Under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, the introduction and spread of the large earth bumblebee to Victoria has been listed as a 'potentially threatening process'. Potential impacts include: competition with native nectar feeding fauna. decline in the seed production of native plant species.
Impact on Australian Agriculture
Bumblebees could cause serious problems by spreading weeds such as white horsenettle, buffalo burr, foxgloves, blackberry, broom, Paterson's curse, gorse, impatiens, agapanthus, buddleia and rhododendrons.
Causes of Decline
Bumble bees commercially reared for agriculture are transmitting diseases to wild populations. One of the biggest factors affecting all pollinators is fragmentation and loss of habitat. Widespread pesticide use further degrades habitat by removing flowering plants and poisoning pollinators.
Bumble bees are established in Tasmania. If you think you have seen a bumble bee anywhere in Australia other than Tasmania, call 1800 084 881.
Bumble bees (Bombus terrestris)
Bumble bees were introduced to Tasmania in 1992. The feral populations have spread from sea level to 1450 metres in altitude and have a high level of ecological versatility. In other countries where it has been introduced, it forages on both native and introduced plant species.
If large earth bumblebees were to establish in NSW they could increase the spread of many weed species. They can compete with honeybees for floral resources. This can negatively impact honey production for both amateur and commercial beekeepers.
If bumblebees were to establish in NSW they could increase the spread of many weed species. They can compete with honeybees for floral resources which will negatively impact honey production for both amateur and commercial beekeepers. They also impact the natural environment by competing with nectar-gathering birds.
The Australian endemic bee, Pharohylaeus lactiferus (Colletidae: Hylaeinae) is a rare species that requires conservation assessment.
The bumblebee is believed to have been illegally smuggled into Tasmania from New Zealand in the early 1990s. They were first observed in 1992 in Hobart and spread rapidly across Tasmania over the following 14 years. They may have originated from as few as two queens, making the population inbred and genetically weak.
Distribution. The Common Blue-banded Bee is found throughout most of Australia but is not known in Tasmania or the Northern Territory.
People sensitive to insect venom should exercise care around bumblebees and their nests. Bumblebees are considered beneficial insects because they pollinate the flowers of many plant species. However, if their nest is located in or close to an occupied structure or recreational area, control is needed.
Your dog may yelp or whine in pain, which can be temporarily treated by gently laying ice on the affected area. Bees are venomous, not poisonous. That means that while the bee's sting can hurt your dog, you need not worry about your dog being poisoned from digesting the bee.
A: A bumble bee sting, some say, is typically less painful than the sting of a wasp or honey bee. However, a sting can be dangerous if it occurs on the head and neck, or if the individual is allergic to the venom.
Ensuring our food security. Bees are so important to our livelihood as they help to pollinate most of the crops we eat and many that feed farm livestock. In fact, nearly two-thirds of Australia's agricultural production benefits from bee pollination. But bee populations are under threat.
In fact, bumblebees rarely sting unless touched or their nest is threatened or disturbed. Therefore, if a bumblebee nest is discovered on your property, just leave it alone unless there is a good chance that your activities will take place near the nest.
backyard setting
An important condition of registration is to comply with the Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice. On registering you will receive a registration number. All your hives must be branded with this number so that it is clearly readable.
Like most other stinging wasps and bees, bumblebees sting to defend themselves and their nest. Bumblebees, unlike honeybees, are able to sting multiple times, but they are much less likely to sting than hornets, yellow jackets or honeybees.
With their wide array of shapes, sizes and behaviours, Australian native bees are important pollinators of our magnificent wildflowers and native plants. Beyond their importance to Australia's environment, our native bees also have a significant value for Australian agriculture.
In contrast to European honey bees, who make large amounts of honey so the entire colony can survive the winter, bumble bees only make a small amount of honey—just enough to feed the colony for a couple of days during bad weather.
Africanized honey bees are dangerous stinging insects that have been known to chase people for more than a quarter of a mile once they get excited and aggressive. This is why they earned the nickname “killer bee.”
Teddy Bear Bee (Amegilla bombiformis)
The Teddy Bear Bee is the world's cutest bee. And no– it's not just the name, but it is also as cute and cuddly as it looks.
Adult blue-banded bees typically grow to between 10mm and 12mm. The species is found all over Australia, except in Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
Usually a bumblebee sting leads to a non-allergic, local reaction: swelling, itchiness and redness at the site of the sting, lasting for only a couple of hours. This can occur directly after the sting, but more generally it starts after some hours. The swelling or itching may last for hours or even days.
The 15-24 mm Great Carpenter Bees are the largest bees in Australia! They cut nest burrows in soft timber such as dead limbs of a mango tree.
Bees also have a distaste for lavender oil, citronella oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, lemon, and lime. These are all topical defenses you can add to your skin to keep bees away. Unlike other flying insects, bees are not attracted to the scent of humans; they are just curious by nature.