19
COROMANDEL LIFE
SUMMER 2014
In our Spring issue of
Coromandel
Life,
we looked into the fascinating
lives of the honeybee and its hive
culture – the queen, the workers, the
drones – and how they worked as a
team to construct the hive’s combs,
raise the young, gather food, and
make and store their honey.
In this second part of our Bee Series
we shed some light on the dedicated
workers behind the Coromandel bee
keeping industry. Their bees produce
much more than just honey, much of it
medicinal!
Bees are big news these days, as
many natural and manmade forces
are threatening them. Without bees
actively pollinating most of our food
crops (wind being the other prime
pollinator), plants with their fruits and
vegetables would not flourish. And
neither would man.
Our established native forest offers an
abundance of rata, Kanuka, Manuka,
Rewarewa, Tawiri, Mingimini and
Pohutakawa giving Coromandel
honey a distinctive flavour and
provides a haven for beekeeping.
On a world scale, the bee populations
are endangered. Obvious causes are
the use of pesticides, fungicides and
herbicides. Entire colonies have
collapsed with the invasion of
parasites and diseases.
Farming practices also contribute
to the bees demise as their former
blossomed land is now covered
with monocrops (single crops grown
year after year on the same land)
which have often been sprayed with
herbicides. In some areas, bees are
literally starving and their hives do not
survive the winter.
New Zealand’s beekeepers have
fought back and are staying ahead
of the threats. They are indeed now
a leading exporter of healthy bee
hives, honey and its many medicinal
byproducts.
BEE KEEPING
the way to bee
The ‘Haywards Honey Shop’ team
checks hives in a Coromandel pasture.
At left, they carefully remove the honey laden frames.
Above, smoke is used to temporarily quiet the bees.
by Claire Fitzjames
A
lthough New Zealand has been
called ‘the land of milk and honey’
it has mostly been equated more
with milk than honey; the dominating
farm landscape has managed to override
the honey aspect of this country. But
things are changing – in 2012 the number
of beekeepers had grown to 3775, an
increase of more than 500; and hives to
429,000, an increase of over 35,000.
Bees work as a group for the wellbeing of
their colony. This ethos set by the bees
can be seen in the private colonies of the
beekeepers themselves. A lot of work is put
in to keep the hive alive!
A handful of beekeeping companies buzz
around the Coromandel emptying their
carefully placed hives and processing
the ‘liquid gold’. We talked to three and
discovered more about their typical day and
the special relationship between the bee and
its keeper.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BEEKEEPER
Haywards Honey Shop
has been going
strong since 1983. It all started with Yab
(Colin) Hayward going for a drive along
Opoutere Road. He stopped to talk to a
man who was sitting on a hive in a paddock
rearing Queen bees.
Two hours later and 5 brand new hives under
his belt, Haywards Honey had begun. Three
years later, brother Bonk (Bruce) joined him
in the family business.
Thirty years later, the Hayward colony
comprises of their children Molly and Luke
along with son-in-law Glenn Strange. Then
there are Tairua locals Dan, Hayden, Ricki,
Jeremy, Wayne and Joe.
A regular day begins bright and early with the
team meeting at the family house in Tairua.
Orders are barked out by Yab then everyone
scatters either out in the trucks visiting hives
or processing at the ‘honey shed’ which is
tucked away in the farmlands of beautiful
Whenuakite.
There literally is a buzzing atmosphere at
the Honey shed with bees hovering around
their collected hives, shouts coming from the
brothers, machines processing the tonnes
of honey and music to keep the crew going.
During the busy period, days turn into long
nights for the Haywards with some of the
team working as late as 1am to keep on top
of the workload.
Son-in-law Glenn Strange is learning the
ropes of the family business. He is already
fascinated with the furry little creatures and
doesn’t seem to mind lifting 20kg hives in a
space suit.
“It’s great to be outdoors and there is
a lot to learn about these amazing creatures.
It’s worth putting up with 30 degree heat
in a full beesuit with gloves and gumboots
to taste the sweet warm honey
straight from the hive.”
Glenn Strange
•
Haywards Honey Shop
