Programme

Analytica Room, Rotorua Energy Events Centre https://vuw.zoom.us/j/95440278739 9am – 4:30pm

Schedule

Session 1: Moderator: Phil Lester, Victoria University

9:00 Welcome Phil Lester, Victoria University

9:05 TBA Karin Kos, CEO, Apiculture NZ

9:25 Where is New Zealand on the global Ben Phiri, Ministry for Primary Industries apicultural demographics scale?

9:40 Comparative toxicity of imidacloprid and *Felicia Keuh Tai, Plant and Food Research dimethoate to solitary ground-nesting bees & University of Auckland and honey bees

9:55 Metal incorporation into honeybee brains: Megan Grainger, The University of at what cost to the hive? Waikato

10:10-10:30 Break (20 minutes)

Session 2: Moderator: Evan Brenton-Rule, Ministry for Primary Industries

10:30 The Potential of spectroscopy and NMR Katherine Holt, Massey University as tools in classifying Aotearoa’s unique honeys

10:45 The ABAtE project, for Heather Hendrickson, Massey University eradicating AFB in NZ.

11:00 Effect of abundance on *Grant Fale, Plant and Food Research & foraging behaviour of New Zealand native The University of Waikato bees on mānuka flowers

11:15 Mite Monitoring - Measure & Manage Rae Butler, Bee Smart Breeding

11:30 ApiWellbeing: bee viruses, of Hayley Pragert American foulbrood ( larvae) and extension materials for beekeepers.

11:45 Do newly emerged workers acquire Michelle Taylor, Plant and Food Research atypical gut from sick nurse bees?

12:00 Beekeeping outside of the box Ashley Mortensen, Plant and Food Research

12:05-1:00 Lunch (60 minutes)

Session 3: Moderator: Grant Fale, Plant and Food Research

1:00 TBA Jane Lorimer, NZ Beekeeping Inc

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1:20 How do herbicide & antibiotic exposures *Tessa Hiscox, University of Cantebury affect Paenibacillus polymyxa’s potential as a biocontrol agent of Apis mellifera American Foulbrood disease?

1:35 Prevalence of Varroa destructor at honey *Erin Steed, Plant and Food Research & bee mating sites The University of Waikato

1:50 The Foster method: Utilisation of a dual- John Mackay, dnature target qPCR assay to detect clinically relevant American Foulbrood infections by rapid and non-invasive eDNA sampling means

2:05 Behavioral and physiological markers of *Revati Vispute, Plant and Food Research stress in western honey bees & University of Auckland

2:20 The secret lives of backyard bees: Andrew Cridge, Scion monitoring seasonal pollen sources of urban honeybees

2:35 Aiding and ABAtE-ing: Alternative Host *Joanne Turnbull, Massey University Bacteriophages to prevent American Foulbrood

2:50-3:10 Break (20 minutes)

Session 4: Management Moderator: John Mackay, dnature

3:10 Foraging activity shake up Sarah Cross, Plant and Food Research

3:25 Biocontrol of giant willow aphid: an Stephanie Sopow, Scion update on the operational phase of the programme

3:40 Building Bee Capacity in NZ Linda Newstrom-lloyd, Trees for Bees Trust

3:55 From soil to solution: isolating *Danielle Kok, Massey University bacteriophages from the environment to combat AFB

4:10 You have to see it to believe it – Gertje Petersen, Abacusbio, FutureBees Decoding bee activity patterns during pollination placement in cherry orchards

4:25 Closing Remarks Ashley Mortensen, Plant and Food Research

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Abstracts

Session 1

Where is New Zealand on the global apicultural demographics scale? Ben Phiri Ministry for Primary Industries

The study compared New Zealand’s apicultural demographics to that of other countries worldwide. New Zealand honey yield in 2010 was 4.7 tons/100 km2, which compared well with that of Europe at 4.8 tons/100 km2. However, it was higher at the apiary level, producing 3.3 tons/100 colonies while Europe produced 1.6 tons/100 colonies. The median number of colonies in a 4 km radius in 2020 for New Zealand was 22 but was higher in North Island at (24) and lower in South Island (16). No comparable neighbouring apiary counts were available for other countries in published literature.

Comparative toxicity of imidacloprid and dimethoate to solitary ground-nesting bees and honey bees *Felicia Kueh Tai1,2, Mateusz Jochym1, Ashley N Mortensen1, Jacqueline Beggs2, Grant Northcott1, David Pattemore1,2 1: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Ruakura, Hamilton, New Zealand 2: School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

The current practice of using Apis mellifera as a surrogate for non-Apis bees in pesticide risk assessments is questionable considering the differences in life-history traits. We conducted acute oral and contact bioassays for Leioproctus paahaumaa (a solitary ground- nesting bee) and A. mellifera, using a neonicotinoid (imidacloprid) and organophosphate (dimethoate) pesticides. Leioproctus paahaumaa is highly sensitive to imidacloprid. Furthermore, the proposed safety factor of 10, applied to honey bee endpoints, did not cover the interspecific sensitivity difference. These findings highlight the need for more comparative multi-species toxicity studies to ensure regulatory pesticide risk assessment frameworks are protective of all pollinating bees.

