TV3 news

Dear all

We were shown here today on national TV3 news, so check out this link to watch us in action!!

http://www.3news.co.nz/NZ-bumblebees-to-repopulate-motherland/tabid/309/articleID/135567/Default.aspx

We had news from Rosemary that about 6 of our bees have now died, but we also have good news because some of our bees have started to lay wax down. We have also managed to collect a few more queens to re stock the ones that have died.

Till next time.....................

Team bee

Dear all

Well all the bees are caught and currently being reared at Christchurch by Rosemary Read. She's doing a brilliant job and we are very lucky that we have someone who can breed long tongue bees here in NZ. Its early days but the queens seem to be doing well and some even look a bit broody- which is a good sign. One has sadly died but I do have a secret stock of 5 queens which I am keeping for the film crew who are due to arrive today! Breeding these bees is going to be very hard- so do keep your fingers crossed for them!

So here's some pics of our brill team bee. Here's Andy and Maggie Tebbs and Rob Jones in one of our red clover fields down in Clyde. We're in Twizel today and I had a quick peak at two of the sites and found a newly emerged subt queen- they are still about!!! Heard the weather is freezing over there with snow playing havic! Well I hate to say it but its pretty hot over here!

All the best, till next time......................

Queen subt

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Subt on echium

Here's some fantastic shots taken by Maggi and Andy Tibbs of subt foraging on Echium. These were taken around Twizel were Maggi and Andy have been looking for subt queens with great success! So next week we're heading up to Christchurch to see how the queens are doing.

People who helped pics!!

Here's some pics of Barry, Rob, Sam and me out collecting the queens from a red clover field in Clyde, Otago.

let it bee- we got sixty!!

Dear all

We have reached the target!! We have the sixty subt queens we needed. Sixty is the most the breeder Rosemary Read can deal with but we can top them up over the next couple of weeks if any die.

So a massive thanks to Barry Donovan, Sam Read, Robert Jones, David and Julia Mayo and Maggy and Andy Tibbs for their help in collecting the queens. We are so excited and now wish the queens all the best in their rearing. We were now catching a few with pollen which we were letting go so they could continue their nests. We are confident that we have left many queens behind to continue the New Zealand population! We are still finding them in new locations.

So now the very hard task begins of actually rearing and breeding the bees- its not going to be easy. They are very fussy and need lots of attention, so keep your fingers crossed for the girls!!

I can have a day off now- whoo hoo

Keep posted for details on how the breeding goes. I will be visiting Rosemary in Christchurch next week!

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Dear all

We are incredibility excited to say we now have collected 36 queens. These have been across Twizel, Lake Ohau and Clyde. So we have quite a mix of genetics as well!

We were joined this week by two volunteers from the UK Andy and Maggie Tibbs and they have done a great job in helping us find the bees. They will be joining us for a few weeks travelling round and looking for subt emerging. Friends of Barry Donovan David and Julia Mayo have also collected three subt queens from around their home in Lake Ohau and are keeping their eye out for more.

Here's some pics of all the action..... Keep your fingers crossed for more subt

Till next time...................

18 subt queens!!

We have collected 18 queens so far and here's one of them on some red clover!
--
The Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year 2009/2010
The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland,
number SC 011159.

Feeding subt

Out in the field!

Here's Sam Read and Rob showing Neil Ford (who owns the red clover field)

Red clover subt fields

Hi all

Well we have had a fantastic fews days down here in Clyde. Beautiful red clover fields and we now have 13 subt queens!!

Here's some pics of the bees, the field and the people helping out!!

Nikki

Nine subt queens!!

Dear all

We have so far collected nine subt queens. We are ecstatic with the number we have found so far! We are currently down in Clyde near Alexandra and have found some red clover fields. Robert Jones have found one as has Sam Read who is doing her project at Lincoln University on the breeding of subt! We will be staying round here for a while to see if some more emerge but we are very happy with the number!

Will post up some pics soon of the subt!!

Keep posted for more info on how the collection is going

Nikki
--
The Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year 2009/2010
The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland,
number SC 011159.