January 2021 Apiary Diary

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,847]

Well, thank goodness that 2020 is now in the rubbish bin. 

Let's hope for a much better 2021, however, I am not so sure that will happen as we still have to deal with the effects of 2020.

It looks like the weather has turned into the warm stuff here in Manawatu.  I am rather sick of the wet, cold and wind that we have had.

 

Anyway.  Enough of the grumping.  I wish everyone a very fruitful and prosperous New Year.  I pray that your God gives you everything that you need in 2021.

[yesbut 6,232]

In contrast to a lot of people I've had the most marvellous year ! Thanks to covid emptying a lot of roads down south the motorcycling  has been very enjoyable, and also thanks to lockdown I've had a lot more to do with our local community, and thanks to Jacinda (take that Trev) my pension has kept rolling in.....not the tiniest grump from me. Happy New Year All.

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,847]

I agree.  I have a great Covid19 time.  Apart from having to cancel our overseas trip in April.

However, there are a lot of people who have not been so fortunate.

 

[dansar 5,524]

So many parts of the country with no excess honey flow. Hives are maintaining weight (barely). Some sites require a hive or two topping up with some syrup. On the positive side, the weather has settled somewhat and finally getting a better percentage of queens mated.

Hives that haven’t performed have been used to split for replacements and hopefully a few increases.

 

 

 

[Philippa Thomas 61]

A glorious day here in the 'Naki. No pre 31 December harvest here due to a very late start, but Pohutukawa and clover are going nuts, with a bit of lotus and boxes are filling up fast, with the first hopefully coming off next week. Sampling at the hives are indicating a tasty brew.

[Goran 1,523]

At this part of world we have little time to relax while expecting to 2020. finish.. Now we are 2 hours in 2021. aaand I must say this person who invented six packs is mean person.. We were emptying them really fast.. But for once in the year we are on the loose.. Tomorrow reset into new season.. What didn't kill us last season made us stronger..

Take care for loving ones, worrying about things that you can't change won't do you or yours any good. Life is too short, enjoy it..

[Wildflower 465]

I am always ready to welcome a New Year. Love it.

Sky was clear last night.Moon still reasonbly full. Had a bunch of friends and neighbours around and lit the outside fire.

(An old washing machine

bowl ) And yes it is supposed to be Summer!

In bed at 3 and up at 8 with not a smidgen of a hangover. Now a decent days work is behind me, I have quietness at last and life is good.

                  

Wishing everybody a fantastic 2021.Bee happy,

bee kind and have lots and lots of fun. 

Edited January 1 by Wildflower
Typos.

[Russ 321]

Have been busy collecting firewood, the past week and watching the bees finally bring in more than they are consuming.

Have actually seen some bees on the manuka, the rewarewa didn't flower very well again, the clover is making an appearance.

Now I have to move hive's to make way for a new highway.

Happy New Year. 

[Wildflower 465]

FD box with grotty frames has been successfully adopted by the Queen and her workers.I now have a rediculous amount of bees and brood that I can happily sell.....Or can I?

I have to keep reminding myself that I want to get rid of my FD gear!!!

Got covered in bees and got the giggles. Husband reluctantly took a photo from a VERY long way away.

Now the question is. Will I get around to selling it?

I am not sure what would be a fair price if I do? 3/4 of the frames are really good. Boxes are fine. As of today there were 7 very full frames of capped brood,but one has reasonable amount drone. ( one of the bad frames) I would only sell the FD boxes. 

 

[gordie 27]

My very first harvest! Super on for one month, 8 frames harvested...20kgs...beautiful...very happy!

[jamesc 4,924]

Well thare yah go.... the coast with most came to the party.....these babies are off to visit Roy at Otira....honey and all. I guess we’ll strip them down when the rain stops.

[yesbut 6,232]

2 hours ago, Wildflower said:

I now have a rediculous amount of bees and brood that I can happily sell.....Or can I?

You'd better be quick before James weakens & floods the market.

[jamesc 4,924]

Nice swim ....oops sorry... Beesuit

[Wildflower 465]

55 minutes ago, yesbut said:

3 hours ago, Wildflower said:

I now have a rediculous amount of bees and brood that I can happily sell.....Or can I?

You'd better be quick before James weakens & floods the market.

I have seen a few hives for sale in my area on Trade Me. So more than likely I will still have this bunch in Spring!! At least I am not short of a bee or two at mo.

[Wildflower 465]

33 minutes ago, jamesc said:

Nice swim ....oops sorry... Beesuit

Gotta have a laugh. 

