On a sharp corner of gravel track, in the outskirts of Carnarvon, stands a makeshift barricade constructed to warn motorists of an upcoming swarm of native bees.
Tourist Keith Schekkerman stands amid the buzz and hum.
With caring hands and watchful eyes, he carefully observes the large bees as they dart to and from their shallow burrows across the track.
Mr Schekkerman has been regularly monitoring the bee colony for the past month.
"People need to be careful," he said.
"As you can see they're right in the middle of the road here."
Mr Schekkerman is one of the many tourists drawn to the region to witness the yearly phenomenon of the Dawson's burrowing bee.
The rare species, known as Amegilla dawsoni, grow up to two centimetres in length and are Australia's largest native bee species.
They are mostly found in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.
The bees are dormant larvae underground for most of the year.
New adults emerge from their nests in late winter or early spring.
Their mating season is a spectacular flurry of activity as the white females are fertilised by the yellow-coloured males.
The male population then dies off, as the females create new underground nests.
They lay their eggs in burrows up to 30 centimetres deep and have an unfortunate preference for gravel tracks, frequented by four-wheel drive enthusiasts.
Mr Schekkerman took it upon himself to create a makeshift barricade from scraps of wood and plastic pipe after discovering a rare colony along a track to a nearby popular beach.
"So far it has worked," he said.
"No cars have driven over them.
"They somehow seem to like the road and people need to be really careful not to drive over them because they're a fantastic natural phenomenon."
Indigenous elder and Dawson's burrowing bee researcher, Antoinette Roe, said the bees were culturally significant.
"The local Indigenous people will go out in December or January, dig the burrows up, put [them] on the coals and cook the grub, just break the burrow open and eat it," she said.
Mrs Roe said several well-known tracks were closed to traffic during burrowing bee season.
But she said some drivers were ignoring the signs.
"It's only just a sign so people drive around them," she said.
"So people have got stop and have a look around.
"If it's a big mob of them just drive around them."
Protecting the species
Resident Raymond Edney said the story of the bees was part of a cultural song line.
"They are a delicacy here," he said.
"My mother told me stories about how they used to poke a stick down the burrows for honey."
Mr Edney is calling on local authorities to better monitor the bees to ensure they are safe from inquisitive motorists.
"We need to encourage the shire to employ local tour guides and bring people on country, so we can share our stories," he said.
"We need to look after our bees because there's only certain areas where they nest and right now it's an area where there's a lot of traffic here."
More education needed
Mr Edney said the bees played a vital role in sustaining local ecosystems.
Ms Roe is encouraging tourists to visit the Gwoonwardu Mia Cultural Centre in Carnarvon and learn about the bees before they go to look for them.
"We have maps and can answer questions about the Dawson's burrowing bee, always happy to have a chat and share stories," she said.
"If you come across them just be mindful of them, there are significant sites close to Carnarvon for the local Indigenous people.
"So, don't drive on the roads during July and September, be careful and enjoy the bees and being among them."
