Bee rescuer shares stingless native bee care advice

FOR more than 40 years, passionate bee rescuer

Peter Velenski (the man behind Pete the Bee Man Cooroy) has been dedicated to conserving native bees, providing invaluable support to farmers, beekeepers and local ecosystems. “We used to give them to macadamia farmers because the bees can get right down to the little tight flower base to pollinate,” Peter said, reflecting on his decades-long work. “There are more than 1,500 species of native bees in Australia.” At one point, Peter managed more than 100 hives but has since scaled back. “I have about 60 hives now, but I’ve been cutting down in the last few years.”

The loss of habitat due to modern logging practices has also made it harder to find wild hives. “We used to cut a log into about a metre length, but now they put through about 10 metre lengths, so they just get mulched up.” Looking after native bees takes experience, particularly in cold winters. “They look after themselves, but you have to be aware of the cold winters we’ve had,” Peter said. “They run out of food, so you feed them.”

His method? “Seventy-five per cent honey, 25 per cent water. I have feeders I put out, but most people won’t need to.”

He stresses the importance of hive care, particularly during extreme weather.

“When temperatures go over 35°C, you need to cool them down,” Peter said. “Bees need shelter, and they need to be facing north so they don’t get the southerly winds in the tunnel. It’s easier to cool them down than it is to heat them up.”

“Anybody starting out should join a club, like Mary Valley Bees, or come and see me,” Peter said, adding that for the best flowers to attract native bees it’s a good idea to visit Sauers Produce & Garden Centre. “Talk to Sauers. I’ve taught the girls in the nursery over there, and they’ve got a beehive, and the bees teach them what flowers they want. I like that.”

For those new to native beekeeping, his advice is simple: “Keep them cool in summer, use quality boxes, and make sure they’re sheltered.” Peter also recommends Tim Herd’s The Australian Native Bee Book but cautions against following outdated or poor-quality hive designs. For more advice, visit Pete’s Native Bees Cooroy on Facebook.