Beekeepers and orchardists in New Zealand are facing challenges this spring with hive numbers falling and bee health under pressure.
Te Puke beekeeper and kiwifruit orchardist Richard Klaus said that in 30 years of keeping hives, he has never seen them in such poor condition. A slower, colder start to spring compared to last year adds to the concern over pollination capacity. "A lot of it is about hive nutrition coming into spring. Bees are now often not getting the winter food sources of protein and pollen they need. It means they are in a poorer, weaker state coming into spring, and are even more vulnerable to varroa and all the varroa-related viruses. It all adds up," Klaus said.
Klaus joined a Zespri-sponsored road show aimed at reconnecting orchardists and beekeepers. He said it was the first time in more than a decade that the two groups had directly discussed pollination requirements. "We need to do it every year," he said. Beekeepers he spoke to from Waikato to Nelson also reported weaker hive health.
Hive numbers surged during the mānuka honey boom around 2020–2021, peaking at almost one million. Returns have since declined, and hive numbers have dropped to fewer than 500,000. At the same time, pollination demand has increased with kiwifruit and other orchard expansions.
Klaus is calling for a sector-wide effort to improve hive nutrition during winter. He referred to the earlier Trees for Bees programme, which promoted planting diverse forage species throughout the year, but said it no longer has the same profile. He noted that species such as lancewood, gorse, Spanish heath, willows, and camelia trees can provide winter forage, but that councils often remove or spray some of these species. Klaus has recently planted willows and other species in a forestry block away from waterways to provide winter feed.
Dr James Sainsbury of Plant and Food Research said pressures on beehives are increasing, with many following reports of colony collapses in the United States. "Our ability to maintain strong, productive beehives and to manage the diseases and pests they experience is critical," he said. He also sees potential for more coordination of hive movement across the country to better align pollination supply with demand.
Klaus added that he is working to establish a standardised auditing process to accredit beekeepers, assuring orchard owners that they will receive hives of a consistent standard for pollination.
Source: Farmers Weekly
