Migrants add to honey buzz

Five hundred hives in transit at Whangarei's Kauri Saleyard yesterday caught the attention of several passersby. Photo / John Stone

An extra 80 million workers will produce Northland's manuka liquid gold this summer, as non-resident bees swarm the region.

Masterton-based firm Watson & Son was yesterday in the process of bringing 4000 hives to Northland, each with about 20,000 bees inside - though some local apiarists are not welcoming the newcomers.

The migrants are adding to bee-related dramas in Northland with 30 hives worth $10,000 reported stolen in the past fortnight and others hit by arsonists.

Five hundred hives in transit at Whangarei's Kauri Saleyard yesterday caught the attention of several passersby.

Chris Craig, acting general manager of Whangarei firm Tahi Honey, which operates about 3000 hives in Northland, said the sudden influx of guests could cause problems. "If they're new to an area they'll potentially put the hives on the back of other hives. It will affect us for sure. If apiarists are trying to work the same blocks there can be competition," he said.

John Gavin from Titoki's Gavins Apiaries said the new arrivals were the tip of the iceberg, with several companies from across the country bringing hives into the region.

"But then there's Northland keepers taking their hives elsewhere, so it goes both ways. The beehive numbers are increasing in Northland. I've heard there's 80,000 more hives in New Zealand than last year."

Kauri Saleyard manager Bruce Scott said the yard was being used as a distribution point for the hives in exchange for a box of beers. "Unfortunately they really like the colour blue," he said, as he went about his work in bright blue overalls.

Watson & Son operations manager Matt Timperley said the sudden appearance of the hives always attracted a lot of interest from the public, millions of bees having arrived via air conditioned truck overnight.

The bees were to be shifted to blocks of manuka across Northland. The company took out contracts with landowners and provided keepers to care for the hives and harvest honey.

"This will be our third year in your part of the country. We pretty much travel the whole North Island chasing the manuka flower," he said.

There was no apiary war going on and his firm had come in on a level playing field.

"We pay for what we harvest and we're a well-established company. There's a huge amount of manuka in Northland and we don't even scratch the surface." Weather indications were it was going to be a "bumper season".