A Commitment to Natural Beekeeping and Land Stewardship.
We believe that producing the finest New Zealand Manuka honey begins long before a jar reaches your hands.
At BIOHIVE, it starts with how we care for our bees, the land they depend on, and the environment that connects them both.
That’s why responsible Manuka honey companies and Beekeepers sign up to BIOHIVE™ and the promise of responsible beekeeping and environmental care, inspired by nature’s own balance.
PUTTING NATURE FIRST
Caring for the bees
Beekeepers that follow the BIOHIVE™ principles, agree to focus on bee health, welfare, and respect for natural behaviour. Every hive is treated as a living community rather than a production tool. Every BIOHIVE™ beekeeper is deeply connected to the land and the bees in their care.
Gentle Beekeeping
Hives are always handled calmly and carefully, disturbing them only when necessary. By working in tune with natural cycles, our beekeepers ensure bees can forage, breed, and build naturally strong colonies
Natural Nutrition
Bees are left with ample stores of their own honey for food, particularly through winter months. Supplementary feeding is used sparingly and responsibly, only when needed to support colony survival during harsh conditions.
Hive Hygiene and Health
BIOHIVE™ promotes hive management that supports bee health through good husbandry, regular monitoring, and the use of natural methods wherever possible. Preventative care replaces intervention — allowing the colony’s own resilience to thrive.
Protection from Harmful Chemicals
We take great care to minimise exposure to synthetic treatments and avoid harmful agricultural chemicals in and around our hives. The result is a clean, healthy environment for bees to thrive in naturally.
RESPECTING THE LAND
Working in harmony with wild nature
Our hives are carefully located in regions where native Manuka trees grow, among biodiverse landscapes that remain largely untouched by intensive farming.
Natural Hive Placement:
Hive sites are selected for their purity, isolation, and ecological richness. Many are situated in remote valleys and coastal hillsides, where bees can forage freely among native flora.
Biodiversity Protection:
Collaboration with local landowners, iwi (Māori communities), and environmental partners to protect these wild environments. Maintaining natural vegetation supports pollinators, native birds, and the wider ecosystem.
Sustainable Land Use:
Treading lightly — using existing access tracks, avoiding soil disruption, and protecting waterways and vegetation. Land is not cleared or altered to suit our hives; instead, hives are placed where the land allows.
Supporting Regeneration:
Actively support replanting and regeneration projects, helping native species especially Manuka, to re-establish and flourish naturally.
NATURE AS OUR GUIDE
Harmony with the Seasons
From hive management to harvest timing, every decision is guided by the bees and the seasons.
Seasonal Awareness
Beekeepers move hives in line with flowering cycles, allowing bees to access the richest natural nectar sources.
Responsible Harvesting
Honey is only taken when bees have produced surplus stores. This ensures every colony retains what it needs for its own wellbeing.
Natural Balance
The beekeeping methods respect the interconnectedness of soil, plants, bees, and people. BIOHIVE™ reflects a holistic view of beekeeping .
Minimal Intervention
By letting bees follow their instincts, we encourage natural colony strength and genetic diversity. Healthy bees create honey that truly reflects the purity of New Zealand’s landscape.
Guided by nature, grounded in care
BIOHIVE™ follows the same philosophies and principles as Organic, but has a more in-depth focus on Beekeeping and land husbandry.
The priority is the natural process, environmental integrity, and ethical stewardship over short-term gain.
It represents a promise: a promise to the bees, to the land, and to the future of nature-led beekeeping.
Protecting nature for our future
Our BIOHIVE™ philosophy is simple:
When you care for bees and the land with patience, respect, and integrity, nature rewards you in return.
The result is pure, authentic Manuka honey — created in harmony with nature, guided by the wisdom of the hive itself.
