Last modified on Sat 10 Apr 2021 19.42 EDT
You could say that Adrian Iodice is something of a stickybeak neighbour. On Iodiceâs 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. âIâd have a chat with them,â he laughs. âStick my head in and see how theyâre getting on in life. They were very gentle bees; they never had a go at me.â