BEE enthusiast Will Milligan excels in keeping common species of native bees such as the Austropelbeia australis a very shy bee, the Tetrogonula hockingsi an aggressive bee and the common bee the Tetrogonula carbonaria active and healthy.
Will, who lives at Walloon, says it has been an expensive but rewarding hobby, as it assures flower pollination because it is so vital for the future of native plant pollination and for fruit and vegetables.
“I usually search for and find native bee hives in natural bush land settings such as in stumps, trees or logs,” he said.
“However, I have also had calls from home owners and timber cutters. I’ve rescued native bees from water meter boxes and house walls where I remove and transfer the bees into a box for safe keeping.”
Will makes his standard boxes out of Cyprus pine and keeps a few in readiness for removing unwanted hives.
“It is not always a win, win situation, as I have had my fair share of failures with drought, pests, poisons, takeover swarms and failure to re-Queen.
“All disappointing, especially when you have a very healthy hive and you notice a few phorid fly, syrphid fly, wasps or ants near a hive, within days the bee numbers start to drastically disappear.
“So, you open the hive to find a dead hive or worse still, a maggot ridden stew.
“I like to keep a very keen eye on my hives and act immediately when pests are observed, though I encourage the European Honey Bees and Hive Beatles as healthy visitors only.”
Keen spectators of Will’s hobby are his grandchildren who are always very interested in the bees, especially when the honey is ready for harvest.
“Always remember, native bees do not fly unless it is above 19 degrees, they don’t fly in the dark or when it is raining or windy, and they only live for 100 days with most of that time spent within the hive,” he said.
“As a member of the Australian Native Bee Association, I meet like-minded beekeepers to swap and learn from each other’s mistakes and knowledge.
“With a hotly contested annual competition on bee box designs and sharing successful techniques we share tips that promote healthy bee production and sustainability.
“Over the years, I have also gained a wealth of experience through attending workshops, and reading books.
“But I would still consider myself to be in the hobby stage, nowhere near the expert status as claimed by some.
“However, I enjoy what I am doing, and believe I am doing a commendable service in assisting the pollination process.”
