Research

  • 2019 Honey Bee Health Survey results

    15/01/2021 – 11:05 am

    The Honey Bee Health Survey 2019 was designed to provide a snapshot of bee health in the Australian honey bee industry, focusing on issues such as pests and diseases and pollination. Following on from the 2018 Honey Bee Health Survey, the survey examined the level of biosecurity awareness amongst Australian beekeepers, including knowledge of pest […] Read more

  • Bee ballooning: measuring honey bee population density to support biosecurity

    19/08/2020 – 3:35 pm

    Researchers at the University of Sydney have refined a technique for rapidly assessing the number of honey bee colonies in an area. “Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic we have never been more aware of how diseases move through a population,” said Michael Holmes, one of the project’s researchers. “We have seen that outbreaks are […] Read more

  • 2018 Bee Health Survey results

    06/12/2019 – 9:23 am

    Last year’s survey looked at the biosecurity awareness of Australian beekeepers, including pest and disease symptoms, and the Code of Practice. Read more

  • 2019 honey bee health survey

    06/11/2019 – 12:06 pm

    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

  • Probiotics study shows promise in detecting and treating disease in honey bees

    16/07/2019 – 2:09 pm

    Preliminary trials have shown there to be a direct correlation between gut bacterial numbers in honey bees and the overall health of hives. High levels of gut bacteria in honeybees could mean healthier and more productive hives, according to the latest research from the University of Canberra funded by AgriFutures Australia. While further testing needs […] Read more

  • Honey Bee Health Survey 2018

    05/11/2018 – 12:12 pm

    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

  • Stingless bees as effective pollinators

    11/10/2018 – 11:41 am

    Honeybees are excellent pollinators of many crops, but the burden placed on their health by pests and diseases is heavy. Added to that, the looming threat of a varroa mite incursion makes our reliance on honeybees for pollination decidedly risky. In this context, the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University is heading […] Read more

  • Science throws honey researchers a curve ball on hunt for bioactivity secrets

    30/05/2018 – 12:33 pm

    A research project screening Western Australian honey for bioactivity traits that could support health products is uncovering some surprising results. As part of an AgriFutures™ Honey Bee and Pollination Program supported project, researchers from the University of Western Australia, together with the Cooperative Research Centre for Honey Bee Products, are analysing honeys that are native […] Read more

  • Wet summer could deliver multi-million dollar bee hive loss

    30/04/2018 – 4:39 pm

    Apiarists are on high alert following a surge in small hive beetle populations due to dry spring conditions and a wet, humid end to summer. First detected in Australia in 2002, small hive beetle (SHB) is now the largest and leading apiary pest in warm, moist locations of eastern Australia. The pest feeds on bee […] Read more

  • Pollination technique could significantly boost macadamia yield

    05/07/2017 – 11:45 am

    Improving macadamia tree yields by more than 50 per cent could be achieved by alternating varieties in rows and increasing pollinators, new research suggests. For the study – funded by Hort Innovation and Plant & Food Research and the Australian Macadamia Society (AMS) – researchers conducted a trial in a Bundaberg orchard which investigated pollination […] Read more

  • Redoubling Australia’s bee protection efforts

    19/05/2017 – 3:15 pm

    The nation’s busiest pollinators have received a boost after the official launch a multi-faceted effort to maintain the health of Australia’s bees along with the country’s $1.8 billion pollination-reliant horticulture and grain industries. Horticulture Innovation Australia, the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council and Grain Producers Australia have joined forces to deliver a $3M program that […] Read more

  • Large African hive beetle now high priority pest

    23/03/2017 – 3:38 pm

    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

  • Medical grade Australian honey

    10/03/2017 – 1:37 pm

    The world has a new source of antibacterial honey,with research confirming that Australian honey from the same species as New Zealand’s well-known manuka honey has similar medicinal properties. This is a potential boon for the Australian industry, as medical-grade honey sourced from New Zealand earns an estimated $75 million a year. Praised for its antibacterial […] Read more