Metal incorporation into honeybee brains: at what cost to the hive? Megan Grainger, Amber Bell School of Science, The University of Waikato

Increasing anthropogenic activity is resulting in higher concentrations of available metals within the environment. Bees may inadvertently take metals back to the hive where they are unable to break down, causing accumulation. This work will be a multi-tiered, multi- generational investigation that combines experimental (lab and field) and observational data to explore how metals interact with honeybees at the cellular, individual bee and colony levels. Spatial elemental mapping will investigate the distribution of metals within the brain and data will be compared to changes in gene expression. This research is funded by a Marsden Fast-Start grant and will begin later this year.

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Session 2:

The Potential of spectroscopy and NMR as tools in classifying Aotearoa’s unique honeys K.A. Holt1, M. Waterland2, L. Mowbray2, T. Takeuchi2, P. Edwards2 1. School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, PB11222, Palmerston North 4442 2. School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, PB11222, Palmerston North 4442

Currently, the only standard for classifying NZ (non-Mānuka) honeys uses pollen profiles and physical and organoleptic properties. Recently, international research teams have had success in applying spectroscopic methods to classification of monofloral honey types. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has also shown promise. We have analysed >80 samples of monofloral NZ honeys from 8 different varieties with spectroscopy and NMR. Preliminary results demonstrate that certain NZ honeys can be clearly separated on the basis of their spectroscopic and/or NMR analyses. This presentation will discuss results to date, the implications for honey analysis and quality control, and our plans for ongoing research.

The ABAtE project, bacteriophages for eradicating AFB in NZ. Heather Hendrickson, Jo Turnbull, Danielle Kok School of Natural and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Auckland

American Foulbrood is a devastating bacterial pathogen of honeybees. The Active Bacteriophages for AFB Eradication (ABAtE) project has progressed the goal of discovering and sequencing bacteriophages that can prevent AFB infection in the hive by destroying the pathogen Paenibacillus larvae before it initiates infection. We have discovered 33 of these bacteriophages in New Zealand and we are in the process of sequencing and annotating these bacteriophages in order to understand their biology. We have also partnered with APIWellBeing and have expanded the diversity of bacterial pathogens that we have tested from 8 to 30. The majority of our bacteriophages are able to infect many of the NZ pathogens that cause AFB but two isolates, both from the south island, have proved recalcitrant to infection. We will report on our efforts to use applied techniques that encourage bacteriophage recombination to overcome these resistant strains and improve our bacteriophage stocks.

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Effect of honey bee abundance on foraging behaviour of New Zealand native bees on mānuka flowers *Fale, G. 1,2, Painting, C.J.2, Sainsbury, J.1, Pattemore, D.1,3, Broussard, M.1, Mortensen, A.N.1 1. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Ruakura, New Zealand 2. Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand 3. School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

The effect of introduced honey bees is complex, especially when considering the economic benefits of honey bee pollination and honey production. Competition between honey bees and native fauna is unavoidable and likely to occur more with species with similar resource requirements, traits and behaviours, such as native bee species. This study investigates the effect of honey bee abundance on the foraging behaviour of native Leioproctus bees on mānuka flowers. If competition is present, we expect to observe interference competition and exploitative competition that interplay to expose niche partitioning. Results from the 2020/2021 mānuka flowering season will be presented.

Mite Monitoring - Measure & Manage Rae Butler Bee Smart Breeding

Mite Monitoring Measure and Manage Project aim is to provide a platform which allows beekeepers to anonymously record the following: -Real time mite infestation levels - Treatments utilised and timeframe. The platform would feedback the following information to the beekeeper: -Individual historic mite levels to any given site -Potential exponential Mite Population Growth (MPG) within their sites - Anonymised mite levels on a grid map display in their area -Treatment, treatment-free management options - Mite resistant and treatment malfunction criteria. The platform would also provide baseline information to: -Varroa research projects -Treatment manufacturers

ApiWellbeing: bee viruses, genomics of American foulbrood (Paenibacillus larvae) and extension materials for beekeepers. Hayley Pragert, Richard Hall Ministry for Primary Industries, Biosecurity New Zealand

The ApiWellbeing project at the Ministry for Primary Industries runs from 2019 to 2022. Progress on the development of molecular tests for honey bee viruses will be presented, as well as progress on sequencing the of 300 Paenibacillus larvae from around New Zealand. The project is also creating resources for beekeepers to enhance their knowledge of bee biosecurity.

