European Honey Bees in Australia: A Historical Journey

When you think of honey bees in Australia, it’s likely the image of the familiar European Honey Bee, Apis mellifera, comes to mind. But did you know that before European colonization, there were no European Honey Bees in Australia at all? In fact, these industrious pollinators only arrived on Australian shores in the 1820s, marking a significant milestone in the country’s agricultural history.

European Honey Bees came in 1822, aboard the merchant ship Isabella.

The Journey of the European Honey Bee to Australia

It is generally accepted that the first successful introduction of European Honey Bees to Australia occurred in 1822, aboard the merchant ship Isabella. The Isabella embarked on a 125-day journey from Cork, Ireland, to Sydney, carrying not just 200 male convicts but also the first hives of European Honey Bees. These bees were crucial for the fledgling colony, as their role in pollination would soon become a cornerstone of Australian agriculture.

The Skep Hive: A Traditional Home for Bees

During the voyage, the bees were likely housed in skep hives, a traditional type of beehive made from woven straw or grass. Skep hives are dome-shaped structures with a small entrance hole, and unlike modern beehives, they lack removable frames or foundation. While skeps were used for centuries, they posed significant challenges. The absence of movable frames made it difficult to manage the hive and inspect for pests, parasites, and diseases - a task essential for maintaining a healthy bee colony.

The Evolution of Beehives

The Evolution of Beekeeping: From Skep to Langstroth Hives

The difficulties associated with skep hives were eventually addressed by Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth, an American clergyman and beekeeper. Langstroth is often referred to as the "Father of American Beekeeping" due to his invention of the Langstroth hive, which revolutionized beekeeping practices. The Langstroth hive introduced removable frames and incorporated the concept of "bee space."

Bee Space refers to the specific gap, typically around 6-9 mm, that bees leave between the honeycomb and the walls of the hive. This space allows bees to move freely within the hive without building excess comb or gluing everything together with propolis, also known as bee glue. The Langstroth hive's design, which respects this natural behavior, made hive management much more efficient and less intrusive for the bees.

The Impact of European Honey Bees in Australia

The successful introduction of European Honey Bees to Australia had a profound impact on the country's development. These bees became essential pollinators, supporting the growth of crops and the expansion of agriculture. Today, European Honey Bees continue to play a vital role in Australia's food production and are responsible for pollinating more than 53 major food crops. This vital pollination service ensures the successful production of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, which underpin healthy and diverse human diets.

The journey of the European Honey Bee to Australia is more than just a historical anecdote; it’s a testament to the resilience and adaptability of these remarkable creatures.

Bee Education: European Honey Bees and Agriculture

In our Bee Education and Bee Incursion programs, we delve into the vital role that European Honey Bees play in Australia's food production systems. These bees are more than just honey producers; they are key players in the agricultural industry, providing essential pollination services that contribute to the growth of a wide variety of crops.

Beekeepers, who manage and care for these bee colonies, are crucial to ensuring that these pollination services continue. Through careful management practices, beekeepers help maintain healthy bee populations, which in turn supports the sustainability of our food supply. In our Bee Education programs, we discuss how beekeepers contribute to agricultural success and explore the symbiotic relationship between bees, crops, and farmers.

Bee-Inspired Music: Friends With Honey Musical Kids Show

Make learning fun and engaging was what inspired us to create the Friends With Honey Musical Kids Show. This show features bee-inspired music that educates and entertains, making it easier for children to understand the importance of bees in our ecosystem. Through catchy songs and fun performances, we bring the world of bees to life, helping young audiences connect with these incredible insects on a deeper level. Whether it's learning about pollination or the daily life of a beekeeper, the Friends With Honey Musical Kids Show has songs and stories for big minds, little minds and everyone in between!.

Friends with Honey Musical Kids Show Album

Building a Buzz: How to Create a Simple Native Bee Hotel

Pollinators are essential to our ecosystems and food security, and there are many ways we can lend them a helping hand. One of the most effective ways to create pollinator-friendly habitats is by designing a diverse garden or landscape with lots of locally native plant species. These plants have evolved alongside local bee populations, providing ideal food sources and shelter, ensuring their survival.

