Beyond the Hive
Downsizing for better Varroa management
Commercial Beekeeping
With hives in former emergency zones in NSW, Daryl made the decision to responsibly downsize his commercial operation when voluntary euthanasia was an option provided by the National Varroa Mite Emergency Response. He details his reasoning, the effects it has had on his business and what he has learned while beekeeping with Varroa mite.
Profile
Name: Daryl Brenton
Business: Brenton’s Bees and Honey
Location: Kempsey NSW
Years in the Industry: Daryl is a 4th generation beekeeper. His family has been in the industry for over 80 years.
Number of Hives: 800
Operation type: Honey production
Varroa Discovery
Varroa was detected in one of Daryl’s hives in September 2023 by a NSW DPIRD officer during routine surveillance. The hive was euthanised at the time of discovery as part of response eradication efforts.
Adapting the Business
When Transition to Management was announced beekeepers with hives in red or purple zones had the opportunity to voluntarily euthanise their hives. With the uncertainty of beekeeping with Varroa ahead, Daryl made the difficult decision to responsibly downsize his operation from 1700 hives to 800 hives.
Daryl expressed that he is happy in his decision to downsize.
‘I’ve been quite happy to have less for a little while, so we’ll just see what the future brings’.
Downsizing has created stability in his business while navigating Varroa. While he now has less staff and some equipment is sitting idle, he has the option to grow again in the future should he choose to.
Queen breeding
Daryl’s experience with queen breeding has helped his business become more self-sufficient. After experiencing more hive failures in the wake of Varroa mite he has been able to reduce the time hives are sitting around waiting for new queens.
‘Having your own queens on hand it’s been easier to patch up hives and get going again’.
Advice to beekeepers
Daryl’s advice to beekeepers who are yet to encounter Varroa mite is to take the time to plan. Consider what a Varroa infestation means for you and ask yourself the hard questions now rather than waiting until you are overwhelmed and panicked.