The buzz

Many of the bees you see buzzing around your garden, busily collecting nectar and pollen are Apis mellifera, or honey bees. The first hive of these foreign honey bees was brought to Tasmania from Liverpool, England, in 1821 on the ship Mary. But have you ever wondered who did the work of pollination before the European bees arrived?

A closer inspection of your garden will probably reveal a wide variety of native bees, working side by side with European honey bees, collecting and dispersing pollen and seeking nectar and resin. These