About Us

Our family have been committed to the environment through the conservation of Australian stingless bees in particular the Trigona Carbonaria species, commonly referred to as sugarbag bees.

As stingless beekeepers we have been propagating over the years many stingless bee hives placing them both in farms and across Queensland suburbs. All our hives have been successfully established ensuring all local flora flourishes around our bushlands, farms and local suburbs.

We are passionate about preserving these gorgeous insects for the betterment of Australia andour wonderful planet. We hope you too enjoy your stingless bees as much as we have.


Common Questions

If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us anytime.

Q1: How do I care for my hive?

Australian stingless bees require little attention however there are a few simply rules to abide by:

  • Ensure the hive is weather proof and up from the ground, this will minimise other insects penetrating the hive such as ants or beetles
  • You should locate your hive in a warm area preferably with at least 4 hours of sun.
  • Avoid using garden pesticides as these will kill your bees
  • Ensure there is native or introduced flowers within 100 meters of the hive
Q2 Where should I place my hive?

You should locate your hive in a warm area preferably with at least 3-4 hours of sun. If possible try and position the entrance of the hive facing north and in a spot that receives a good amount of sunlight. These bees hate the cold!

Q3 Who prays on my hive?

Key predators are flies, beetles, wasps and ants such as black Phorid flies, larger Syrphid flies or South African small hive beetles.To avoid these predators ensure your nests are well sealed.

Q3 Do stingless bees swarm?

Indeed at times your bees will swarm and in come cases fighting with another hive known as a fighting swarm. This is usually caused by worker bees trying to take over another colony. These events rarely lead to the death of a hive and could even make both hives stronger.

Q4 How do I harvest my honey?

Every year a hive will produce just under 1 litre of honey which has a distinctive delicious sweet tangy flavor. Stingless bees will store honey in clusters of small resin pots near the extremities of the hive.

If you have bought one of our bee boxes you will be able to easily access the honey through lifting the top lid. Next, with a small steel comb lightly pierce the clusters then tip into a container through a kitchen strainer.

We are always happy to do house calls to show you how to do this process or feel free to call us and we can advise you of the process.

Q5 How do I split my hive?

To split a hive the usual rule is when the hive weighs around 6.5kg. In addition, you must not have harvested the honey in that year.

Steps to split the hive

  1. Ensure you have the new box ready and have located a appropriate position for the new hive, as you want to establish the hive with minimal movement
  2. With a large flat bread knife carefully loosen the box by slicing through the wax, and divide at the second level from the bottom
  3. Once they are separated place the existing hive's base level onto the new two upper sections creating one complete hive.
  4. Then place the existing two top sections on to a new base level creating another complete hive.
  5. Strap both boxes firmly using the plastic garden straps available from any hardware store or just contact us
  6. Position the hives either side by side or at least 100 meters apart.
  7. The new hive will select a queen, and form a brand new colony. (no intervention required from yourself)
  8. In a couple of years, they will both be ready to divide again! (no intervention required from yourself)
 

© Copyright aussienativebees.com