September is Bee Aware Month, an initiative from the National Beekeepers' Association that aims to educate us on the importance of bees to our livelihood, environment and economy.
Two thirds of the food that we eat is pollinated by bees so without them we will be in trouble. As September is the beginning of Spring it's a great time to plan what you'll be doing in with your garden over the warmer months. This year's theme is "feed the bees" so now would be a great time for gardeners to consider adding "bee-friendly" trees to their property, if not an actual hive.
And don't be fooled into thinking that if you live centrally there's not much point in having plants that bees like. There are "urban bees" in Christchurch (and most cities). For instance, did you know there's a hive on the roof of C1 espresso? Honey bees can travel several kilometres to find nectar producing flowers so even if there are no hives on your block, your potted lavender may still be visited by a bee (or several).
If you're keen, to either make your garden a bee-haven or maybe get a hive yourself, or even just rent one, you might want to have check out -
- Books on beekeeping
- Beekeeping talk at Spreydon Library, 12 September, 11-11.30am
- Backyard honeybees in Christchurch - Host a hive on your property, learn about bees, and get delicious honey.
- Canterbury beekeeping clubs
- Bee Aware Month Facebook page
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