959 days ago

What do Bees do in Winter?

Rod from Hive World Honey

What do bees do in winter?
Without blankets, fires, or adjustable thermostats, honeybees have to stick together pretty closely to stay warm (and alive) in the winter. When temperatures in the winter drop below 10 °C, honeybees retreat to their hives and form a winter cluster to keep warm—sort of like a giant three-month slumber party.
The fate of the hive depends on how sufficiently the winter population has prepared for the cold. To survive and keep warm, the hive must have a robust population of winter-ready bees, plentiful stores of honey to eat, and a secure hive.
A successful winter cluster is made up of a generation of bees with different physiological characteristics from those of the summer population—bees that are a bit more plump to keep up the heat and have a longer lifespan to last the whole winter (4–6 months instead of only a few weeks). The queen will stop laying if food supplies get low to conserve stores.
On warm winter days some bees will venture out in search of winter flowers and pollen. they also leave the hive to poop as the like to keep the hive clean.

Wasps and bumblebees on the other hand all die off except for the queen who will go into hibernation until spring.

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More messages from your neighbours
3 days ago

Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.

When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?

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Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
  • 82.4% Yes
    82.4% Complete
  • 14.8% No
    14.8% Complete
  • 2.8% Other - I'll share below
    2.8% Complete
1574 votes
6 hours ago

Beginners Chainsaw Training

Kevin from Harbour City Tree Care

CHRISTMAS CHAINSAWS
For those who are getting a chainsaw for Christmas or want one.
Or are you thinking about buying a chainsaw and wanting to know what to get?
How do I sharpen my saw, what other equipment do I need and how do I use it safely?
If you want the answer to any of these questions and more - 

THEN THIS IS THE COURSE FOR YOU !!!
An entertaining and informative 2 hour session on all aspects of using and maintaining one of the most versatile tools you will ever own.
We are running sessions in December, January and February so if you are interested in attending, then ring Kevin on 0274-423-859 to register your interest

$50.00 pp

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1 day ago

Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.

John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!

As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!

John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.

Share your question below now ⬇️

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