Bee a hero
Released 09 Nov 2009
Federated Farmers has teamed up with Landcare Research to develop a helpful new plant guide aimed at saving our honey bees. The Trees for Bees guide, an educational tool for rural and urban communities, will be officially launched at the Royal New Zealand Show in Christchurch at 10.30am on Wednesday, 11 November.
"The Trees for Bees guide and its accompanying regional fact sheets aim to encourage every New Zealander to plant trees that will help our honey bees," says John Hartnell, Federated Farmers Bees spokesperson.
"With low bee numbers throughout New Zealand, farmers in particular must do their bit by planting trees and shrubs that provide a continual supply of floral nutrition. This is very important if we are to safeguard our bees from the threat of introduced pests, viruses and damaging organisms like Varroa mite and the Israeli Paralysis Virus.
"Bees directly contribute about $3 billion to our Gross Domestic Product through crop pollination and provide one-third of the calories New Zealanders consume. Add that to the clover pollination of grassland farming as well as our export meat industry and the value of bees balloons five-fold.
"Landcare research scientist, Dr Linda Newstrom-Lloyd, will also talk at the launch about the need to provide diverse and nutritious pollen and nectar sources for our bees. Dr Newstrom-Lloyd will discuss the available native and exotic floral resources that should be planted to combat the current decline in floral diversity and abundance," Mr Hartnell concluded.
The Trees for Bees guide and a series of 10 regional fact sheets will be freely available. They indicate the shrubs and trees that are known to keep bees healthy with nutritious pollen and nectar.
"Ensuring all farmers plant bee friendly trees and shrubs is important because we know malnutrition lowers bees' resistance to pests and diseases," says Dr Newstrom-Lloyd.
"Bees consume pollen for protein and vitamins as well as nectar for energy. While gathering these resources, they move pollen from one plant to another and in the process pollinate crops.
"The Trees for Bees guide aims to stop our bee population from declining further by informing farmers about what they can do to support and protect our threatened honey bee population," Dr Newstrom-Lloyd concluded.
What: The Trees for Bees campaign and guide will be launched at the Royal New Zealand Show in the Federated Farmers tent (site F17 and 18, directly next to the Ravensdown site).
When: Wednesday, 11 November, 10.30am - 12pm
Where: Royal New Zealand Show, Canterbury Agricultural Park, Christchurch
Directions: For AA maps and driving directions, please click here.
For further comment please contact:
Federated Farmers bees spokesperson, John Hartnell, 03 349 5590, 021 578 754
Landcare Research Scientist, Dr Linda Newstrom-Lloyd, 03 321 9853
Federated Farmers provincial communications support coordinator, Ali Undorf-Lay, 027 4722 544
