Kem Ormond receives her bumblebees from the courier. Photo / Phil Thomsen
Kem Ormond is a feature writer for The Country and a big fan of bees. So it’s no surprise she’s buzzing after being sent a box of bumblebees recently.
As you enjoy the rich flavour of a greenhouse-grown tomato, spare a thought for the unsung hero behind its production – the bumblebee.
Today marks a meaningful milestone in my long-standing interest in bumblebees and their role in sustainable horticulture.
I am pleased to share that a hive of bumblebees, supplied by Biobees, the largest and only specialised bumblebee provider in New Zealand, has been successfully delivered to Whanganui.
Biobees, headquartered in Hastings, Hawke’s Bay, arranged for the hive to be couriered overnight.
While this particular hive is designed for small-scale use, such as in home gardens, I have chosen to donate it to the Heritage Food Crops Research Trust in Whanganui, where it will be housed in their heritage tomato greenhouse.
Introducing your bees into your greenhouse or home garden is simple.
Once the bees have settled from their trip, a slider on the box is opened and they are free to exit and start pollinating.
At Heritage Food Crops Research Trust, the hive is placed into a wool-insulated housing unit, designed to maintain warmth and extend the bees’ activity period.
A small porthole allows the bees to exit and re-enter freely.
Within minutes of opening the hive’s sliding panel, the bees began exploring the tomato plants, an inspiring display of nature in action.
Bumblebees are vital pollinators for crops grown under cover, particularly tomatoes and blueberries.
Unlike honeybees, bumblebees engage in “buzz pollination”, a technique where they vibrate their bodies to release pollen from flowers that remain tightly closed.
This unique behaviour makes them indispensable for greenhouse crop production.
Other crops such as cherries, stone fruit and early-flowering plums also benefit significantly from bumblebee activity.
“Biobees has been breeding bumblebees since 1996,” Biobees manager Mike Sim said.
“Each year, we produce tens of thousands of hives and distribute them across New Zealand.
“Our hives are guaranteed to provide optimal pollination for at least four weeks and can last up to eight weeks if environmental conditions are favourable.”
Biobees’ rearing process closely mimicked the natural life cycle of bumblebees, Sim said.
“By providing ideal conditions and ample nutrition, we’re able to produce hives year-round.
“This is especially important for the glasshouse industry, ensuring high-quality fruit and vegetable production even in winter.”
The hives contain Bombus terrestris, commonly known as the buff-tailed bumblebee.
Introduced from the United Kingdom in the late 19th century to pollinate red clover, four species of bumblebee are now established in New Zealand.
Unlike honeybees, bumblebees form nests rather than hives, and only freshly mated queens survive through winter by hibernating.
In New Zealand’s temperate climate, some hives continue functioning beyond their typical lifespan.
However, once a hive produces reproductive bees, new queens and males, the original queen ceases laying eggs and the hive naturally declines.
Bumblebees begin emerging from hibernation in July, and by October, they are actively foraging and pollinating, thus beginning the cycle anew.
Globally, bumblebee populations are in decline due to habitat loss and human activity.
Fortunately, in New Zealand, their numbers remain relatively stable thanks to the efforts of gardeners and growers who are increasingly planting bee-friendly foliage and companies like Biobees, who certainly take the sting out of pollination problems!
Life is indeed “all abuzz” for these remarkable pollinators, who, incidentally, have smelly feet.
But that’s a story for another day.
Find out more at the Biobees website.