From time to time I come across interesting things about bees and honey. This page will be a blog where I can share these things. It will also share occasional news, and articles for my freelance writing for the Apiarist’s Advocate.
Book Review: Miss Bumby’s Mission
A review of an historical novel about New Zealand’s first ever beekeeper
Sarah C’s Bees – The Accidental Beekeeper
Sarah Cross: beekeeping enthusiast, erstwhile apiary researcher, community educator, and hobbyist coach.
Ken Brown’s “Ministry of Bees”
Read here to find out about another local beekeeper and his roles as an educator, club president, and assistant chocolatier.
“Don Buck” Honey: What’s in the Name?
The story of “Don Buck,” a historical figure of West Auckland whose name has been lent to several local locations and businesses, including my own.
More than a Store: The Comvita Wellness Lab
The Comvita “Wellness Lab” in Auckland’s CBD is nestled between Prince’s Wharf and the Viaduct Harbour, surrounded by restaurants, ice-cream bars, and a souvenir store. The setting is a far cry from the farms, forests, and honey sheds that most beekeepers are used to. More than just a store, the Wellness Lab is a flagship…
Auckland Flooding Soaks Hives and Club HQ
Auckland Beekeeping Club President Steve Leslie took a break from attending hives on a rare cloudless morning to talk to Chris Northcott about how their club and members’ hives were caught up in the recent, January 27, Auckland floods and where to from here
A Different Kind of Apiculture
Every year, millions of bumblebee nests are raised and sold to commercial buyers globally. These will last a mere matter of months before the colonies disintegrate and disperse. Chris Northcott spoke to Mike Sim, business development manager at Biobees, about why bumblebee nests are in such demand.
We Won Bronze!!
Our Creamed Kanuka honey won a bronze award at the Apiculture NZ 2021 Honey Contest.
Anaphylaxis and the Families of Beekeepers
This story was first published for the Apiarist’s Advocate – a monthly eMagazine for beekeepers. The original version is from the July 2021 edition which can be viewed here. Severe reactions to bee stings among beekeepers and their families is not uncommon. Among those affected are the family of Auckland beekeeper Phil Brown. Two of Brown’s three…
Maureen Conquer: Honey Sensory Analyst
Who is Maureen Conquer? Well imagine having taste buds so refined that you can recall and identify the exact apiary location that a honey came from, even if your two tastings of the produce were 20 years apart. That sort of skill means those who deal in the making and marketing of honey will care…
Softening Crystalized Honey
You may have noticed that honeys differ not only in taste and color, but also in texture. Some honeys are thin and runny, others are thick but still smooth and soft, some are crunchy and others have set solid. This post describes what you need to do if you have hard or ‘crunchy’ honey and…
The value of wildflowers
I used to have two small sites in a nice suburb in the North Shore of Auckland. When I was doing my feeding rounds, I would work my way around my sites – bush sites in the forested Waitakere Ranges, farmland sites around rural West Auckland, and then finish up in the suburban North Shore.…
Bad Honey
An article about honeys being ‘watered down’ with sugar syrup. This isn’t just a problem for the consumer who wants to purchase pure honey. It also drives honest beekeepers out of business. Thankfully, this isn’t known to be a problem in New Zealand. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/884kq4/your-fancy-honey-might-not-actually-be-honey?utm_source=pocket-newtab&fbclid=IwAR2oE6093zSihp7AdbTK2CWmPgIkDg-wqD0J9d89iwcE2AWdNW7pGMN2GjA
Kanuka Honey – Pollen Tests
Regarding the 2019 Far North Kanuka Honey: Honey can have a pollen count test done by a laboratory technician. Kanuka and Manuka pollens are very difficult to tell apart, and so are counted together. Since Manuka bushes are only in flower at the start of the season, and this batch was harvested toward the end…
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