Deadly Sting. . .

[JohnF]

Ah, journalists and subeditors must love any apiculture-related stories - just so they can spend time on that headline.
An article below on how Cyclone Gabrielle affected local beekeepers.
The ongoing effects are being felt as delayed varroa treatment has had many beekeepers struggling to control varroa numbers here - a Zoom meeting yesterday had about 20 local beekeepers sharing their experience and what they were doing to knock down numbers going into winter

DEADLY STING IN GABRIELLE’S TAIL - The Gisborne Herald

Cyclones Gabrielle and Hale and other recent rain events have destroyed an estimated 1200 beehives across Tairāwhiti and killed as many as 60 million bees in what a leading Gisborne apiarist describes as “considerable and widespread” impact...

www.gisborneherald.co.nz

 

[Alastair]

Any numbers on how many hives destroyed / washed away nation wide?

 

[JohnF]

I have heard it was about 5,900 in the Hawkes Bay but perhaps @John B knows more . . .

 

[John B]

I am a bit out of the loop these days. Truth be told I don't even know most of the new beekeepers around these days. I do know that arataki and kintail got off comparatively lightly which is not surprising as a lot of their sites are generational and they have plenty of knowledge of where not to put hives. The biggest problem is still lack of access with some lives that would have taken two hours to get to now taking close to 10.
There have certainly been some major losses with some beekeepers losing the majority of the hives but I just don't have a good handle on how many in total.

 

[JohnF]

I have heard it was about 5,900 in the Hawkes Bay but perhaps @John B knows more . . .

Sorry, typo. That should be 5,000 hives.
5,900 is a little precise !