Native Bees

Next time you are out in the garden check out your flowering plants, clumps of dried grasses and old holey timber - any insects about may be native bees. Many are very small- the Reed bees and Homalictus bees may be only 3-5mm long. Blue bandeds are thumpers- nearly the size of a Honeybee but much faster.

Homalictus urbanus on dandelion flower- these bees carry the pollen internally as do many other Aussie bees

Hylaiene bee -Hylaeus honestus preparing a nest while 2 young emerge from old nests in my bee hotel

Nomia bees- Lipotriches genus roosting in a mallee gum in the front garden

Megachilid Bee- Megachile ferox on garlic chives

Orange-browed Resin Bee- Megachile aurifrons, checking out a nest site

The best buzz-pollinator in the business- Blue banded Bee-Amegilla sp. on borage

Having a spell from all that pollinating- Blue-banded Bee resting on dry grass- it hangs on with its jaws as you can see in this picture!