Replacing 4 beehives

I started beekeeping in September 2017 with a single hive. That grew over the summer to 5 hives.

On May 28th 2018, I discovered the deadly bee disease AFB (American Foul Brood) in one of my hives. The law requires any hive with AFB to be destroyed by burning, including the bees. It is a horrible process to go through when you find the disease in your hive.

On September 16th 2018, I discovered AFB in 4 more of my hives, with the probability that the 5th one has it also. I was forced by law to kill the bees, and all hive equipment will be burned on September 21st. My final hive has been moved away from my property in Hamilton as a precaution, and will allow me to clean up the apiary area so that I can start again. There is a high probability the last moved hive will also have AFB so I am currently considering that it will no longer exist soon.

I am gutted that this has happened, as the hobby has become a real passion for me.

This GiveALittle page is to raise fund for new beehive equipment and bees. I am wanting to get 4 or 5 hives again in my back yard, and the equipment alone costs around $300, and bees are around $250 to get a hive started. A full 2 box hive with bees is around $550.

New Zealand needs bees everywhere, and bees in towns and cities means all your fruit trees can bear fruit, and many vegetables can reproduce. And don't forget all the honey.

I have also been presenting bees to a number of primary school classes, and yesterday had to cancel presentations to 18 classes of kids at 3 schools. The main part of my presentation is a large observation hive, so the kids can get up close and (almost) personal with the bees.

If you have a few $$$ to spare to help me replace the 80,000 bees I have been forced to destroy this week, I would be immensely grateful. There is currently no bees in my back yard, and the constant buzzzzzzz has gone...

I am a registered beekeeper, and a member of the Waikato Domestic Beekeepers Association, and live in Hamilton.