Summary of results

In a nutshell

The overall loss rate for winter 2019 is estimated to be 10.46%, an increase of 25% since the NZ Colony Loss Survey began in 2015. This loss rate implies that New Zealand lost approximately 81,965 colonies over winter 2019. Had 2015 loss rates continued, we estimate 16,377 few colony losses over winter 2019. Regardless, the share of colonies that are weak at the beginning of spring is high, at nearly 20% among beekeepers with more than 250 colonies.
Overall loss rates were lowest in the Lower North Island and highest in the Middle North Island and Lower South Island. Loss rates in the Lower South Island continued their upward
trend since 2015. Overall loss rates in the Upper North Island and Upper South Island were down sharply from winter 2018.
As in past surveys, smaller operators reported greater losses (as a share) than commercial beekeepers.
Varroa monitoring is inconsistent, with many beekeepers either undertaking no monitoring or relying on visual inspection of adult bees only. In addition to varroa, leading causes of colony losses include queen problems, suspected starvation, and wasps. Overcrowding continues to be a challenge for beekeepers, particularly in the Upper North Island.