John Mackay from dnature diagnostics & research presented research at the Manuka Orchard Open Day, showing that hive swabbing, particularly at the entrance, can detect AFB spores before clinical signs appear, giving beekeepers time to act and protect both hives and honey.

Dr Pike Stahlmann-Brown, from the newly formed Bioeconomy Science Institute, shared key findings from the 2024 New Zealand Colony Loss Survey, at the recent Manuka Orchard Open Day.