Asian Honeybee Identification

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Current Distribution and Origin of Asian Honeybees
Nests of Asian honeybees have now been found westwards to Mareeba, south west to Lake Eacham, and as far south as Innisfail. However, most nests have been found in the city and port areas of Cairns, and in Gordonvale and Aloomba just south of Cairns. These feral bees are believed to have arrived from Indonesia or Papua New Guinea in shipping containers.

How to Recognise the Asian Honeybee
The Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) (10 mm) is smaller than the European honeybee (Apis mellifera) (15 mm) that we use for honey production in Australia. It tends to fly faster and more erratically. It is less hairy and has more prominent banding on the abdomen than the European honeybee.

The feral Asian honeybee. Apis cerana, (right) is smaller and has more distinct bands than the commercial honeybee, Apis mellifera, (left). Photo by Paul Zbrowski/Queensland Government

If you see any of these feral Asian honeybees, please ring Biosecurity Queensland on: 13 25 23

More Information

The Fight to Eradicate Asian Honeybees

Impact of Asian Honeybees in Australia