Gardening Forum

Bob.
Last week we dropped a tree,well lots of trees,for a road widening and seal job.
One of the trees had native bees in it unfortunately.The bees aren't as aggressive as normal bees.The honeycomb was black,not very healthy looking at all,the honey coming out was very dark too.They may not have been aggressive as European bees,but there was no way we were allowed near the honeycomb.
We have had to drop plenty of trees in the past wich have the native bees in them,never seen such dark honeycomb or honey.
Andrew

I've got a native bee hive (well, currently on loan to a mate to split it). The honeycomb is indeed dark, and the honey is extremely rich in taste. Apparently native bee honey fetches well over $100/kg to restaurants and the like. You only need a very small amount.

Interestingly, it has a very low freezing point. After keeping it in the freezer, it has the viscosity of room temp European honey. If you can be bothered, when you drop another, you can take the log home - they're good pollinators!

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Originally Posted by Ranga

I've got a native bee hive (well, currently on loan to a mate to split it). The honeycomb is indeed dark, and the honey is extremely rich in taste. Apparently native bee honey fetches well over $100/kg to restaurants and the like. You only need a very small amount.

Interestingly, it has a very low freezing point. After keeping it in the freezer, it has the viscosity of room temp European honey. If you can be bothered, when you drop another, you can take the log home - they're good pollinators!

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The honeycomb that spilt onto the road was around 2m x 2m x 300mm thick.We left it for a few hours before I graded it into the road,we couldn't get any closer than 3m before we were told to leave it alone.If they were European bees more like 30 or 50 meters after destroying their home.
Andrew

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Originally Posted by bob10

Sorry to hear about your stingless bees. How do you know the honey bees did the deed? That would be the first time I've heard that. Extreme heat, or insecticides, will kill a hive. Having the hive in the right place is important. Some members of our association have been keeping stingless bees for years. I'll quiz them next time I see them. Always relaxing to have nature around.

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Bob, the hive is a natural one in a dead tree, not man made. I may have wrongly assumed the feral bees invaded but I observed several at the hive over a week or so, moving small pieces of wood around at the entrance which, to me at least, looked like an attempt to increase the size of access. Two weeks later the natives have gone & there are, on yesterdays census, at least 20 feral bees at the hive. Perhaps they're just foraging.
for the remnant honey?
We are well catered for, pollination wise, by several species of native bees so don't require feral bees.
I'm not a "Greenie" by any means but we are trying to keep our property as native as we can.
Steve

Native bee keepers are as passionate as honey bee keepers about their bees. The native bees produce a very small amount of honey, compared to the honey bees. Natives are mainly used for pollination. Fascinating animals, it's called sugar bag honey, you will see why in this video.


[ame]https://youtu.be/1pHXrZFFRt8[/ame]

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Originally Posted by Saitch

Bob, the hive is a natural one in a dead tree, not man made. I may have wrongly assumed the feral bees invaded but I observed several at the hive over a week or so, moving small pieces of wood around at the entrance which, to me at least, looked like an attempt to increase the size of access. Two weeks later the natives have gone & there are, on yesterdays census, at least 20 feral bees at the hive. Perhaps they're just foraging.
for the remnant honey?
We are well catered for, pollination wise, by several species of native bees so don't require feral bees.
I'm not a "Greenie" by any means but we are trying to keep our property as native as we can.
Steve

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Way to go Steve. You are one of the good guys. My take on the missing bees is perhaps an outside influence, such as small hive beetle, may have forced them to move on. Honey bees , being opportunists, may have taken advantage of the weakened hive to rob the honey. Or they could be Asian Honey bees, hives of which have been found in Townsville, coming in in shipping containers. The danger here is, Australia is free of the varroa mite at present, and mites were found on the Townsville Asian bees. Its supposedly under control.

[ame]https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/16422f90-1acf-4223-a347-740f48401ced/files/asian-bees.pdf[/ame]

Just some more on the Asian bees in Townsville. Any unusual bee sightings should be reported.

Response team make a bee-line to Asian honey bee nest ? Bee Aware

I am considering changing from the European honey bee to the native bee. i find that getting into the brood box difficult with my physical problem. I have to dismantle the honey box, that is remove the frames so I can lift the box off. Not fair to the bees to be disturbed so much. I have a lot of native bees around but I cannot find the nest. I can buy a starter kit so I might do that. Jim

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Originally Posted by jx2mad

I am considering changing from the European honey bee to the native bee. i find that getting into the brood box difficult with my physical problem. I have to dismantle the honey box, that is remove the frames so I can lift the box off. Not fair to the bees to be disturbed so much. I have a lot of native bees around but I cannot find the nest. I can buy a starter kit so I might do that. Jim

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I know where you're coming from. If my sons aren't available, I have a small cohort of wrinkly friends who can be bribed with free honey, they have also put their hands up to look after the chooks when the wife & I travel [ when we get them,again]. Just my luck ,they are thirsty old coots, the beer fridge takes a hammering.

Over the last month I've noticed extra damage to some of our smaller planted trees & some vegies. Yesterday arvo I think I located the culprits.
That's a full grown Redneck wallaby behind them. Even the rough, tough, farm dog that was with me turned the other way & pretended not to notice them. :D
Can't say I blame her really as they're big buggers.
Steve