Bees bounce back after Australia’s black summer: ‘Any life is good life’

Australia's bushfires were devastating for bee populations. But steady rain and community efforts are seeing the return of the pollinators

You could say that Adrian Iodice is something of a stickybeak neighbour. On Iodice's once-lush bushland property, nestled within the Bega Valley of New South Wales, there stands a majestic rough-barked apple tree that the beekeeper used to, every now and then, jam his head into.

In the hollow of the trunk lived a flourishing wild colony of European honeybees that Iodice had been keeping an eye on for years. I'd have a chat with them," he laughs. Stick my head in and see how they're getting on in life. They were very gentle bees; they never had a go at me."