NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL MID TO LATE OCTOBER 

Live Australian Native Bee Colony – Tetragonula carbonaria

Bring native pollinators into your garden with a complete, established Live Native Bee Colony from Hornsby Beekeeping Supplies. The colony contains approximately 6,000–10,000 Tetragonula carbonaria bees and arrives inside an insulated hive that is ready to position in a suitable location.

Tetragonula carbonaria, also known as the Sugarbag Bee, is a small Australian stingless bee that forms large social colonies. It is the only truly social native bee found naturally in the Sydney region, making it an appealing choice for gardens, courtyards, educational spaces and suitable balconies.

What You Receive

This is not an empty native bee hive or a starter box. Your order includes:

• An established colony of approximately 6,000–10,000 bees
• Local Tetragonula carbonaria native bees
• A complete plywood hive box
• A protective polystyrene insulation block
• A colony ready for placement without rehousing
• A six-month warranty

The insulated design helps protect the colony from changing temperatures. Therefore, you can focus on selecting an appropriate hive position rather than transferring the bees into another box.

A Low-Maintenance Garden Pollinator

Australian native bees are enthusiastic flower visitors and require considerably less management than European honey bee colonies. Since they are stingless, they are also well suited to locations where people want to observe social bees without managing a conventional honey bee hive.

Place the hive in a sheltered position that receives gentle morning sunlight while remaining protected from strong afternoon heat, flooding and persistent wind. In addition, provide access to flowering plants throughout the warmer months so the colony has reliable nectar and pollen resources.

Native Honey and Colony Splitting

Tetragonula carbonaria stores small quantities of distinctive, tangy native honey in resin pots around the nest. However, honey harvesting should be approached carefully, particularly in cooler areas where the colony may require its stored resources to survive winter.

A strong colony may also be divided to form another hive when seasonal resources and colony mass are sufficient. Hornsby Beekeeping Supplies recommends waiting until the colony reaches approximately 4kg, including bees, brood and stored resources, before considering a split.

Delivery and Suitability

The live colony can be sent by courier. Nevertheless, customers should confirm destination suitability, weather conditions and delivery arrangements before ordering live bees.

Buy an Australian Native Bee Colony from Hornsby Beekeeping Supplies and add a fascinating, low-maintenance pollinator to your outdoor space. Order online or call our knowledgeable team on 02 9477 5569 to confirm availability, courier arrangements and suitability for your location.