Teen enjoys the buzz of beekeeping
TEENAGER Isaac Mayer is helping to protect a species of native stingless bee by keeping six hives of the tiny creatures in his backyard.
Mosman
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WHILE most teenagers are buried in their screens, Isaac Mayer is busy in his backyard.
Isaac keeps six hives of native stingless bees and has transformed his love of the tiny creatures into a business.
The 14-year-old has started selling hives under the brand Bush Bees and will showcase his work at a market in North Sydney this weekend.
“I don’t really play games. I do find bees more interesting,” Issac said.
Isaac was first introduced to bees at school in St Aloysius’ College in Kirribilli.
He won a grant from the government to buy a native bee hive and he discovered he loved looking after them.
Issac is helping to conserve the species called tetragonula carbonaria. It won’t fly until it reaches a balmy 18c and as a result the European honeybees have an unfair advantage.
“Lots of people don’t know that honeybees were introduced from Europe,” he said.
“They are a bit of an issue for our native bees because they fly earlier in the morning when it’s colder. They can go out before stingless bees are awake and take all the nectar and pollen.”
There are about 2000 native bee species in Australia and 10 are stingless.
Issac is encouraging people to think about getting a native bee hive in their backyard. They will pollinate backyard veggies and will also produce honey, which sells for more than $500 a kg.
It is different to regular honey as it is created in a sugarbag instead of a hexagonal structure. And it is also in demand among top chefs.
“It’s a bit lemony with a hint of eucalyptus,” he said.
Isaac will be at the Northside Produce Market this Saturday for a special event celebrating bees.
He is bringing an observation hive, sugarbag honey and a native solitary bee hotel. Other exhibitors include the Austrlian Honey Cellars, Flat Rock Brew Cafe and Beeswax Wraps Australia.