No Spray Register
If your property adjoins publicly owned land such as a road reserve you can apply for inclusion on the No-spray List and avoid the spraying of pesticide / herbicide along your boundary. Registration must be received by 10th September, fill in the application form here.
Swarms
Bees swarming is a natural occurrence which is a part of their reproductive cycle. Honey bees are the only type of bees that swarm.
Swarming season across New Zealand can begin as early as August and runs through until January.
One of the main reasons for bees swarming is overcrowding of the hive due to the queen laying more eggs thanks to warm weather and an increase of flowers and pollen.
The queen and anywhere between 5,000 to 20,000 worker bees will leave the hive and land in gardens or sometimes in even more obscure places. The bees hang in a mass around the queen keeping her warm and ensuring she is safe.
If you find a bee swarm the best thing to do is leave it alone and call a beekeeper to collect it in a safe manner. Don’t worry, bees in a swarm are not aggressive or inclined to sting unless provoked.