Dr Tobias Smith

Meet the tiny wonders of our ecosystems: native bees! 🐝 ✨️ Have a listen as Dr Tobias Smith from the @AustralianBee walks us through some fascinating bee facts. #auspol #savethebees

@MattHHolden @brisbanecityqld @CrNicJ @jonathan_sri @Greens @ConversationEDU @QldEnvironment @HugePossum @ESA_org @EcolSocAus Congratulations on publishing this Matt et al. Amazing!

See photos of some of the amazing 1,150 species we found in our @brisbanecityqld home 👉theconversation.com/we-thought-wed… House is located in the inner city suburb, Annerley QLD @CrNicJ @jonathan_sri @Greens @ConversationEDU @QldEnvironment #CitizenScience @HugePossum @ESA_org @EcolSocAus

@jessa_thurman Only the coolest people get K-Zone profiles 😀

I'm excited to be in the October issue of K-zone Magazine. I was interviewed on my research and the incredible insects that we have here in Australia. #entomology #kzone #scicomm

I’ve teamed up with the @WheenBee foundation to create this lovely poster aimed at raising funds for Australian bee taxonomy. Enjoy a bunch of my photos and text while feeling good that the proceeds go right back to researching these amazing little animals.

You won't bee-lieve what has us buzzzzzzing with excitement today... It's World Bee Day! 🐝🍯 So, it's only fitting we give you the inside scoop (of honey) on bees, courtesy of UQ's resident bee expert @EcologyToby and Contact Magazine. Read: bit.ly/42R6LIH 📸: Adobe

@HiveHaven Hi Anne, yes, I’m writing an article for the ANBA’s Cross Pollinator publication and will also give a talk to the ANBA in the months ahead.

@EcologyToby Sounds fascinating! Will you presenting your learnings?

I’m just back from a stingless bee industry study tour of Peninsula Malaysia. The Malaysian SB industry is bigger than Australia’s SB industry, & has a dominant focus on honey production. Some interesting lessons for Australia around SB honey processing, storage and marketing.

@asadiceiu @AnimAlanDorin @vkellermann1 @TheBeeEcologist Looks like Lasioglossum (Parasphecodes) sp.

Bee ID request: this awesome bee was drinking nectar and collecting pollen from a Prickly Paperbark Tree. I guess our Carbonaria bees will also enjoy the flowers. @AnimAlanDorin @vkellermann1 @TheBeeEcologist @EcologyToby

Still places available for this weekend's Native Bee ID Workshop at the University of Queensland. In this hands-on workshop learn how to ID Australian native bees using a microscope & taxonomic keys. Here for info & to register: biological-sciences.uq.edu.au/event/native-b…

@FSgolastra Thanks very much Fabio. Nice paper! And the device you used for the thermal imaging looks really nice. Thank you! Toby

@EcologyToby Hi Tobias to measure temperature of single bee we used thermal immaging camera. More info here: nature.com/articles/s4159…

Infrared laser thermometers. Bee people: anyone used these to measure individual bee's temperatures in research? If so, what make/model worked? Or have you used something else to measure bee temps? I work with small stingless bees, but comments about any bees welcome. Thanks!! :)

@vkellermann1 Thanks Vanessa! I bought an infrared camera for this purpose a couple of years ago, but met the same barrier. Didn't spend the big bucks, just a few hundred $. Wasn't completely worthless for stingless bees, but wasn't good enough for research purposes, just curiosity and ideas.

@nicrodemo Thanks Mario! That's disappointing. I might email you as I go further down this rabbit hole. Thanks!! Toby

@EcologyToby Hi Tobias, I recently had experience with this approach. Bottom line: most models are not suitable because the spot size is larger than the bee that you want to measure. There might be some alternatives. Feel free to reach out by email if you want to chat!

@BrianTCutting Well, a photo of Hylaeus nubilosus could be from half of Australia, but I assumed it was Brisbane :) Keep warm and I look forward to catching up sometime.

@EcologyToby Finally made it back! I’m impressed (but not surprised) that you can deduce this from half a bee! In Stanthorpe for a spell now with honey bee trials; haven’t seen native bees here with -2 overnight temps! Hopefully we can catch up soon!

We’ve had some very wintry weather of late, but on fine days this masked bee (Hylaeus) still pops out of its shelter every now and then. Cavities in plant stems provide both nesting and sheltering habitat for these - and they seem to thrive in our ‘untidy’ garden.

@justine_d_shaw @perkinsmiki @frippet @sbekessy @ConversationEDU All very valid points Justine!

@perkinsmiki @frippet @sbekessy @ConversationEDU @EcologyToby any thoughts?

This is such an important angle on varroa mite - seeing it an opportunity for conservation theconversation.com/hear-me-out-we… via @ConversationEDU

Do you have a native stingless bee hive in your backyard? #UQ scientists need your help! 🐝 👇 tinyurl.com/2bf4jsmr @UQscience @EcologyToby @GurionAng #bees

Deadly varroa mite has 'potential' to threaten Queensland's bee industry, authorities warn abc.net.au/news/2022-06-2…

#UQ researchers need help to spy on native stingless bees 🐝 Read here: tinyurl.com/2bf4jsmr @UQscience @EcologyToby @GurionAng #bees

@SunayanaSajith Yay!! Congrats Sunayana! Put your feet up :)