateau at similar level to last year New Zealand beekeepers once again reported that the Varroa destructor mite is the most common reason for overwintering hive losses, according to the recently released New Zealand Colony Loss Survey. The overall colony loss rate during winter 2022 was 13.5 per cent: [...]
31 January 2023 Scholarship opens up opportunities for ambitious young beekeeper Canterbury-based Lucas Waldin (19) is the recipient of the 2023 Apiculture New Zealand Ron Mossop Youth Scholarship in beekeeping. Luke was a standout candidate for the scholarship, which includes $2000 to support training and set-up costs for new beekeepers, a one-year membership with [...]
Apiculture New Zealand has successfully secured funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI’s) Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, for a two-year project that will help identify how the New Zealand apiculture sector can achieve sustainable growth. “The aim of the project is to establish a strategic direction for the apiculture sector by [...]