Bees at Massey High School
Enjoying the End of Winter.
The sunnier weather along with slightly less rain and longer days have meant that the bees which are part of the Hospitality Academy Field to Plate programme, are bouncing back from their winter low point. In July the bee numbers took a hit from wasp predation, the varroa mite and poor weather. However, now with the warmer temperatures, the flowering of gorse, (an important food source at this time of year for our bees), the bees are increasing in number again in both our hives.
Our Hospitality students who have enrolled in the apiculture unit, (bee keeping), were able to get an insight and run down on the hives from Oliver from Beezthinz this week. We saw the queen bee, the drone breeding units, and the worker bees all very busy. In the coming months as spring replaces winter the numbers will increase rapidly in the hives moving from approximately 10,000 to 40,000 and beyond as the days warm up and food sources increase. Wasps will also become more active, so predation rates will also rise, but when the wasps are breeding, which they will do in spring they can be controlled by bait stations.
We are looking forward to the spring weather and the continuation of the apiculture course.
Nick Hackett Assistant Principal.
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