Bees play vital role in food chain

We really need bees.

About one third of what we eat is pollinated by bees, directly or indirectly. Most fruit and vegetables we grow or buy are made possible by bee pollination. And bees pollinate clover, which in turn creates good pasture to feed the animals that produce dairy and meat. Between 9000 and 11,000 tonnes of honey are harvested in New Zealand each year. It's a big export earner, with up to half our annual production going overseas.

And, as never before, bees need us. Varroa has wiped out wild bee colonies and caused huge losses of managed colonies. Varroa is an aggressive mite that attacks bees at the larval stage and literally sucks the life out of them. It was detected in New Zealand in 2000, and despite strenuous efforts to contain it, Varroa has now spread almost the length of the country, with horrible results.

As any beekeeper will tell you, bees are fascinating creatures. Their hives are highly organised. There are housekeeping bees, guard bees that protect the entrance against wasps or raiding bees from other hives . . . and of the course, the queen - only one in each hive - who is lavishly attended, but only as long as she keeps laying eggs, up to 2000 a day! The worker bees are sterile females, who literally fly till they drop, searching out pollen and nectar in a 2-4km radius of their hive. They visit up to 3000 flowers in a single day and can collect half their own body weight in nectar each trip.

If you have a garden (or enjoy anyone else's), the presence of bees among the flowers is something to delight in. Here are some simple things you can do to support healthy bees:

Include varieties with single flowers, rather than double or triples and plant clusters of the same variety.

Encourage plants and shrubs that flower in late summer/autumn and late winter/early spring: these are the hungry times for bees.

Avoid spraying gorse, manuka or clover when they are in flower. You'll annihilate the bees harvesting from those plants.

Avoid using any "neonic" insecticides or coated seeds, if possible. There is growing evidence that these have a devastating effect on bee colonies. If you absolutely must use neonicotinoids like Imidacloprid, spray on an overcast, cold day or in the evening when bees aren't flying. (They can't fly in the rain, strong winds or when it's less than 12C)

Remember, bees are not aggressive, although they will defend their honey stores and their babies (who can blame them?). Don't ever approach hives and don't walk in front of hives - you'll cross the bees' flight path. Don't confuse bees with wasps, which are much more likely to sting you.

Bees are often blamed for the ill that wasps do.

Whanganui has a fantastic local bee club, a friendly and active bunch. Club volunteers, Anne Hulme of Springvale Honey chief among them, tirelessly offer training for fledgling beekeepers.

John Brandon of Canaan Apiaries (06 345 5350) has more details.

Rachel Rose has a large urban block in Whanganui she's planting up for food (for humans and bees). She is particularly interested in alternative beekeeping methods such as top bar hives.