WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - The varroa control line across New Zealand's North Island continues to slow the southward advance of the mite.

"The Ministry of Agriculture has now completed testing 450 apiaries in the lower North Island and the level of infestation remains very low at just 25 infested sites," said ministry program coordinator Paul Bolger.

"Our monitoring shows a completely different picture for the upper North Island where the spread of varroa was both rapid and extensive. In that sense the current control measures have successfully stemmed the spread of varroa for a longer period than we expected two years ago."

Bloger siad a program of surveillance testing of more than 20,000 South Island hives for varroa has so far confirmed the island remains varroa free.

"We are continuing to maintain restrictions on movement of bees and other high risk items from the North Island to the South Island.

"As part of those restrictions we have just added beekeeper's trucks to the list of risk goods that now require a permit to be moved to the South Island."

The ministry and industry groups are discussing long-term management for varroa and expect to release a discussion document next month, This will present a range of options for continuing varroa movement control measures after the existing control program ends.

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Kim Flottum
Editor, Bee Culture Magazine
http://www.airoot.com/beeculture/index.html