HUMBLE-BEES IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XV, Issue 4, 20 October 1917, Page 184

HUMBLE-BEES IN NEW ZEALAND.

I. HOPKINS,

Auckland

When gathering information from different sources preparatory to writing the Department’s Bulletin No. 46, the History of the Humble-bee in New Zealand,” I was.desirous of ascertaining whether the young queens became dormant in this country in winter or not, and if they did, for how long. Several of my correspondents informed me that they had seen them flying at different times in winter, but as no particular attention had been given to the matter I left the question open for further experience. From close observation during the past four winters by myself and others I am now satisfied that our young humble-bee queens do not hibernate in New Zealand in the sense that they do in Britain. During spells of stormy weather with a low temperature they become torpid, and remain so until a favourable change takes place with a rising temperature, when they become active again, so that it is possible to see them on the wing at any time in fine weather throughout the winter.

I expect that a good many young queens will have been drowned out during the recent exceptional wet months with floods. The bees we have make their nests underground, and are therefore liable to suffer in such a wet season as we have experienced. Seeing the immense benefit humble-bees are to the country, it would be well, in my opinion, for the Department, as soon as things become normal again, to import some of the above-ground species.