Beekeeper abuzz with buzziness plans

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 506, 5 October 1993, Page 5

Beekeeper abuzz with buzziness plans

Raetihi bee-keeper Mary Allen, is thankful her husband Andrew wouldn' t let her keep pigs at their farm on Pipiriki Road. Mrs Allen considered pig-rearing or bee-keeping as possible money-making side-lines to support the couple' s farm. What began as a cottage industry to help pay the bills developed into a thriving business, with 55 hives dotted around the Allen' s property. The 'Amberley' label is well known on the local market, with such favourites as Kamahi, Thistle, Bush and Manuka blend honeys, packaged in a variety of ceramic honey 'pots'. A regular exhibitor at the annual Waimarino Show, the Allens also supplied bulk honey for local connoisseurs who would bring their own containers to fill. Mrs Allen recently completed a two-year eorrespondence course with Balclutha' s Telford Rural Polytechnic, attaining an 'A' grade pass (94.5%) and her certificate in Apiculture. Mrs Allen' s practical bee-keeping skills were highly praised by her assessors. The course is run in conjunction with the National Beekeepers Association of New Zealand. Having the distinction of being acommercial beekeeper also has its drawbacks, including a government levy of $1.61, payable for each hive. With hives costing

around $200 each, the Allens have already invested a great deal into the business, but maintain that between 400 and 600 hives are necessary for a business to achieve profitability. To that end Mrs Allen is developing the production of royal jelly as the business 's primary earner, with honey production playing a lesser role. The couple' s plans for the development of a honey house have been indefinitely put on the back burner to concentrate on producing royal jelly. Five jelly hives Royal jelly, a natural substance produced by honey bees by fermenting honey and pollen, is wellknown for its therapeutic properties, containing antibiotic and anti-bacterial components as well as amino acids and vitamin B. With five hives devoted to royal jelly production housed in their farm shed, the hard work has only just begun. 'Grafting' - the process of transplanting the tiny bee larvae into the cells - is a tedious process, with no guarantee of immediate success. "I would spend hours each day grafting, only to find no takes three days later", said Mrs Allen. Helped by a friend last sea-

son, she successfully grafted 69 newly hatched larvae and collected her first royal jelly. In a report to the New Zealand Bee Keepers Association Mrs Allen wrote: "By November I was so

discouraged I was ready to give up. My Telford tutor rang and encouraged me not to give up ; he said most people have to graft a while before succeeding and he said the weather was against me."

"Better weather did bring better results." The Allens collect royal jelly from the hives until they have a kilo of the substance: from there it is packed in ice and couriered to Auckland.