Creating a Bee-Friendly Habitat

1. Native Plants: Native plants are a bee's best friend. They provide the perfect food sources for native bees, ensuring they thrive.

2. Bare Soil: Leave some patches of bare soil in your garden. These spots are perfect nesting sites for many solitary bee species, which are just as crucial as honeybees in providing pollination.

3. Water Sources: Bees need water to survive. Ensure your garden has a shallow water source with perching spots, so bees can drink without the risk of drowning.

4. Shelter: Bees need shelter from extreme weather, predators, and disturbances. Including shrubs, trees and dense vegetation in your garden will provide a safe haven for them.

5. Year-Round Floral Resources: Bees need a consistent food supply throughout the seasons. By planting a range of flowering plants that bloom at different times, you can ensure bees have access to nectar and pollen year-round.

   
   

Lend a helping hand by creating bee friendly habitat.

While creating a natural habitat is the best way to support bees, building supplementary habitats like Native Bee Hotels can be both fun and helpful.

Types of Bee Hotels

1. Hollow/Pithy Tubes: For stem nesters, cut 15-20cm lengths of hollow stems like bamboo or raspberry canes and arrange them into a cluster.

2. Drilled Wood Blocks:  These mimic borer holes in trees and are perfect for hole nesters.

3. Mudbrick:  Ideal for ground nesters like blue-banded bees. You can make homemade mud bricks using compacted earth, clay, and loam.

4. Combination:  Mix bamboo stems, drilled wood, and mud bricks for a versatile bee hotel.

Building Your Own Drilled Wood Bee Hotel

Here's how to build a simple native bee hotel using recycled materials:

Materials:

• A saw

• Tape measure

• Drill bits and a drill

• Marking pen

• Gas torch (optional)

• Sandpaper

• Hard or soft wood (I've used wood from an untreated pallet)

Steps 1 - 3 - How to build a simple bee hotel

Instructions:

• Measure and Cut: Measure your wood to approximately 20cm in length and saw it into blocks.

• Mark and Drill: Mark where you'll drill the holes. Use different cavity diameters and depths, such as a 6mm hole 150mm deep, a 5mm hole 120mm deep, and an 8mm hole 150mm deep. Make sure the holes are slightly angled to prevent water pooling and spaced at least 20mm apart.

• Sand the Entrances: Sand the holes' entrances to remove splinters that could damage the bees' wings.

• Char the Wood: For extra appeal, slightly char the wood using a gas torch. This also helps remove tiny splinters.

• Maintain Nest Hygiene: Native bee hotels can accumulate debris, mites, and pathogens over time. Use paper straws to line the holes and replace them between seasons. Clean the holes with a pipe cleaner and water during winter when all bees have emerged.

Steps 4 & 5 - How to build a simple bee hotel

Steps 6 - 8 - How to build a simple bee hotel

Bee Education: Building Native Bee Hotels

In our Bee Education and Bee Incursion programs, we explore the differences between European honey bees and native bees. We discuss the habitats and nesting places of native bees and how to build supplementary habitats like native bee hotels to support their populations.

Bee-Inspired Music: Friends With Honey Musical Kids Show

The "Friends With Honey Musical Kids Show Album" includes a sweet and catchy tune that helps children understand the differences between solitary and social bees and their habitat. One of the songs, "Some Bees" talks about the nesting behaviors of bees, from "living in their honey house" to "living underground where they're safe and sound." It's a fun and educational way to engage children in bee biodiversity, complete with a catchy chorus that's perfect for singing and dancing along.

Friends with Honey Musical Kids Show Album

Citizen Science: Empowering Everyone to Make a Difference

“Citizen science offers the power of science to everyone, and the power of everyone to science.”

This is one of my favorite quotes about citizen science. It perfectly encapsulates what citizen science is all about - making science accessible and harnessing the collective power of the people. The term "citizen science" may not be mainstream yet, but it should be.  As an active participant in citizen science, I’m going to explain what it all means, why it’s so impactful, and why you should get involved.

