Training
Do you want to become a beekeeper?
We believe the best way is for us to teach you how to keep your own hive(s). This might be for an hour each fortnight for an agreed period of time. Maybe you'd prefer to learn from us as we tend to our hives, or would like to learn how to catch a swarm?
Call us on 0425 396 431 to discuss the possibilities.
If you buy a nucleus colony from us, we will guarantee the viability of your colony during your period of training with us.
Workers
In tireless service
Worker bees are sterile females. Bees do not sleep. Over their lifespan (which may be as short as 6 weeks in summer), they do all the work to maintain the colony, from cleaning, nursing, building comb and storing food, guarding, tending to the queen, and foraging for pollen, nectar, propolis (bee glue), and water. Their barbed sting is used to defend the colony, even though it costs the bee her life. However, death is usually a result of wing wear, or predation by birds etc.
Workers
Pollinators and honey makers
We enjoy keeping bees as part of our wholistic approach to life. Bees live to serve and do much to support life on earth. We enjoy maintaining strong healthy bee colonies that participate in the pollination of many many plants in our region. We also enjoy producing clean traditional style honey for our customers, straight from the hive. It just doesn't get any better.
Drones
The fathers of all
A male honey bee is known as a drone. He has no stinger and is helpless without his sisters to defend him. His only purpose is to mate with a Queen. Drones from many colonies assemble in the same location each afternoon, waiting for a virgin queen to arrive. Up to a dozen or more will mate with her, then die. Drones do not collect food for the colony. They grow from an unfertilised egg (they have no father), yet, they are the father of all queen and worker bees.
Queen
The mother of all
The queen is the only fully female bee. She can live up to 7 years, though usually less. She can lay over 1000 eggs per day, more than her own bodyweight. Once fertilised she cannot fly and won't leave her hive again until swarming time. She can choose to lay either a fertilised egg (if she is laying a worker or replacement queen) or an unfertilised egg (if she is laying a drone). Her sting does not have a barb, but she is reluctant to use it. She is largely directed by the worker bees.