Beekeeping inNew Zealand is reported to have commenced in 1839 with the importing of two skep hives byMary Bumby, a missionary.[1] It has since become an established industry as well a hobby activity.
Although New Zealand has a lot (exactly 28) of native bee species (collectively calledngaro huruhuru "furry flies") in its ecosystem, these species tend to live underground and yield an amount of honey too menial for any significant gathering.[2] European honeybees were brought to New Zealand in 1839;[3] the Māori noted of them as “the white man’s fly.”[4]William Cotton produced the Māori language bookKo Ngā Pī ('On Bees') in 1849 after a long period of teaching ways of beekeping to the local Māori in his area while they taught him their language in return.[2][5] Māori beekepers produced unique beehives based on their knowledge ofbasket-weaving.
Commercial beekeeping began in 1878 soon after the introduction of theLangstroth hive.
Isaac Hopkins (1837–1925) has been called the “father of beekeeping” in New Zealand.[6] He arrived in 1858 and went on to become a successful beekeeper, government apiarist and inspector of apiaries. He is the author ofThe illustrated New Zealand bee manual (1881) andThe illustrated Australasian bee manual (1886). In his will he bequeathed £3000 to theCawthron Institute inNelson, New Zealand, for bee research.[7]
New Zealand had 6,735 registered beekeepers in June 2016, who owned more than 600,000 hives in over 42,000 apiaries.[8] In 2015/16 total honey production was 19.8 thousand tonnes. The production ofmānuka honey, valued for its antibacterial properties, is increasingly important. Pollen, beeswax, andpropolis are also produced and exported. Beekeepers provide pollination services to horticulturists, which used to generate more income than the products of bee culture. However, rising honey prices have pushed pollination fees to keep up.Approximately 42 thousand live queen bees, and 38 tonnes of packaged bees (which include approximately one kilogram of worker bees to support the queen) are exported live each year.[9]
The National Beekeepers' Association of New Zealand established "National Bee Week".[10]
TheGreen Party are calling for a phase out of pesticides that are toxic to bees as is happening in theEuropean Union.[11]
Honey containing the poisonoustutin can be produced bybees feeding onhoneydew produced by sap-sucking vine hopper insects (genusScolypopa) feeding ontutu, a plant native to New Zealand.[12] The last recorded deaths from eating honey containing tutin were in the 1890s.[13]
In May 2011 there were fears thecolony collapse disorder had begun in New Zealand. Losses of up to 30% had been reported with Canterbury and Poverty Bay being hardest hit.[14]This suspicion was not confirmed, but high losses with an aetiology matching CCD could be observed in parts of the North Island in 2015,[15] reigniting these fears.
There were 925,000 registered hives in New Zealand by 2019.[16]
Pests includeNosema apis,Malpighamoeba mellifica and acarine mites. American foulbrood is present in a small percentage of hives with Sac brood and Chalk brood occurring in isolated cases.[17]
American foulbrood has been present in New Zealand since 1877.[18]
European foulbrood is not present in New Zealand.[19] In the 1990s suspected cases of European foulbrood were found and a wider survey of hives was carried out but the samples proved to be negative.[20]
TheVarroa destructor mite, a parasite that attackshoney bees, was discovered in theNorth Island of New Zealand in 2000 and theSouth Island in 2008.[21] TheVarroa mite is classed as a "Notifiable Organism" under theBiosecurity Act.[22]
Former or current legislation relevant to beekeeping in New Zealand include:[23]
There is also legislation relating to the bee products themselves.
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