Importance of Native Bees: 

With nearly 2000 different species across Australia, from the large and conspicuous teddy bear bee (Amegilla bombiformis) to the small but charismatic stingless bees (Tetragonula spp.), it comes as no surprise that our wonderful array of native bees makes possible the unique diversity of flora and ecosystems that Australia hosts. 

Our bees are incredibly capable pollinators, with some specialised in foraging just one or two species of plant! 

Moreover, our native bees are becoming increasingly important in agriculture and crop production. The beautiful blue banded bees (Amegilla (Zonamegilla) spp.) are particularly good at pollinating the flowers of tomatoes due to their ability to perform sonication or buzz pollination.

Threats to Native Bees: 
Most of Australia’s native bees are known as solitary bees and require flowering plants for food and suitable nesting sites for habitat. Many are powerful diggers, excavating extensive tunnels in bare ground to lay their eggs, while others prefer to build nests in cavities of old timber and plant stems. Stingless bees are social, and colonies require old hollow trees to provide the space and protection required to thrive. One of the biggest threats to our native bee populations is habitat loss and degradation. This includes the physical loss of habitat by land clearing, and the loss of habitat richness due to unsustainable agriculture practices and wide scale use of pesticides.

Which Bees are on the Central Coast?:
With so many different species of bees out there, some of which are yet to be identified, it’s so hard to know where to start. There are a few bees however that most people will have seen and possibly not even noticed. Here on the Central Coast, through the Spring and Summer, you will likely encounter the green carpenter bee (Xylacopa aerata); blue banded bees (Amegilla (Zonamegilla) cingulata) buzz pollinating plants like the Blue Flax (Dianella cerulea); leaf cutter bees and resin bees (Megachilidae) busily plugging nests up with plant materials; or the many species of masked bee (Hylaeus spp.) which can be found in numbers around the flowers of Banksia spp. My favourite would have to be the Domino Cuckoo Bee (Thyreus lugubris), a kleptoparasite that sneaks into the nests of other bees to lay it’s eggs.

Bee Hotels: 
Bee hotels seem to come in many shapes, sizes, and colours, but at the end of the day they are all aiming to do the same thing: replicate suitable nesting habitat for native solitary bee species. Bamboo and other woods with suitable cavities will likely be utilised by our cavity nesting bees like the masked bees, resin bees and leaf cutter bees. You may even be lucky enough to entice some beneficial and reasonably harmless solitary wasps to your bee hotel, which are incredibly important bug control for your backyard ecosystems. Other styles of bee hotel look more like a mud brick and are designed to hosts ground nesting species of bee like blue banded bees and sweat bees (Halictidae).

Using his degree in Environmental Science and Management, Ben MacAndrew has supervised a myriad of habitat restoration and revegetation projects throughout the Central Coast. His interest for more sustainable living has seen him working closely with local community groups to provide and maintain community garden spaces, assist in sustainable food production, and facilitate environmental education workshops where he aims to empower his local community with the skills and knowledge to live more harmoniously with nature.

Ben will be delivering some workshops on native bees, guiding you through preferred designs for bee hotels, and helping you to build your very own ones to take home as part of our 2023 Environmental Volunteer Program Christmas Party at Central Coast Wetlands.

This article was written by Ben MacAndrew, Councils Catchment Maintenance Officer. 
Photo credit: Ben MacAndrew