kaihoka

Bee keeping is not some flakey whim like ostrich farming . Its an industry thats literally over 1000yrs old. All the people who were only in for the money will quickly move on to the next big thing . Beeks like you who are obviously highly skilled and into bees cause you have an interest in them will I think survive .

I feel very sorry for you . If it were me I would be so pissed off .

I think you should find out your legal rights , which may be on your side . Offer them honey . If you have all the legal rights I would tell them to wait till the end of the season . You were there first .

It will be a rough couple of yrs but the problem will not go on for ever .

I will have a good look for her next time . I think some north island drones must have blown down here , I can not imagine any south island drones producing grumpy bees.

In this case the manuka came from someone who has a business making medicinal products and a laboratory

I have a nasty hive in my orchard . If I go too close they chase me . It is a supercedure queen who recently mated , to my surprise at this time of yr . I have not seen her, just eggs . But it is a very busy hive and brings in honey . I may just put up with her until after the rata flow . Then requeen the hive with a queen from my very docile very yellow queen hive . But this hive never seems so busy .

It seeds and geminates freely enough . It just seems to not flower so well when mature here . Prunning may help .

The same as here . So all these manuka plantings will have a limited lifespan . The young small manuka is the most reliable flowerer here . Is it the same other places ?

Neither do I . I was just wondering .

in golden bay 80% kanuka to manuka. i think 30 yrs ago there was lots more manuka. the place had lots of cleared damaged abandoned neglected farms when i came 40yrs ago. an awful lot of it has now reverted to bush and gone through the manuka stage. manuka is now only on the really sour infertile soils.

It was a strict export standard . I was surprised how dark and strong it was . I never get anything like that in my hives . I have lots of kanuka around my place ., maybe the bees never collect it .

@Philbee Does plastic or wooden and wax frames make any difference to the way strips work .?

But they taste really different . I was given a couple of pure manuka ,umf 15, the other day . It is very dark and strong . Kanuka is much milder .

No appropriate emoji response for that . Need a new one . LOL