NAWILIWILI — The Young Brothers Community Advisory Board and the County of Kaua‘i have provided financial assistance to help keep Kaua‘i Varroa mite-free. A grant from the YB CAB was presented to members of the Kaua‘i Beekeepers Association to help
NAWILIWILI — The Young Brothers Community Advisory Board and the County of Kaua‘i have provided financial assistance to help keep Kaua‘i Varroa mite-free.
A grant from the YB CAB was presented to members of the Kaua‘i Beekeepers Association to help implement a local response plan for monitoring against the introduction of the Varroa mite.
“Kaua‘i residents and businesses need to understand the Varroa mite poses a threat to the Kaua‘i honeybee population and the introduction of the mite to Kaua‘i will disrupt the pollination process, having an effect on our local food production, agriculture crops and our indigenous plants,” said Wanda Shibata, chair of the YB CAB. “Should the Varroa mite get out of hand, it poses an unfathomable and consequentially dangerous situation to our local agricultural economy and to the existing local environment as well.”
The KBEE will work with the state Department of Agriculture to help keep Kaua‘i’s bees clean and free from this deadly parasite, states a release from Garden Island Resource Conservation and Development, an 18-year old community-based nonprofit organization helping KBEE.
“We are pleased to be supporting KBEE’s mission to keep Kaua‘i Varroa mite free,” said Ray Maki, GIRC&D Board secretary. “GIRC&D would like to thank Young Brothers and the County of Kaua‘i for supporting this unique collaborative effort between the Hawai‘i State Department of Agriculture, the County of Kaua‘i and local community groups and businesses.”
The Varroa mite, scientific name Varroa destructor, is a tiny external parasite which attaches itself to the bodies of honeybees and feeds off the blood of the host bee, states a release from KBEE.
The mites are then established in the hives and have a devastating impact on the host colony with feral, or wild, honeybees having the greatest risk of destruction.
“Before it gets to that point, we need to take these monitoring measures and address the issue beforehand, and not after the fact,” Shibata said. “Young Brothers is taking a proactive role to assure the spread of this mite is not in transit from our shipping operations. With this grant, YB will be assisting in the purchase of the swarm traps to assist KBEE and GIRC&D with their volunteer monitoring.”
The Varroa mite is a global threat and discovered on O‘ahu in 2006. Following a 2008 outbreak in Hilo, the level of concern was raised about the spread of Varroa throughout the state, the KBB release states.
KBB was formed as a direct result of the Big Island infestation following a series of community meetings.
“The County of Kaua‘i acknowledges the effort of KBEE in preventing the infiltration of the Varroa mite on Kaua‘i,” said George Costa, director of the County’s Office of Economic Development.
“KBEE has created an awareness of the Varroa mite and the detrimental effects it can have on our honeybee population and pollination of our essential agriculture industry and island food supply.”
For more information on KBEE and how people can become involved in helping keep Kaua‘i Varroa mite free, visit kauaibuzz.blogspot.com.
