Buzzing Pete visits Garland honeys

Pete Beart, chairperson of the Eastern Highveld Beekeepers’ Association (EHBA), was the drone among the queens during the Garlands Ladies Luncheon Club’s gathering on May 25 at Ebotse Golf and Country Estate.

The passionate beekeeper from Northmead captured members’ and guests’ attention with his passionate talk about honey and the intricate lives of the striped critters that produce it.

Being in the company of a room full of women, Pete used the opportunity to jokingly explain the role of drones – male bees within the hive.

“Male bees are born from unfertilised eggs and live within the hive, being waited on hand-and-foot by the female worker bees,” he said.

“Essentially, they exist solely for reproductive purposes. They are fed, tended to and once mating has taken place they die. Thankfully, that is not entirely how it works amongst humans.”

Although many quips were made in jest, Pete highlighted the importance of all pollinators and not just bees.

“When looking at food security one must consider that a third of our food supply would cease to exist if it was not for presence of flourishing pollinator populations,” he said.

“These populations are under tremendous risk due to ever growing urbanisation resulting in natural foraging grounds being replaced with concrete.

According to Pete, South Africa is home to two species of honey bees, namely the Apis mellifera Scutellata, or African Honey bee often mistakenly referred to as the Afrcan killer bee, and the Apis mellifera Capensis, or Cape Honey bee.

“Despite both species being native to SA, these bees do not coexist in harmony and therefore, the buzzing sisters from the province where everything works, are deemed invasive and parasitic throughout the rest of the country,” he said.

“Bee hives are wildly intricate living organisms and a single intrusion from another species could turn it all on its head.”

Admitting that he would need approximately three days to share his wealth of knowledge and obvious appreciation for bees, Pete opted to share these buzz worthy facts with those in attendance:
• A single swarm of bees can consist of between 50 000 to 60 000 bees.

• Bees have five eyes and four wings, which produces the buzzing sound.

• Bees use three forms of communication.
Bees use its antennae to stroke and touch each other, according to Pete this is an indication that the ‘ladies’ are having a chat.

Bees are able to excrete 27 different scents, each communicating different alerts to the colony.

The smell of bananas is an indication that the colony is in defensive mode.

Beekeepers use smoke to mask these excretions.

The waggle dance is used by scout bees to indicate the direction of favourable foraging and nesting grounds as well as the distance from the active hive.

The Garlands Ladies Luncheon Club will meet again on June 22.

For more information bookings contact or to book your seat, email Margie Kostelac at margie.h@mweb.co.za.

Guests are welcome.

ALSO READ: Nougat queen to visit Garlands

ALSO READ: Garlands get the low down on immune support