A new research project has given beekeepers a platform for sharing their expertise to improve the health of the nation’s beehives.

Although the varroa mite has been in New Zealand for 24 years, the destructive parasite continues to kill beehives and is the main reason colonies die in winter. ‘Project Varroa’, an operational research project by Biosecurity New Zealand, got some of the country’s best beekeepers together to discuss ways to tackle this relentless parasite.

“The beekeepers already had many of the answers, our study has just given them a voice to connect and share those answers with each other,” said principal scientist Richard Hall.

The research project involved beekeepers from a wide range of contexts – including large and medium scale commercial beekeepers, as well as hobbyists.

The first phase of the research involved practical work with beekeepers in their own apiaries, to help them refine the methods they use to track varroa infestations. The second phase of the research, in November 2023, used focus groups and one-on-one interviews with beekeepers to delve into their experience with reinvasion and using different monitoring and treatment methods.

The research findings highlight the value of an integrated varroa management approach based on the ‘3Ms’ – combining monitoring with a mix of miticide treatments as well as mechanical methods.

“Alongside the 3Ms, beekeepers told us that one of the best ways to fight varroa would be for beekeepers to cooperate like their own bees do in a hive," Dr Hall said. "If beekeepers can find better ways of communicating and working together, then that will have a big impact on varroa infestations in their area.

“There is a huge amount of experience among the nation’s beekeepers, but they tend to work independently. A number of the issues our focus group participants raised can be attributed – at least in part – to challenges with coordination and lack of involvement from the wider beekeeping community.

“A more coordinated approach to beekeeping across New Zealand, including better cooperation within the beekeeping industry, would enhance varroa control,” Dr Hall said.

Details of the research and more information about varroa management are available at www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/how-to-find-report-and-prevent-pests-and-diseases/bee-biosecurity/bee-biosecurity-resources/