Managing your hives Archives - Professional Beekeepers

published - 12 November 2019
By Dr Doug Somerville

Comb honey production

The creation of comb honey is an art form in the field of beekeeping. Honey in the comb is seen by the general consumer as something ‘pure’ and ‘natural’. Invariably this is true, as there has been little or nothing done to the product from the hive to the consumer. …
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chunk honey, comb honey, comb storage, honey

Managing your hives

published - 9 November 2019
By Elizabeth Frost, NSW Department of Primary Industries

What is VSH? Varroa sensitive hygiene trait

The Varroa destructor mite is a major honey bee pest throughout most of the world. Australia is the only major beekeeping country in the world to be free of the parasite. Varroa mites feed on the fat body of adult bees and developing bee larvae and reproduce under capped cells …
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biosecurity, breeding, varroa, VSH

Managing your hives, Pests and diseases

published - 28 October 2019
By Liz Frost, Dr Doug Somerville

“Honey and Pollen Flora of South-Eastern Australia” – read all about it

Honey and Pollen Flora of South-Eastern Australia is a long-awaited publication written by Dr. Doug Somerville, Technical Specialist, Bees with the NSW Department of Primary Industries. This book focuses on the value of key plants to nectar-feeding animals in Australia with particular emphasis on honey bee nutritional requirements. Successful beekeepers …
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acacia, angophora, corymbia, eucalyptus, honey, leatherwood, pollen

Beekeeping on public land, Managing your hives, Pollination

published - 17 October 2019
By Nadine Chapman

Why we need to breed better bees

More honey More money
“If you just keep using the same bees as we’ve got today, into the future, for people to make a living they are going to have to be getting more money for the honey or getting paid more for the pollination. Whereas if we improve them, people …
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Managing your hives

published - 1 October 2019
By Nadine Chapman

Propolis: an emerging market

Propolis is produced by honey bees from saliva, beeswax and plant exudes. Propolis has antibacterial properties and can serve as an ‘external’ immune system for the colony, helping to prevent microbial or fungal growth in the hive. Honey bees also use it to plug holes and ‘cement’ honey frames to …
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bee products, propolis, value adding

Managing your hives

published - 19 September 2019
By Nadine Chapman

Fire safety for beekeepers

Smoke causes bees to stop guarding the entrance to the colony, move inside and gorge on honey. Just like humans, bees are easier to deal with when they have full bellies. The smoke also masks the smell of alarm pheromone. The use of a smoker is necessary to work responsibly …
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fire, hive management, safety, smoker

Managing your hives, Policy and compliance

published - 16 September 2019
By Nadine Chapman

Honey testing: more to the story

Laboratory testing of honey.Source: http://www.chemcentre.wa.gov.au/Our-Services/Primary-Industry-chemistry/Honey-analysis
There have been a few media reports about honey adulteration in Australia in the past year. This has resulted in a 15-30% decrease in honey sales, translating to losses upward of $10 million. A recent AgriFutures Australia study reports that there are inherent problems with the …
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acacia, banksia, bioactive honey, honey, honey standards, leatherwood, Leptospermum, NMR, red gum, supplementary feeding

Managing your hives, Policy and compliance

published - 12 September 2019
By Nadine Chapman

Spring management

Spring has sprung, and it is time for beekeepers to spring into action to ensure a good season.
Early spring inspections

Is there a laying queen?
Is there a good brood pattern?
Inspect for brood diseases – chalkbrood is a particular problem at this time of year
How much food is left? Do you need …
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chalkbrood, hive management, honey, queen bees, spring, supplementary feeding, swarming

Managing your hives, Pests and diseases

published - 3 September 2019
By Nadine Chapman, Tom Gillard

American Foulbrood

American Foulbrood is a highly contagious and fatal disease caused by the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. This bacterium can survive for extended periods by forming spores which are resistant to both environmental and chemical stressors. These spores can survive for decades (current estimates at more than 60-80 years) and still initiate …
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American foulbrood, barrier management, biosecurity, hive management

Managing your hives, Pests and diseases, Policy and compliance

published - 23 August 2019
By Nadine Chapman, Dr Doug Somerville

To feed or not to feed

By definition honey is a “natural sweet substance produced by honey bees from the nectar of blossoms … which honey bees collect, transform and combine with specific substances of their own, store and leave in the honey comb to ripen and mature”: Australia New Zealand Standards Code.
Feeding sugar and sugar …
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biosecurity, hive management, nosema, nutrition, pollen, sugar, supplementary feeding

Managing your hives, Pests and diseases