Managing your hives Archives - Professional Beekeepers

published - 2 April 2019
By Diana Leemon

Pests and diseases – Small hive beetle

Summer brings warmth, hopefully rain, flowers and with luck; lots of honey bee activity. Unfortunately for beekeepers in many areas of Australia it also means lots of Small Hive Beetle (SHB) activity.
The life cycle of SHB involves adult beetles moving into hives where they will feed on hive debris, pollen …
Read More

Managing your hives, Pests and diseases

published - 2 April 2019
By Liz Frost

Apiary sites on public lands

The Australian beekeeping industry depends on access to apiary sites on both private and public land. Private land sites are up to the beekeeper to find and organise with private landholders, whereas public land is available in all states and territories save for the Australian Capital Territory. Each state and …
Read More

Beekeeping on public land, Managing your hives, Policy and compliance

published - 2 April 2019
By Nadine Chapman

Polyandry: what is it and why should beekeepers care?

Polyandry, a fancy word for something that all beekeepers know: honey bee queens mate with multiple males. The average is 12, but two Australian studies suggest this is an underestimate, with 28 mates being more likely.
Previous research has shown that the number of times a queen mates can have important …
Read More

mating, queen bees

Managing your hives, Pests and diseases

published - 2 April 2019
By Ruth Luckner

Introducing the Professional Beekeepers Community of Practice

The Professional Beekeepers Community of Practice (CoP) has been established to meet the needs of rural and regional Australia for the extension of knowledge and promote collaboration on important issues to commercial beekeeping.
Led by passionate and knowledgeable industry experts from around Australia, the Professional Beekeeping community provides the most recent, …
Read More

community of practice

Beekeeping on public land, Managing your hives, Pests and diseases, Policy and compliance, Pollination, Registration, Resources

published - 30 March 2019
By Diana Leemon, AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program

Honey bee and pollination industry update

The AgriFuturesTM Honey Bee & Pollination Program aims to support Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) that will ensure a productive, sustainable and more profitable Australian beekeeping industry and secure the pollination of Australia’s horticultural and agricultural crops.
Key components of the program
Key components of this program include increasing productivity and profitability …
Read More

Managing your hives, Pests and diseases, Pollination, Resources

published - 28 March 2019
By Liz Frost

670,000+ registered honey bee hives in Australia

672,216 honey bee hives and 25,495 beekeepers are registered in Australia according to Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) past Executive Director Trevor Weatherhead.

TOTAL NUMBER OF BEEKEEPERS NATIONALLY
25,495

TOTAL NUMBER OF BEE HIVES IN AUSTRALIA
672,216

With the assistance of state and territory government staff, Weatherhead compiled an update of beekeeper and …
Read More

Managing your hives, Registration