Apiculture New Zealand

01/04/2026

AUTUMN 2026 EDITION OF THE NZ BEEKEEPER JOURNAL OUT NOW!

This AFB Focus edition has the latest AFB detection figures and apiary stats from around the country. You'll also get further insights into last year's hive losses in the 2025 NZ Colony Loss Survey results, honey season news from the regions and thought-provoking ideas around beekeeping resilience in a changing climate.

START READING HERE NOW: https://apinz.org.nz/the-new-zealand-beekeeper-journal-online/

18/01/2026

SUMMER JOURNAL OUT NOW!
In this issue of The New Zealand BeeKeeper get a yellow-legged hornet update from the frontlines, learn more about the National Apiculture Surveillance Programme, meet a beekeeper who's been mentoring others for longer than some of us have been able to spell "bee", and take a moment to stop and smell the flowers.

READ IT HERE NOW: https://apinz.org.nz/the-new-zealand-beekeeper-journal-online/

Sign up for free to get our quarterly journal email: https://apinz.org.nz/nz-beekeeper-signup/

23/12/2025

19/12/2025

The $12m funding boost to fight the yellow legged hornet, announced by Minister Hoggard today, is great news for all 7000+ Kiwi beekeepers.

The Government has announced additional funding to support efforts to eradicate yellow-legged hornet in Auckland, following detections on the North Shore earlier this year.

27/11/2025

HELP US ERADICATE THE YELLOW-LEGGED HORNET
New factsheets produced by Biosecurity NZ and NZBB are now available with surveillance and trapping advice and FAQs specifically for beekeepers:

Beekeeper FAQs:
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/70857-Yellow-legged-hornet-FAQ-for-beekeepers
Surveillance guide:
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/70854-Looking-for-yellow-legged-hornet-nests-beekeepers-guide-to-surveillance-factsheet
Trapping advice:
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/70855-Protecting-hives-from-yellow-legged-hornet-beekeepers-action-guide-to-trapping-fact-sheet
Daily detection updates:
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/exotic-pests-and-diseases-in-new-zealand/active-biosecurity-responses-to-pests-and-diseases/yellow-legged-hornet-sightings-in-auckland-in-2025

21/11/2025

The 2025 NZ Colony Loss Survey CLOSES ON FRIDAY 28 NOVEMBER.

Every registered beekeeper was sent a unique link to the survey on Monday 13 October.

If you missed the email, request a new link by sending your apiary registration number to Dr Pike Stahlmann-Brown at [email protected].

The NZ Colony Loss Survey collects information on varroa management and over-winter losses to paint a better picture of bee health at a national scale. Results are shared with all beekeepers.
Find out more about the survey and view past results here: https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/.../nz-colony-loss-survey

06/11/2025

Here's a comprehensive article by Victoria University of Wellington's Phil Lester on the yellow-legged hornet that has recently been discovered in Auckland. Please tell all your Auckland friends and acquaintances to keep an eye out for these unwelcome intruders that pose a threat to honey bees, pollinators and humans.

The hornet invasion threatens honeybees, other pollinators and all native insects with no natural defences. Eradication attempts hinge on fast action by everyone.

02/11/2025

Today is World Mānuka Honey Day. This year UMFHA and New Zealand mānuka honey exporters are celebrating the steadily increasing recognition of mānuka honey health properties among retail and health professionals worldwide.

For more information on World Mānuka Honey Day, UMF™ certification, or health research, contact Campbell Naish at [email protected] or visit www.umf.org.nz/rdn.

23/10/2025

HELP PROTECT OUR HONEY BEES FROM INVASIVE HORNET SPECIES

Aucklanders are urged to be on the lookout for yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) following the discovery of a queen hornet in the early stages of building a nest in the suburb of Glenfield.

The nest was removed swiftly by Biosecurity New Zealand officers on 17 October, addressing the immediate threat of a colony establishing. However, with summer approaching, any undetected nests could be a biosecurity risk.

The yellow-legged hornet is a biosecurity concern due to its potential impact on honey bee and wild bee populations.

Two male yellow-legged hornets were spotted earlier this year in the Auckland suburbs of Grafton and Albany but this is the first time a queen yellow-legged hornet has been found in New Zealand.

Follow the link for information on how to identify the yellow-legged hornet:
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/70217-Yellow-legged-hornets-factsheet

19/10/2025

HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO BEE HEALTH. Be part of the 2025 NZ Colony Loss Survey.

Every registered beekeeper was sent a unique link to the survey on Monday 13 October. Every beekeeper that completes the survey is contributing to an important pool of data on bee health.
This year’s SURVEY CLOSES ON FRIDAY 28 NOVEMBER.

If you missed the email, request a new link by sending your apiary registration number to Dr Pike Stahlmann-Brown at [email protected].

The NZ Colony Loss Survey collects information on varroa management and over-winter losses to paint a better picture of bee health at a national scale. Results are shared with all beekeepers in graphic form and through data tables going back to 2015.

Other topics included in 2025 include wasp management, sources of beekeeping advice and information, and your personal views about gene technologies. This year’s survey also takes a deeper dive into pollination.

Find out more about the survey and view past results here: https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/discover-our-research/environment/sustainable-society-and-policy/nz-colony-loss-survey

02/10/2025

SPRING EDITION of The New Zealand BeeKeeper OUT NOW!

Catch up with the latest industry news from New Zealand and overseas, including next steps in the industry leadership discussion, images from Apimondia, research updates and beekeeping tips and tricks for all levels.

READ IT NOW HERE: https://apinz.org.nz/the-new-zealand-beekeeper-journal-online/

Subscribe for FREE to every edition here: https://apinz.org.nz/nz-beekeeper-signup/