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Do newly emerged workers acquire atypical gut bacteria from sick nurse bees? Michelle Taylor The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Ruakura, Hamilton, New Zealand

Newly emerged honeybee workers (NEWs) acquire typical communities of gut bacteria from nurse bees and their faeces. We hypothesise that nurse bees with a compromised gut cause NEWs to develop atypical communities of gut bacteria, and that this influences their physical development. Nurse bees were fed oxytetracycline, an antibiotic used to control American foulbrood and known to reduce gut bacteria. The gut bacteria within NEWs were identified using NGS. Results will be discussed along with the implications for colony health.

Beekeeping outside of the box Ashley N Mortensen, Melissa Broussard, James P Sainsbury The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Ruakura, Hamilton, New Zealand

The foraging activity of a honey bee colony is dynamic and influenced by both internal and external factors, with internal drivers being less well understood. A novel colony preparation (microcolonies) has been suggested to increase pollination efficacy for stonefruit in Australia. In the spring/summer of 2020–21, we empirically assessed aspects of microcolony physiology to identify potential drivers that could increase pollination potential of honey bee colonies. Our aim was to determine if microcolony production is a practical management practice for beekeeping and/or placement in orchards. Results and future steps will be discussed.

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Session 3:

How do herbicide & antibiotic exposures affect Paenibacillus polymyxa’s potential as a biocontrol agent of Apis mellifera American Foulbrood disease? Tessa Hiscox, Sophie Van Hamelsveld, Jack Heinemann School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury

Could herbicides be leading to more infectious disease in bees? We have found that herbicides can make bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Herbicides are used in large quantities in New Zealand, and bees are exposed to them due to glyphosate being detected in honey. Using Paenibacillus polymyxa as a model for American Foulbrood disease, we are testing for evidence of an interaction between antibiotics, such as produced by plants and honeybees, and herbicides, that could lead to more disease outbreaks in hives. Paenibacillus polymyxa may also provide a biocontrol alternative to antibiotics in treating American foulbrood and similar bee infections. Therefore, we are also testing whether the antibiotics it produces remain effective when herbicides are around.

Prevalence of Varroa destructor at honey bee mating sites *Erin Steed1,2, Chrissie J Painting2, Grant Fale1,2, James P Sainsbury1, Ashley N Mortensen1 1. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Ruakura, Hamilton, New Zealand 2. Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

Honey bee mating sites, known as drone congregation areas (DCAs), are areas where males from colonies in the surrounding environment gather in large numbers to mate with queens. They are found 10–15 m in the air, contain males from multiple colonies, and are difficult to detect from the ground. Preliminary work has demonstrated a potential correlation between the prevalence of Varroa destructor on drones at DCAs and the V. destructor infestation rates of nearby managed colonies. This work will continued to determine if DCAs can predict the V. destructor infestation pressure in a region (in both managed and feral colonies).

The Foster method: Utilisation of a dual-target qPCR assay to detect clinically relevant American Foulbrood infections by rapid and non-invasive eDNA sampling means. John F Mackay1, Rebecca Hewitt1, Tammy Waters1,2, John Scandrett3 1. dnature diagnostics & research; 2. ESR; 3. Scandrett Rural

Clinical signs of American Foulbrood (AFB) can be difficult to diagnose and the increase in new beekeepers means many may never have seen these signs first-hand. If taking samples, hives must be dismantled or otherwise disrupted to collect samples, often necessitating multiple vists. Here we describe the Foster method – using environmental DNA means to rapidly sample hives and provide quantification data that indicate likely clinical levels of AFB present. The merits and questions still to be answered by this approach will be discussed.

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Behavioral and physiological markers of stress in western honey bees *Revati Vispute1,2, Ashley N Mortensen1, Anthony JR Hickey2, David Pattemore1,2 1: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Ruakura, Hamilton, New Zealand 2: School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Honey bees likely undergo stress in densely populated apiaries as a result of inter-colony competition. Furthermore, overpopulation of an area with honey bees may negatively affect the regional ecosystem. To detect the physiological and behavioral markers of density-related stress in honey bee colonies, we hypothesize increased male reproductive output, increased energetic costs, and investigate heat shock protein as a potential marker of stress. We aim to define markers for early identification of density-related stress to allow beekeepers to take action early and maximize the health and productivity of their colonies. Particularly in the context of high-value honey production.

