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NEW ZEALAND BEEKEEPER, FEBRUARY 2017
FROM THE COLONIES REGIONAL REPORTS
WAIKATO
Crop reports are not good in most instances, with both the amount and the type of honey gathered being an issue. The drying winds are probably to blame, also the poor health of bees in some hives. I note that poor bee health was a concern when I wrote in the spring of 2016. It has been an amazing season for the flowering of mānuka with bushes absolutely white; yet the flowers were totally devoid of nectar, hence no crop. In some places, bronze beetles have been observed eating the mānuka petals. No petals, no nectar, no bee fodder. This lack of nectar seems to be peculiar not just to New Zealand. I have heard that there have been amazing flowerings of some eucalypts in both western and eastern Australia; yet the bees have either not taken any crop from them or have been hard pressed to get a meagre amount. However, I am sure that others are faring better. A beekeeper I know well has a small apiary of six hives where he estimates the final crop to be “a good half tonne”. The passion vine hoppers are starting to show up now, although I have yet to see them on tutu bushes. Most of the hoppers are still in the juvenile stage, suggesting to me that they do not appreciate the fluctuating temperatures any more than we do. The other dual scourges of willow aphid and wasps are also noticeable here (early January), with a twisty willow just up the road a mass of wasps feeding on honey dew. APRIL FIELD DAY Finally, a further reminder of the Waikato Hub field day: Elim Church at theWharf, Thames, on Saturday, 8 April 2017. It will be open to all but with a particular focus on new entrant beekeepers, especially those who are semi- or fully commercial.
Left to right: Miles McNaught and John Bassett survey one of Miles McNaught’s and Tracey Friend’s beehives at the Waikato Apicell Queen Rearing Workshop run by John Bassett and Rob Atkinson on Sunday, 20 November 2016. Everyone commented that it had been a tough spring. We had an excellent fine day, but it was windy while looking for brood combs to practise grafting in the shed. Miles and John are seen debating if this hive is swarming! Photo: Fiona O’Brien.
- Pauline Bassett, Life Member
HAWKE’S BAY
On top of that, there have been endless cases of hives appearing out of nowhere on neighbouring farms and far too close to existing apiaries, some with and some without the permission of the landowners. It will be interesting to see whether some of the huge sums of money that have been offered will be honoured given the lousy season. History suggests that they won’t be.
I am afraid there is nothing good to report from Hawke’s Bay. It obviously varies from place to place but the honey crop this year is abysmal at best. I have been getting reports of hives starving over the summer and as I write this, some beekeepers are feeding sugar. There have been at least four instances of hives being illegally placed on to Department of Conservation land and that’s just the people who have been caught. I hope DOC takes punitive action against them as they are affecting neighbouring beehives, and in at least one case endangering the public. It would be good to see legal action taken against the helicopter companies who flew these hives in as well.
- John Berry, Hub President
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