How to: keep native stingless bees

We've just installed our first hive of native bees - 2000-odd social Tetragonula carbonaria and their queen in a purpose-made wood and plastic hive. We're really excited to see them buzzing round the garden exploring their new home!

The beehive installed - facing north-east with shade from the western sun. What could be simpler! Image by Emma Rooksby. 

In the Illawarra, the hive should face east or north-east, and be shelted from the hot afternoon sun. It should allow access to flowers within a 500m radius, and also to a source of water such as a pond.

That's about it for the how. But for many people, there's a question that needs to be answered before you even bother with the how, and that's 'Why would I keep native bees?' 

Luckily, if you look into it, there are just so many reasons!

• Native bees are native - with over 1500 species of native bees, ten of them stingless - every part of Australia has several indigenous species to choose from.
• Native bees are perfect for pollinating native plants! Being smaller than European bees, they can pollinate smaller flowers, such as epacris, without damaging them.
• Native bees are not vulnerable to the same diseases as European bees. European bees are prey to the varroa mite, and in Europe and the Americas have been hit by a mysterious 'colony collapse disorder'. If this happened here in Australia, having a large stock of native bees would allow us to keep on pollinating food plant species. 

I would add that native bees are cute, but that's probably in the eye of the beholder. And also, I haven't been able to take any good photos yet - hopefully soon!

A bad photo of bees - you can just make them out on the lower half of the hive. Image by Emma Rooksby. 

Illawarra local plants that could be grown in a bee-friendly garden include geebungs (Persoonia species); native pea plants (e.g. Indigofera australis, Pultenaea aristata, or Dillwynnia or Hovea species); heath species like Epacris and Leocopogons; tea-trees (Leptospermum species) and water gums (e.g. Tristaniopsis laurina).

 For more information, check out these sites:

• The AussieBee FAQ
• Russels and Janine Zabel's FAQ
• Michael Mobb's tips