Beekeeping

With more than 50 years' experience in the apiary industry, Frank Lindsay is a hive of information when it comes to all things bee. Audio

Beekeepers are struggling through a prolonged bust period for honey and say they can't afford many more costs.  Audio

Varroa mite parasites cause major problems for honey bees – and beekeepers. Now, New Zealand researchers are investigating a new type of RNA-based treatment that could make treating varroa mite… Audio

The varroa mite is a destructive parasite affecting honeybees, that requires pesticides to keep numbers low. Kiwi researchers are investigating a new treatment that's better for the bees and the wider… Audio

Cate and Mike King of Pauariki Honey lost a quarter of their hives after Cyclone Gabrielle hit Tairāwhiti in February. They also faced a poor season of manuka flowering. But the raw beauty of the… Audio

The Detail podcast brings you the issues behind the news every weekday. Here's what we covered this week. Audio

The Australians have beaten us again - this time, in the long-running fight over mānuka honey. Audio

Beekeeper and founder of Manunui Honey Blake Cole is also an ardent conservationist who monitors kiwi, and traps and eradicates pests. Blake tells Susie Ferguson profits from Manunui Honey are… Audio, Gallery

Bees have long fascinated one of our foremost art photographers, Anne Noble. As a beekeeper herself, she spends lots of time observing their behaviour and how they move. She's also studied their… Audio, Gallery

Former pilots, cafe workers and ex sales people are just some of those looking at a career in agriculture after Covid-19 disrupted their lives. Country Life spent a day with the budding beekeepers… Audio, Gallery

Plant and Food Research would like to empower the development of a much larger bumblebee industry in New Zealand. It has developed the technology to successfully breed bumblebees, now it wants… Audio

The Williams and Eschenbach boys, aged 15 to 21, are hoping to fund their education through their own honey business. They manage the bees, harvest the honey and market the product as a team, with… Audio

David Cramp is an expert on bees and bee science and has pioneered the use of drones and digital mapping technology in aspects of bee research. He's now set to share his gift in Tonga as a beekeeping… Audio

Jason Prior is a beekeeper who produces up to 60 tonnes of honey a year, has a nursery that sells trees bees love and is about to plant 1000 cider apple trees. Audio, Gallery

Beekeeping is being hailed as the country's new goldrush - so much so that the industry is now on the skills shortage list. Audio

The jump in the popularity and price of manuka honey in recent years has meant a boom in production, prompting beekeepers to warn that some are at risk of going bust. Audio

This week, four inmates from Auckland's Paremoremo prison will graduate with a certificate in apiculture, or beekeeping. Their teacher is Brian Alexander – a volunteer and veteran bee-whisperer. Audio, Gallery

120 hives were recovered last week and 80 more were recovered early yesterday morning when a 46-year-old Bay of Plenty man was arrested in Northland. Audio