THE FIRST HUMBLE-BEES IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XIII, Issue 2, 21 August 1916, Page 142

THE FIRST HUMBLE-BEES IN NEW ZEALAND.

Mr. I. Hopkins, formerly Apiarist in the Department, forwards the following note :

When writing Bulletin No. 46, the "History of the Humble-bee in New Zealand," for the Department of Agriculture I mentioned on page 7 (subject to correction) . that some bees which had been imported by a lady were liberated by a resident at Timaru in 1883. I did not know to whom or where to apply for particulars, so left it an open question; but I am now in possession of the facts, which I came across in the American Beekeepers’ Exchange for June, 1881, when looking through an old volume of that journal for something else. It is a reprint from the Timaru Herald of the 7th February, 1881, and its record will . make the history complete. The account ' runs 'as follows :

“ The two humble-bee queens, the survivors of a shipment of eighteen consigned to Mrs. Belfield, were turned out on Mr. Bristol's farm on Saturday morning. They were strong and healthy, and flew away briskly against the wind. -Being liberated amidst clover-fields, there is every chance of their doing well. Some years ago the present Premier of New Zealand attempted the introduction of these useful insects, the last of the creatures dying when within ten days' sail of our coast.

"Not being aware of any successful attempt at their acclimatization being made before, we believe the pair of queens set free on Saturday have the honour of being the first of the kind .in the country. The thanks of the farmer are specially due to the lady who, when in London

three years ago, saw Mr. Alfred Neighbour (a somewhat celebrated apiarian at Home) on the subject of sending humble-bees to New Zealand.

“ Mr. Neighbour took up the matter con amove, and promised, when opportunity offered, to send out a consignment, pointing out the risk attending such a shipment. That gentleman spared neither trouble nor expense in endeavouring to make the venture a success. In the first place, he employed an agent in a district in Scotland where the bees were usually plentiful to mark down the nests in summer, and then, in the early part of the winter, each nest with its queen was carefully dug out and placed separately in a nest of moss in a box for export. Being in a state of torpor when taken from their Scottish home, it was sine qua non that they should remain in this state the whole of the voyage to the Antipodes ; consequently they were placed in the ice-house of the John Elder/ one of the Orient line of steamers. On arrival at Melbourne the box was handed over to the captain of the ‘ Arawata ’ to carry on to New Zealand.

“ From the appearance of fully one-half of the dead insects there is every reason to believe that they were alive on arrival at the Bluff, but unfortunately a delay in their transit here took place which was fatal to all but two. The telegram’to Mr. Belfield telling of their arrival was dated the 31st January, at the same time intimating that the ‘ Arawata came in on the 26th. Yet further delay took place, and the interesting strangers did not arrive at Timaru till the 3rd February. Mr. Hislop, late of the Timaru Domain, kindly took charge of the box, and opened it with the result above stated.” 1