[Maggie James 906]

On 1/01/2021 at 10:48 AM, dansar said:

So many parts of the country with no excess honey flow. Hives are maintaining weight (barely). Some sites require a hive or two topping up with some syrup. On the positive side, the weather has settled somewhat and finally getting a better percentage of queens mated.

Hives that haven’t performed have been used to split for replacements and hopefully a few increases.

What are the light cappings Dansar?

[jamesc 4,924]

What the.....

[yesbut 6,232]

Waddayou on about now, a patch of Rata or an ostrich ?

[Maggie James 906]

5 hours ago, yesbut said:

an ostrich

Stop being silly.  It's a moa!  It will be enroute to the Bealey or Moana pub.  It's prob the one that Paddy Freaney spotted in the 1990s

Edited January 2 by Maggie James

[Alastair 8,630]

Yes, despite that some people had difficulties in 2020, especially those in the hospitality or tourist industry, for me anyhow it's been a pretty good year.

 

Other than some incompetencies at the border, we seem to have defeated the pandemic relatively easily, by using what amounts to the fairly simple technique of preventing it from spreading from one to another. Just common sense really.

 

Looking at other countries I realise how lucky we are here. Most countries do not have the suitable politicians or political will, or stupid or selfish populations, that they just cannot defeat the virus, and even have violent demonstrations to oppose measures such as mask wearing or lockdowns designed to defeat the virus. Looking at the stupidity going on in some other countries I am so glad to live here in NZ.

 

Many people myself included have come out better off than we would have been without the pandemic. In my case it's because sales of my honey rocketed when the pandemic struck. But for many people it's because the lack of overseas trips and other ways to waste money were not available, so people have come through with more cash than they would have otherwise have had.

 

 

Edited January 2 by Alastair

[kaihoka 2,976]

This yr has exposed how much wealth is in NZ that normally gets spent overseas.

The art market is going gangbusters.

The social inequality in NZ is not ripping apart society currently but I do wonder what it will be like in 20 yrs if things continue to change at the same rate.

 

Edited January 2 by kaihoka

[Jamo 534]

2 hours ago, Alastair said:

Yes, despite that some people had difficulties in 2020, especially those in the hospitality or tourist industry, for me anyhow it's been a pretty good year.

 

Other than some incompetencies at the border, we seem to have defeated the pandemic relatively easily, by using what amounts to the fairly simple technique of preventing it from spreading from one to another. Just common sense really.

 

Looking at other countries I realise how lucky we are here. Most countries do not have the suitable politicians or political will, or stupid or selfish populations, that they just cannot defeat the virus, and even have violent demonstrations to oppose measures such as mask wearing or lockdowns designed to defeat the virus. Looking at the stupidity going on in some other countries I am so glad to live here in NZ.

 

Many people myself included have come out better off than we would have been without the pandemic. In my case it's because sales of my honey rocketed when the pandemic struck. But for many people it's because the lack of overseas trips and other ways to waste money were not available, so people have come through with more cash than they would have otherwise have had.

 

 

For sure it has been an interesting year and there have been some winners and some losers . The thing that i find interesting is the fact that the government has borrowed something like 70 thousand dollars per household from somewhere on our behalf and there are so many people out there that think that they are better off or no worse off.

 

I am not saying that what the government did was right or wrong because I simply don't know but I do know that this borrowing will have a cost somehow, sometime.

[Alastair 8,630]

Yes that is a worry. What I think was happening was that the governmenmt was desperate for everyone to follow the plan. Cos if enough people didn't, we would be like all the other countries and still have a panmdemic going on now.

 

So because some people were committed, and some less so, and some people crying hardship, the government had to dole out money to just about everyone who wanted it plus some who did not, in order to keep everyone on board and achieve the eradication of the virus.

 

Yes it was a cost. Had the pandemic not be controlled and we still had an out of control pandemic here now like say, in America, that would also have been a cost. 

 

In America their president has said we can't lock down because it will kill the economy. But what they are now finding, is the cost of caring for the more than 20 million sick people they have now had, time off work, and eventually being forced to have lockdowns anyway, has been huge and is growing. They have lost more than 3,000 doctors and nurses to the pandemic, those people have all been trained at considerable cost, and their deaths is a cost, they will have to be replaced.

 

Me personally, although I found the almost willy nilly dishing out of money here a worry, I would still prefer the NZ model to the American one.

[dansar 5,524]

17 hours ago, Maggie James said:

What are the light cappings Dansar?

Honey

[Jamo 534]

39 minutes ago, Alastair said:

 

Me personally, although I found the almost willy nilly dishing out of money here a worry, I would still prefer the NZ model to the American one.

Probably have to agree with you on that