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NEW ZEALAND BEEKEEPER, MAY 2017
Things to do this month Winter down, check mite kill, dispose of honey (hopefully the packers will start buying soon now that the MPI mānuka regulations are out). Grade and sort combs into brood, extracting and damaged. In fact, all frames these days should be as white as possible. Control wax moth for those that need to. A few beekeepers are shrink-wrapping pallets and freezing them for a week in the local cool store. Check for wasps. Even though it’s been a wet year, hives in some districts are being hammered at the moment. Control the growth around hives. Prune back vegetation so the sunlight gets to your hives. Start planning for the coming season. Drone production should start 50 days before they are required. Order plastic frames well ahead of time to give them time to air. The thicker the wax, the quicker they are drawn. This will also give our suppliers something to do during the winter. Register for conference: here in New Zealand or any in Australia and/or the USA; plus we have Apimondia in Turkey this September. It’s worth the investment: you always learn something new and perhaps it’s tax- deductible, or could be a valuable marketing opportunity.
If we had Polygal in most hives in New Zealand, especially in the cities, we have a greater chance in detecting the beetle early. Early detection improves the chances of eliminating it, even though in most countries this has not happened. Mind you, it’s a small chance but worth the effort and hopefully by the time SHB gets here, we will also have traps that can attract the beetle to them in our high-risk areas. In some areas the bees may propolise the ends, so these may have to be checked occasionally to see if they are still open. There’s so much out there in the world that we have to try and protect our bees from. There are worse mites than varroa (and these are in Asian countries we trade with), but we aren’t actively looking for them; trophallaxis for instance. An annual survey is really only to assist overseas exports but it’s not active surveillance. All of us beekeepers are the front- line surveillance team. Make yourselves aware of all the exotics and start looking for anything unusual in your hives and phone it in to the Biosecurity Hotline: 0800 80 99 66. Other thoughts At this time of the year, some may be thinking of taking a holiday somewhere warmer. I suggest taking in a conference in Australia (or further overseas; USA if you can afford it). You are bound to learn something when you get together with other beekeepers. Check out the Australian Honey Bee Council newsletter for the dates: http:// honeybee.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/March-2017.pdf I recently attended the 66th Entomological Society of New Zealand Conference held at Victoria University of Wellington. They had sessions on bees, wasps and other invertebrates. Students at our universities, members from the Department of Conservation, Landcare Research and others are doing some clever research, some of which relates to beekeeping. The ‘nature team’, Angela Simpson and Bryce McQuillan (info@ brycephotography.co.nz), really impressed me with their photography and dedication. This young couple go out day and night looking for insects and take pictures of them on their little setup that uses top and bottom lighting on a white background. This brings out all the insects’ detail which is normally hidden, as most camouflage themselves into the background. You may have seen their work as it’s very easy to add an insect to a paper or poster if it’s on a white background. They travel all over New Zealand, unpaid and allow anybody to use their photos. Although most of the conference wasn’t related to bees, it was all very interesting and opens your eyes to what’s out there. Well worth attending. Next year’s conference will be held in Whanganui. Slide from the presentation by Angela Simpson and Bryce McQuillan at the Entomological Society of New Zealand Conference. Photo: Frank Lindsay.
BEEHIVES FOR SALE 240 single-storey hives, most with wintering sites Katikati Coast • Along with manuka sites for all these hives at Ohakune • Also some rewarewa, tawari & pohutukawa sites • Pollination for avocados and kiwifruit • 2012 Hino 500 truck and trailer • Kubota 4x4 forklift Some nukes as well • To be sold as one lot except for truck if it’s not wanted. Please email gregjd49@gmail.com or Ph. 0274 718 289 POLYSTYRENE MATING NUCS Easy to use • Cost effective • Proven results 1-100 $14.00 plus GST 100+ $13.00 plus GST Phone Steve, Apiflora NZ Ltd 07 543 0984 027 4923 937
2000 beehives for sale on site and some off site on Coromandel Peninsula. Phone 0274 578 188
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