Post Updated on September 6, 2017

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This week we are talking about Spring, Summer, Winter bees and high honey prices. This is Episode Eighty two of our beekeeping podcast.

The executive producers for this month’s show are Graeme and Amanda from Auckland in New Zealand, thanks to you both for your support.

For access to our Podcast you can download directly HERE, or click on the “play” button above. Feel free to share kiwimana with your friends.

Welcome To the kiwimana buzz!!!

Hi, it’s Gary and Margaret here, We are beekeepers from the hills of the Waitakere Ranges on the wild West Coast in Auckland, New Zealand. Our blogs, newsletters and podcasts are about beekeeping, Gardening and bit of politics about environmental issues. We also have been known to go off on tangents about other issues.

Big Shoutout to our listeners in Victoria in Australia this month.

Did you know that Victoria is Australia’s most densely populated state?

Speaking of Australia, this week got a message from John in Melbourne 🙂

What’s happening at kiwimana

Gary

• Sad news from around the World, Paris, Jonah Lomu Rugby Legend has passed away 🙁
• Weekly Beekeepers Q&A on Blab, any interest? Check here for more DETAILS
• Is summer finally here?

Margaret

• Last month lawn and apiary
• Progress on apiary plans
• Split progress and benefits of record-keeping
• DECA sign-offs close / beekeeper services can still bee done
• Gossip re Auckland Council pick-on old lady!
• Treatment while raising queens !!!
• Beginners starting to focus their beekeeping endeavors
• Christmas Gifts new books great prices Practical beekeeping specifically for NZed only 37.00 !
• Calm at kiwimana restored?! – going bannna’!
• Rod’s Bees’s…who is he? More photos HERE
• Special thanks to Wendy for her yummy scones with lashings of jam and butter, Suzanne for a cuppa on her deck and chocolate marshmallows, Rod for his striking of Calendular seedlings for me, and beginner beekeeper Mark for bringing his young teenage daughter Victoria with him to join us in looking into his new colony for the first time and gratefully reminding me why we do what we do for the future

Blog Recap – Top three Blog Posts Last Month

• End of the Spring World Cup

  Some Feedback about End of the Spring World Cup

  @kiwimanabuzz Loving your podcast #80. Your mystery caller sounds like Morgan Freeman. You heard it first from me!

  — John (@surfdrone) November 5, 2015

  
  Beth from bad_ass_bees – Uh, was that Morgan Freeman on your voice mail?! Actor turned recent beekeeper? Great podcast as always! Thanks for all your hard work & sharing your knowledge

• Rusty Burlew – The voice behind Honey Bee Suite

Beekeeping News

The largest Australian nature discovery project finds four new bee species

Four new native bee species have been discovered as part of nature discovery project called “Bush Blitz” by South Australian Bee Specialists.

Four new native bee species were recognized as part of the largest Australian nature discovery project ‘Bush Blitz.’ The South Australian bee specialists used molecular and morphological evidence to prove them as new.

The largest Australian nature discovery project finds four new bee species

High honey price creates problems in Bay of Plenty

Out of town corporates hoping to make millions from bees are causing issues in the Coromandel area of New Zealand. Creating risks of undernourished and possibly spreading diseases in area. Local beekeepers are struggling with hive losses and increased land rental for good Bee Yards.

Unprecedented prices for Manuka honey is driving a mini goldrush on the Coromandel and creating huge challenges for the local bee industry,including the devastation of hives.

High honey price creates problems in Bay of Plenty

Preschooler’s ‘bee bowl’ tackles drowning problem

Geraldine hobbyist beekeeper Gavin Oliver visits a Timaru Kindergarten and teachings the children about Honey Bees. This article from Stuff a news site in New Zealand.
Always great news to see young people being introduced to bees, good on you Gavin for doing this.

Rhona Day Kindergarten head teacher Bev O’Connor said 4-year-old Tiki’s creation, “the bee bowl”, was part of the Bee Awareness Month in September.

