Bees belong to the insect Order Hymenoptera, which includes wasps, ants and sawflies. In Australia there are four main bee families: Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae. Many of these bees are solitary nesters, while others may share a nest. Others are fully social species. Although some bees sting, they are not considered to be pests as they play an important role in the Australian environment as key pollinators of many native plant species. Indigenous people have long used both the honey and the nests of native bees as valuable sources of food and wax. Commercially, the introduced Honey Bee is vital to the production of honey, but the cultivation of native bee species is also being investigated as a viable industry.
Like the European Wasp, the Honey Bee is an introduced social insect. Worker bees visit flowers in search of pollen during the summer months, and may sting if handled or caught in clothing. They are particularly attracted to clover flowers, so it is wise to be cautious if walking through clover patches. Like wasps, Honey Bees will vigorously defend their nests.
Honey Bee stings are barbed and, when a person is stung, the sting (with venom gland attached) will stick in the skin and tear away from the bee. This injury kills the bee, but the venom gland continues to pump venom through the sting, so it should be removed as soon as possible. Do not squeeze it as this will force more venom into the wound. The sting is best removed by scraping it out with a fingernail.
Most Honey Bee stings cause intense local pain and swelling. However, if a victim is allergic to bee venom, a sting may cause more general symptoms. Most seriously, these can include difficulty breathing and collapse. If a person is known to be allergic to bee venom, the sting should be removed and a pressure immobilisation bandage should be immediately applied. Seek medical attention.
If you find a swarm of bees, do not approach it. Contact your local beekeepers' association or look up under "Bee and Wasp Removal" in the Yellow Pages.
Trigona are small, dark bees (4mm) which form colonies in tree hollows and other cavities. They are one of the few species of native bees that form large social nests. They are sometimes known as 'Sweat Bees' or 'Sugarbag Bees'. Trigona produce a thin honey, which can be used as bush tucker. The cultivation of Trigona in artificial nests is being developed for more commercial uses.
Trigona species are stingless and so are harmless to humans.
This is a highly variable group of bees. Some species are the largest bees in Australia (up to 2cm long), while others are quite small (eg the Reed Bees, 5-8mm). They may be very hairy or fuzzy, such as the Teddybear and Blue-banded Bees (Amegilla species), or shiny and metallic, as are the large green Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa species). None of these bees pose a serious threat to humans, although the females do possess stings.
Some of these bees excavate nests in plant stems, or in cavities in rocks or logs. Other species burrow into soil, mudbricks or soft mortar. The adult bees visit flowers for pollen and use it to make 'bee bread' for the growing larvae. The Cuckoo Bees (Thyreus species) are parasites of Amegilla nests, laying their own eggs in the brood cells of the host bees. The developing Cuckoo Bee larva then uses the provisions intended for the Amegilla larvae in order to grow.
Most of these bees are solitary, but the Teddybear and Blue-banded Bees (Amegilla sp.) may nest close together in large numbers.
Copyright © Australian Museum, 2003
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