Bees and Bee keeping

Bee swarms on private property are the responsibility of the occupier. If residents require assistance with bee swarms on private property they can contact the Members of the Amateur Beekeepers Association of NSW who can provide advice on bee swarms or collect bees from properties. Where swarms have been found in wall cavities a licensed pest controller may be required. Contact details for these can be found under Pest Control in the Yellow Pages.

Residents wishing to report bee swarms in public buildings and land and Council owned commercial and residential properties should contact Council on (02) 9911 3555 during business hours. Council will investigate and depending on circumstances, have the bees removed and relocated.

Any person wishing to keep bees must be registered with the Department of Primary Industries - Agriculture. The Department also is responsible for investigating complaints about nuisance bees. Any inquiries or complaints about beekeeping should be directed to the Department of Primary Industries - Agriculture on (02) 6391 3100.

More information is available on the Department of Primary Industries website at

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/animals-and-livestock/bees

Basic Guide to identifying Bees and similar species DPI

Residents do not require a permit to keep native bee hives of the native stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria.
Also known as the Sugarbag Bee, this is the only colony forming species found in Sydney. They naturally nest in hollows in trees and branches, rock crevices and occasionally man-made human structures. There are approximately 200 native bee species found locally. Our native bees are critically important for the pollination of our native plants.

For more information about native bee hives and native solitary bees refer to Ku-ring-gai Council website: Native Bees.