News, Views, and Blogs
AQBBA March 2024 Newsletter
I write the regular newsletter for the Australian Queen Bee Breeders Association (AQBBA). I have shared the March 2024 issue here. If you are interested in joining the AQBBA, you c
To Feed, or Not to Feed?
Today’s post is motivated by the number of recreational beekeepers contacting me to discuss whether and when to feed their bees. In the general to-and-fro across social media
End of the Season
Well, that’s it for the year. Our apiary is located on the western side of the coastal range, about 900m above sea level, so it starts getting cold in March. It’s time
AQBBA December 2023 Newsletter
I write the regular newsletter for the Australian Queen Bee Breeders Association (AQBBA). I thought I would share the December 2023 issue here. If you are interested in joining the
The Swarm Queen, Part 2 – The Rise of the Drone King
In our previous blog, The Swarm Queen – Part 1, we discussed how we would catch swarms to study the behaviours and traits of wild bees in and around our apiaries. As queen be
Varroa Checks in our Apiaries
So, as we potter through our apiaries doing our hive inspections and varroa checks, in comes the news……….eradication is over. Beekeepers need to prepare to live w
Warm Winter = Wiley Wasps
The weather of late in our region has certainly presented us with changes that we would not usually see this time of year. Particularly wasps in winter! We found the concentration
Bees and Chickens
Have you run a chicken coop? Chickens are funny animals with their quirks and behaviours. Bees are similar; they do things that don’t make sense to us, yet to them, there is
Announcing ABON
In mid-July, I was back in Newcastle’s Varroa exclusion zones supervising the installation of bait hives for the Australian Bee Observation Network (ABON) administered by the
The Swarm Queen – Part 1
At first, it was a joke about me and the swarms in our family. I am fascinated with behaviours in humans and animals, and as I watch and learn about bees or insects as they are sci
AHBIC 2023 Annual General Meeting
I swung by the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) Annual General Meeting (AGM) last weekend, representing the Australian Queen Bee Breeder’s Association (AQBBA). A
Meeting Dr Samuel Ramsay
This is a shameless plug at self-promotion simply by association with the famous!!!! Dr Samuel Ramsay recently presented at the NSW Apiarists Association Annual Conference in Sydne
Unhealthy Brood Odour
This is a recording of a webinar by Dr Kaira Wagoner (University of North Carolina at Greensboro) who has pioneered an approach to breed for Varroa resistance without an active mit
2023 Royal Easter Show
At the 2023 Royal Easter Show in Sydney, NSW, I helped on the NSW Aprists Association (NSWAA) honey stand alongside fellow NSWAA members in April. It was a tremendous two-day ses
Varroa – Adversity versus Opportunity
Having kept bees for six or seven years during the “millennium” drought and then Covid-19 has taught me a thing or two about starting a small business – most importantly –
The Buzz on Honey Provenance
Location, location, location! We hear this statement so often in real estate and yet habitually do not connect the importance of location to the food we eat. In our heavily industr
Marketing a beekeeping business – Part 2
Have you thought about trying something new and were unsure, or maybe even too scared to try it? I know how you feel; I felt the same when Peter asked me to boost our beekeeping b
The Buzz on Honey Quality
There has been chatter in the press lately on the importance of honey quality and what is in honey these days. It is only natural the discerning consumer will ask a manufacturer ab
Presenting at the ACT Beekeepers Association
Occasionally, I am offered the opportunity to present to the Canberra Region Beekeeper’s Association. Just recently, I provided a presentation on Backyard Queen Rearing. I
Summertime Extraction – delayed
The ever-present rain at the end of 2022 and early 2023 impacted the hives in our apiaries. The rain caught us by surprise in that the best did not have the amount of honey we woul
Marketing a beekeeping business – Part 1
When Peter’s interest in bees commenced, his initial thought process was the same as most people – buy a hive or two and go from there. As Peter researched more and more, h
La Nina and its effects on bees
Being part of a beekeeping business certainly opens my eyes to natural events that I most likely would not have thought to, to be honest. 2022’s wet season was fantastic to
Annus horribilis
Varroa mite has been detected on Australian shores. This is the news no recreational or commercial beekeeper wants to hear. This month, I spent a week in the Newcastle area partici
The Bees Have Escaped
The joys of learning how to manage hives. As a newbie to our beekeeping business, I was charged with watching the hives in our garden in readiness for possible swarming while Peter