🎧 The Buzz About Bees: Our Beekeeper Daryl Talks Varroa, Hive Health & Local Honey on Unearthed
There’s more to producing every jar of Australian Manuka honey this year than there was previously and in a recent episode of the AgriFutures podcast Unearthed: The People Changing Australian Agriculture, our beekeeper Daryl shares what it’s been like navigating the arrival of varroa mite in Australia—and what it means for the health of hives and the future of local honey, manuka and beeswax production, as well as pollination.
🟡 Listen to the 27-minute episode:
🐝 Why This Episode Matters for Honey Lovers
In “To Bee or Not to Bee,” Daryl reflects on the arrival of varroa mite into Australia (it had been in New Zealand another big manuka producer since the year 2000), the early efforts to eradicate it, and the difficult shift to surveillance and long-term management.
He and other experts speak candidly about the new reality of beekeeping in Australia:
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Varroa mite is here to stay - and it’s causing hive losses if not managed.
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Monitoring methods (like alcohol washes) every 4–5 weeks are now essential.
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Even small-scale and hobby beekeepers need to be involved.
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The burden on beekeepers has increased—by an estimated 30% in time and cost.
But behind the science and surveillance is a bigger story: what’s at stake if we don’t support our bees and the people who care for them.
🍯 Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Buy Local, Real Honey
Whether you love manuka honey for its health benefits, healing properties, or its unique flavour and texture - knowing its provenance (and that it's not a blend or imported fakery) has never mattered more.
By choosing NSW-harvested Manuka honey and other local varieties direct from beekeepers, you’re supporting people in the regions like us who are doing the hard work to keep hives healthy, the honey flowing and pollination systems intact.
🛒 Where to Find Our Manuka and Hive Honey
You can get your hands on our 100% Australian honey, including Manuka honey sourced from our hives along the NSW Mid North Coast a few ways including:
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🛍 Order Online – shipped direct from our farm to your door
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📍 Visit our markets and stockists including Port Macquarie, Bellingen, and Kaleidoscope Stores in Coffs Central and Port Central
When you buy from us, you’re getting real, traceable honey from the same hands that care for the bees—no blending, no bulk imports.
📊 FYI: Beekeepers: Share Your Hive Data This September
The 2025 Colony Loss Survey reopens in September 2025. If you’re a beekeeper - no matter the size of your operation whether it's one hive or many - your input is vital to track hive health and the spread of varroa across Australia.
👉 Contribute at www.coloss.au
We’re proud to be part of a community that cares deeply for bees, the land, and the wonderful produce they provide.
Thank you for supporting local producers like us at The Beekeeper and for making choices that matter—for your health, your table, and the future of our pollinators.