Helpful Resources and Products.
Explore our range of products chosen to help students create lasting connections with Australia's native bees.
All products are currently available for delivery with incursions & beehives.
Books
The Australian Native Bee Book
by Tim Heard$40
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The Australian Native Bee Book is a comprehensive guide to Australia’s native stingless bees and one of the best-known references on native beekeeping in Australia.
Written by entomologist and former CSIRO scientist Tim Heard, the book combines scientific knowledge with practical advice for people interested in understanding, keeping, and conserving native bees. It focuses particularly on stingless bees such as Tetragonula and Austroplebeia species, explaining their biology, behaviour, nesting habits, and ecological importance.
The book is divided into sections that cover:
bee biology and social structure
hive design and construction
transferring colonies into hive boxes
splitting and propagating hives
harvesting sugarbag honey
managing pests and hive health
using stingless bees for pollination in gardens and agriculture
identifying Australia’s stingless bee species
It is richly illustrated with more than 500 photographs, diagrams, and charts, making complex information accessible to both beginners and experienced beekeepers. Many of the photographs can be used within an educational context with young children.
A major theme of the book is conservation. Tim Heard encourages readers to support pollinators by protecting habitats and keeping native bees responsibly. The book also highlights the diversity of Australia’s native bees and their important role in ecosystems and food production.
The book has received several awards, including the Australian Book Industry Award for Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year and a Whitley Award for zoological literature.
Lovely: A Story About a Stingless Bee
by Melissa Ballantyne$25
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Lovely: A Story About a Stingless Bee is a gentle, educational children’s story that follows a small stingless bee named Lovely as she navigates life in her colony.
The story introduces readers to the unique world of stingless native bees, showing how Lovely and her sisters work together to build their hive, gather nectar and pollen, and care for their queen. Along the way, Lovely learns about her important role in the ecosystem, particularly as a pollinator helping plants grow and reproduce.
A key theme of the book is belonging and purpose. Lovely may be small and different from the more familiar stinging bees, but she discovers that she is just as important. The story highlights ideas of teamwork, community, and the value of every individual.
It also gently weaves in factual elements about:
The structure of a stingless beehive
How native bees make honey
Their non-stinging nature
Their importance to Australian environments
Overall, the book combines storytelling with early science learning, making it ideal for young children. It encourages curiosity about nature and fosters appreciation for native bees and their role in the environment.
The Beehive
by Megan Daley & Max Hamilton$25
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The Beehive is an Australian children’s picture book that combines storytelling with factual information about native stingless bees.
The story follows a young girl named Willow, who belongs to her school’s Nature Club. She has been eagerly waiting for “hive day,” when groundskeeper Tom will split the school’s stingless beehive so she can take one home to care for. As Willow learns how to safely relocate and support the bees in their new home, readers are introduced to the fascinating lives of Australian native bees and the important role they play in pollination and healthy ecosystems.
The book uses a dual-text format, blending narrative with scientific facts. Alongside Willow’s story, readers learn bee-related terms such as:
brood comb
propolis
foraging
orientation flights
resin collection
A glossary and index at the end help explain these concepts in a child-friendly way.
Themes explored in the book include:
environmental stewardship
biodiversity and pollination
caring for living things
school gardening and sustainability
curiosity and scientific observation
The illustrations are richly detailed and highlight both the beauty of native bees and the natural environments they depend on. The book is recommended for classrooms and families interested in Australian wildlife, sustainability, and hands-on nature learning.
Bee Detectives
by Vanessa Ryan-Rendall & Brenna Quinlan$25
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Bee Detectives is an educational children’s picture book that introduces readers to the fascinating world of Australian native bees.
The story follows two children, Olivia and Hamish, who notice what looks like smoke rising from a park near their home. Thinking there may be a fire, they rush to investigate, only to discover that the “smoke” is actually a swarm of disturbed stingless bees whose tree habitat has been damaged. With help from bee experts, the children begin learning about Australia’s many native bee species and the vital role they play in pollination and healthy ecosystems.
