KEY POINTS:
Every time commercial beekeeper Robert Davidson checks on his hundreds of hives, he wonders what will be missing. There is little the South Canterbury apiarist can do to stop thieves plundering the lifeblood of his business, in what he is convinced is an organised black market to send
the bees north to pollinate multimillion-dollar kiwifruit crops.
Last year, Mr Davidson lost about $70,000 in stolen hives and honey.
"The hives are spread over a hundred different farms. You can't get around them all in a day," he said. "You have just got to do your best. They are stuck out in paddocks, completely unprotected. You can't build a bullet-proof fence around each lot. It is quite a helpless sort of feeling, and it's definitely not just me."
Mr Davidson believes his bees, and those farmed by other keepers around the South Island, are being stolen by organised groups and sent to the North Island in refrigerated trucks to use to pollinate kiwifruit.
Several thousand hives already go north each year in legal sales to supplement northern bee supplies, which have been hit hard by the parasitic varroa bee mite.
"[North Island] beekeepers supplying beehives for pollination are under contract to guarantee supply and the contracts have got tough penalty clauses. So if you don't supply, you can lose everything. If they can't supply them for some reason like the weather has been bad, or the varroa mite has killed off more than they anticipate, they have to buy them in. If someone offers some dodgy hives they are going to buy them regardless."
Steve Weenink, who heads a group representing North Island beekeepers who supply hives for kiwifruit pollination, thinks Mr Davidson's theory is an unlikely one.
"I think he should look a bit closer to home," he said. "I don't know of anyone who is that desperate [to accept stolen hives]."
Beekeeping in the North Island had suffered from varroa but hive numbers were still sufficient to meet the sizeable demand for pollination - about 60,000 to 70,000 hives.
"There's not a great supply, but there's enough hives."
While some beekeepers had quit the industry because of the impact of varroa and falling honey prices, others were coming back to it, he said.
Neil Cameron, who acts as a liaison between beekeepers and the fruit industries, doubts thieves have been selling on hives for kiwifruit pollination, but says there is potential for it. "We are heading down that track. A situation like that could happen in the future. The signals are pointing towards a shortage." Kiwifruit marketer Zespri International said there had been no beehive shortage in the latest kiwifruit season, and flower numbers were up on the previous season, indicating successful pollination.
The National Beekeepers Association of New Zealand does not hear of a lot of thefts, but is aware of some in the South Island. Association president Jane Lorimer said: "Over the years, there has always been some beehive theft. Sometimes [thieves] come in and just the bees or the queen are removed and they leave you with your gear."
Mr Davidson has now taken to marking his hives with tiny data dots that carry information that can be specifically traced back to him in the hope any of his stolen hives may be discovered.
Mite threat
* The varroa mite attacks the pupae of the honeybee.
* It was first found at South Auckland in 2000.
* It has spread around the North Island affecting hive numbers.
* However, hive numbers are still thought to be sufficient to meet demand for pollination.