The number of bee colonies in New Zealand is plunging, with more than 97,000 colonies lost last winter, according to a Landcare Research survey released last week.
Bees Up Top's Jessie Baker is among the beekeepers seeing a drop in the number of colonies.
"If one is lost, it's just really devastating," she said.
It's an issue for beekeepers across the country.
Bee losses have increased by 5% over the past seven years, steadying since 2021.
Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research's Pike Stahlmann-Brown called the issue "quite concerning".
"Bees are really critical for our food supply, they pollinate an awful amount of our crops and of course, honey is a major export industry for us."
There are multiple reasons behind the drop in colonies, including queen bee issues, wasps and starvation.
However, around half of the colonies were lost due to Varroa mites, which feed on the bees.
"I'm definitely noticing a lot more Varroa throughout my hives and it's just awful to see those little mites crawling around," he said.
"Sometimes bees hatch and they've got really deformed wings so they can't fly."
The upper North Island and lower South Island are hardest-hit by Varroa, with climate change playing a big role.
"It allows Varroa to thrive in places where it didn't used to be a problem," Stahlmann-Brown said.
He said there are several measures beekeepers can take to protect their colonies.
"Things like monitoring and testing your hives, and treating for Verroa when your hives have high mite counts."
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