As Olivia and Hamish become “Bee Detectives,” they explore different native bees including:
stingless bees
blue-banded bees
teddy bear bees
carpenter bees
leaf-cutter bees
The book blends storytelling with factual information, using colourful illustrations, diagrams, and accessible scientific language to explain how bees live, gather food, and help plants reproduce. It also includes practical tips for attracting native bees to gardens and outdoor spaces.
Key themes include:
biodiversity and conservation
curiosity and investigation
environmental stewardship
the importance of pollinators
learning through observation and discovery
Belle the Blue-Banded Bee
by Shane Meyer$25
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Belle the Blue-Banded Bee is an engaging Australian picture book that supports classroom learning by introducing students to the remarkable blue-banded bee (Amegilla cingulata) and its role in pollination. Through Belle’s journey of curiosity and discovery, students are encouraged to observe the natural world, ask questions, and develop an understanding of how living things depend on one another.
Perfect for students from pre-school to primary school, this text provides a meaningful literacy link within your incursion, while reinforcing key concepts in Science and Sustainability.
Princess Bee & The Boy
by Matthew Middleton$25
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Princess Bee and the Boy by Matthew Middleton is a beautifully illustrated children’s story about the importance of Australian native stingless bees and caring for the environment.
The story follows a young boy who discovers the sweet honey of native stingless bees and becomes obsessed with finding more. As his greed grows, he begins destroying hives and damaging the bush in search of what he calls “liquid gold.” The animals and creatures of the land become worried because without bees, plants cannot reproduce properly and the environment begins to suffer.
The last remaining hive is led by Princess Bee, a small but brave stingless bee who gathers the birds, animals, and sea creatures to help stop the destruction. Through music, storytelling, and cooperation, she helps the boy understand the role bees play in pollination and how closely all living things are connected. Eventually, the boy changes his ways and works to repair the damage he caused while teaching others to protect native bees and care for Country.
The book combines environmental themes with elements of fantasy and Indigenous-inspired storytelling. It explores:
pollination and biodiversity
consequences of greed and overharvesting
teamwork and community
caring for nature and native species
restoration and learning from mistakes
Adapted from an oral indigenous story the community leaders of Kalumburu have given their blessing and consent for Matthew to share this story.
Recipient of two international awards for children’s books.
Prints
“Native Bees of Queensland” poster (laminated)
$50
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The Gina Cranson “Native Bees of Queensland” poster is a visual identification guide designed to showcase the diversity of native bees found across Queensland.
It features a collection of carefully illustrated bee species, each labelled with:Scientific (Latin) names
Common names (where available)
Life-size or scale silhouettes so students can see actual size differences
It works as a visual reference tool—helping students and educators identify bees, compare species, and start conversations about pollination, biodiversity, and habitat protection.
Printed on thick 250gsm matt stock, the poster measures 594mm x 420mm and comes laminated.
Used within the incursions, Teacher’s Notes are provided to support ongoing use in the classroom.
Price $50
Supporting Solitary Bees
Bee Hotel
$70
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Bee hotels provide a habitat for many of our solitary native bees and wasps (the harmless ones!) and will attract resin bees, leaf cutter bees, masked bees, wasp mimic bees, potter wasps, amongst others.
All individually hand made these rustic bee hotels are 32cm high x 16cm wide x 15 cm deep and contains lots of different materials for solitary bees, including a Blue Banded Bee mud pipe.
The design is in line with recommended bee hotel construction with holes 100mm deep and up to 8mm wide. A sticker with a QR code to help identify the type of bee or wasp is provided.
The ideal spot is undercover on a veranda or deck facing out to the garden and receiving morning sunshine.
Note - some of the frame materials may comprise treated timber eg old fence palings, but the nesting materials are all non-treated.
