A local beekeeper has been forced to move the majority of his hives to a Tamworth nursery after the hives began turning on each other due to the drought.
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Fortunately for Bendemeer’s Deon Heemskerk the family nursery in Tamworth is still operating, although is currently on the market.
“I had to take seven of my ten hives into the nursery because there just isn’t enough plants flowering – the hives were starting to rob honey from each other,” he said.
“The wild colonies would definitely be struggling as well – it will certainly be having an effect on bee numbers.”
While there is no need for concern just yet, it is something being watched closely around the country with bees responsible for the pollination of almost 70 per cent of all food crops.
Bees not only need water for flower and nectar production, but also need a surprising amount of drinking water.
Weakened hives are not only susceptible to attack from fellow hives, but also other insects like ants, who are also searching for water and food.
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“This last year has been a massive learning curve for me,” Mr Heemskerk said.
“I am lucky that there is plenty of plants and flowers at the nursery.”
While beekeeping and horticulture go hand in hand, Mr Heemskerk literally stumbled into his passion last year, when a hive of native bees took up residence in the wall of his house.
It was perfect timing, as his father Peter retired and planned to put Heemskerk’s Nursery on the market, with Deon now working three days a week at the nursery, and devoting the rest of his time to the hives.
“I got home one day and the house had hundreds of bees inside,” Deon said.
“I knew a beekeeper who came and got the bees, but I was always interested in it so soon after I bought him out.”
“This might sound strange, but I love those bees that were in the house – I don’t need a suit or smoke for them because they won’t sting me.”
The new business is called Mountain Patch, and offers both raw and the very popular creamed honey, as well as compost worms and worm castings available at his wife Tiarni’s Bendemeer Pioneer General Store, or online.