Beekeepers know how to manage varroa but apply that knowledge inconsistently, says Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme alumnus Robbie O’Brien.

“The knowledge exists, but the application is inconsistent,” he says.

He says the focus should be on using existing tools to the best of beekeepers’ ability.

Operational pressures such as treatment costs and labour availability add to the challenge, with colony numbers down from more than a million to about 500,000.

He says his research found a reluctance to share information, a mindset he traces to the manuka boom, and calls for beekeepers to master the basics.

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