Native stingless bees definitely do not sting and are ideal for people wishing to keep bees yet who may be allergic to the stings of the common honey bees.

Some gardeners are lucky enough to have a hive living wild in a backyard tree, but you can also purchase hives in boxes or logs from beekeepers and hive sellers.

In the amazing insect world of subtropical and tropical Australia lives a group of very small Australian native bees. These social bees make great garden pets, so why not help out these little Aussie battlers and give them a home in your garden?

Native bees are not the common black and yellow striped bee seen buzzing around most gardens. They are a lot smaller and cuter then the introduced honey bee and are often referred to as the “yuppie” of the bee world. They have an added bonus, native bees do not sting.

Melaleucas and callistemons are frequently thought of together as “bottlebrushes”, not surprising given the nature of most of the inflorescences for both genera. The grouping together of many individual flowers forms the characteristic bottlebrush shape.

Melaleucas are tolerant of difficult conditions and are relatively free of pests and diseases. Books devoted to Australian native plants are likely to list up to 40 species suited to the home garden or public areas and many of these can be grown in the subtropics.