Dunedin and Invercargill, located at the very bottom of the
South Island of New Zealand, are some of the last areas on
Earth where honeybees are free from the threat of varroa mite
infection. But not anymore!
Varroa mite has finally arrived to those places, bringing
uncertainty and grave concerns to the beekeeping community.
With the arrival of the mite comes drastic changes to the
honey industry, such as the widespread use of chemical
pesticides, resistance to those pesticides and cost
But perhaps the biggest concern is the impact varroa may have
on the honeybees' ability to pollinate. Throughout most of
New Zealand, varroa has virtually annihilated wild honeybees,
putting serious pressures on our agricultural and dairy
industries. That's because honeybees are the main pollinators
of clover in our country, a staple crop used to feed our
sheep and cattle.
our movie to find out how research can help the fight