Bees in the Antipodes: July 2011

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Piwakawaka darting . . .

My beautiful Piwakawaka, NZ Fantail, a very sweet little native bird that inhabits most of NZ - a tiny wee bird that flits around catching bugs in the air, follows me around the garden flying very close, catching the bugs I disturb.
This amazing work is by a woman called Kate Hill, a very clever artist from Hamilton. I love the stitching of the birds and leaves she has done .

Bees on board at last !!

I set my first hive, Miro, up at the back of my friends house at the beginning of Oct 2006. Looking fantastic with the swarm my beekeeper friend gave me, in the brand new brood box and spare on top, I am one proud beekeeper at last. One month later, they swarmed !!! Not enough room was diagnosed and a smaller half-depth box put on . Luckily the little darlings had only swarmed over the fence into the grapefruit tree. Captured and I have 2 hives - both doing very well, so well in fact that I have put a 3/4 box on both hives over the last 2 weeks. At last the necter flow is happening - lots of pollen also being brought into both Miro and Matai.