Rotorua store and club work together to get people buzzing about bees and beekeeping

Palmers Rotorua retail manager Rachel Beckett with one of the painted hives in store. Photo / Shauni James

Palmers Rotorua will be a hive of activity this weekend as people have the chance to learn more about bees and beekeeping.

September is Bee Month, and Palmers Rotorua is holding a talk with Rotorua Honey Bee Club instore tomorrowat 2pm.

Club member Arusha Jayne says her and fellow member Wendy Boyd will talk about their experience as club members, give their personal beekeeping stories, and share the basics of beekeeping.

She says they will also talk about the bees as pollinators and how gardeners can support their local bee population in order to have healthy bees around them.

It also gives people the chance to ask questions and hear from people who are actually doing it, she says.

Arusha and Wendy will be in the their beekeeping outfits and will bring tasters of honey.

"I'm retired but it's amazing how much time you need to put into your bees over the summer period."

Arusha says she always enjoys talking to a group of new people.

"I love beekeeping myself, the bees themselves are just amazing."

She thinks a lot of our food is pollinated by bees, and so bees and beekeeping is of interest to everyone people.

"Especially in the last few years I think people have become more aware of the need to help the bees.

"A lot of people want to do the most they can when they understand how important honey bees are to us."

Palmers Rotorua retail manager Rachel Beckett says it is important the store does its part so people realise the role of bees in their garden.

"Our customers are already interested in gardening so it makes sense that we team up with the Rotorua Honey Bee Club to try and get the message across.

"We want people to have the best results in their garden, and bee health and awareness is a very important part of that."

Rachel says there are a couple of hives instore which have been painted by
members of the Rotorua Honey Bee Club.

There is also an interactive bee box with pull-out slides and coloured photos of each stage of honey production, she says.

For more information on the Rotorua Honey Bee Club go to www.rotoruahoneybeeclub.co.nz.