her inspiration
Queen Bee
When was the last time you were stung by a bee? Chances are not recently!
THE REALITY IS THAT there are so few feral bees in our natural environment that many have never experienced a bee sting. Albert Einstein famously said, "If the bee disappears from the
surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live. No more bees, no more pollination … no more men!" Thus, with colony loses increasing worldwide interest in the protection of bees is more important than ever. Market access, general rules and regulations, the testing regime and consumer awareness has heightened for an industry that has thrived in New Zealand for over 150 years. On March 10, 2011 there were 3,251 registered beekeepers,
23,395 apiaries and 388,369 beehives in new Zealand. The bee industry, which contributes an estimated $5 billion
p.a. to our nation's economy, plays a crucial part in New Zealand agriculture; pollinating around one third of our food sources.
30 | February/March 2012 | HER MAGAZINE