What is killing thousands of bees in Nelson?

Trees and Bees owner Ricki Leahy told Mike Hosking he hopes the bee deaths aren't sinister. Photo / File

Hundreds of thousands of bees are mysteriously dying near Nelson.

One beekeeper has lost 40 hives.

Trees and Bees owner Ricki Leahy told Mike Hosking he thinks it's from wasp poison.

Listen below - Ricki Leahy speaks with Mike Hosking

"Until we know what the poison is we don't know what sort of gear we can reuse. I imagine we will have to dig a big hole and burn the whole lot."

He said it's absolutely devastating.

"The whole queen rearing operation of our beekeeping business has sort of been obliterated. All the hives have been poisoned somehow and it's like someone's poked a hole through the businesses heart."

He said he hopes it's not something sinister.