Australian Stingless Bees

Australian Stingless Bees: a guide to Sugarbag beekeeping by John Klumpp is a 120 page book packed with over 200 photos and illustrations. People tell us that it is easy to read, whimsical, engaging, amusing, and is crammed with useful information.

Of particular interest is a comprehensive description of Klumppy’s Eduction (or budding) method for propagating hives, which requires minimal intervention in the colony, and offers a way to reduce the risk of exposing your colony to parasites and diseases, especially for hobbyists.

The topics covered are:

• catching the bug – John’s personal perspective;


• the different species of native social stingless bees;


• differences in lifestyle between honey bees and native social stingless bees (particularly Tetragonula carbonaria (formerly Trigona carbonaria);


• life and lifecycle in a colony;


• castes;


• locating colonies in bushland;


• some different ways to house a hive;


• buying a hive;


• installing and moving a hive;


• rescuing and transferring colonies to artificial hives;


• propagating hives by splitting;


• propagating hives by eduction (or budding);


• some swarming behaviours (once mated, the queen never leaves the hive);


• friends and foes of stingless bees;


• the Cadaghi controversy – stingless bees are adapted to spreading Cadaghi seeds;


• planting native bee friendly gardens; and


• a glimpse at some future possibilities