24 January 2007

Anderton announces management and control the way forward on varroa

The Minister for Biosecurity, Jim Anderton, has announced that a programme of management and control will be the way forward for dealing with the varroa bee mite in the Nelson region.

"Slowing the spread of varroa in the most practical and cost-effective manner must now be the aim and it will come out of continuing cooperation between South Island beekeepers and Biosecurity New Zealand," Jim Anderton said.

Varroa has spread since the Government agreed in August 2006 to support an industry-led elimination programme involving poisoning all feral populations. Recent finds of varroa outside the previously known infested areas have made an elimination attempt unfeasible.

The Minister announced the decision made by Biosecurity New Zealand in consultation with the South Island Varroa Control Group, the National Beekeepers’ Association, the Bee Industry Group of Federated Farmers, and Varroa Agency Incorporated. Industry representatives have agreed that the move to management and control is now likely to produce the best results.

"It is disappointing that the hard work by all involved in the elimination attempt did not pay off," said Jim Anderton, "but established varroa populations have never been eradicated from any country anywhere in the world. While it is considered technically possible to remove varroa from small areas, there is never a guarantee of success."

Additional but low levels of varroa were found around Nelson, Tapawera, and Pelorus in December and early January. As a result the size of the poisoning area would have to be increased by four times to have any chance of success. Furthermore the area includes some rugged terrain that would be very difficult to lay bait stations in. Because of the significantly larger area now needing poison treatment an impractically large number of hives would have needed to be moved out of the area in preparation for poisoning.

Biosecurity New Zealand will be meeting with beekeepers this week to discuss management and control options.

ENDS

© Scoop Media