Australia’s native bees struggled after the Black Summer fires – but a world-first solution brought them buzzing back


Photo: Kit Prendergast (@bee.babette_performer)

After a devastating bushfire, efforts to help nature recover typically focus on vertebrates and plants. Yet extreme fires can threaten insects, too.

After the Black Summer fires of 2019–20, I embarked on world-first research into whether “bee hotels” – a type of artificial nesting structure – could help native bees recolonise an area.

I installed 1,000 bee hotels in the Jarrah forests of Western Australia, parts of which burned during the Black Summer fires.

After months of monitoring, I concluded – with great excitement and relief – that the project was a success. Native bees were using the structures to lay eggs and raise young. The work shows pollinators such as bees can be aided after fires, to help bring damaged landscapes back to life.

A burnt area of bushland.

WA’s Jarrah Forest was affected by the Black Summer fires. Photo: Kit Prendergast

Vital wild pollinators

Australia has more than 2,000 species of native bees. They help keep our ecosystems healthy, and play a crucial role in pollinating wildflowers.

Native bees typically nest in holes in trees that occur naturally when beetles bore through wood. When fire destroys trees, bees can be left without a place to nest and reproduce. This prevents them from recolonising habitats after fire.

Under climate change, bushfires in Australia are becoming more frequent and severe. Wood-nesting bees are especially vulnerable to bushfires. For example, fires are recognised as a major threat to the glittering green carpenter bee (Xylocopa aerata), which creates its own holes in wood to nest in.

The worsening fires take place at a time when global populations of wild pollinators, such as bees, are in steady decline. This problem has been well-publicised, although the plight of Australia’s native bees has received less attention.

My research tested whether bee hotels could help our native bees bounce back after fire.

What the research found

The Jarrah Forest of southwest Western Australia is a biodiversity hotspot. The 1,000 bee hotels were installed across five sites in the northern part of the forest, where bushfires burned during the summer of 2019–20.

a block of wood studded with bamboo stems

One type of bee hotel used by the researcher. Photo: Kit Prendergast

Bee hotels replicate the holes in wood that native bees nest in. In August 2021, I installed bee hotels of two types: wooden blocks with 15 holes drilled in them, and bunches of about 50 bamboo stems bundled together. I monitored them from September 2021 to March 2022.

At the end of the period I concluded – with great excitement and relief – that the project was a success. Across all bee hotels at the five sites, 832 cavities were occupied by native bees.

Assuming four cells per cavity for each offspring, this meant more than 3,300 native bees would likely emerge in the next generation.

Uptake by bees was initially slow. This was to be expected, because the main group of species that used bee hotels – from the Megachile genus – tend to not be active in the region until late spring.

I found the nests were also used by bees of the genus Hylaeus, as well as tiny Exoneura bees. Other inhabitants included wasps, spiders, ants and crickets.

I also surveyed three burnt sites where bee hotels were not installed. There, I recorded the numbers of native bees foraging on flowers, and compared it to the sites with bee hotels. More native bees were present at the latter sites, which reinforced my findings.

Importantly, the research allowed natural recolonisation. It did not involve installing bee hotels at unburnt sites, then moving them to burnt areas once they were occupied. This could have been disastrous.

a bee hovering near a piece of wood.

A bee at the entrance of the bee hotel. Photo: Kit Prendergast

Aside from depleting one population, it may have meant native bees were moved to an area where there were not enough flowers, or were forced to compete with existing bee populations.

The research also showed European honey bees could pose a problem for native bees in fire-damaged landscapes. At sites with a higher density of honey bees, fewer native bees were foraging and fewer nests were occupied in the bee hotels.

This supports previous findings by myself and others that honey bees can negatively affect native bees. It adds further evidence that honey bees should not be permitted in sensitive habitats, such as bushland following fire or in national parks.

Empowering bee-saving efforts

My research provides proof that bee hotels can aid in the recovery of cavity-nesting native bees after fires.

This work fills a major gap. While there has been much attention on the recovery of furry animals and plants after fires, there has been far less investment into the recovery of plant pollinators.

Leaving insects to languish after fires isn’t just bad for those species. It also hampers the ability of ecosystems to recover from fire and other damage. This is especially true for pollinators such as native bees, which are vital for plant reproduction.

This work empowers us to help native bees after fires, by providing nesting resources to promote populations.

