By partnering with other like-minded and experienced beekeepers, we aim to safely relocate hives that have found their way into unwelcome areas and rescue bees in need.
We have quadrupled our commitment to saving bees! Where last year we saved 10 million bees, this year we aimed to save over 40 million. In the US, we are partnering with 12 beekeepers and since 2021 we have rescued 1,167 hives. We know that a hive has about 50,000 bees so that’s over 58,350,000 bees so far!
Our mānuka forests now house millions of native trees providing the perfect environment for our honeybees to forage and thrive, and create the most powerful mānuka honey possible.
As well as mānuka, we recognise the importance of ensuring our bees have wide-reaching nectar sources and extensive places to thrive. Companion planting, therefore, forms a key part of how we establish our mānuka forests. This provides a variety of nectar and pollen sources for the bees, gives them shelter and stabilises the land.
Working alongside Trees for Bees, we continue to research the best nectar sources (type and quantity) for companion planting in our mānuka forests.
Each year we aim to plant more natives and companion trees to compliment our mānuka. We have more to do as we explore ways to ensure our natives survive the elements and pests who find our natives tasty.
Bee Welfare is a vital issue for us all globally, given the importance of their role in the ecosystem and food production. It is sobering to read the results from this year's Biosecurity NZ (part of MPI) annual Colony Loss Survey, where bee colony deaths are reported to have increased for a seventh consecutive year in New Zealand.
The New Zealand industry mortality rates for bees were at 13.6% for 2021 (in some parts of the world this is nearly 50%). In contrast, we are tracking considerably fewer losses (8.4%) over the same period, reflecting once again the quality and know-how of our world-class team of beekeepers.
We believe beekeeping is inherently good and sustainable. We see our relationships with bees as a partnership rather than exploitation; our honeybees depend on us.
Built on our own ethical beekeeping standards, we lead to inspire others through the design of a Bee Welfare Code, aligned to the internationally recognised 'five freedoms of animal welfare'.
Collaborating with industry partners, Apiculture NZ, DOC and other CRIs, we seek to fill gaps in research and keep up with new science to improve bee welfare, hive placement and proximity to avoid overcrowding. This will ensure healthier bee populations.
Additonally we are working with partners in the following areas:
Industry knowledge suggests that the leading cause of colony loss is due to varroa mite numbers building up in hives. So, we are fighting back against Varroa Destructor! Varroa destructor is a parasitic mite that infests honeybee colonies, leading to disease in the hive. Our comprehensive varroa management programme and ongoing research in collaboration with Plant and Food Research aims to limit the impact of this mite on our bee colonies.
In 2022, we studied the safety and effectiveness of a range of organic treatment options across 120 hives. Findings from this study will be used to inform future research projects and improve our varroa management programme and help us reduce resistance to traditional methods.
Wasps - a predator of our bees and native wildlife, cause a devasting impact on our biodiversity by exploiting food sources within our forests.
This year we became a key sponsor for the roll-out of the Wasp Wipeout Project in the Hawkes Bay Region, New Zealand. Wasp Wipeout is a community-led conservation project aimed at significantly reducing wasp populations in New Zealand. Whilst our apiary teams routinely establish wasp bait stations around our hives to protect and preserve bee welfare, this project broadens our reach.
We funded the deployment of over 1,100 trap/bait stations (we estimate around 1,708 hectares), across 12 recreational conservation areas in Hawkes Bay - several properties border where we place our hives, supporting a safe environment for our bees, communities and helping bee populations.
In 2022 we will support Wasp Wipeout roll-out into other parts of the North Island, New Zealand.
Glyphosate has become a hot topic in food quality in recent years, but it's been around since the 1970s. Today, many countries use it as a weed killer and crop desiccant. It's a chemical that we certainly don't think belongs in food, including honey.
Bees - who pollinate crops in addition to flowering plants and trees - are also subject to consuming glyphosate when foraging for nectar. So, not only is this chemical introduced to the environment, but it also affects bees and other insects, animals, and humans.
While the FAO and WHO recently cited that glyphosate is "unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans from exposure through the diet," we take a firm stance that glyphosate should not be in foods.
We take extra precaution by placing our hives in locations far from agricultural farms that may pose a potential risk to minimise the chance that our bees may have unintended exposure to glyphosate.
To double check our honey isn't at risk for this contaminant, we test for the presence of glyphosate in every single batch of honey - exceeding strict standards set by the EU standard, which is the most stringent among global countries.
We are proud that our products sold in the US and EU are certified Glyphosate Residue Free, and our bees in producing this honey have done so in the most natural environment possible.
Click here to learn more about our conservation efforts
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