Mountain View Honey

07/04/2026

Who knew a honey bees stinger was barbed?

The stinging apparatus of these four insects represents completely different evolutionary solutions to defense and prey capture. The Honeybee stinger carries microscopic backward facing barbs that embed in mammalian skin and cannot be withdrawn, causing the entire venom apparatus to tear free from the bee's abdomen after a single sting in a fatal act of self sacrifice that simultaneously releases an alarm pheromone signaling nearby bees to attack the same target. The Wasp stinger is completely smooth with no barbs, allowing it to withdraw and sting repeatedly without injury, making a single disturbed wasp capable of delivering dozens of stings. The Hornet carries a larger stinger delivering greater venom volume per sting and on the Schmidt Pain Index its sting rates significantly higher than both bees and wasps. The Fire Ant uses a curved serrated stinger to inject Solenopsin venom in a rotating circular pattern, stinging the same spot multiple times in a single attack to maximize tissue pe*******on and pain response. 🐝

09/03/2026

There’s something really special about sharing my love of bees, especially with young people. I recently had the pleasure of taking the observation hive to the Te Awamutu Playcentre. The queen bee was a little elusive, but we were lucky to spot plenty of eggs and brood! 🐝

We had an amazing visit from bees at Playcentre last week (safely enclosed) special thanks to Mountain View Honey. Both adults and children learned so much about our buzzy friends. Excitingly, some of us even got to hold a drone (male bee) — did you know they don’t have stingers? 🐝

07/03/2026

Ever wondered how queens are made?

All honeybees start with the same genetics, but their future depends on what they are fed. Worker bees are fed pollen and honey, while future queens are fed only royal jelly. This rich food changes how their genes work, allowing them to develop reproductive organs and grow much faster, becoming a queen in just 16 days. 🐝🍯

26/02/2026

🐝✨ Sweet Day at the Honey Shed! ✨🐝

We had the absolute pleasure of hosting Abby’s little daycare mates to see how we extract honey from the hives they have at daycare! 🍯

The tamariki were fascinated watching the frames being uncapped and the honey spinning out of the extractor — such a hands-on way to learn where their kai really comes from.

There’s nothing better than seeing curious little faces light up while learning about bees, sustainability, and the magic of honey. 💛

Thank you for coming along — we loved sharing the buzz with you! 🐝🌼

11/02/2026

🐝 Mountain View Honey – Live Bee Rescue
After a few inevitable stings, we safely removed this well-established hive and comb from a carport ceiling.
Sheltered spaces like roof cavities provide ideal conditions for bees to quietly establish over time.
This colony was carefully relocated so the bees can continue their vital role as pollinators 🌼

06/02/2026

From wind-felled tree to thriving hive 🐝
Queenless, damaged brood, added a grafted queen cell… and now she’s up and laying! Couldn’t be happier!

28/01/2026

Trying out my new gadget for instantly knocking out any varroa in the hives 👌 Out checking on the hives today and I’m really happy with how they’re looking. The new season queens are performing beautifully 💛 A few wasps around, but the hives are strong and managing them well for now.

26/01/2026

Harvest time at Alphra Lavender Farm 💜 We’ve loved helping with this week’s lavender harvest.

04/01/2026

Such a heartbreaking moment for any beekeeper 😔
Today I found AFB (American Foulbrood) in a hive. As required, the bees and hive must be destroyed and burned to prevent the disease from spreading. My first encounter with AFB in 14 years of beekeeping — a tough day. 🐝

02/01/2026

From a few failures to a queen grafting win — learning every step of the way 🐝🐝🐝
Thanks Grant for the hands-on guidance with queen cell grafting!

01/12/2025

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/580480/nz-now-has-a-narrow-window-to-stop-the-asian-yellow-legged-hornet-here-s-how-everyone-can-help?fbclid=IwdGRjcAOaRrxjbGNrA5oZmGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHoJMNOJurJ-pDMIzEvLfvvHjQJlUmlaFUbbh8EI6I4xbwEIB2DaCquDiQZ6S_aem_C3fghou9EpuhQ-Pc_T_DNQ&sfnsn=mo

Unless New Zealand rapidly scales up its search effort, we could soon be confronting an incursion far tougher and costlier to stamp out.