The Wide Bay Branch’s first 2024 meeting was held in the coastal community of Woodgate featured a discussion on eduction in Austroplebeia australis. Of particular interest to members was the potential for seeding the daughter hive to encourage a faster eduction, and the possibility and implications of the queen moving from the mother to the daughter hive. Members were also interested (and sympathetic!) to hear about the challenges our Acting Chair recently had in trying to handle the comparatively soft wax structures when educting or reboxing an AA colony. Members also shared their recent eduction experiences, which included conducting a difficult eduction out of a pit (which included the bees blocking the honey super), as well as an ongoing and well documented eduction from a log hive.
Other major topics of discussion included techniques for telling apart TH, TC and AA stingless bees; the use of capture boxes for fighting or drifting swarms; and a very topical conservation about the effects of high temperatures on native bees, and how to protect hives with natural shade, insulated box covers, or temporary cooling methods such as wet towel draping.
Members enjoyed general discussion on their bees as well as the discussion on the section of Tim Heard’s Book (The Australian Native Bee Book) – Part 2, section 13 – Managing and Protecting stingless bee hives.
The club looks forward to a hands-on hive splitting demonstration at the next two meetings. Next meeting 17th February 2024.
From Stephen Curran, Secretary, Wide Bay Branch
For more info on branch activities, visit our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Australian-native-bee-association-Wide-bay-branch-112512193439742