Bees at Willowbrook Park

Further to our previous post Bees and Hives, we now have bees at Willowbrook Park!. We were approached by a lovely couple who make honey locally, and asked whether we would 'winter' their bee hives in the park. We are hoping to have their bees in the park permanently, and we hope to offer their honey in our country store, given the obvious Willowbrook connection.

Above: The people who own the hives
Below: The hives in situ

Bees and Hives...

Bees traditionally were kept in a variety of houses. The quintessential beehive shaped ones were known as 'skeps'.

They were a very inefficient way of looking after honey bees, as one had to destroy the skep and scatter the colony to get the honey out.

Skeps are still good if you want to promote pollination in your garden and provide a home for bees without wanting the honey. They also make nice garden ornaments.

They can be made from rope, or more traditionally, straw. I am going to have a go at making some for around Willowbrook, and also to sell in our park store.

They were kept in small holes in a walled garden. The holes or alcoves were known as boles (see below)

The modern moveable beehive was only invented in 1851.

Hopefully tour hives will atract a lot of honey bees, which are in decline in New Zealand thanks to the Varroa mite.