What are native bees?
YES THAT’S A BEE! This is a sweat bee, a species native to Australia. They nest in the ground and use the pollen (the yellow stuff) they collect on their pollen brush to feed their larvae. Most people have no idea that bees can look incredibly different between species, but once you have read this guide you’ll be equipt to start looking for native bees wherever you are in the world.
In Australia there are between 1759 and 1919 species of native bee out of an estimated 24,705 to 26,164 species globally. This means that Aus is home to nearly 7% of global bee species, more than any single country.
Only 11 of the nearly 2,000 species in Australia are social and live in hives. The rest are solitary, living in holes in the ground, deadwood and in masonry. When most people picture bees they are thinking of the European Honey bee (Apis Melliferna) which was introduced here in 1820. This species is actually invasive and can outcompete smaller less hardy native species.
What is Pollination
What is pollination
Pollination is the process of transferring pollen from the male parts of a flower (anthers) to the female part (stigma), this allows plants to produce seeds and fruit. This can happen within the same flower or between different flowers of the same species.
Pollination is essential because:
- It enables plants to reproduce and start the next generation.
- Flowering plants provide food and habitat for wildlife
- Our food system depends on pollination and without pollinators, many plants—including crops and native species—would struggle to survive.
Who pollinates plants?
A wide range of living things and environmental factors act as pollinators, each playing a unique role depending on the plant species.
Insects are important pollinators, including:
- Bees (the most efficient pollinators)
- Butterflies and moths
- Flies
- Beetles
- Wasps
In Australia, other pollinators also contribute, such as:
- Birds like honeyeaters
- Bats (especially for night-blooming plants)
- The wind (plants pollinated by the wind are called anemophilous)
These plants and animals evolved together and over millions of years have become specialised at transferring pollen from flower to flower.
Native Australian Bees & Pollination
Pollination is a mutually beneficial relationship between plants and pollinators—both sides gain something essential for survival. As pollinators move from flower to flower collecting these resources, they transfer pollen helping plants reproduce while feeding themselves.
For plants:
- Pollination allows plants to reproduce by producing seeds.
- It increases genetic diversity, making plants more resilient to disease and environmental change.
For pollinators:
- Flowers provide food in the form of nectar (which is rich in sugars)
- Some species also use plant materials (like resins, leaves, or oils) to build nests
Native bees are often more effective than honeybees for pollinating certain plants because they have evolved alongside Australia’s unique flora.
Some species including Blue Banded Bees practice buzz pollination, where bees vibrate their wings as they attach to plants releasing more pollen. This has been shown to increase yields in crops such as tomatoes!
Bees Don’t Just Make Honey
Buzz Pollinators
Buzz Pollinators
Buzz Pollinators
In some cases, native bees are better at pollinating crops than domesticated species. Some bees, including the blue-banded bee, are buzz pollinators, which means that when they drink nectar from a flower they flap their wings incredibly fast, releasing more pollen than a European honey bee would. This is more effective at pollinating crops such as tomatoes and can increase yields compared to normal pollination.
Nomad Bees
Buzz Pollinators
Buzz Pollinators
Nomad bees are solitary and will live closely with other species of bees, waiting for them to lay eggs. They will wait for the other bee to nest, and then will inject their own young into the nesting cavity. The nomad bee’s young will then consume the other bee larvae as it grows and will emerge full of its canabolised relative.
Cuckoo Bees
Buzz Pollinators
Cuckoo Bees
Cockoo bees are solitary bees that have evolved to look like social bee species that live in hives. They use this disguise to infiltrate social bee hives and will subdue the queen, making the colony think they are the queen. They then lay their own eggs and the colony will raise them as their own. However, the hive will often figure out they are being stiffed and will kill the invading bee!
Social vs Solitary
Social Bees
Social bees live in hives, have queens and make honey.
In Australia, there are 11 species of social bees. They have castes that do different jobs.
Queens: The job of the queen is to lay the eggs for the colony and create the next generation of bees.
Workers: The worker bees are female and will do all the jobs around the hive including cleaning, feeding the larvae and defending the colony.
Drones: Drones are male bees and their only job is to fertilise the eggs that the queen lays. They are kicked out of the hive shortly after they are done.
Solitary Bees
The majority of bees globally are solitary. This means they do not live in a hive with other bees and prefer to nest on their own in holes in the ground, deadwood, or masonry.
Above is a Megachile species also known as a leaf-cutter bee. They will often nest in holes in deadwood and create ‘cells’ in this hole by capping sections off with pieces of leaf.
Inside each section, the female will leave a ‘cake’ of pollen and nectar for the larvae to eat as they grow.
The female will lay multiple eggs in this hole and when the conditions are right (usually as the weather starts to warm) the young will emerge.
What are the threats to native bees?
Habitat Loss
Invasive Species
Climate Change
Many of the species of bee in this country have very close relationship with their habitat and plants. This is why we have such amazing diversity in this country.
Without habitat there are no bees.
Climate Change
Invasive Species
Climate Change
As the climate warms it is difficult to say how bees will be impacted, but like all other living things a warming climate WILL impact our bees, particularly extremely specialised species.
Pesticides
Invasive Species
Invasive Species
The widespread use of pesticides in agriculture and in gardening is an absolute killer to our native insects.
It’s simple: don’t use them! A healthy ecosystem helps to balance itself.
Invasive Species
Invasive Species
Invasive Species
Unfortunately Australia is home to invasive species of bee, mainly the European Honeybee.
European Honeybees are much tougher than some of our natives and can visit more flowers in worse conditions. Outcompeting our natives for food.