34
NEW ZEALAND BEEKEEPER, JUNE 2017
EDUCATION
BEE EDUCATED AT LIMEHILLS SCHOOL
orchard. These homeowners are not adjacent to the orchard but across the road, varying between 100 and 200 metres from the club’s hive site. Inspections by council staff and a senior beekeeper identified that bees were flying through and around the properties. This was not surprising as the homeowners had lovely gardens with lots of flowers that are attractive to bees; therefore, the homeowners were contributing to the problem of bees on their properties. It was noted that the two council staff present had difficulty identifying (and even seeing) the bees in flight. Discussions proceeded between the club and the council without a resolution until the club asked the council staff to identify the problem in writing. The council responded with an Abatement Notice identifying “Bee Spotting” as a nuisance under their bylaws and requiring the club to move all but two of their hives from the orchard. The club moved all of its hives within the allowed 30-day notice. It is simply impractical to manage them if they are spread over two or more locations. The club also lodged an appeal to the Abatement Notice and has continued to discuss the matter with the council. The basis of the appeal was threefold: 1. the bees do not create a nuisance as defined by the council bylaws 2. the movement of the hives will not stop spotting from occurring, and so the problem will not be abated The appeal asked the council to lift the Abatement Notice. The matter has not yet been resolved as of early May. The club and the Wanganui Regional Heritage Trust want to have the hives back on site in late August for pollination duties. The club is concerned that this situation may spread throughout the country and that councils may serve Abatement Notices to beekeepers to move hives because of bee spotting. There has been some publicity and reporting nationally on this matter to date. [Update: on 8 May, the Whanganui District Council upheld the club’s appeal and cancelled the abatement notice. The club will meet soon with the council and the landowner to seek a solution that satisfies all parties. Hives will be moved back on to the property in late August.] 3. any problem is not caused by the club bees.
Brooke Fennelly and Carson Lange (two of The Scientists)
‘The Scientists’, a class of Year 5 and 6 students at Limehills School, are lucky enough to be beginning a year-long education programme, learning how to care for a beehive.
The programme began on Friday, 24 February, when the new queen and her workers were introduced to their new hive and we will be learning right through to when we get to collect the honey at the end of next summer. For the last two weeks we have been busy working with our teacher, Mr Murray, to build an outdoor classroom/beehive shelter. Sonya Crook, who is a member of the Southland Bee Society, delivered our school’s very own hive and we got to decorate it. Then on Monday 27 February, Murray Christensen from the Southland Bee Society visited the class and started his year-long involvement with us. He introduced us to the different parts of the hive, the types of bees that were living in the hive (including the very important queen), he taught us about safety around the hive and the types of equipment needed for beekeeping.
Five students fromThe Scientists room (Brooke, Carson, Lucas, Keely and Cooper) were lucky enough to put on our class bee suits and be part of the transfer of the bees into our hive and the first inspection of the hive. Murray showed us the queen bee, drones (which we got to hold) and the worker bees. He showed us where the pollen goes and also where the honey is stored. He pointed out to us the eggs in their own hexagons. He told us that in the winter the drones get their wings eaten off and that they are thrown out of the hive to die. He also said that it only takes a few puffs of smoke for the bees to head into their hive. He showed us a tray called the queen restrictor, which allows the worker bees through, but not the queen. This stops her from laying eggs in the comb that is to be filled with honey. It was an amazing experience and we can’t wait for Murray’s next visit.
Lucas Gill, Cooper Mitchell, Murray Christensen.
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs