Our Lady of the Angels School in Wavell Heights is home to Australian native stingless bees, and the colony is playing an important role in the school’s gardens, student learning, and the local environment.
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They’re small, barely 4 mm long, jet black, and entirely stingless. The native bees living in hives on the grounds of Our Lady of the Angels School are quietly going about their work.
Our Lady of the Angels School has been caring for its native bee hives as part of its commitment to care for creation and sustainability, and the person behind the hive’s upkeep is Mr Aspin, the school’s groundsman. Over the recent school holidays, Mr Aspin put considerable care and creativity into the area surrounding the hive. The school community showed their appreciation, giving Mr Aspin a shoutout on the school’s Facebook page for his efforts.
This term, the school’s commitment to its native bee program is growing. A new hive is set to be added to the grounds, with an incursion planned to give students a hands-on introduction to their new six-legged neighbours.
Learning in the Real World
For students at Our Lady of the Angels School, the hives offer real-life learning opportunities. Native bees help pollinate plants and flowers, supporting biodiversity and keeping the school’s gardens thriving. The school sees the program as a meaningful way to connect children with the natural world and explore themes of care for creation and sustainability.
By caring for native bees, students come to understand how small actions can make a big difference for the environment.
About Australian Native Stingless Bees
Australia is home to eleven species of native stingless bees. Small, black, and measuring just 4 mm in length, they are tropical by nature and only thrive in warm parts of Australia, including Queensland, northern areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and north-eastern New South Wales. Wavell Heights sits well within the climate range where stingless bees thrive.
They pose no sting risk, and as pollinators, they play an important part in keeping gardens and green spaces healthy.
They can be kept in a natural log or a hive box and are considered easy and safe to maintain in a backyard. For residents across Wavell Heights and surrounding suburbs with a veggie patch or flowering garden, it’s an option worth exploring.
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Looking Ahead
With a new hive on the way and an incursion planned for this term, the native bee program at Our Lady of the Angels School looks set to grow. The school has made clear that caring for these tiny creatures is about more than gardening — it’s about teaching the next generation to care for the world around them.
And the bees? They’ll just keep doing what they do best, quietly, diligently, and without a single sting.
Published 28-April-2026