"He made a bee bowl and put stones in it so the bees could stand on the stones and drink water from the bowl without drowning. They have short legs and drown in too much water

Preschooler’s ‘bee bowl’ tackles drowning problem

Your feedback

Antz Mcghie – That’s what I do with a chicken feeder, so do many others.
Rita James – And put some apple cider vinegar in to help kill mites

10 Reasons Beehives Die in the Winter

Article from keeping Backyard bees in North America by Melissa Caughey with some reasons why bees die over winter and what you can do to stop it,

Here are the reasons:-

• Starvation
• Excess Moisture
• Temperature Fluctuations
• Weak Hive Going into Winter
• Strong Winds
• Ill or Infested Hives
• Replace the Comb
• Failure to Clear off Entrances
• Failure to Install Mouse Guards
• Failure to Check Your Bees in the Winter

Now is the time to begin preparing your beehives for a successful overwintering. During winter, instead of foraging for and storing food, the focus of the hive is to overwinter the queen. Successfully overwintering the queen ensures the hive’s survival for next spring. Honeybees during this time will cluster around the queen only to break the cluster during warmer days (mid-40’s) for cleansing flights and to move the cluster closer to food stores. So why do hives die anyway during winter?

10 Reasons Beehives Die in the Winter from Keeping Backyard Bees

Argentina: The Country That Monsanto Poisoned

A shocking article from Anonymous about the state of farming practices in Argentina.

• Argentina has become the third largest Soybean producer, with nearly 100% of this being generic modified.
• Since 1996 Monsanto has been selling them Soybeans seeds.
• Pesticides are being used in applied contrary to existing laws.
• Birth defects have quadrupled and rates of cancer in Farmer areas are 4 times higher than other Non Rural areas.
• Sprays are not meant to used with 1.5 km of residential houses

American biotechnology has turned Argentina into the world’s third-largest soybean producer, but the chemicals powering the boom aren’t confined to soy and cotton and corn fields. They routinely contaminate homes and classrooms and drinking water. A growing chorus of doctors and scientists is warning that their uncontrolled use could be responsible for the increasing number of health problems turning up in hospitals across the South American nation. In the heart of Argentina’s soybean business, house-to-house surveys of 65,000 people in farming communities found cancer rates two to four times higher than the national average, as well as higher rates of hypothyroidism and chronic respiratory illnesses. Associated Press photographer Natacha Pisarenko spent months documenting the issue in farming communities across Argentina.

Argentina: The Country That Monsanto Poisoned

Video: Why Monsanto is responsible for thousands of sick children in Argentina

This is a reportage based on the documentary Transgenic Wars by Paul Moreira. On 25th February 2015 it was broadcast on Dutch television by a program called Zembla

Questions from you

1. Elena write:-We want to swap from the 3/4 depth box with plastic frames that our neighbour has loaned us to 1/2 depth wooden boxes. How/when would we go about doing this?
2. Jane asked:- We have managed to successfully split our colony and now have two hardworking hives with huge nectar flowing-in – how do I manage it?
3. *Audio* – Jane from London – Describe what is a queen excluder?

If you have a question, email us at [email protected] and the team at kiwimana will do our best to answer it. Or visit our speakpipe page HERE

Our New Patrons!!!!

This month we have these great new supporter. (These are our executive producers and you could be one too)

Our most recent new Patron is – Jennifer from Sea Willow Herb. You can check out Jennifer’s blog and ETSY shop HERE. Thanks for choosing to support kiwimana by becoming our patron Jennifer.

Other ways to keep the kiwimana buzz buzzing

In what other ways do you support kiwimana? It’s easy Peasy!

• Buying our Bees
• Taking our courses
• Buying our beekeeping gear and tools
• Hiring us to help you manage your hive with one to one support
• Joining our free newsletter

Feedback from you guys!!!

iTunes

Great work team – Tramper Ted – 5 Stars – New Zealand

I appreciate the energy and effort that you put in to this podcast. Awesome. I love how you have improved the quality of your presentation. Banana’s – Friday, 13 November 2015

Phone Calls

Debbie from NZ – love the work you do, enjoy the newsletter and can’t believe how much work you do for us thanks

[patreon]

Merry Christmas guys!!!

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