The New Zealand honey industry is in for a boost after the discovery of breakthrough treatment to combat the varroa mite.
Scientists around the world have been working on an organic solution but it was kiwi ingenuity that won in the end.
It has been three years in the making and now there has finally been a development to take the sting out of the spread of varroa mite.
Bees Online beekeeper Maureen Maxwell said “the varroa mite worldwide has been devastating to the beekeeping industry. It's killed so many hives, it's certainly made it extremely difficult to continue and has increased our costs of production incredibly.”
Varroa has built up resistance to chemical treatments.
There is already an organic fungus that works long-term but the problem is that honeybees are good little housekeepers and remove it from the hive.
It had overseas scientists stumped but did not deter a bright idea in a Hamilton lab.
Honeybee expert Dr Mark Goodwin of Hortresearch explained “What we've got is a system where we can keep the spores of the fungus in there and it continues to kill varroa before the bees can take it out.”
What that system is, is still top secret.
Goodwin says “that's a trade secret of actually how it works. In a couple of months when we get it commercialised then everyone will know but not just yet.”
The beekeepers association says operating a pure organic hive in the North Island has been virtually impossible. The one North Island beekeeper that is certified organic has to destroy at least fifty percent of his hives every year.
Goodwin said “we've got organic beekeepers in the South Island that don't have varroa yet so if we can get this on the market and get them to it early enough they'll be able to retain their organic status.”
Beekeepers say organic honey is marketing gold. Maureen Maxwell said “I see and I get enquiries every day for this product, the world is wanting this pure product and that's our big point of difference.”
The spin-offs will be sweet with profits going to horticulture research and the beekeeping industry.
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