HOWEVER it\u2019s enjoyed, on crumpets, in tea, from a spoon, honey is a pantry mainstay.<\/p>\n
Jamie Trimby is a local backyard beekeeper and member of the Bendigo branch of the Victorian Apiarists Society, and for him his honey preference is straight from the hive or in a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t put sugar, I just put a teaspoon of honey, that\u2019s my preference for a sweet daily dose of honey,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The amateur apiarist has been a beekeeper for several years now and came to the hobby out of fascination with bee behaviour and communication.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a time where I was recuperating from an operation and just to watch them come and go from the hive and the different colours of pollen they\u2019re bringing in, it\u2019s quite a good distraction if you need one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Bees work together to regulate the hive temperature which has given them an intrinsic understanding of the weather, which Mr Trimby said often determines how he needs to interact with the colony.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bees can turn quite grumpy even if a large dark cloud goes over,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had one day where the bees were quite lovely and then a cloud was coming and I thought it was just a cloud, but actually it dropped a lot of rain, and they got quite cranky.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I boxed them up and five or 10 minutes later the rain hit.\u201d<\/p>\n
But despite being a weather dependent hobby, the value of having bees around is not lost on Mr Trimby.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve certainly noticed a difference with my own fruit and vegetables,\u201d he said. \u201cJust across the board there\u2019s better pollination rates when you\u2019ve got bees in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n
For commercial and hobby beekeepers, concerns are rising over the recent arrival into Australia of the varroa mite, a parasite that feeds on the larvae in beehives.<\/p>\n
For now, it\u2019s contained to New South Wales, but Victorian apiarists are already preparing for Varroa, and Mr Trimby said most places that have infestations lose 95 per cent of hives, which in turn impacts food crop pollination.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt should be a concern for everyone, it will probably alter food prices, all sorts of things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
To support local bee populations, Mr Trimby said one way the public could help is to be mindful of using pesticides.<\/p>\n
\u201cGenerally not spraying insecticides where bees are feeding or they\u2019re located, herbicides affect them too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Letting lawns grow a bit longer during cooler months when there is not as much food around can also help, as can planting a variety of plants in the garden.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving a diverse range of flora gives them that variety to bring in different nutrients into the hive,\u201d Mr Trimby said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HOWEVER it\u2019s enjoyed, on crumpets, in tea, from a spoon, honey is a pantry mainstay. Jamie Trimby is a local backyard beekeeper and member of the Bendigo branch of the Victorian Apiarists Society, and for him his honey preference is straight from the hive or in a cup of coffee. \u201cI don\u2019t put sugar, I […]<\/p>\n