Honey from Australian stingless bees, commonly referred to as sugarbag bees, has historically served as a food source. It is also a traditional remedy for ailments like itchy skin and sores among Indigenous communities in Australia. In new research, scientists evaluated the antimicrobial properties and chemical profiles of honey produced by the Australian stingless bee species: Tetragonula carbonaria, Tetragonula hockingsi, and Austroplebeia australis. Their findings revealed a high antimicrobial potential of these honeys against diverse human pathogens, equivalent to or greater than that observed in most European honey bee (Apis mellifera) honeys.
Tetragonula carbonaria combs. Image credit: Tobias Smith.
Antimicrobial resistance poses a critical global health challenge.
Various natural products have evolved as a defense against microbial attack and can be exploited as novel therapeutic agents.
While honey from the European honey bee is well studied, the medicinal potential of Australian stingless bee honey remains underexplored.
“Given the growing medical challenge of antimicrobial resistance, our findings suggest stingless bee honey could complement, or provide a valuable alternative to, synthetic antibiotics,” said University of Sydney researcher Kenya Fernandes.
“Unlike honey from the European honeybee, which often relies on hydrogen peroxide for its antimicrobial effects, the honey from Australian stingless bees exhibits high levels of both hydrogen peroxide and non-peroxide activity — making it robust and versatile as a potential therapeutic agent.”
The authors found when hydrogen peroxide was removed the honey displayed antimicrobial activity, suggesting this is intrinsic to the honey itself.
“Manuka honey from honeybees displays strong non-peroxide antimicrobial activity, which is one reason why its production has been a commercial success,” Dr. Fernandes said.
“However, that is largely reliant on the source of its nectar from specific myrtle plants (Leptospermum).”
“In contrast, the persistent antimicrobial activity of heat-treated, non-peroxide honey from stingless Australian bees across diverse locations and nectar sources suggests there is something special about these bees, rather than just nectar, that plays a critical role here.”
“We discovered the antimicrobial activity is consistent across all sugarbag samples tested, unlike honeybee honey, which can vary significantly based on seasonal changes and floral sources,” said University of Sydney’s Professor Dee Carter.
The researchers hope this consistency could enhance the potential for commercial medical applications.
However, challenges remain concerning scalability. Each stingless beehive produces about half a liter of honey a year, presenting a challenge for large-scale production.
“While the yield is small, these hives require less maintenance than traditional beehives, allowing beekeepers to manage larger numbers,” said University of Sydney’s Dr. Ros Gloag.
“With proper incentives, such as commercial value for the honey, it’s feasible to cultivate more hives, providing a pathway for commercial scalability.”
“Encouragingly, native stingless bee honey last year gained approval from Food Standards Australia New Zealand, paving the way for national and international commercialization.”
“This regulatory support holds promise for the establishment of a niche market for high-value, small-quantity products.”
The findings were published May 21 in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
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Kenya E. Fernandes et al. 2025. Strong antimicrobial activity and unique physicochemical characteristics in honey from Australian stingless bees Tetragonula carbonaria, Tetragonula hockingsi, and Austroplebeia australis. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 91 (6); doi: 10.1128/aem.02523-24
