New Native Bee Hive Fostering Programme launched on Gold Coast
By Jane Money, gordoandjane@optusnet.com.au
The Gold Coast Regional Beekeepers Association is busy organising its new Native Bee Hive Fostering Programme. Alarmed by the ‘rapid decline in native bees’ in their local area, partly caused by increased housing development, the new Bee Native project is aimed at helping to safe-guard Australia’s native bee population.
Drew Maywald is the Secretary of the Gold Coast Regional Beekeepers and is a passionate force behind the new project of fostering hives throughout the community, letting people give the bees a safe space to grow including schools, parks, bushland, businesses and private gardens. Interest in the project can be registered by email-ing Drew at gcrb.secretary@beekeepers.asn.au
Tetragonula carbonaria are a small stingless native bee that are ideal to set up in small 280 x 200 x 220 high, two tier wooden boxes (called an OATH hive). Because these bees do not sting, they are ideal to use in schools, private gardens and the community.
’We’re starting small – we have 22 or 23 hives altogether now and hope that in 2 years we have 50 hives out in the community – hopefully more than that.’ says Drew. By splitting the hives as they become strong enough, and creating new colonies, the number of hives in the community keeps growing.
And community is exactly what this project is reflecting – not only will the hand-made hives be watched over by the community but several businesses including Dulux, Stratco, Bunnings and the Veterans Support Group Men’s Shed, have made a significant contribution to the materials and construction of these hives.
The Australian native bee Tetragonula carbonaria is endemic to a region stretching from the south coast of NSW to north Queensland. These special bees work harmoniously with the Australian environment and are a vital, natural part of the continual health and vibrancy of our ecosystems.