Rest home hives ‘the bee’s knees’

The residents of Radius Peppertree Rest Home think their new neighbours are the bee’s knees.

The Palmerston North rest home recently got two beehives, complete with 10,000 bees each. By Christmas there are expected to be 100,000 all up.

The residents have been getting on well with their new neighbours and are looking forward to tasting some of their honey later this year.

‘‘They are the bee’s knees,’’ resident Gwen Pawson said.

Radius Peppertree facility manager Jill Job said the rest home started a garden club and a campaign to save the bees last year, but only got the hives in the past weeks.

The National Beekeepers’ Association of New Zealand declared September as Bee Aware Month, recognising that worldwide, the number of bees are declining.

Job said they wanted to be sure bees stuck around, as honey was used for a variety of health products Radius used.

The hives were expected to start producing honey by about December or January, when they would get about 5 kilograms from each, per month.

Job said the bees did not bother the residents, who were planting more flowers to help their new guests adapt.

Resident, Ivy Pilalis, said their neighbours were pretty ‘sweet’.

‘‘They’re a bit busy aren’t they?’’

PHOTO: WARWICK SMITH Radius Peppertree diversional therapist Susan Anstis resident Gwen Pawson, facility manager Jill Job and resident Ivy Pilalis watch over the bees.