Interview with Alan and John Waters

Interview with Alan and John Waters       Today I had the pleasure to meet with two long time stingless bee keepers who happen to be brothers, Alan and John Waters. Both Alan and John keep a variety of species including Tetragonula carbonaria, Tetragonula hockingsi and Austroplebia australis. Alan and John demonstrated a vertical…

Native Bee Resins

Native Bee Resins     Other Native bee Resins (Substitutes) A conversation with John Klumpp reminded me of all the odd things I have heard native bees collect. Here is a small list of odd things: Types of bitumen based products used in waterproofing and automotive Different types of grease Paints Blue-tac Silicone-based products Resins…

Tetragonula Clypearis

Tetragonula Clypearis Tetragonula Clypearis are one of Australia’s smallest bees. I fell in love with this little bee at first sight. They are found all over cairns and the surrounding areas. They prefer to build in a house rather than a tree when given the option. Out of the 30 or so nests I saw…

Tetragonula Carbonaria

Tetragonula Carbonaria     Tetragonula Carbonaria are a small hardworking bee that is found along the east coast of Australia predominantly between Sydney and Rockhamton. Some colonies are reported as far south as Bega and as far north of Cooktown. They are slightly smaller than that of Tetragonula hockingsi and are a little more docile.…