Bees

People usually look up bees when something small but important is at stake: a swarm in the backyard, a new garden that isn’t setting fruit, a child who’s been stung, or a decision about keeping a hive. Bees are common, close to home, and easy to misunderstand.

What follows is a clear look at what bees are, how honey bees and native bees differ in Australia, what pollination really means, and what’s genuinely threatening bee populations here. The odd myths get trimmed away, and the practical parts stay.

Quick facts: bees at a glance

• Typical size: European honey bee workers are usually around 1–2 cm long (varies by caste and species).¹
• Appearance: Many honey bees show bands of dark and amber/orange; native bees vary widely and are not always “striped”.^{1, 2}
• Diet: Nectar (carbohydrates) and pollen (protein and fats).²
• Home: Honey bees build wax comb inside cavities; stingless native bees often nest in tree hollows and use wax/resin structures rather than open comb sheets.²
• Speed: Flight speed varies with wind, load and species; it’s best treated as variable rather than a single reliable number.

Bees in Australia: honey bees and native bees aren’t the same thing

Australia has the introduced European honey bee (Apis mellifera) and a rich diversity of native bees. Honey bees are the familiar hive-dwellers managed for honey and crop pollination, while most native bee species are solitary, nesting in soil, pithy stems, timber, or small crevices. A few native species are social, including stingless bees (Tetragonula) in warmer coastal regions.²

Stingless bees do store nectar and pollen, and they can produce a thin honey used as bush tucker, but their yields are small compared with honey bees and the honey is different in taste and texture.²

Why bees matter (and what “pollination” actually means)

Pollination is the transfer of pollen so plants can set seed and fruit. Bees are effective because they deliberately visit flowers for nectar and pollen, brushing past anthers and stigmas as they move. In Australian agriculture, bees underpin both crop yield and quality for many fruits, nuts and vegetables.³

In plain terms: fewer bees or fewer flower visits can mean smaller harvests, misshapen fruit, and a narrower range of plants successfully reproducing in a landscape. Exactly how much depends on the crop, the season, and which pollinators are present.

Life cycle and colony roles (honey bees)

A honey bee colony runs on division of labour. A single queen lays eggs, while most other females are workers that build comb, feed larvae, defend the nest and forage. Males (drones) exist primarily to mate with queens. The details vary with season and conditions, but the overall pattern is steady: brood is raised continuously when resources allow, and the colony’s workforce shifts as young bees mature.¹

How bees communicate and find food

Honey bees can share information about profitable food sources using the “waggle dance”, a movement pattern that encodes direction and distance relative to the sun. It isn’t the only way they coordinate (odour cues and simple following behaviour matter too), but it’s one of the best-studied examples of insect communication.⁴

Stingless bees don’t perform the classic honey bee waggle dance. They commonly recruit nestmates using scent trails and other cues, especially at close to moderate distances.²

Threats to bees in Australia

Pesticides (especially mis-timing and drift)

Bees can be harmed when insecticides drift onto flowering plants, water sources, or hives, or when residues remain toxic while bees are foraging. State agriculture departments consistently stress two practical controls: follow label directions and communicate early so beekeepers can move or protect hives when spraying is planned.^{5, 6}

Varroa mite (a defining pressure on honey bees)

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is now part of the “new normal” for Australian honey bees. It weakens colonies over time and can contribute to colony failure if not managed; it can also spread and amplify damaging viruses. This is primarily a honey bee problem, with serious knock-on effects for crop pollination and honey production.⁷

Habitat loss and thinner flowering seasons

Bees don’t just need flowers; they need continuity. Urban development, land clearing, simplified plantings, and long gaps between flowering events reduce the steady flow of nectar and pollen that keeps colonies and solitary nests going. Drought and heat can stretch those gaps further.

Competition pressures (especially in cities)

In some settings, high densities of managed honey bee hives can increase competition for nectar and pollen, potentially disadvantaging nearby native bees when floral resources are limited. The science is still developing and it isn’t a simple “honey bees are bad” story, but it is a reason to think in terms of habitat and carrying capacity rather than adding hives by default.⁸

Backyard choices that actually help

• Plant for continuity: aim for something flowering in each season, mixing locally native plants with well-chosen ornamentals.
• Let some plants finish their flowering: deadheading everything can remove food before it’s been used.
• Avoid spraying open flowers: if you must treat pests, choose the least harmful option and follow the label closely, timing applications for when bees aren’t active.^{5, 6}
• Provide clean water: a shallow dish with stones or floating corks gives bees a safe landing.
• Consider native bee habitat: patches of bare, undisturbed soil suit some ground-nesting natives; others use small cavities in timber or stems.

Beekeeping: hobby, livelihood, and responsibility

Beekeeping can be deeply absorbing, but it isn’t “set and forget”. In a varroa-affected Australia, keeping honey bees means routine monitoring, biosecurity habits, and the willingness to act when thresholds are reached, rather than hoping a colony will simply cope.⁷

In dense suburbs, it’s also worth pausing before adding hives. Sometimes the most helpful step is improving forage and nesting habitat for a wide range of pollinators, not just the one species that comes in a box.⁸

Honey and other bee products: what evidence supports

Honey for coughs

For children over one year old, honey can modestly reduce cough symptoms from an acute upper respiratory infection compared with no treatment or placebo in the short term. Evidence quality varies, and honey is not a substitute for medical care when breathing is difficult or symptoms are worsening.⁹

Do not give honey to babies under 12 months

Honey should not be fed to infants under one year because it can contain Clostridium botulinum spores that may cause infant botulism.¹⁰

Propolis, royal jelly and bee venom

These products are often marketed with broad health claims, but evidence varies by condition and preparation, and allergic reactions can be serious. Treat them as biologically active substances rather than harmless “natural” remedies, and seek qualified medical advice for therapeutic use.

One quick correction: “Cowboy Polo” with bees

The claim that there is a sport called “Cowboy Polo” that uses bees instead of horses is not factual. It has been removed.

References

1. Museums Victoria Collections – European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) species profile
2. Australian Museum – Stingless bee (Tetragonula)
3. Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Honey bees and pollination in Australia
4. Encyclopaedia Britannica – Waggle dance (honey bee communication)
5. Agriculture Victoria – Pesticides and honey bee poisoning
6. PIRSA (South Australia) – Pesticides and honey bee safety
7. Business Queensland – Varroa mite: impacts and signs
8. The Guardian – Scientists recommend limits on urban beekeeping to protect native bees (reporting on peer-reviewed research)
9. Cochrane – Honey for acute cough in children (evidence summary)
10. California Department of Public Health – Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program: when to avoid honey