September is Bee Aware Month in New Zealand. This is a great chance to get involved in something grand. Bees need your help to continue pollinating, since the bee mite has wiped out most of the wild hives. Especially, when Upper Hutt City Council desired to support this initiative by promoting bee-friendly planting.

Upper Hutt City Council is supporting “Bee Aware Month” during September. The initiative has been set up by the National Beekeepers’ Association of New Zealand, aimed to promote the wellbeing and prosperity of bees and bee habitats around New Zealand.

In fact, bees pollinate two thirds of the food we eat, so it’s hard to imagine our life without them.

That’s why, gardening centres and beekeepers decided to inform the public about the different kinds of plants and trees that can be planted on farms and in gardens to supply an all year round source of food for the bees. Also, they are going to speak about sprays and poisons, that may kill bees.

There is a wide range of plants that are classified as “bee-friendly” which are mostly suited for household plantings such as herbs, fruit and vegetables, and wildflowers.

Residents are welcome to plant bee friendly plants in their gardens. Bees like blue, yellow, white, and purple flowers, and both local and native plants. Include a variety of shapes and colours and plant flowers in groups together, which will also attract butterflies.

Regarding to council, they already use a range of bee-friendly plants, include cornflower, forget-me-not, poppy, geranium, marigolds, Alyssum and salvia. Trees planted or growing in the streets and reserves, such as lemonwood, kowhais, oaks, elms, maples, alders, crab apples, tulip trees, willows, native flax, ivy, lavender, and agapanthus. Other native trees which are present in some bush areas include rewarewa and lacebark.

In addition, there are two companies, who are currently helping to make use of Council land for their beehives.

For more information, visit the site: www.nba.org.nz

We have to be grateful to don’t forget the fact, that over $5 billion of New Zealand’s agricultural exports depend on bees. Bee numbers worldwide are in decline and we must do all that we can to save them before it’s too late.