Today marks the 175th birthday of honey bees in New Zealand, described by Shakespeare as "singing masons building roofs of gold".
Two hives of honey bees were brought to New Zealand from Sydney in 1839 by Mary Bumby. Since then, beekeeping has evolved from being a home craft to a skilled art. Honey exports are now valued at around $81 million per year. Unfortunately, bees are under threat worldwide, which could be agriculturally and economically devastating for New Zealand.
To celebrate the arrival of the honey bee in New Zealand, we explore some amazing facts about bees.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11222605mvh Edward