According to Aussie Bee Australia has over 1,700 species of native bees with only 11 species being stingless. The stingless bee, Tetragonula carbonaria, lives in Queensland and New South Wales due to the climate, so it's likely that this is the variety we naturally have on Meyrik Farm.
Australian stingless native bees are really small measuring at only 3 - 5 mm, and can be mistaken for flies if you don't look close enough. They usually nest inside hollow trees and only produce about 1kg of honey per year as opposed to European bees who can produce up to 20kg of honey per year.
Native Australian bees will not fly at temperatures below 18 degrees C and so it is not recommended to collect honey during winter times as the hive needs the excess honey they collect during summer to survive when temperatures drop.
