About NZBBA Team
Rae Butler - Promoting Bee Science for Everyday Beekeeping
Rae Butler is an experienced beekeeper with a passion for promoting and utilizing bee science in everyday beekeeping practices. With over 30 years of beekeeping experience, Rae is now specializing in breeding Varroa Sensitive Hygienic (VSH) queens using Instrumental Insemination (II) technology. She is the leader of the project Breeding for Varroa Resistance in New Zealand which includes i the NZBBA for the beekeeping industry.
Rae's journey in beekeeping began three decades ago when she established the Runny Honey Company as a sole trader, starting with 500 hives. Over the years, she expanded her operations and amalgamated with Wai Ora Apiaries in 2000, running 2,500 honey production beehives in North Canterbury. She is now a sole trader for Bee Smart Breeding working in Ashburton, mid-Canterbury.
In 2011, Rae shifted her focus towards queen raising and Instrumental Insemination (ii), specifically targeting the Varroa Sensitive Hygienic trait. She furthered her expertise by completing a course in ii under Sue Cobey at the Harry H Laidlaw Jr Honeybee Research Facility at Davis University, California. She also engaged with queen breeding experts and scientists, including the USDA lab in Baton Rouge and the Bee Informed Partnership at the University of Maryland. In 2019 and 2020, she exchanged visits with the VSH breeding program by Aristas Bee Research in the Netherlands, further expanding her knowledge and network.
Aside from her current breeding work, Rae actively participates in industry initiatives and organizations. She serves as an AP2 inspector for AFB and the Exotic Surveillance program, ensuring the health and safety of bee colonies. She is also working with a Canterbury group on promoting the development of Varroa mite monitoring tools for beekeepers. Rae is an ambassador for the NZ Trees for Bees program to improve bee health.
Rae has a long history of volunteer service to the beekeeping industry. She served as Canterbury Branch Secretary for the NZ National Beekeeping Association from 1996 to 2002. She also worked as the secretary for the NZ Varroa Pest Management Strategy Group from 1997 to 1999 and participated in the Varroa eradication trials in North Canterbury. Rae played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Nelson Beekeeping Club in 2010 to 2013.
Rae's expertise and contributions have earned invitations to present her work at various conferences and symposiums in New Zealand and Australia. She has also published articles in The New Zealand Beekeeper magazine.
Rae is dedicated to bringing together scientific research and beekeeping practice for the benefit of all beekeepers, queen producers and breeders to help to combat Varroa. Her experience in breeding VSH bees, technology transfer, and industry initiatives in New Zealand help to promote sustainable beekeeping practices for the betterment of bee health.
Linda Newstrom-Lloyd - Translating Bee Science for Beekeepers
Dr. Linda E. Newstrom-Lloyd is a botanist and pollination biologist specializing in bee nutrition and health. She earned her Ph.D. in botany from the University of California at Berkeley, USA, and has conducted research on pollination in California, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
As a science advisor for the New Zealand Varroa Resistance Project, Linda collaborates with Rae Butler to address the urgent threat of the Varroa mite on bee health and colony losses in New Zealand. Their work aims to protect the beekeeping industry and ensure important pollination services.
Since 2010, Linda has been involved in the Trees for Bees NZ programme, funded by the Ministry of Primary Industries. Her research focuses on bee nutrition, specifically studying the foraging habits of bees in New Zealand. Through her work with the Trees for Bees team, Linda has developed resources to guide beekeepers, farmers, and landowners in planting optimal bee forage, promoting bee health.
Linda and the Trees for Bees NZ team received recognition for their contributions, being awarded the ApiNZ 2022 Peter Molan Award for excellence in science at the ApiNZ national conference, sponsored by Oha Honey.
Linda leads fieldwork for Trees for Bees NZ and coordinates laboratory investigations to identify plants that provide the best nutrition for New Zealand bees. As part of their ongoing efforts, they have developed the Bee Plant Finder tool, a valuable resource for beekeepers and those interested in supporting bee health. Visit https://treesforbeesnz.org/bee-plant-finder-tool to access this tool.
Dr. Linda E. Newstrom-Lloyd's dedication to understanding and improving bee health contributes to sustainable beekeeping practices in New Zealand.
New Zealand Bee Breeding Association (NZBBA)
The logo design features an illustration of four bees inside a koru. The four bees represent beekeepers, commercial beekeepers,queen breeders, and researchers. We believe that all beekeepers are custodians of their bees and align with the Māori philosophy of being guardians of the environment. We are seeking approval of the Māori slogan Kāhui kaitiaki pī (guardian of the bees), from the local Arowhenua Marae.
Members of the NZBBA can be as interactive as they like. We encourage the sharing of new research and ideas on how this can be utilised by beekeepers.
Kāhui kaitiaki pī - Guardians of the Bees
“The bees need our beekeepers to listen to the science and the scientists to listen to the beekeepers.”
— Rae Butler
