One of the reasons that this man is very fond of those bees buzzing around his head is because he knows they will never sting him. They are Australian native stingless bees. And according to Tim Heard from Australia's science agency, CSIRO, they could become the latest fad pet.

"These bees do make good pets. Many people enjoy having them in their garden. You can place them in the garden or on the patio or around your house."

The native stingless bees are low maintenance and are relatively easier to keep than European bees. Though they are best suited to tropical and subtropical climates. The bees don't make as much honey as their European counterpart, but they do have another important function, as pollinators.

"European bees can pollinate native species, however if we're attempting to restore native eco systems, we should be using a native species rather than the exotic honeybees. They're also important pollinators of crop plant species particularly tree crops; many of our fruit crops require pollination."

Keeping native stingless bees is growing in popularity. They'll provide enough honey for your family, they are efficient and important pollinators of native plants, and loving them means you will never have to say "ouch".

Dr. Tim Heard
CSIRO Entomology
Private Bag 3
Indooroopilly 4068 QLD
Tim.Heard@csiro.au