Bees


Of all insects, the bee is percieved by most people as the one the most directly beneficial to mankind. While there are many different species of bee, the insect we associate most readily with the name is of course the Honey Bee. This industrious producer of wax and sweet honey has been cultivated by humans since before recorded history, and in many parts of the world where sugar was unknown, their honey was the chief natural sweetener. In ancient Egypt honey's antibacterial qualities were well-known, and a form of beer was produced using fermented honey. In Europe honey-based beverages such as mead were celebrated in song and folklore. Bees are also well-known for their role as prolific pollinators of plants. The other side of the bees reputation is less pleasant. Swarming bee species can be fiercely territorial creatures with strong aggressive instincts, and with their sharp vision tend to pursue perceived threats relentlessly,. attacking in swarms with a sting which is both painful and may provoke severe allergic reactions. Some species are more dangerous than others, but no hive or swarm should be approached or disturbed without the appropriate protective equipment.
Honey Bee
The Honey Bee is an introduced species unknown in Australia before the arrival of Europeans. While it is not the only bee which produces honey, this species produces it in the greatest quantities. Their primary foods are nectar and pollen provided by flowering plants, and when a foraging bee finds a source, she will return to the nest and communicate its distance and direction to other members, using a complex 'dance'. While 'domesticated' bees are housed in specially constructed apiaries, honey bees in the wild live in combs constructed of wax, often suspended from tree branches or the eaves of houses or in walls. When the population of a honeybee colony reaches its maximum size the many of insects will form a swarm and begin the search for a new nesting place. Swarming bees are often seen clinging in large clusters to overhanging branches or parts of buildings, and can be extremely dangerous if disturbed. An attack by a swarm of bees can be fatal even to healthy adults due to the sheer number of stings inflicted. The Honey bee sting is barbed and cannot be withdrawn by the bee from human skin. It is usually left behind, killing the insect but allowing the sting to continue pumping venom into the skin.
Mortar Bee
Mortar or Mason bees are a relatively minor problem in Australia, and in spite of their reputation for damaging brickwork, they only excavate holes in mortar that is already crumbling, using mud to contstruct their nests within the cavity. The real damage comes from the increased entry of moisture into the cavities of brick walls bored by Mortar bees, resulting in structural weakening. The bee itself is quite harmless, and unlike Honey bees is not a communal insect, tending to lead a solitary existance except during the mating season.
Australian Native Bees
There are well over 1,000 Australian native bee species, and most are solitary creatures, living in underground burrows or in crevices in wood and stone. They are rarely considered pests, though they may be mistaken for other species. The Blue-banded bee, shown here, like the Mortar bee may sometimes remove loose mortar from brickwork, though the burrowing varieties tend to prefer softer material.