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Australian Native Bees Learn More, up Close garden. Image from Elizabeth Richmond Elizabeth from Image garden. ottage C biodiversity and also food security. food also and biodiversity populations, thus supporting ecosystem ecosystem supporting thus populations, exotic bees we can help conserve their their conserve help can we bees exotic By understanding more about our native and and native our about more understanding By hind legs. hind the on or scopa) (abdominal belly under populations to be under threat of extinction. of threat under be to populations which may be on the the on be may which hairs branched, of collection use pesticides we are causing our bee bee our causing are we pesticides use Female solitary bees carry pollen in their scopa; a a scopa; their in pollen carry bees solitary Female clear land for urban develop, remove plants and and plants remove develop, urban for land clear their young. young. their Sadly our bee populations are decreasing. As we we As decreasing. are populations bee our Sadly Both social and solitary bees collect pollen to feed feed to pollen collect bees solitary and social Both strawberries and mangoes. mangoes. and strawberries collection collection Pollen tomatoes, watermelon, passion fruits, fruits, passion watermelon, tomatoes, to pollinate many fruits and vegetables, including including vegetables, and fruits many pollinate to Newman Marc from Image for reproduction. Australian native bees are able able are bees native Australian reproduction. for available all year round. year all available plants and crops nearly 90% rely on pollinators pollinators on rely 90% nearly crops and plants Plant a variety of different species, so flowers are are flowers so species, different of variety a Plant our food and flowers. Of the 352,000 flowering flowering 352,000 the Of flowers. and food our We need pollinators, like bees, to help us grow grow us help to bees, like pollinators, need We and daisies. and hebe family), Lamiaceae the of (any • Exotics like lavender, rosemary, salvia, hyssop hyssop salvia, rosemary, lavender, like Exotics • Why are bees important? bees are Why family), thyme family), Apiaceae the of (any hairs while others are smooth and shiny. and smooth are others while hairs • Herbs like parsley, coriander, celery, fennel fennel celery, coriander, parsley, like Herbs • sized from 2 to 24 mm. Some have thick furry furry thick have Some mm. 24 to 2 from sized Native bees come in a range of colours and are are and colours of range a in come bees Native westringia and native peas native and westringia water gum, wattle, bottle brush, tea tree, tree, tea brush, bottle wattle, gum, water winter. winter. , grevillea, grevillea, , lambertia like plants flowering Native • store pollen and make honey to survive over over survive to honey make and pollen store although there are a few social native bees that that bees native social few a are there although Plants that are known to attract bees include: bees attract to known are that Plants bees do not produce honey or live in large hives; hives; large in live or honey produce not do bees introduced social Honey Bee. Solitary native native Solitary Bee. Honey social introduced greater diversity of bee you will attract. attract. will you bee of diversity greater simple eyes. simple complete their life cycle alone, unlike the the unlike alone, cycle life their complete The greater variety of flower you can provide, the the provide, can you flower of variety greater The pollen or wax and two compound eyes and three three and eyes compound two and wax or pollen Most native bees are solitary bees, meaning they they meaning bees, solitary are bees native Most “smell”, mandibles or jaws used for biting, working working biting, for used jaws or mandibles “smell”, attracted to blue and purple flowers. flowers. purple and blue to attracted wings. They have two antennae used to touch and and touch to used antennae two have They wings. Western Sydney (GWS) region. region. (GWS) Sydney Western especially Blue Banded and Teddy Bear, are are Bear, Teddy and Banded Blue especially abdomen. They have six legs and two pairs of of pairs two and legs six have They abdomen. with around 200 of them found in the Greater Greater the in found them of 200 around with have large patches of flowers. Many bees, bees, Many flowers. of patches large have Bee bodies are comprised of a head, thorax and and thorax head, a of comprised are bodies Bee Australia is home to 1,600 native bee species, species, bee native 1,600 to home is Australia The best way to attract bees to your garden is to to is garden your to bees attract to way best The Anatomy Anatomy Bee native bees bees native About bees to your garden your to bees Attracting All About Bees About All All About Bees Summary Making habitat for bees Why are bees under threat? As land is cleared to build houses or shopping • Urbanisation removes bees' natural habitat centres, we remove natural bee habitat. We can • Urbanisation increases "flowerless landscapes" however, provide