Kit Prendergast, Postdoctoral Researcher, Pollination Ecology, University of Southern Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Share this article:

More from around the region

@ bluemountainsplanetaryhealth . Sep 7

Open post by bluemountainsplanetaryhealth with ID 17891889084611932
Join Andris Heks, Yogic Psychotherapist, winner Best Actor, Blue Mountains, for his workshop to laugh as you never laughed before, as part of a movement to globalise people-bonding cheerfulness through kookaburra laughter contagion as an antidote to distressing world divisiveness. Purchase your ticket here: https://events.humanitix.com/kookaburra-laughter-workshop View the trailer and the GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/globalise-unconditional-love-through-kookaburra-laughter Key event information: - When? 10:15AM - 2:30PM, Sunday 4 October 2026 (1st day of Daylight Saving - 1 hour forward) - Where? Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, 33-39 Acacia St, Katoomba, NSW, 2780 - Fee? $60 or what you can afford - Note: please bring your own lunch What to expect: - Learn how to stay cheerful for good - Learning the funny, human emulated, communal kookaburra laughter and meditation - How communal kookaburra laughter promotes bonding even amongst strangers - The awesome native treasure of the laughing kookaburra phenomenon - Why Kookaburra Yoga is the ‘most excellent of Yogas' - How communal kookaburra laughter contagion boosts the subtle and gross national product - How you could contribute to the kookaburra laughter contagion This event is supported by Blue Mountains Planetary Health. Purchase your ticket here: https://events.humanitix.com/kookaburra-laughter-workshop

...

11 0 instagram icon

@ bluemountainsplanetaryhealth . Aug 19

Open post by bluemountainsplanetaryhealth with ID 18127726681674088
Does your business focus on sustainable produce, living or community? We are seeking stallholders for our upcoming event ‘Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair’, Saturday 10 October 2026. This is an opportunity to promote your service, sell your products and engage with the community. To find out more about being part of this event, please contact planetaryhealthevents@bmcc.nsw.gov.au View the full event program here and register your place: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair

...

7 1 instagram icon

@ bluemountainsplanetaryhealth . Aug 4

Open post by bluemountainsplanetaryhealth with ID 18094567355632194
Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026 We are pleased to announce that the program and registration for Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026 is now live! Follow this link to view the program and register your place: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair Key information: When? Saturday 10 October, 9AM - 4PM Where? Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba Who is it for? Families, gardeners, enthusiasts, community groups and businesses, anyone looking to learn about how to be more resilient through local and sustainable food systems. What to expect? Talks, workshops, demos, market stalls, family activities, music, food Is there a cost? Entry to the Fair and Markets is free. Talks and workshops are ticketed (both free and paid) and have limited capacity, so please register in advance. Program highlights: 🌏Headline talk: The age of renewable Food – Julian Cribb AM 🎋Wild edibles foraging workshops – Diego Bonetto, Eat More Weeds 🏞️The importance of bioregions in uncertain times – Rowe Morrow, Permaculture Matters 🥒Home canning and food preservation workshop – Kirsty Berté, Permaculture Hawkesbury Valley 🏡Designing your own Permaculture Property – Leni Nyssen, Alchemy Farms 🍃Utilising what’s in front of you – Uncle Lex, The Ganya Shed 🪱How to worm farm - BMCC 🎸Live music by Olivia Dustmann 🌾Community crop and seed swap Tickets are limited so please register your place now: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair We are also seeking stallholders for the event. If you are a grower, retailer, community organisation or business that would like to get involved, please reach out to planetaryhealthevents@bmcc.nsw.gov.au!

...

11 2 instagram icon

@ bluemountainsplanetaryhealth . Jun 3

Open post by bluemountainsplanetaryhealth with ID 18098807714470494
Save the date! We’re excited to announce the second Blue Mountains Food Security Fair, taking place in Katoomba in October 2026. This annual event will bring together growers, thinkers, makers, and community members to explore one of the most important challenges of our time: how we grow, share, and sustain food in a changing world. Across the weekend, we’ll be exploring themes including: - Healthy soil and regenerative systems - Food and human health - Plant-based food futures - Home and community food resilience - Water-sensitive and climate-adapted growing - Indigenous food knowledge and systems - School food systems - Australia’s food procurement - Global food security challenges Expect a dynamic program of inspiring speakers, practical workshops, and hands-on experiences designed to leave you informed, empowered, and connected. Key information Date: Weekend of 10th October 2026 Location: Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba, NSW We’ll be announcing speakers and program details soon. We are also inviting expressions of interest from individuals and organisations who would like to contribute to the program, host workshops, run a stall or partner with us. Please reach out to planetaryhealthevents@bmcc.nsw.gov.au if you are interested!

...

17 1 instagram icon

@ bluemountainsplanetaryhealth . May 25

Open post by bluemountainsplanetaryhealth with ID 17867656860543260
Do you struggle making the most of your veggie garden all year round? Join Leni from @alchemyfarms_permaculture on Saturday 4th July for her Permaculture Workshop: Learn how to grow WITH the Upper Blue Mountains seasons, rather than battling against them. During the two-hour session, you'll cover crop selection for different seasons, what to grow from seeds vs seedlings, frost and wind protection, and nurturing your soil with a seasonal cycle. Register for this and other sessions as part of our Skill Share Saturdays program via this link: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre

...

7 0 instagram icon

You might also like:

Kindlehill students learning about bushcare

Another World is Possible

There is a little bit of magic happening on Wednesdays at the Planetary Health Centre as young volunteers from Kindlehill School, and Council staff, work together to create a demonstration site for the wider community. This hands-on program is inspiring all involved, including teacher Sarah Daniel.

Copyright 2026 Planetary Health News. All rights reserved.