7 May 2000

Possible discovery of varroa at Te Puke

Field teams yesterday discovered what may turn out to be the first infected site outside the Infected Zone, in a dump site in Te Puke.

A dump site is a depot where hives used for pollination services are moved after completing pollination. The hives were traced from a Hauraki Plains infected site, and the dump site had not previously been tested. The hives are showing very light infestations, and this and the previous sampling in the Bay of Plenty region (which did not find any infected sites) provides a degree of confidence that varroa may not have spread from the site. Sampling in the vicinity and around other sites the hives have been since moving from the Hauraki Plains will begin immediately upon laboratory confirmation of the field diagnosis. Laboratory confirmation is expected on Monday.

The movement permit operation (through 0800 109 383) is making good progress, with 16 new permits requested, 23 issued, and eight declined – although in six of those cases some of the movements requested were approved.

29,334 hives on 1,534 apiaries have been inspected. The number of Infected Places is now 162 on properties owned by 53 beekeepers.