Today is World Bee Day, and Power and Water Corporation is taking the opportunity to thank in-house bee expert Wesley Mackay for his efforts to save native bees.

Officially a sub-station technician in Power and Water’s Power Services Darwin team, Wes goes above and beyond his role to help relocate native bee hives from Power and Water sites and infrastructure.

His passion for saving native bees also sees him volunteer as a rescue coordinator with the Australian Native Bee Association NT Branch. The group has around 10 active members who help relocate native bee hives all across the Darwin region.

Wes was recently called to a house in Tiwi to remove a hive that had glued a meter box closed, rendering it unusable.

‘The bees were the Tetragonula mellipes species, the most common in Darwin,’ Wes said. ‘They’re a native stingless bee, so completely harmless but very important. The honey they produce is worth about a dollar a gram, so it’s on the more expensive side.’

Relocation involves gently placing the brood (eggs) and food stores into a small wooden box, then carefully ‘vacuuming’ the bees into the same box. This includes the drones living inside the hive and the worker bees as they return home from foraging at the end of the day.

Each hive contains a single queen. It is vital she is included in the relocation because she will be the reason the others work to re-establish the hive once it is moved to a more suitable place.

Wes has relocated more than a dozen hives and colonies since he began studying bees a few years ago. He’s removed them from all sorts of places, including water pits, renovated bathrooms, steel tube fences, logs and trees. But why does he do it?

‘Native bees are a crucial part of our ecosystem, because they are pollinators,’ Wes said. ‘They are essential for plant reproduction and food production.

‘They’re at constant risk from habitat loss, diseases and pests so, rather than see their hives destroyed, I help relocate them to a safe place where they can carry on their vital work.’

The theme for World Bee Day 2025 is ‘bee inspired by nature to nourish us all’.

To find out more visit World Bee Day (Australia) – 20 May – Helping Protect our Bees. If you need help relocating a native beehive, email the Australian Native Bee Association NT Branch at rescue@anba.org.au.

Media contact: 0401 117 599 / media@powerwater.com.au