Bee keeper-
the words generally conjure up images of people in white suits with mesh vales
and a smoker in hand fending off swarms of agitated bees. Well organised and disciplined
soldiers desperately defending their fortress. Beekeeper seem somehow foreign and
a little bit crazier than the rest of us. I would love to keep real bees, but I
remember running through clover and being stung as a child, I just can’t see
how you can get used to that. Most of us know of European bees and the honey we
can buy in the super markets, however Australia has an abundance of native
bees, some of which are social and can also be kept in small hives. Our
Australian native bees are much smaller and produce far less honey (however
very good honey), then their European counterparts but what sets them apart and
makes them so enticing to many of us is the simple fact that they are
stingless. They still get cranky, they will defend their home when you want to
steal their treasured honey, those of us who live on standard sized house
blocks or who have inquisitive small children our native stingless bees might
be right for your garden. Native Australian bees are such hard working little
insects about the size of a green ant you will find them working many native
flowering plants over the warmer months, they are particularly fond of small
white flowers and have even been trialled as a crop pollinator for commercial
macadamia, lychee and mango farms. I have found in my yard they seem to really
love the palm flowers. Fewer European bees from many factors in our environment
but two major factors are people spraying clover in suburbia and large chunks bush
land being removed for housing and development. A native stingless beehive in the vege patch is
great for helping in fruit set and pollination and in time will give you a
sweet little treat.
