Kōrero: Beekeeping

New Zealand has 28 native and 13 introduced species of bee. They all feed on nectar and pollen and have some role in pollinating plants. Most native species look similar to honeybees, but are smaller. Others are smaller still and do not resemble honeybees. Five of the honeybee species were accidentally introduced. The four Bombus species are bumble bees and are not farmed for honey production. New Zealand’s 300,000 commercial hives produced an average of 9,000 tonnes of honey each year between 2001 and 2005.