"Honey Wars" news article :(

[folieadeux]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/04/manuka-honey-wars-new-zealand-crime-booming-industry-poisoning-beatings?CMP=share_btn_fb

[Acebird]

What could possess someone to poison that many hives?  I can see the gain is stealing them but what gain is there in poisoning them when the price is golden?

[BeeMaster2]

What could possess someone to poison that many hives?  I can see the gain is stealing them but what gain is there in poisoning them when the price is golden?

They get frustrated and quit making the honey.

In western FL, if you place a hive on your land or a friends land in Tupilo territory and the local beeks find out about it, they will burn your hives.
Jim

[Nico]

Acebird,
It's called "getting rid of the opposition"
Nico

[Culley]

There is a fair amount of discussion of this on the New Zealand beekeeping forum

http://www.nzbees.net/forums/commercial-beekeepers.31/



Also NZ is trying to trademark the term "Manuka Honey" to stop Australian producers using it.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-26/australian-honey-producers-concerned-by-nz-attempt/7789180

[Andersonhoney]

Manuka sites here are starting to become hotly contested here too (that's as nice as I can put it).