The science of stingless bees

While there are over 20,000 bee species around the world, there is one group that hold a special place in the hearts of humans: the stingless bees (Meliponini).

There are an estimated 600 stingless bee species found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and here in Australia we have 11 species. Like European honey bees, stingless bees live in colonies of thousands, have a single egg-laying queen and make and store delicious honey. Unlike European honey bees, stingless bees cannot sting, and their honey has a unique and tangy flavour.

This lecture will take you into the secret lives of stingless bees, both Australian and overseas species, and introduce you to Meliponiculture - the keeping and management of stingless bees.

This is a free streamed event using Zoom webinar. Registration is essential and numbers are limited. You do not need to create a Zoom account to attend this webinar, although we recommend downloading the Zoom app. 
Only one registration per device is needed. For example, if two people are watching from the one computer, you should only register one booking. 

Watch the recording

Recording of "The science of stingless bees" talk (YouTube, 52min)

Meet the presenter

Dr Tobias Smith is a bee researcher with UQ's School of Biological Sciences. Tobias’s research interests focus on stingless bee biology and ecology, wild bees in agricultural landscapes and the creation of native bee identification resources and science communication.

In addition to working at UQ, Tobias presents native bee, pollination and stingless bee keeping workshops to community groups and schools, primarily through his business Bee Aware Kids. Tobias is a stingless bee keeper, keeping commercial hives around south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales as well as keeping research hives at UQ.