For love or honey — Keeping bees in the age of varroa

Recreational beekeeping has experienced an incredible surge in recent years. However, this surge has coincided with the spread of varroa mites — a now-endemic parasite devastating Australian honeybee colonies. Whether beekeeping to harvest honey or to pollinate crops — for love or for profit — how can we mitigate the destructive impact of varroa mites going forward?

Guests: 

• Cedar Anderson, co-founder of Flow Hive, co-author of Flow Hive's Book of Bees and Beekeeping
• Krista Mogensen, founding member of the Melbourne Beekeepers Club and expert on managing varroa mites
• Cormac Farrell, head beekeeper at the Australian Parliament House, author of Urban Beekeeping: The City as a Hive
• Emma Bickley, Saturday Breakfast presenter for ABC Radio Canberra and foodie

Get in touch:

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at everybite@abc.net.au

This episode of Every Bite was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.