My fight against feral bees at the Baldivis Children's Forest began in 2007 with money kindly sponsored by Synergy. Each year the forest management team source further funding from state and federal grants so I may continue with my fight.

It is a battle worth winning and I have already begun to see results with native bees returning to the forest, and fauna re-using hollows.  This year the forest has received  funding through a Federal Caring For Country Natural Resource Management grant.

How it all started....
Fighting feral bees is dangerous and hard work. I found it impossible to have a cherry picker move close enough to the trees which needed treatment as the surrounding area was very boggy sand with low vegetation which created difficult access.  I had to devise a climbing technique where I fired a lead sinker attached to a fishing line up and over a high limb.  I then dragged a light line over followed by a climbing rope, then a caving ladder.  This made a long climb to the top with the caving ladder but I did it.

Hive Number 1.
This first hive was at 20 meters.  I was attacked before I got to the top.  The bees came out lower down and I got stung a few times.  Luckily I was harnessed up.  This was a large population of bees, probably looking in the vicinity of 90,000 bees.  The hive is in a huge dead Tuart, which is still valuable for use as a nesting site for fauna.  While setting up I noticed a pair of Regent Parrots inspecting a hollow log close by perhaps for use this coming nesting season.

Hive Number 2.
This hive was at 14 meters.  Still a difficult climb but not as dangerous as the first hive.  This hive had a much smaller population with approx 20,000 bees.

Hive Number 3.
This is a new hive not surveyed before.  It was found on the day.  I managed to pump pesticide powder in to the entrance at 15 meters.  I was unable to scale the tree due to its shape.  This hive has approx 35,000 bees.

All in all a difficult operation.  But I did manage to achieve my objectives.

Both hive number 1 and hive number 2 have multiple entrances, and therefore it cannot be sealed to stop the bees.  Ongoing monitoring to prevent re-infestation is the key.  Hive number 3 has good potential to be a fauna home.  Again careful monitoring to prevent bees re-entering would give a native animal back its home.

Entry date February 2011
Work still continuing.  Many native bees now buzzing around forest.  Really high hive found in tree behind classroom which I will have to return with my sidekick to do,  Intend to set up a hook so in the future I can pull up the climbing ladder.

New hive found near the amphitheatre.

Entry date March 2011
Many native bees buzzing around.
Nuked one hive and another two near main entrance to forest.

Cheers

Bee Man (alias Joe Tonga - Natsync Environmental)

(The feral bee eradication program at the forest began in 2007 and has been able to continue each year thanks to the following sponsorships and grant money: Synergy  - 2007/08, Swan Alcoa Landcare Program - 2009 and a Caring for Country Federal Natural Resource Management Grant -for 2010/11).