additional nesting habitat that • Pesticides contaminate bees’ food sources are similar to their natural ones. How can we help improve the health of our bees? Different bees like different habitat. Resin and • Conserve existing bee habitat Leaf-cutter bees will nest in drilled hardwood. • Provide additional habitat for bees Masked and Reed bees nest in bundles of • Plant bee friendly flowers lantana and bamboo. Blue Banded bees can also • Reduce or stop pesticide use be encouraged into rammed earth nests.. How can we learn more? When setting up your solitary bee nest, place it somewhere you can watch the activity safely. • Observe bees at nest sites Your nest should be out of the way and • Observe flowers for bee activity somewhere protected against the weather. Once • Visit the following websites you have your nest in place, do not move it. www.beesbusiness.com.au www.aussiebee.com.au When you are watching your bees DO NOT www.facebook.com/BeesBusiness/ stand in the flight-path of exiting and entering www.facebook.com/groups/beeawareofyournativebees bees. Instead, stand to the side of the nest. These bees CAN sting so be careful. Designer: Brittany Hardiman | Australian BeesAustralian Native Written by:Megan Halcroft, Bees Business Special thanks to Dr Michael Batley, Australian Museum Copyright © 2014. Australian Updated July 2017 Acknowledgement: Schools Engagement and the Office of Native Bees Sustainability, Western Sydney University. Disclaimer: Bees Business and the Western Sydney Learn more, up close University are not responsible for, and expressly disclaim all liability for, damages of any kind arising from the use, reference to or reliance upon information contained in this brochure. Examples of man-made solitary bee nests Resin Bees Reed Bees Masked Bees Common Name: Black Resin Bee Common Name: Reed Bee Common Name: Masked Bee Size: Approximately 1 - 1.3 centimetres in length Size: Approximately 0.3 - 0.8 centimetres in length Size: Approximately 0.4 - 1.2 centimetres in length Features: Large, strong mandibles (jaw) used to Features: A shiny black head and thorax with a Features: Sparsely haired with dark heads and collect plant resins to build their nests. distinctive chestnut-coloured, wedge-shaped brightly coloured facial markings, some have abdomen. Females often have a T-shaped, yellow brightly marked bodies. Species in GWS: Megachile punctata, Megachile mark on the face and a tibial scopa. aurifrons and Megachile deanii. Species in GWS: Amphylaeus morosus and Species in GWS: Exoneura sp. Hylaeus nubilosus. Nesting habitat: Old borer holes (made by insects) or other cracks and crevices in trees. Nesting habitat: Stems of woody weed lantana, coral Nesting habitat: Stems of tristania, acacia, tree tree (Erythrina sp.), grass tree spikes (Xanthorrhoea), fern fronds and grass tree spikes (Xanthorrhoea). Man-made nesting habitat: Resin bees will nest in tree fern fronds and other hollow stemmed plants. drilled hardwood blocks. Man-made nesting habitat: Masked bees will nest Man-made nesting habitat: Reed bees will nest in in bamboo canes and small holes drilled in small holes drilled into hardwood or in dried Lantana hardwood. stems. Megachile punctata Megachile aurifrons Hylaeus nubilosus Image from Marc Newman Exoneura sp. Other Native & Exotic Leaf-cutter Bees Blue Banded & Teddy Bear Bees Bees Common Name: Leaf-cutter Bee Common Name: Blue Banded Bee Australian Native Stingless Bees The stingless bee (Tetragonula carbonaria) is the only Size: Approximately 1.2 centimetres in length Size: Approximately 1.5 centimetres in length social native bee found in the GWS region. Colonies Features: Large, strong mandibles (jaw) used to cut Features: Blue stripes on abdomen. The female has nest in large tree cavities where they store pollen and discs of soft plant leaves to form a tubular nest. Half dark facial markings and tibial scopa. honey. These little (4mm), black bees can be seen the males of the Megachile species have expanded hovering near flowers of all types. forelegs which are flattened and often have long, sleek hairs used in part of the bees’ mating ritual. European Honey Bee Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are an introduced species. Nesting habitat: Nests are constructed in small They are extremely important for food production, & cavities under bark or in rock crevices. pollination of large scale crops. However, it is becoming more apparent that our native bees play an important Man-made nesting habitat: Leaf-cutter bees will part in pollinating native and exotic plant species. nest in large bamboo canes and drilled hardwood. Amegilla pulchra Common Name: Teddy Bear Bee Size: Approximately 1.5 centimetres in length Features: Covered in orange-brown hairs. The female has dark facial markings and tibial scopa. Tetragonula carbonaria foraging beside European honey bees African Carder Bee Megachile serricauda The Carder bee (Afranthidium repetitum) is an Image from Marc Newman introduced bee species and are well established in the GWS region.
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