It's not just about collecting honey and making candles. Backyard beekeepers are playing a vital role in rebuilding the local bee populations.Hobbyists are helping bring back bee stocks after the Black Summer bushfiresTucked away in the suburbs of Wodonga, city councillor John Watson has stacks of colourful bee boxes his backyard."I think bee keeping is one of the fastest growing hobbies, if not in Australia, in the world," Mr Watson said.
"A lot of natural hives and a lot of natural insects have just been decimated because there's just nothing left," Mr Gledhill said. "I've heard reports of 10,000 hives, but on top of that all the wild colonies out there as well: It's huge the loss that we've had," Mr Gledhill said.