The buzz about bees: Malcolm’s backyard hive at Argyle Gardens

At BlueCare’s Argyle Gardens Retirement Village in Bundaberg, resident Malcolm has turned a lifelong interest in gardening into a quiet but meaningful hobby, keeping a hive of native stingless bees (Tetragonula carbonaria) just outside his back door.

The hive is home to thousands of bees and is carefully maintained by Malcolm, who has been keeping bees for around 10 years.

“I don’t grow them for honey,” he said. “It’s more about the enjoyment of it and knowing they’re doing something important for the environment.”

Malcolm’s interest in bees began 10 years ago when he tended large gardens with multiple hives. Now in retirement, he continues to observe and care for native bees, which he said are better suited to Queensland conditions than European honeybees.

“They’re much easier to manage,” he said. “The gardens benefit from the pollination and I enjoy watching them go about their business.”

Beyond the hobby itself, Malcolm is passionate about the role bees play in the environment and food production. Around a third of the world’s food supply relies on pollination, making bees essential to crops such as fruit and vegetables, as well as macadamias grown in the Bundaberg region.

“People don’t always realise how important they are,” he said. “They’re not just interesting, they’re vital for the environment.”

Malcolm enjoys sharing his knowledge with fellow residents, with some stopping to watch the hive activity and ask questions. He said the bees can spark conversations about gardens, nature and the role pollinators play in everyday life.

“The native bees are fascinating,” he said. “They’re organised, they work together, and they know exactly what they’re doing. There’s a lot we can learn from them.”

For Malcolm, the hive is more than a pastime, it is a way to stay connected to nature while contributing to something larger.

“I just put them there and let them do their thing,” he said. “And in their own way, they’re helping keep everything growing.”