In a country of over 10,000 species of spiders,100 venomous snakes, sharks and crocs, a report has named the humble bee Australia’s most deadly animal.

A new report conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found the little honey-makers are responsible for more deaths than any other animal in the country.

Between 2017 and 2018, there were 19 deaths by venomous plants and animals, with bees responsible for 12.

Injury epidemiologist James Harrison told Deborah Knight he wasn’t surprised by the findings.

“The main focus of the report was people who were admitted to hospital following bites and stings, and that pattern has been pretty constant for some years,” he said.

“Most of the bees live in the south-east part of Australia, where most of Australia’s people also live, so there is lots of opportunities for people to come into contact with honey bees.

Professor Harrison said many admissions were due to people developing allergic reactions after a sting or bite.

“The message really is if that somebody has had an occasion where they were bitten by something, an ant or a wasp or a bee, and after that had something more than just local swelling and pain, … they most certainly should get medical attention.”

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