Five years ago a swarm of European honeybees ( Apis mellifera) made a hive in an enclave of the trunk. Worried about what they may “do” to the tree, I approached a Brisbane beekeeper, Jack Stone of Bee One Third. Stone started his business in 2012 to highlight the important role bees play in our food system. The name is to “remind people bees contribute to one third of our global food supply through pollination”. When asked if he’d come to extract my new neighbours, his advice was unexpected. “European honeybees are one of the world’s most extraordinary pollinators,” he said. “They will pollinate any flowering plants or shrubs in your garden and neighbourhood up to 5km away. I recommend you try and live harmoniously with them and leave them there.”