They might be tiny, but Australia’s native stingless bees have an important job to do when the macadamia trees begin to flower.
During spring, the orchard is alive with activity. Alongside the familiar European honeybee, you might spot some much smaller native visitors moving amongst the macadamia flowers — Australian native stingless bees.
Tiny pollinators with an important role
Native stingless bees are valuable pollinators of macadamias.
Their small size makes them particularly well suited to moving amongst the many tiny flowers that make up a macadamia raceme, collecting pollen and nectar as they go.
Australian Macadamias notes that native stingless bees are used by many growers as natural pollinators and are well suited to the structure of macadamia flowers.
While European honeybees might be the pollinators most people immediately recognise, they’re not working alone. Having different pollinator species active throughout the orchard helps support the natural pollination that takes place during flowering.
An Australian partnership
There’s something quite fitting about seeing Australian native bees working amongst the flowers of Australia’s native nut.
Macadamias originated in Australia, where they have grown naturally for millions of years. Native stingless bees are part of the wider Australian ecosystem that surrounds them — and today, you can still find the two together in our orchards.
They’re easy to miss when you’re walking beneath the trees. But look a little closer at those flowering racemes and you’ll discover an incredible amount of activity.
Sometimes, some of the smallest visitors have one of the biggest jobs.
