Betta Bees Research Limited...
is New Zealand’s leading Italian honeybee livestock improvement programme. The company was formed in 2004 by 13 members of the Southern Beekeepers Discussion group, who were concerned about the quality of queens in the South Island. When the supply of queens were cut off to the South due to the arrival of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor in the North Island, Betta Bees was born.
On establishment of the company each shareholder donated 10 hives with their best queens to the company to form the foundation stock. Semen was also sourced from a reputable North Island breeding programme which gave the bee stock a significant boost.
Since then we have continued to improve the stock year on year to produce high qualitybreeder queens.
Today the company has a core of 400 hives and distributes over 100 instrumentally inseminated breeder queens each year to our shareholders and customers. It has established a Varroa sensitive hygiene programme and works closely with the University of Otago’s, Genetics Otago.
The company is beekeeper owned and run, with 28 dedicated shareholders. Betta Bees is a great example of what can be achieved when beekeepers come together for a common goal.
Click here to found out how you can help us protect the future and wellbeing of the New Zealand honeybee.