When a mass of wriggling furry black and yellow creatures landed in Sergeant Brett Gatehouse’s back yard two years ago, he considered taking drastic action – with a stick, a hose or even a can of insect spray.
Instead, he phoned a friend and learned that the seething blob was no threat, just a valuable swarm of honey bees looking for a new home.
It was Sergeant Gatehouse’s introduction to the fascinating world of apiary – beekeeping – that is celebrated on May 20, World Bee Day.
Assured that the swarm was not dangerous, his alarm turned to fascination and soon developed into a hobby that grows ever sweeter.
“Bees swarm when the queen leaves the hive and all the workers and nurses surround her to keep her safe while the scouts go out and look for a suitable home,” Sergeant Gatehouse said.
“They gather on a branch or a fence post and huddle together like a big soft pineapple. You can gently shake the queen into a box and they just flop down after her in clumps like wet concrete.
“They are not aggressive; their only focus is on protecting their queen. This is not at all what I thought bees were like. I got interested and decided to get a hive of my own.”
Sergeant Gatehouse has been a Communications Coordinator in the Townsville Police Communications Centre (PCC) for the past four years, but the previous 20 years were spent as a detective.
Attuned to watching the body language of people, he became fascinated with the intricate and deliberate communication strategies employed by the bees.
“You watch them for an hour and you start to understand their communication,” Sergeant Gatehouse said.
“The waggle dance, the flight paths – it all makes sense. They’ve got social structure and clear communication. It’s quite exciting.”
Just like Sergeant Gatehouse, PCC Officer-in-Charge Senior Sergeant Mark Hogenelst has also become intrigued by the highly structured and organised lives of bees.
He said he installed a hive about two years ago, just before his colleague’s encounter with the swarm.
“They are very organised and fascinating to watch. Every bee has its own separate job,” Senior Sergeant Hogenelst said.
“I became interested around the same time as Brett and we support each other in our learning journey.
“We both live on acreages and we go and do hive inspections together on each other’s properties every three or four weeks.
“I was actually surprised to find out how many other police and QPS staff members keep bees. It’s a great hobby.”
Senior Sergeant Hogenelst’s hive is healthy and productive now, but his learning curve has included the expense and heartbreak of seeing his bees swarm – twice.
“The first time, I made the mistake of opening the hive after dark when all the bees were inside. The queen became upset and decided to leave, with all the workers surrounding her.
“The next time, I accidentally showered the hive with lawn clippings when I was mowing the lawn, and they swarmed again.
“I started to gather more knowledge and learnt how to read the bees’ behaviour, and this year I’ll be able to collect honey for the first time.”
Senior Sergeant Hogenelst said keeping bees was a relaxing hobby, but one that needed commitment and diligence.
“Bee hives are not set and forget,” Senior Sergeant Hogenelst said.
“Firstly, it’s an investment, so you need to keep it disease-free and make sure it is secure in bad weather.
“But even more importantly, you have to be mindful that you are part of a broader community and you have a duty of care to keep the hives healthy.
“For us it’s a hobby, but for those in the agricultural sector, it’s a livelihood.”
Both officers believe that beekeeping provides benefits for personal mental health as well as the environment.
“Anything that diverts your attention after a day’s work is relaxing,” Sergeant Gatehouse said.
“I will go out into the garden for five minutes and start watching them and then find I’ve been out there for an hour.
“Healthy bee colonies are also a marker of the health of the local environment.
“I have lots of native trees on my property and my neighbour has lots of fruit trees and vegetables.
“Within six weeks of my getting the hive, productivity in our local area exploded. It made an observable difference.”
He said while his bees were European honey bees, the number of native bees in the area had also increased.
“Since I got the hive, I’m also seeing more carpenter bees and other native bees that I haven’t seen before in the area.
“It seems to stir up activity in the whole neighbourhood. Bees attract bees.”
From being on the cusp of murdering 10,000 bees with a can of Mortein, Sergeant Gatehouse now urges anyone who observes a swarm of bees not to harm them.
“They are so non-aggressive and even really valuable,” Sergeant Gatehouse said.
“Ring around – you might even find someone who will come out and buy it from you.”
Happy World Beekeep Day Queensland, and many sweet returns.
