Native social bees are easily and successfully handled and bred in hive boxes in suburban backyards. Unlike the European honey bee our native social bees such as Trigona carbonaria and Trigona hockingsi need very little maintenance and are quite happy doing their own thing. So if you’re looking for an easy care, no fuss pet then a hive of these insects is possibly your answer. Paul Hoffmann takes us through the care and pleasures of these busy little bees.

Wallum is a term often used to refer to the lowland heath communities of coastal South East Queensland and comes from the aboriginal name for Banksia aemula. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the associated open forest. These communities favour deep soils low in nitrogen and phosphorous, which may be very porous or completely waterlogged.

There are, therefore, dry heaths and wet heaths and each contains a wide variety of very attractive plants which are not seen often enough in cultivation. The density and variety provides excellent habitat for an equally wide variety of birds, small animals, insects and their relations.