Published - 4 November 2022 By Dr. Mary Whitehouse, NSW Department of Primary Industries Does Australia have Varroa mite predators? Do our bees have useful associates that attack Varroa mites? – you can help. Above: A honey bee next to an adult Chelifer cancroides (pseudoscorpion). Image … Read More biosecurity, integrated pests management, managing your hives, pest management, pests and diseases, pseudoscorpion, varroa Biosecurity, Managing your hives, Pests and diseases
Published - 26 October 2022 By Nadine Chapman, University of Sydney Plan Bee queen distribution Tocal queens Plan Bee established a research and development population at Tocal Agricultural College. Queens were donated by Australian bee breeders and bees by NSW beekeepers … Read More breeding, breeding objective, EBV, Plan bee, queen bees, Tocal Plan Bee
Published - 11 October 2022 By Nadine Chapman, University of Sydney What does Plan Bee need to produce EBVs? Plan Bee is Australia’s honey bee genetic improvement program. This will provide bee breeders with Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), a tool to aid with the … Read More breeding, EBV, pedigree, phenotype, Plan bee, queens, traits Breeding, Plan Bee
Published - 30 September 2022 By Kenya Fernandes, University of Sydney How honey contributes to bee and hive health Honeybees have an amazing ability to process and store nectar in the form of honey, which plays a fundamental role in maintaining colony health. Honey … Read More antimicrobial, bee health, ecology, honey, nutrition Honey, Nutrition
Published - 2 September 2022 By Kenya Fernandes, University of Sydney The many antimicrobial components of honey Antimicrobial components of honey. Icon Credit: Flaticon Interest in the antimicrobial activity of honey continues to grow. Honey is not a generic substance, and rather there … Read More antimicrobial, honey, hydrogen peroxide, MGO Honey
Published - 29 August 2022 By Nadine Chapman, University of Sydney Braula fly (walk) Braula coeca fly on a honey beePhoto courtesy M Zhang What do you call a fly with no wings? A walk. Braula coeca is just that, … Read More braula, louse, mites, pests Biosecurity, Managing your hives, Pests and diseases
Published - 29 August 2022 By Erica Mo, University of Sydney Accessing public lands for beekeepers Public land covers 63% of Australia’s land mass as of 2015 and is an essential resource for the beekeeping industry. Bees require floral resources year … Read More apiary sites, pollination, public lands, tenure Beekeeping on public land
Published - 4 August 2022 By Nadine Chapman, University of Sydney What difference does animal breeding make? A breeding program for Apis mellifera carnica has been ongoing in Germany since the 1970s, expanding into surrounding countries. From 1970-1989 the program increased honey … Read More breeding, EBV, genetics, Plan bee Breeding, Genetics, Plan Bee
Published - 25 July 2022 By Nadine Chapman, University of Sydney Russian bees: Varroa resistant stock With the Varroa incursion in NSW many beekeepers are asking how we can breed Varroa resistant bees. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) imported bees … Read More breeding, varroa, VSH Breeding, Pests and diseases
Published - 20 July 2022 By Erica Mo, University of Sydney Sacbrood Sacbrood is a disease impacting honey bees caused by a virus. Sacbrood mostly impacts brood and is correlated with stressed or weakened colonies. It causes … Read More breeding, disease, hygienic behaviour, resistance, sacbrood, selection, virus Breeding, Pests and diseases
Published - 15 July 2022 By Nadine Chapman, University of Sydney How bees fight Varroa Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite that feeds on adult and developing bees. This weakens the bees, reduces body weight, decreases flight performance, causes learning … Read More biosecurity, uncapping, varroa, VSH Biosecurity, Pests and diseases, Plan Bee
Published - 4 July 2022 By Nadine Chapman, University of Sydney How do I take samples for Plan Bee? Our national honey bee genetic improvement program, Plan Bee, is offering free genetic testing to bee breeders who are collecting performance data. This includes not … Read More breeding, estimated breeding values, genetic testing, genetics, pedigree, queen bees Breeding, Genetics, Plan Bee