Over the past few days we have had the devastating news that the Varroa Mite has been found in our area and we are now in an emergency surveillance zone in an attempt to halt the spread of this horrid pest. We have 8 hives here at home and another 6 belonging to a friend. This surveillance zone means we will be unable to take any honey from our hives for at least 6 months, and that's the best outcome. If the mite is found to have spread we may be forced to have our bees euthanised, I am heartbroken at just the thought.
An eradication zone of 10 kms has been set up around the hives were the mite was first found and all bees and hives within this zone have been, or are in the process of being, destroyed. My thoughts are with these beekeepers, how absolutely awful for them. One beekeeping business that I know of will lose all 90 of their hives, and effectively their entire business has now been wiped out.
Fingers crossed it has been picked up early enough for us to get on top of the outbreak before it wipes out any more bees. Bees are an essential part of the local biodiversity, even if they are an introduced species.
x
R
No Comments Yet, Leave Yours!