About this Event
The next Café des Idées, organised by and , is honoured to host Dr Antoine Felden and Lisette Thévenot for a captivating discussion on the survival of honey bees and the fight against their greatest threat in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Honey bee populations are declining around the world and Aotearoa New Zealand is no exception. Among the greatest threats they face is the parasitic varroa mite, which is driving colony losses globally and putting increasing pressure on beekeepers here at home. Understanding how varroa and the viruses it spreads weaken bees, how mite populations evolve resistance to current pesticides, and how we can stay ahead of that resistance has never been more urgent.
In this presentation, we explore the science behind varroa's impact on honey bee health and discuss next-generation pest-control approaches being developed at Te Herenga Waka including RNA-based biopesticides that could give beekeepers more effective tools to control mites and improve hive survival across Aotearoa.
Dr Antoine Felden is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. Lisette Thévenot is a Postgraduate Student at Institut Agro Montpellier.
📅 Friday, 26 June 2026 - 5.30pm
📍 Alliance Française Wellington, 78 Victoria Street, Wellington
🎟️ Free entry, koha donation
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Alliance Française Wellington, 78 Victoria Street, Wellington, New Zealand
NZD 0.00
