Native bees in Woollahra
Our native bees
Australian native bees are important pollinators, helping to maintain our wildflowers and plant diversity. Sydney has around 200 species of native bees. Almost all of these bees are solitary bees, meaning they build individual nests for their eggs. Solitary bees raise their young in burrows in the ground, hollow sticks, crevices or tiny holes in timber.
The hive dwellers
The only species of social bees living in our area are Stingless Native Bees, also known as Sugarbag Bees (Tetragonula carbonaria). They have a queen bee, live in a colony and make honey. In natural settings the bees build their hives in tree hollows but they will also thrive in small, man-made hive boxes built from timber. We have Stingless Bee hives established across our local area in community gardens, backyards and schools.
What do they look like?
Stingless bees are black and only about 3-4mm long. They live in communities of about of 5,000-10,000 bees.
What happens in the hive?
The complex hives have pot-like structures towards the outer edge, with some storing pollen and others nectar. Towards the middle is a spiral brood structure where the eggs are laid. The structures are built using wax produced by the bees and resin collected from trees
Each brood cell contains honey and pollen, with a single egg laid inside by the queen. Once prepared, the cell is sealed by a worker bee. The male drones fertilise eggs, including the queen who is reared in a larger cell with more food. Other females do all the work of constructing and foraging for the hive. Early in their lives the female worker bees have jobs in the nest, then later in life they head out as foragers.
What can you observe at a hive?
At the entrance of a hive you’ll see four or five workers guarding the hive and other bees coming and going as they forage for supplies.
You can measure the level of activity of the hive by counting how many bees leave the entrance each minute. The bees usually only come out in the morning once the temperature reaches 18 degrees. As a result, they are most active in the warmer weather from September to March and less active during the cooler months.
If you look closely as bees arrive back to the hive you will see pollen on their bodies and legs. Foraging bees collect nectar and pollen for food and resin to help build the nest structures.
Do they produce honey?
A hive of native bees only produces a small amount of honey. It is not recommended to take honey from the hives in Sydney as the bees need this honey to survive through winter when they spend more time inside the hive.
Do native bees sting?
These bees are stingless and are not harmful to humans.
What can you do to support native bees?
- Plant flowering native plants including Eucalypts, Angophoras, Hakeas, Grevilleas, Tea Trees, Wattles, Boobialas, Christmas Bush, Bluebells, Scaevolas and Goodenias. Non-native flowering plants can also support native bees, but the natives will attract other insects that benefit the hive.
- Avoid using insecticides in the garden.
- Set up a hive of native bees in your backyard. Several suppliers offer hives for sale in Sydney.
Where can you see native bee hives locally?
There are lots of hives in local public areas. You will find them at:
More information
There are lots of online resources available.
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