The urgent need for better varroa parasite treatments

An adult honey bee infested with varroa mites. (Image: Phil Lester)

Wed, 14 Feb 2024

New Zealand scientists are racing to find better ways to control the varroa parasite as existing beehive treatments become less and less effective.There is a sense of urgency to the problem, with bee losses from varroa rising every year since 2017. According to Apiculture NZ data, 47% of hive losses over the 2022 winter were caused by suspected varroa and related complications, compared with 39% in winter 2021.Although Apiculture NZ wants to see a more coordinated and industry-led approach to varroa research, NZ researchers haven’t been i...

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