The secret lives of backyard bees: monitoring seasonal pollen sources of urban honeybees Andrew G Cridge, Otto Hyink, Karen F. Armstrong, Tom W. R. Harrop, & Peter K Dearden Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago

To identify on which flowers backyard honeybees (Apis mellifera) forage, we collected pollen from approximately 20 hives located across Dunedin during the 2019/2020 season. Hives sites included residential, semi-rural, and town belt locations. Pollen samples were collected over a two-day window at three weekly intervals across the season using internal pollen traps. Pollen samples were identified and quantified using DNA barcoding and microscopy. I will present some early results from this study, indicating the variation in the types of pollen collected across colonies, even from hives sited in the same location.

Aiding and ABAtE-ing: Alternative Host Bacteriophages to prevent American Foulbrood *Joanne Turnbull, Danielle Kok, Heather Hendrickson School of Natural and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Auckland

The ABAtE project at Massey University is developing a treatment to protect healthy beehives from American foulbrood (AFB), using bacteriophages (phages) which kill the causative bacterial pathogen Paenibacillus larvae. I am working with NZ-native strains of the non-pathogenic Paenibacillus polymyxa, to identify an appropriate alternative host to amplify phages for our end product, and to find phages specific to P. polymyxa that may also be able to kill P. larvae. In addition, after evolving P. larvae phages for improved infection and killing of P. larvae, I am now investigating the genomic changes that have occurred in the evolved phages.

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Session 4:

Foraging activity shake up Sarah Cross, Ashley N Mortensen, James P Sainsbury The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Ruakura, Hamilton, New Zealand

Colony resources (nectar, pollen, brood) are established drivers of foraging activities in honey bee colonies. Here we explore if a longstanding management practice (shook swarming) affects the foraging behaviour of a colony. We compared the colony growth, wax production, pollen collection, and foraging activity of colonies shaken onto waxed plastic foundation, or drawn comb, to establish 9-frame colonies. Shook swarming has been used as a management strategy to limit disease, interrupt brood cycles, increase colony numbers, and remove old combs. We aim to determine if shook swarming may also serve as a tool in managing honey bees for pollination services.

Biocontrol of giant willow aphid: an update on the operational phase of the programme Stephanie Sopow1, Barry Foster2, Trevor Jones3, John McLean2, Belinda Gresham1, Maria Zhulanov1, Giovanni Mascarinas1, Ki Taurangi Bradford1 1. Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute), Private Bag 3020, Rotorua 3046, NZ 2. ApiNZ Science & Research Focus group 3. Plant & Food Research, Palmerston North, NZ

Giant willow aphid quickly made a disagreeable name for itself throughout New Zealand, prompting us to turn towards biocontrol as safe and sustainable method for long term management. Through a three-year MPI Sustainable Farming Fund programme, a promising natural enemy of giant willow aphid was located overseas, brought into containment in New Zealand and thoroughly tested for host specificity. Approval for release of this natural enemy, a parasitoid called Pauesia nigrovaria, was granted by the Environmental Protection Authority in late 2019, after which a new Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures project was created and we transitioned to the operational phase of the project. The first releases took place in February 2020, and the release programme then limped along during the Covid-19 lock down period which coincided with the opportune time to target the giant willow aphid during its peak season. This led to a decision to conduct additional releases in 2021 to ensure widespread coverage of New Zealand, as well as surveying to determine where the parasitoid had become established and whether it was showing signs of multiplying and spreading. A summary of these activities and some surprising findings will be presented.

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Building Bee Capacity in NZ Linda Newstrom-Lloyd, Angus McPherson, Ian Raine, Xun Li The New Zealand Trees for Bees Research Trust

The need for building bee capacity has never been greater in New Zealand. Our research results show that optimising pollen and nectar resources for better bee health and greater bee numbers can be achieved quickly in ongoing plantings that farmers are already installing. No set-asides are needed. Selected low maintenance trees and shrubs provide premium bee forage and benefit other land-use operations at the same time. Our training modules and resources provide the know-how to beekeepers, farmers and other landowners and include how to design superior plantations and use pollen identification as a tool to understand bee forage resources.

From soil to solution: isolating bacteriophages from the environment to combat AFB *Danielle Kok, Heather Hendrickson School of Natural and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Albany, NZ

American Foulbrood (AFB) is a disease of honeybee larvae caused by the bacterial pathogen Paenibacillus larvae. Using antibiotics in hives infected with P. larvae is prohibited under NZ law. Our research looks into the use of bacteriophages as a preventative measure against AFB. Bacteriophages are simple viruses that kill specific bacteria. We have isolated 33 native bacteriophages by establishing plaque formation on our pathogen. Recently I have been working on creating spores for in-vitro testing on bee larvae, as well as working to increase the titers of our bacteriophages to enable us to extract DNA for whole sequencing.

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