Citizen Science - harnessing the power of the people

The Power of Science for Everyone

When you hear the term “science,” you might picture a lab full of researchers in white coats, conducting experiments with complex equipment.  But here’s the thing: you don’t need a lab coat or a PhD to contribute to scientific discovery.  That’s where citizen science comes in.

The first part of the quote, "citizen science offers the power of science to everyone," is about accessibility.  By participating in citizen science projects, anyone can engage with science in a meaningful way. You get to use the tools, methods, and knowledge that professional scientists use.  It’s a powerful learning experience, and I can personally vouch for how much my scientific knowledge has grown since becoming a citizen scientist.

The Power of Everyone to Science

The second part of the quote, "and the power of everyone to science," speaks to the incredible impact we can have when we come together.  Imagine trying to collect data on every bird species across Australia.  This is impossible for one person or even a small team, right?  But what if thousands of people across the country each recorded their observations?  Suddenly, you’ve got a wealth of data that can answer complex scientific questions.

Citizen science leverages the power of the crowd.  By involving a large number of people, it generates data on a scale that would be impossible otherwise.  This collaborative approach not only advances scientific knowledge but also promotes inclusivity in research, making science something that belongs to all of us.

Fungi in the morning sun at my farm

A Mushrooming Impact

I’ve included a picture of a mushroom from my farm here, because mushrooms seem to pop up out of nowhere, just like the insights and discoveries that emerge from citizen science projects. Citizen science is about ordinary people contributing to extraordinary discoveries.

At its core, citizen science is about involving the public in scientific research.  It’s not limited to one field, it spans topics as diverse as biodiversity, health, astronomy, archaeology, and social sciences. Take COVID-19, for example.  Citizen scientists played a role in understanding and combating the pandemic, whether by recording their symptoms, participating in contact tracing, or filling out surveys after vaccination.  We were all Citizen scientists during the pandemic!

How Citizen Science Advances Conservation

Citizen science is also a powerful tool for conservation. Let’s explore a few ways it’s making a difference:

1. Biodiversity Monitoring: Volunteers help document and monitor species in specific areas, tracking their distribution, abundance, and migration patterns. This data is crucial for understanding ecosystems and informing conservation efforts.

2. Climate Change Research: Citizen scientists monitor local weather patterns, helping us understand how climate change affects the environment and human communities. Projects like Climate Watch are great examples of this work.

3. Air and Water Quality: By using monitoring kits, volunteers test for pollutants in their local areas. Programs like WaterWatch, which has been running since 1993, empower communities to monitor river health and sustainable water use.

4. Land Use and Sustainable Development: Citizen scientists document changes in land use and provide input on development plans. Their observations help ensure that development is sustainable and meets the needs of local communities.

   
   

Citizen Science in Action: Australian Pollinator Week

One of my favorite citizen science projects is the Australian Pollinator Week Count.  It’s a well-designed project that engages participants in monitoring local pollinator populations.  The project starts with training - participants learn to identify different types of pollinators through a guide or video, followed by a short test.  Once trained, they’re ready to collect high-quality data.

What’s really special about this project is that it not only contributes valuable data to science but also educates participants about the incredible biodiversity in their own backyards. You’ll be amazed at the variety of pollinating species you can find right at home and how you can create habitats to attract and support them.

www.australianpollinatorweek.org.au

Building Communities and Empowering Individuals

Citizen science is more than just data collection - it’s about building communities and empowering individuals. It fosters a deeper appreciation for the natural world and encourages people to become active participants in conservation efforts. By working together, we can make a real difference.

So, the next time you see a call for volunteers in a citizen science project, why not join in? You’ll be contributing to something much bigger than yourself, gaining new knowledge, and maybe even discovering that there’s a little bit of scientist in you after all.

Join Our Citizen Science Incursion Program

Want to get hands-on with citizen science? Join our Citizen Science Incursion Program to discover the buzz about this exciting field.  You’ll learn how people worldwide are helping scientists monitor biodiversity, water, and air quality.  Whether you’re a student, teacher, or just someone curious about the natural world, our program offers a fun and educational way to get involved and make a real difference.

Friends with Honey - Citizen Science Incursion Program