SFF Futures projects: apiculture
The projects are listed according to their start dates. The latest project is at the top.
Round comb honey production evaluation project
Project start: 30 October 2020
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $18,000
Industry funding: $27,000
Industry partner: Ceracell Honey Ltd
Region: Nationwide
This project aims to assess whether feeding honey back to bees will increase the quality of honey into honeycomb sections. This may help to create a more consistent supply of premium comb honey for export.
Foulbrood detection
Project start: 22 September 2020
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $50,000
Industry funding: $45,000
Industry partners: Downunder Honey, K9 Search Medical Detection Training Centre, Massey University
Region: Nationwide
This project aims to develop a scientific methodology for training detection dogs to reliably detect the highly infectious bacterial disease American Foulbrood in beehives, by creating a ‘scent picture’ of the disease.
Training dogs to save the bees – YouTube (3:24 mins)
Varroa Elimination Unit (VEU)
Project start: 19 December 2019
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $59,000
Industry funding: $60,600
Industry partner: Cooling Solutions Ltd
Region: Nationwide
This project will trial 14 Varroa elimination units to help protect bee colonies from Varroa infestations. The units will use sensors to measure the amount of miticide (a fumigant used to kill Varroa mites) that circulates around the hive. The miticide will be released automatically, at a level that is non-toxic to bees.