Wednesday was world bee day so what better day to catch up with Mount Isa's own bee man extraordinaire. Scotty "Bluey Bee Man" Sheard.
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Of course Bluey knew about World Bee Day which raises awareness about the essential role these hardworking insects play as pollinators.
However given Bluey lives that every day (he was wearing his "save the bees" t-shirt when we met him), he admitted Wednesday was not different from any other day for him.
"I'm not doing anything special for world bee day but world bee day is doing something special for the bees with all the clouds coming round," Bluey said.
"They love the rain because that means the flowers are coming after the rain.
"All the bloodwoods down Cloncurry way are starting to bud up and flower."
Bluey said this was the time of year to be packing down bees for winter.
"The days are shortening so they know its winter and the Queen is going to lay less eggs," he said.
"Most people down south they would pack down, take their boxes off that are full of honey so they don't to keep the whole hive warm," he said.
"With mine I don't have to worry too much, we only get two weeks of winter here."
With COVID-19 Bluey has been taking his Waggle Beez children's education show online.
"We did a guided tour through our own garden, the chooks and the milkbox and the cucumber," he said.
"I've got a great crop of cucumber because I've got bees, they pollinate everything."
But as Bluey's save the bees shirt reminds us, bees face a number of problems in Australia.
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud said a number of bee pests and diseases are a potential risk to our honey bee industry, environment and to Australia's native bee populations,
"Australia is home to over 1,500 species of native bees, the vast majority of which are actually solitary species," Minister Littleproud said.
"Pests and diseases of bees not only have the potential to devastate bee colonies, but may also impact on the health of native plants should our bees be unable to pollinate them.
"Alongside our hardworking European honey bees, Australia's native bees also play an important role in pollinating commercial crops such as mango, blueberry, eggplant, tomato, almonds and macadamia, as well as native plants."
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