A hive of “placid” bees from Italy enabled two local space-suited Earthlings to remove the swarm from the walls of a maintenance shed and into more appropriate quarters near the driveway gardens.
Yes, if you look closely you may just guess Erin is the cautious but enthusiastic trainee bee-keeper to the right.
With the guidance of Marcello, a local apiarist, Erin took her first hands-on steps as Kawai Purapura’s new queen bee.
Moving the bees resulted in a large sample of raw honey being available to residents on site at the time. Those who sampled the fresh and tasty delicacy claimed to feel invigorated and refreshed after just a few minutes!
It was interesting to learn that bees are quite hardy when it comes to hive moves. They will forage up to a 5 km radius, although they stay close to the hive if there is a plentiful supply nearby of flowers with high nectar. Pohutukawa and Manuka are favourites for bees if nearby, and Manuka honey is known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Here’s wishing Erin the best of luck with her new hobby.