Beekeeping in New Zealand started as a home craft in the 1850s, not long after initial European settlement and is now an established industry as well as being a hobby activity.
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Industry
New Zealand had 4,814 registered beekeepers in September 2014, who owned more than 500,000 hives in over 30,000 apiaries. In 2013/14 total honey production was 17.6 thousand tonnes. The production of manuka honey, valued for its antibacterial properties, is increasingly important. Pollen, beeswax, and propolis are also produced and exported. Beekeepers provide pollination services to horticulturists, which used to generate more income than the products of bee culture. However, rising honey prices have pushed pollination fees to keep up. Approximately 42 thousand live queen bees, and 38 tonnes of packaged bees (which include approximately one kilogram of worker bees to support the queen) are exported live each year.
The National Beekeepers' Association of New Zealand established "National Bee Week".
The Green Party are calling for a phase out of pesticides that are toxic to bees as is happening in the European Union.
Honey containing the poisonous tutin can be produced by bees feeding on honeydew produced by sap-sucking vine hopper insects (Scolypopa genus) feeding on tutu, a plant native to New Zealand. The last recorded deaths from eating honey containing tutin were in the 1890s.
In May 2011 there were fears the colony collapse disorder had begun in New Zealand. Losses of up to 30% had been reported with Canterbury and Poverty Bay being hardest hit. This suspicion was not confirmed, but high losses with an etiology matching CCD could be observed in parts of the North Island in 2015, reigniting these fears.
Pest and diseases
Pests include Nosema apis, Malpighamoeba mellifica and acarine mites. American foulbrood is present in a small percentage of hives with Sac brood and Chalk brood occurring in isolated cases.
American foulbrood
American foulbrood has been present in New Zealand since 1877.
European foulbrood
European foulbrood is not present in New Zealand. In the 1990s suspected cases of European foulbrood were found and a wider survey of hives was carried out but the samples proved to be negative.
Varroa mite
The Varroa destructor mite, a parasite that attacks honey bees, was discovered in the North Island of New Zealand in 2000 and the South Island in 2008. The Varroa mite is classed as a "Notifiable Organism" under the Biosecurity Act.
Legislation
Former or current legislation relevant to beekeeping in New Zealand include:
There is also legislation relating to the bee products themselves.