Australian Stingless Bees

[Sunshine]

Hi Murray,

Wendy said you were interested in the bees I recently bought.

I wanted bees to polinate plants etc, but did not want european stinging bees that can get agressive particularly around kids.

I got some native Australian stingless bees (trigona carbonaria) that are perfect for backyard food production. These are little bees that really don't look like a bee, more like an insect. Only about 6mm long they are quite laid back to life. You don't see them much before 9 - 10 a.m. and they are all home with the feet up by late afternoon.

They don't appear disturbed when you are near them and get on with business as usual. Obviously they dont sting and are great for curious kids who seems facinated.

The hive is a small box around 250-300mm cubed that stands on a star picket.

I certainly am not an expert, although there are many out there who are. I bought mine from www.zabel.com.au and they were easy to deal with. I ordered it and when it was ready it was delivered in good nick by Aust post without any hassles.

There is a lot of website info on Native bees see www.aussiebee.com.au where there is heaps of good stuff.

Since learning a little about native bees I now find that I did already have various solo bees around my place and they are truely facinating to watch. It's amazing what you see when you open your eyes wide enough.

regards,

Chris

[BARRAMUNDI BRETT'O]

G'day Sunshine,I am also interested in these bees, can you tell me the price for your hive please. ta Brett

[Murray]

Yes, I am really interested in getting a hive. I have them in the area, I see them daily working the flowers in my AP garden, but I would like a hive anyway. Just to make sure. I have a hive of regular bees as well.

I looked up the links you posted. Very interesting.

The native bee may be the saviour of the world if the reqular bees are wiped out with the disease that is sweeping the US bees.

[Marilyn]

Hi all, I don't know the cost of hive from Russell Zabel (It's a small world I knew him when I was a kid and lived down the road) but my mum got a hive from Nambour and it cost $125. She is at Caloundra and they came and set it up for her and even came back and changed the site because the hive was getting too much heat. As far as I know their doing well for the past 12 months.

[fishfood]

Yes, I am really interested in getting a hive. I have them in the area, I see them daily working the flowers in my AP garden, but I would like a hive anyway. Just to make sure. I have a hive of regular bees as well.

I looked up the links you posted. Very interesting.

The native bee may be the saviour of the world if the reqular bees are wiped out with the disease that is sweeping the US bees.
Dont worry about the disease sweeping the us ,Have heard on the grapvine that when the sydney olympics where on and sydney could not handle the air traffic they diverted some to the airforce base and due to slack quarentine theres a disease radiating out from there wiping out the aussie bees

[Sunshine]

Hi All. The bees were shipped in a hive (box) that can be split with another hive (box) to make two. It was taped up to keep the bees in and bubble wrapped in a larger Aust post box.

I am not sure when they swarm but I will buy another box to make sure I am ready for when they do.

I think I paid about $265 delivered to my door. I will check that when I get home later.

They arrived with instructions about where to position the hive etc.

On the Aussie bee site there are several other suppliers as well. Although I found Zabel very helpful.

You should register as a bee keeper with the Govt when you get your bees. It cost $11 p.a.

You are responsible for any swarm from your hive and obviously have some duty of care relating to flight paths etc.

They are facinating little guys and I am looking forward to getting more in time. I think these bees are a great addition to any backyard food production set up.

regards,

Chris

[bushboy]

Hi Chris - to my knowledge the native bees don't swarm like the honey bee.
Apparently the workers somehow decide on a new site and set it up with the
necessary wax barriers (against ants and other bees) and when it is ready a new queen comes and starts the new colony. The new colony is thus nearby the old one which just keeps going.

I see lots of the carbinara sp working my aquaponics plants in flower - they seem to love flowering brassica type plants.

They are "cute" little creatures to watch

[Sunshine]

Bushboy you are right about the way they divide. Also on Tim Herd's site I read that you are not required to register native bees.

I checked the price , it was $285 delivered.

[Marilyn]

hi,
has anyone got photos of native bees. We have little black and yellow striped fellows that seem to hover around the plants but are unsure.

[bushboy]

Hi Marilyn - I don't have any photos but google images has plenty -
try Trigona carbonaria as a search term - here's one I found:

http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_wasps/images/Stingl5.jpg

This is the one I see alot around here - south side of Brisbane

This is the common species of native bee but there a lots of others that I have heard mentioned but cannot remember at all!

[Hamish]

Dont worry about the disease sweeping the us ,Have heard on the grapvine that when the sydney olympics where on and sydney could not handle the air traffic they diverted some to the airforce base and due to slack quarentine theres a disease radiating out from there wiping out the aussie bees
There is a suggestion that colony collapse disorder (CCD) virus sweeping the USA could have originated in Australia with bee exports in 2004.

http://qualitybeekeepingsupplies.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=28

[Sunshine]

It is that time of year when the cadgi (cadaghi) trees are in bloom and my little bees have taken the bait.

The cadgi tree is a far north eucalypt, sold as fast growing gum, that has been planted all over SE Qld. It is addictive to the stingless bee and they return with waxey seeds from the trees stuck to their legs and pollen bags.

These seed block the entrance which makes the hive overheat from poor ventilation. The resin they bring back has a lower temperature and on a really hot day could colapse and drown the queen and others killing off the hive.

I looked around to see if any cadgi trees were in my area before I bought my bees. I saw one tree and it was around 300 mteres away so I thought I would be alright. Wrong, in fact there are numerous trees in many back yards in my area and the bees have found them all.

Hopefully my guys will survive OK.

[Sunshine]

I was going to split the hive into two hives this summer. But after getting the second box and being all ready to go I found that the weight of my hive was under three Kg.. In fact too light to split. The risk would have been too high so I'll wait till next opportunity.

[Jonty]

Sunshine,
I'd give the bees until next Spring before I would try a split to enable them to build up a decent reserve of pollen and honey. I obtained my original hive in a tree stump about three years ago. I built a box and connected the old hive to the new box with some piping which I covered in duck tape to exclude light.

They have now built in the box, so I am going to make another hive and repeat the process. They took about 12 months before they became interested in the new hive.

Mine are always bringing the Cadgi seeds in but I find that after the trees stop flowering that they remove the seeds from the hive. I haven't had any problems with hive collapse.

Have attached some photos.

[Sunshine]

Hi Jonty,

The little guys work hard to get the seeds out of the hive. For a few days they seemed overwhelmed but eventually got on top. They don't seem to bringing many seeds back at now so all looks good for next years split.

[Murray]

I took an ols super off my bee hive a couple of weeks ago and forgot to go out to get it and put it away.
In the meanwhile some mini bees have found it and are busy removing the wax and carting it off.

Can anyone identify the insects at work?

I am assuming they are some sort of native bee. I have not seen them before.
They look like a regular honey bee, but about one third the size and they do not appear to have a sting in their rear end.

[David McPherson]

http://www.aussiebee.com.au/index.html This site has a lot of info on native bees There probably is a hive in one of your trees as they only 500m max David

[Jonty]

Murray,

Definitely the fire tailed resin bee.

[Murray]

Thanks for that Jonty & David.
I reckon you are right. They work really hard at removing the wax from the old frames.
I must order some of the articles from that web site.
It would be good to encourage those small bees in my area.