It was a common desire to aid the declining bee population that sparked a pretty buzzy brainchild between friends Sam Allen and Hohepa Rutene. Earlier this year, the compassionate duo created Ponsonbees, a revolutionary beehive business that gave Aucklanders the chance to own their very own colony of honeybees. It is a setup that incites a simple quid pro quo: the bees are graced with a nice, safe home, and in return, the owners receive fresh honey and a consistently pollinated back yard.
There are, of course, few that can tout the title of beekeeper, and so Ponsonbees has made the process of maintaining and harvesting the hive as simple as possible for average Joes. As part of the $60-a-month package, experienced beekeepers will visit homes to inspect the hives, carry out general maintenance, check on the strength and numbers of the colony and — come the warmer months — carry out the annual harvest of the sweet amber nectar. Those involved are able to get as hands-on as they like, with the monthly visit from the beekeeping maestros also serving as an opportunity for hive owners to learn more about the current bee situation, and what they can do to help. Educational, philanthropic and downright delicious, we suspect it won’t be too long before the masses are buzzing about this new business.
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