Australian native stingless bees pollinate plants, give you honey, and they don’t sting.
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[Image changes to show Tim Heard with bees flying around him]
Narrator: One of the reasons that this man is very fond of those bees buzzing around his head is because he knows they will never sting him. They are Australian Native Stingless Bees, and according to Tim Heard from Australia’s science agency, CSIRO, they could become the latest fad pet.
[Image changes to show Tim Heard looking at a hive containing bees]
[Image changes to show Tim Heard]
Tim Heard: These bees do make good pets. Many people enjoy having them in their garden. You can place them in the garden or on a patio around your house.
[Image changes to show a bee hive]
Narrator: The Native Stingless Bees are low maintenance and are relatively easier to keep than European bees, though they are best suited to tropical and subtropical climates.
[Image changes to show Tim Heard opening the bee hive to show the contents]
The bees don’t make as much honey as their European counterpart, but they do have another important function, as pollinators.
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Tim Heard: European bees can pollinate native species, however if we’re attempting to restore native ecosystems we should be using a native species, rather than the exotic honey bees.
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They’re also important pollinators of crop plant species, particularly tree crops.
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Many of our fruit crops require pollination.
[Image changes to show Native Stingless Bees in a hive]
Narrator: Keeping Native Stingless Bees is growing in popularity. They’ll provide enough honey for your family, they are efficient and important pollinators of native plants, and loving them means you’ll never have to say ouch.
[Text appears: sci files. © 2001 CSIRO]
