Frequently Asked Questions

General

  • Yes! Our bees cannot sting, so do not cause anaphylactic responses that European honey bees do. This means that the bees are a great addition to home gardens and childcare centres. The hives can observed close up by children, pets and those who experience anaphylaxis with no risk of being stung. 

  • Yes. We have sent hundreds of hives through the mail service. We send hives on a Monday to ensure they are delivered prior to the end of the week. This ensures that the hives are not in transit for extended periods. We close up the hives using breathable mesh which means that the bees can control airflow in and out of the hive. This ensures they won’t overheat or become stressed during delivery.

    Hives can survive being closed in for quite some time. There are examples where this happens naturally in the environment. If there are periods of prolonged cold or wet weather, bees will remain inside the hive until the weather is fine to resume foraging. 

  • We position our hives facing a north-east direction with shade and protection from the midday and afternoon sun. It is also important to ensure hives are not placed next to or on reflective heat surfaces (for example metal fencing). Hives are either mounted on a star picket or bracket (sold separately). 

  • We believe splitting is one of the best ways to propagate your hive. We have participated in trials to compare the results of splitting versus eduction (alternate propagation method). Our observations showed dramatically less stress and intervention is needed when splitting. We also observed a far greater success rate of the hives being split as opposed to eduction method. Our hives have special division plates that ensure a clean division. Broken honey and pollen pots are avoided which reduces the chances of pest invasion. 

    Every method of propagation has its unique benefits and risks. We dive deeper into the variety of propagation methods in our online course. If you would like to know more check out our ONLINE COURSE.

Education

  • You can book a presentation and purchase hives through our website or get in touch with Steve on 0404 831 659 to work out the best solution for you educational context.

Pollination

  • Macadamia, blueberry, avocado, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry and lychee are the main crops.

  • In Macadamia’s native bees have been shown to increase yield, nut in shell, and importantly kernel size.

    In Blueberries native bees have increased pollination, improved seed set, fruit size and the weight of fruit through cross pollination.

  • Blueberries – Winter fruit should have bees in place at the end of February till June or until pollination is complete.

    Summer fruit should have bees in place by August.

    Macadamias flower from August till October. So, bees should be in place by late August.

    Raspberries and Blackberries can have extended flowering so each farm should have a conversation about the number of hives required and the date of setting up the hives on the farm.

  • The species of native bees used is Tetragonula carbonaria. This species of bee has proven itself as an efficient pollinator.

  • The bees that we use, T.carbonaria, are naturally distributed on the East coast of Australia on the Eastern side of the Great Dividing Range. They can be found as far South as Bega and as far North as the Atherton tablelands.

Products

  • Native bee honey has antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

  • The hives are made of recycled plastic and wood composite material. It is durable in the weather, has superior insulation qualities and is light weight.

  • Delivery is arranged so that the hive arrives in as short a time as possible. We usually send the hives by courier.

Education

  • We deliver programs on the East coast and service Brisbane to Sydney.

  • Yes, we regularly deliver to community groups. Talks can be booked by contacting us directly. Alternatively, watch our social media pages for upcoming events. Facebook Instagram