Bring the Buzz Back

One thousand Australian Jelly Bush trees arrived at the Mount Isa airport this week in a united effort by the Council, community groups and local businesses to help save all bees.

Beekeeper Bluey the Bee Man said he is gravely concerned about the near non-existent bee population in Mount Isa.

“As a way to bring the buzz back, we are hosting a tree planting near Sunset Dog Park on Sunday,” Bluey said.

“These native trees will attract the bees back to the area within three to four years,” he said.

The official name of the trees is Leptospermum polygalifolium, Australian Jelly Bush (MANUKA style), and they’re five times stronger than New Zealand’s Manuka Honey trees, providing liquid gold in the form of nectar for bees.

“People power is what is required to make this planting a success,” Bluey said.

“So bring along a water bottle, shovel and a chair. We have a plant or two for everyone.”

Native bees perform about 80 percent of all pollination worldwide and rely on the nectar and pollen from flowers for their survival so by planting a pollinator friendly area, communities ensure bees have a source of food all year round.

Some of the Australian Jelly Bush trees that arrived on Thursday.

Bluey said Jelly Bush trees are high in MGO/DHA which means the product has a medicinal quality.”

MGO stands for Methylglyoxyl and is predominantly found in Manuka honey and is the main chemical responsible for the antibacterial activity of the honey. DHA or Dihydroxyacetone is a precursor chemical of MGO and is found in the nectar of the native Jelly Bush trees.

Bluey began his quest, reaching out to communities in the Mount Isa region to be part of the solution.

“I’ve been travelling to local shows and also teaching young ones the importance of bees and what they do for humankind.”

“It is important to educate everyone about the importance of bees,” he said.

The official location of the tree planting is just up from the Dog Park in front of Reece Plumbing on Commercial Rd.

https://treezbeez.com.au/