24 Sep 2008

Biosecurity NZ gives up battling bee parasite

8:07 pm on 24 September 2008

Biosecurity New Zealand is to abandon efforts to stop the spread of the bee parasite varroa.

The varroa mite is a parasite of honey bees that attack adult bees and their developing larvae, or young. It weakens and kills honeybee colonies. Bees pollinate a wide range of food crops, so are critical in the food chain.

Biosecurity New Zealand says high levels of mites found in Canterbury suggest varroa is now established and widespread.

The mite has been in the North Island for some time, but had recently not been found beyond Marlborough, Nelson and Buller in the South Island.

However, 17 cases of the bee mite have now been confirmed in the Waimakariri and Selwyn districts, well south of the containment zone designed to slow its spread from the Nelson and Marlborough regions.

The New Zealand Beekeepers Association says the South Island control line is now a complete waste of time, as the mite may have already spread and testing for the pest is difficult.

President Frans Laas says the association cannot guarantee if the mite is present in beehives.

Biosecurity New Zealand plans to revoke all movement controls on hives and bees on Thursday. Funds for control zones will be used for hive testing and education workshops.