We had the pleasure of Dianne McQueen-Richardson visit us on 10 May, 2023 to give a very informative talk on the bee industry in the Clarence Valley. Did you know, it takes 85 native bees to collect the same amount of pollen as one European bee? The industry is essential for all areas of agriculture in the Clarence. Due to the unfortunate introduction of a mite into the Coffs region, so many hives had to be destroyed around the Nana Glen area. This was on top of the havoc wreaked in the area following the bush fires of 2020. Each hive has approximately 50,000 bees. A single bee can produce a tablespoon of honey in its lifetime. Pure honey is the only food that doesn't go off. A queen bee will lay 800,000 eggs in her lifetime and bees can fly up to 20 km per hour. Most of the honey we buy in the supermarkets has been exported to China, glucose added and then imported back into Australia. The writer will be definitely buying from local bee farmers in the future.
