Mānuka Honey and Beekeeping Consultancy

If you manage bees today, you already know the story: parasites keep getting ahead of us. Varroa mites adapt to treatments, Nosema pressures colonies from the inside, and running more chemicals comes with risks, costs, and resistance problems. A new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B  explores a very different tactic — using the bees’ own gut bacteria as a living treatment that helps bees fight both Varroa and  Nosema at the same time. Before anyone reaches

If you keep bees in New Zealand, you already know the pain points: long dearth periods, monoculture landscapes, declining forage diversity, and the rising cost of pollen supplements that still do not perform like real pollen. A new 2025 Nature  study has identified exactly what is missing from current supplements—and has developed a breakthrough yeast-based solution that could eventually allow colonies to rear brood even when no pollen is available. This research has major im

A new biosecurity threat has arrived on our shores — the Yellow-legged Hornet (Vespa velutina)  has been detected in Auckland . While Biosecurity NZ is actively working to eradicate it, every beekeeper’s vigilance will be essential to stop it from spreading. What Is the Yellow-Legged Hornet? Originally from Asia, the Yellow-legged Hornet is a highly efficient predator of honeybees and other insects . It was accidentally introduced into Europe about 20 years ago, where it spre