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Australian Native BeesJust to name a few...About native beesAustralia is home to 1,600 native bee species. About 350 species have been recorded in a100km radius of Parramatta,which includes theSydney basin, Blue Mountains,Lithgow andIllawarra.In these regions, there is only one social, native bee; the stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria.Theyhave a queen, thousands of female workers and store pollen andhoney to survive over winter.Most native bees, however, are solitary andcomplete their life cycle alone. Solitarybees do not produce honey but they are very important pollinators.Native bees comein a range of colours and are sized from 2 to 24 mm. Some have thick,furry hairs while others are smooth and shiny.Why are bees important?Bees drive biodiversity through pollination.Pollinationenablesseed formationand fruit development. Of the 352,000 flowering plants and crops nearly 90% rely on pollinators for reproduction. Bees are important pollinators ofmanyfood crops such asfruits,vegetables, berries, nuts, coffee, edible oils, stock fodderand many spices.Sadly our bee populations are declining. As we clear land for urban development, remove plants and use pesticides we causebee populationlosses.By understanding more about our native and exotic bees we can help conserve their populations, thus supporting ecosystem biodiversity and also food security.Bee AnatomyBee bodies are comprised of a head, thorax and abdomen. They have six legs and two pairs of wings. They have two antennae used to touch and “smell”, two compound eyes and three simple eyes,mandibles (jaws)for biting, working pollen or wax.Image: Marc NewmanPollen collectionBoth social and solitary bees collect pollen to feed their young. Female solitary bees carry pollen in their scopa; a collection of branched, bristledor plumosehairs which may be on the under belly (abdominal scopa) or on the hind legs (tibial scopa).Attracting bees to your gardenThe best way to attract bees to your garden is to have large patches of flowers. Many bees, especially Blue Banded and Teddy BearBees, are attracted to blue and purple flowers. The greater variety of flower you can providethe greater diversity of bee you will attract. Plants that are known to attract bees include:• Nativeplants like Tea tree, Hardenbergia, Eucalypt, Pultanaea, Westringiaand Grevillea• Exotic herbs like basil, parsley, coriander, celery, fennel,Lavender, rosemary, salvia, hyssop, borage• Exotic flowering plants like buddleja,hebe and daisiesMake sure you plant a variety of different species so that there are flowers available all year roundImage: Elizabeth RichmondMaking habitats for beesAs we clear land to build houses or shopping centres, we remove natural bee habitat. We can,however,provide additional nesting habitat that are similar to their natural ones. Different bees like different habitats. Resin and Leaf-cutter Bees will nest in drilled hardwood. Masked and Reed Bees nest in bundles of lantana and bamboo. Blue Banded Bees can also be encouraged into rammed earth blocks. When setting up your solitary bee nests place it somewhere you can watch the activity safely. Your nest should be set up out of the way and somewhere protected against the weather. When you are watching your bees DO NOT stand in the flight-path of exiting and entering bees, instead you should stand to the side of the nest. Although not aggressive, these bees CAN sting,so be careful.Examples of man-made solitary bee nests

Just a fewof our solitary beesCommon Name: Black Resin BeeSize: Approximately 10 -13 mmin length.Features:Large, strong jawsused to collect plant resins.Some species:Megachile punctata, Megachile aurifrons, Megachile lucidiventrisandMegachile deanii. Natural nesting habitat: Holes made by wood-boring insects.Man-made nesting habitat: Drilled hardwood blocks. M.punctataCommon Name: Reed BeeSize:Approximately3 -8mmin length.Features:A shiny black head and thorax with a distinctive chestnut-coloured, wedge-shaped abdomen. Females often have a T-shaped, yellow mark on the face and a tibial scopa.Natural nesting habitat: Stems of woody weed lantana, coral tree (Erythrinasp.), grass-tree spikes (Xanthorrhoea), tree fern fronds and other hollow stemmed plants. Man-made nesting habitat: Smalldrilledholes. Small bore bambooordried Lantana stems.Exoneura speciesCommon Name: Masked BeeSize:Approximately 4 -12 mmin lengthFeatures:Sparsely haired with dark heads and brightly coloured facial markings, some have brightly marked bodies.Some species:Amphylaeus morosusand Hylaeus nubilosus.Natural nesting habitat:Stems of tristania, acaciaand grass-tree spikes (Xanthorrhoea).Man-made nesting habitat: Masked bees will nest in bamboo canes and small holes drilled in hardwood.A.morosusCommon Name: Leaf-cutter BeeSize:Approximately 12 mmin length.Features:Large, strong jawsto cut discs of soft plant leaves to form a tubularnest. Half the males of the Megachilespecies have expanded forelegs which are flattened and often have long, sleek hairs used in part of the bees’ mating ritual.Some species:Megachile maculariformis, Megachile serricauda.Natural nesting habitat:Nests are constructed in small cavities under bark or in rock crevices.Man-made nesting habitat:Drilled hardwood blocks and large bamboo canes.M.maculariformisCommon Name: Blue Banded BeeSize: Approximately 15 mmin length.Features: Blue stripes on abdomen. The female has dark facial markings and tibial scopa.Some species: Amegilla pulchra, Amegilla asserta.A.pulchraCommon Name: Teddy Bear BeeSize:Approximately 15 mmin length.Features:Covered in orange-brown hairs. The female has dark facial markings and tibial scopa. Species: Amegilla bombiformisA.bombiformisNatural nesting habitat:Ground burrows.Man-made nesting habitat:Blue Banded Bees can be encouraged to nest in artificial, rammed-earth nests.SummaryWhy are bees under threat?• Urbanisation removes bees’ natural habitat• Urbanisation increases “flowerless landscapes”• Pesticides contaminatebees’ food sourcesHow can we help improve the health of our bees?• Conserve existing bee habitat• Provide habitat for bees• Plant bee friendly flowers• Reduce or stop pesticide use in your gardenHow can we learn more?• Contact Bee Business atmegan@beesbusiness.com.au or visit theFBpagewww.facebook.com/BeesBusiness• Make habitatto observe bees in your garden• Observe your garden flowers for bee activityTo find out more please visit these websites• www.beesbusiness.com.au• www.aussiebee.com.au• www.australiannativebees.comPhotographs: Bees Businessunless otherwise statedSpecial thanks to Dr Michael Batley, Australian MuseumCopyright © 2014Disclaimer: Bees Business isnot responsible for, and expressly disclaimsall liability for, damages of any kind arising from the use, reference to or reliance upon information contained in this brochure.