March Meeting
What a busy afternoon we had at CCNBA’s March meeting at Richard and Franny Piper’s house at Cowley Beach.
The afternoon started with a quick ppt of what CCNBA has been up to over the last 6 months. Initially, the ppt was just a way of showing off our new laptop, screen, and data projector bought with grant funds, but it was quite a surprise to see how busy we have been.
Next, Richard showed us his variety of hives: boxes, logs, and ‘bambees’, Richard’s name for bamboo beehives.
We then moved on to view Richard’s stunning lilies. We discussed the African tulip being considered a pest for several reasons, including the flower being responsible for native bee deaths and Richard pointed out that his lilies also contain dead bees on occasion but not enough to have any impact on hive numbers or health. The group pondered the idea that there may be other flowers that could be toxic to native bees.
Our next activity saw several of the group on their hands and knees on the ground, trying to catch and identify some of the solitary bees living in burrows around the garden. The intrepid bee hunters managed to find several metallic bees and a resin bee. The hunt has peaked the group’s interest in solitaries, and so our next meeting will include a presentation by Lea about solitary bees.
Lastly, Jordan brought along a small rescued clypearis log hive. The group carried out a transfer of the hive from the log to a display hive. Everyone was keenly engaged in seeing what the inside of a log hive looked like. For many of the group, this was the first time they had seen the inner workings of a hive, and much knowledge was gained from being involved in the transfer. Of course, it must be emphasised that this was a res-cued log and not a hive that had been deliberately removed from a healthy tree
We finished the meeting with a quick planning session regarding the CCNBA’s stall at the upcoming Feast of the Senses in Innisfail.
A big thank you goes out to Richard and Franny for hosting the meeting. We had such an enjoyable after-noon with you.
Our next meeting will be hosted by Lea and Andrew at their house in Cairns at the end of May. We will be focus-ing on solitary bees. We may also have a hock hive to split, fingers crossed. Also, we will be discussing the possibility of starting a Cairns branch of ANBA. So, if you are a member who lives in Cairns wanting to attend meetings but not wanting to drive to the Cassowary Coast, this meeting might be for you.
Keep an eye on the Cassowary Coast Native Bee Association Facebook page or your emails for confirmation of the date and address for the next meeting. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1703605019824793/
Kind Regards, Liz Lang, Secretary
