Orchardists stung by varroa bane

By JO-MARIE BROWN

Orchardists will find it more costly to pollinate their fruit this spring as beekeepers pass on the cost of battling the deadly varroa mite.

Beehives are now being ordered by kiwifruit, avocado, pip and stonefruit growers, but varroa has killed an estimated 10 to 20 per cent of commercial hives over the past year.

The cost of protecting the 300,000 or so remaining hives has forced beekeepers to raise their rents for hives by up to 45 per cent.

One Bay of Plenty beekeeper, who lost 30 per cent of his hives to varroa this winter, has just bought 200 varroa-free hives from the South Island to meet pollination demands from kiwifruit growers.

Bryce Hooton, who has had to turn down pollination work this spring for the first time, said beekeepers had been looking forward to a busy season.

"Five years ago it was very competitive. There was a lot of undercutting, but there's no such thing as undercutting anymore."

Mr Hooton has had to hire an extra employee to treat varroa with sprays and chemical-impregnated strips, a cost he has had to pass on.

"Beekeeping's changed. We used to be able to run one man to 1000 hives, now it's one man to 500 or 600 hives because there's that much work to do."

Mr Hooton said an additional 500ha of kiwifruit had also been planted this year, creating extra demand for hives in orchards.

The National Beekeepers Association vice-president, Waikato apiarist Jane Lorimer, said she was raising her prices this spring from $70-$90 a hive to $100-$130.

The price rise came from the cost of varroa treatment, diesel and sugar, used to stimulate the bees.

"Once more orchardists confirm what their likely needs are, the prices may well go up further still," she said.

The varroa mite, first discovered in South Auckland in April 2000, meant hives were in a poorer condition than usual.

"So it's going to take us a lot more work and a lot more cost to get them up to pollination standard," Mrs Lorimer said.

Avocado Growers Association head Jonathan Cutting estimated the varroa mite would cost the avocado industry an extra $400,000 a year.

"It's a cost forever now. Ultimately, both consumers and producers will pay for that."

Hive rentals in the Far North had risen this year from $70 to $100.

Orchardists the Herald spoke to did not expect there to be a shortage of hives this spring, but all agreed they would have to pay more for their bees.

Seeka Kiwifruit Industries grower Terry Richards said varroa, which has almost reached as far south as Wellington, seemed to have killed off all feral bees, which could also cause problems.

"Those bees are gone ... and the loss of feral colonies must impact [on pollination rates] to some degree."

The Te Puke grower said price rises were minor, but if a bee shortage was to develop in future it would be "an absolute disaster".

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