Interest in beekeeping still booming
Nelsonians wanting to learn more about beekeeping have several options when it comes to learning about how to keep bees.
Beekeeping tutor Nigel Costley who runs courses in Nelson said interest in keeping bees appeared stronger than ever.
‘‘The interest is just escalating if anything,’’ he said. ‘‘I keep thinking the bubble will burst, but it hasn’t.’’
The challenges of beekeeping had increased in recent years and Costley said the arrival of the varroa mite meant beekeepers had to be more diligent and wellorganised than ever before or they faced losing their hives.
Despite having kept bees for 38 years, he said it was a case of endless discovery and not something one could become an expert on by studying a book.
‘‘Beekeeping does require several seasons of diligent beekeeping to get confident,’’ he said. ‘‘You managed for them.
Backyard Bees currently have 150 hives across the Nelson Tasman region and Lane said the demand was fast increasing.
While the bee population was exploding in New Zealand thanks to the manuka honey industry, Lane said there was still a demand for bees in residential areas.