A short survey has been developed to find out how healthy Australian honey bees are, and what pests and diseases might be causing problems for beekeepers. Read more
A new condition will come into effect from 1 July 2020 requiring existing and new beekeepers registered in NSW to comply with the Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice (the Code). What is the Code? The Code has been developed by industry in collaboration with all states and territories to provide a national […] Read more
The Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice sets requirements for beekeepers that provide a framework for implementing biosecurity best practices. The Code is part of the National Bee Biosecurity Program and was developed by Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) in collaboration with state and federal governments. Recently, Peter McDonald, the Chair of […] Read more
Please take the time to complete the Honey Bee Health Survey 2018. A short survey has been developed to find out how healthy Australian honey bees are, and what pests and diseases might be causing problems for beekeepers. The results from the survey will be used to decide what help beekeepers might need to keep […] Read more
Bee Biosecurity Officers have been busy over the last few months, taking part in Exercise Bee Prepared, as well as compliance and surveillance operations, and going to industry meetings and field days. Encouraging beekeepers to follow best management practices for diseases like American foulbrood continues to be a major focus. The officers are also talking […] Read more
Beekeepers nationally, commercial and hobby, are being urged to adopt the Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice to keep their bees healthy and to safeguard honey bee and pollination dependent industries. Honey production is worth more than $100 million annually, along with sales of beeswax, queen and packaged bees. This is dwarfed by […] Read more
The NSW bee industry will be further protected to minimise the impact of pests and diseases with the appointment of a new Bee Biosecurity Officer based at the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Tocal College at Paterson. DPI’s Manager of Plant Biosecurity Prevention and Preparedness, Dr Chris Anderson said the new appointment of Rod Bourke […] Read more
A new online training course was launched by the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) and Plant Health Australia this week, to make it easy for beekeepers to find out how to care for honey bees in accordance with the new Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice. The Biosecurity for Beekeepers course explains […] Read more
In the wake of the first ever Australian review of the risk posed to the country’s pollination and agricultural industries by large African hive beetle (LAHB), the pest is now endorsed as a High Priority Pest by all state, territory and federal governments. As part of a research project funded by the Honey Bee and […] Read more
Biosecurity Queensland is conducting surveillance and control activities to detect and destroy Asian honey bees and eradicate varroa mites. To stop the spread of varroa mites, a Prevention and Control Program is now in place for the Townsville City Council local government area. The Prevention and Control Program imposes obligations on an occupier of a […] Read more
The secret to being a good beekeeper Currently Australia is free of many serious honey bee pests that damage the health of European honey bees overseas. According to Alison Saunders, National Manager for Horticultural Cropping at Plant Health Australia, exotic pests such as varroa, tropilaelaps or tracheal mites are a constant threat. “As bad as […] Read more
In an effort to ensure Australians can enjoy local fruit, nuts and vegetables for years to come, Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) has launched a significant pollination research investment fund. This likely multi-million dollar fund will invest in vital research to increase crop quality and yields through more effective pollination and alternate pollinators. Increasing the […] Read more
Alan Wade was the first President of the Beekeeper’s Association of the ACT. He helped establish the club about 40 years ago, but the number of members has grown enormously in the last few years, because it’s become fashionable to keep bees. Alan says that honey bee biosecurity is all about bee condition. “You need […] Read more
A smart phone application to help beekeepers identify pests in their hives is part of a suite of digital tools being developed to improve the biosecurity capability of the industry. The project will also see a review and re-design of the BeeAware website, an online biosecurity training course, and an annual survey of beekeepers conducted […] Read more
Preliminary results from a massive five-year research project show that some types of Australian honey promise to be every bit as good as New Zealand’s manuka honey, when it comes to fighting bacteria. Scientists involved in the study are calling on beekeepers from every corner of the country to continue providing honey samples from bees […] Read more
Beekeepers in NSW now have an advisor on hand to help them keep their hives free from pests and diseases. Hayley Pragert has started work in the new role of Bee Biosecurity Officer as part of a joint industry–government initiative to look after Australia’s honey bees. Alison Saunders, Horticultural Cropping Manager at Plant Health Australia […] Read more
On 12 December 2013, the Senate referred an inquiry into the future of the beekeeping and pollination service industries to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee. Read more
