I have been interested in going to one the online suppliers and renting a beehive for a year as a hobby/interest. I notice the Auckland Council allows them. I'd appreciate advice of others who have them.
cinderellagowns,
Aug 24, 12:45pm
We had one in urban Auckland when I was a kid. All good - except I remember we had to move it from near the washing line - bee shit (or something) would get on the washing if it was in the direct flight path as they returned or exited the hive.
fendie,
Aug 24, 4:27pm
when I had a couple in Christchurch the neighbors said that they had never had such good fruit crops. I had the hives up on a flat bit of a roof on a two story house.
tweake,
Aug 24, 5:10pm
renting a hive is expensive. while there is some really good bee rental companies there is plenty of dodgy ones as well. so ask around. you really need to have a chat with one of the bee clubs.
the main issues is usually hive placement, you need somewhere thats sunny, away from people and hopefully something to direct their flight path up and away from neighbors. be prepared for neighbours who might freak out as some people are totally divorced from the real world. the other thing is access. the beekeeper needs to come and look after them. in spring that should mean a visit every few weeks. they need somewhere to safely park (bees love the smell of beekeepers vehicles) and access so they can carry heavy gear without having to dodge dogs etc or tripping up over stuff.
oh_hunnihunni,
Aug 24, 5:19pm
I had one and it was brilliant. Unfortunately the business was sold on and I got a new beekeeper who was a little less interested and the experience ended up being disappointing.
There is an organisation/business that rehomes and rescues hives. My neighbour has one of theirs and is full of praise for the care and attention it gets. Our garden benefits from her hive, and as I have enough honey now to see me out, I am happy!
It is a fantastic thing to have in the garden, just pick a good supplier and talk to some of their current customers.
tweake,
Aug 24, 7:15pm
one of the big problems with rental hives is its a very inefficient way to run hives commercially. thats one of the reasons for the high prices. they can't get around the hives fast enough and they end up being treated poorly. combine that with the high rates of bee diseases in auckland (and most other cities) means their losses are a lot higher to. there has been many businesses on sold or closed down because they can't keep up with the work load and disease creeps in and causes massive problems which kills the business.
oh_hunnihunni,
Aug 24, 7:39pm
First year was fine.
Second, not so much. Sad really.
lythande1,
Aug 25, 8:06am
Friend of mine planted a cottage garden. The bees came, they made their own nest in a tree and she let them be. they still live there happily. No-one stealing honey and such.
gilligee,
Aug 25, 9:19am
We have neighbours on two sides with hives and as mentioned above we have great producing fruit trees.
tweake,
Aug 25, 4:48pm
actually they don't live happily. they most likely die every year and then get repopulated every year, so it simply looks like they are there every year. trouble is they can become a source of infection and should really be dealt with.
oh_hunnihunni,
Oct 4, 6:17pm
Aside from the swarming thing, which freaks neighbours out no end.
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