Beeswax wrapper gives away wildflower seeds for fatter happier bees

Ruapehu waste minimisation educator Emily Jasmine wants wildflowers to help bees. Photo / supplied

Emily Jasmine wants to give bees a hand in the Ruapehu District.

She's Ruapehu District Council's waste minimisation educator and ran a workshop to make environmentally friendly beeswax wraps. It went so well she thinks it's only fair to help the bees make beeswax.

"Bees need to consume about 3kg of honey to produce 500gm of wax, so it is a huge amount of work for them," she said.

"To help them out we have 50 packets of bee-friendly wildflower seeds to give away."

Bees forage on wildflowers and other bee-friendly plants for nectar and pollen, which provide carbohydrates and protein for growth and the energy they need to make honey and wax. In the process, bees do the vital task of pollinating plants for the food we all need.

One of the easiest ways to help bees is by planting bee-friendly gardens in both urban and rural places.

Well-nourished bees are also better at fending off diseases, parasites and other insects such as wasps which attack their hive to steal honey.

To go into the draw to win a packet of wildflower seeds all you need to do is take a photo of your beeswax wrap in use, or of a bee in your garden.

Post your pic on the council's Facebook page with #beeawarenz18, or post it to Freepost 492 Private Bag 1001 Taumarunui 3946, or drop it into your local council office - with your contact details. Entries close on October 28.