The Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice (The Code) became a condition of bee registration in New South Wales on the 1st July 2020. My role as a BBO is to assist beekeepers to fully understand their requirements under The Code and to help them to easily implement these code requirements within their operation.
I am available to assist all beekeepers with this and much of my work is done with commercial and semi-commercial operators (those starting to increase their hive numbers towards and then past 50 colonies). If you need help or have questions then please feel comfortable to contact me.
The Bee Biosecurity Officer is not a compliance role - I do not issue direction notices or fines. If you know or suspect that you are doing the ‘wrong thing’ but would like to get out of this rut and improve your operation then I can assist you (not fine you). I have information, hands-on experience, and training options available to enable you to resolve those issues and start running a cleaner operation.
Improved bee biosecurity increases the profitability of your operation so it makes financial sense. Some of the most common subjects I regularly assist beekeepers with are:
How to properly clean up and manage American foulbrood (AFB) cheaply to protect your own bees and those of other beekeepers;
How to do a pooled honey culture test (HCT) for AFB and where to send it (further information below);
How to undertake exotic mite surveillance in your hives;
How to report notifiable diseases to DPI;
How to report poor beekeeping practices of others, biosecurity risks and neglected hives to the DPI Compliance team for action;
Where you can get bee biosecurity training (further information below);
How to keep appropriate records;
How you can update your number of hives (because many beekeepers under-report their actual number of colonies);
How to fill in your annual Appendix 1 form.
Hive numbers
In NSW you need to accurately list your total hive numbers on your bee registration, not just production hives. To determine how many hives you really have you also need to count any other colony of bees which normally has a queen, so this includes all your weaker hives and queen rearing nucleus colonies. Many registered beekeepers listed as running less than 50 hives actually have far more hives when all their smaller colonies are also counted. Legally these beekeepers should be fulfilling all the same obligations as other 50+ hive beekeepers. If you need to update your hive numbers or other details then call the Bee Registrations team (02) 6552 3000 (option 1) or email bfs.admin@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
Your Appendix 1 form
All beekeepers managing 50 or more bee colonies must fill out this form annually. Your current Appendix 1 form will cover the period from 1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021, which is the first full year that The Code has been in place as a requirement in NSW. The Appendix 1 is in The Code which can be accessed online at www.beeaware.org.au/code-of-practice/.
To fill in the form correctly you need:
Date and certificate number of approved Bee Biosecurity course done within the last three (3) years;
Records of your Spring and Autumn brood checks done on each colony;
Records for dates/results of exotic mite surveillance on one hive in each apiary in Spring and Autumn;
Results of your annual honey test for AFB.
The Appendix 1 needs to be filled in annually for all beekeepers managing 50 or more colonies of bees. Many beekeepers registered for less colonies (but running 50+) need to update their numbers and start using this form.
Bee Biosecurity training
When running 50 or more colonies you are expected to regularly update your bee biosecurity knowledge through training. Beekeeping best practice, disease threats, and industry regulations are regularly changing. Keeping on top of the latest developments reduces your biosecurity threat to other beekeepers.
There are a number of training options available. Tocal College holds a face-to-face Honey Bee Biosecurity Course which is a great hands-on practical way to update beekeepers about their bee pest and disease issues. Many that do this course are then able to modify and improve their beekeeping operations to better manage AFB and reduce their number of weaker hives (which are a major biosecurity threat). Their businesses are then more efficient and profitable. Information about Tocal’s Honey Bee Biosecurity Course can be found at www.tocal.nsw.edu.au/courses/bees/Honey-Bee-Biosecurity.
Another option is the Biosecurity for Beekeepers BOLT Course. This course is available both online (www.beeaware.org.au/training) and as a paper version (contact me for further information on that and other courses).
Record keeping
A very important requirement of The Code (and the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015) is to keep good records. These records (on paper or computer) should be kept for five (5) years and upon request be made available to DPI Compliance officers. Some of these records can be used by the beekeeper to fill in their Appendix 1 (dates of full brood inspections and exotic mite checks) and will be cross-checked by DPI Compliance officers if they audit you for compliance with The Code. Records should also be kept on all notifiable and non-notifiable bee pests and diseases encountered and how they were managed, as well as accurate records of hive movements and site locations (including hive numbers per site).
Have you done your annual Honey Culture Test yet?
Whether you are a large commercial beekeeper or a smaller one running multiple hives and apiary sites, the honey culture test (HCT) is an invaluable tool to use in your AFB management. At least 75ml (110 grams) of honey is required to perform the test. Under The Code, all beekeepers managing 50 or more colonies need to submit at least one pooled (and well mixed) honey sample covering at least 20% of their hive numbers) per year. You also need to record the result of the HCT on your annual Appendix 1 form.
For commercial operators, the best approach is to test each load individually. You can then determine which loads will need extra work done to clean them up and which clean loads you will be doing most of your splitting from (you should only propagate new colonies from hives which are healthy themselves). When collecting honey for a HCT you should always identify and mark any hives in that load which were not able to supply honey. These substandard hives should be singled out for additional hive inspections and follow-ups, because even if that load’s HCT was clear, those ones that were not tested may have AFB.
If you do receive an AFB spore count in your HCT, (check every load), then please contact me so that we can discuss ways in which you may start managing a potential brewing AFB issue.
For further information about the test at the EMAI lab - www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/services/laboratory-services/veterinary/bee-diseases.
At least 75ml (110 grams) of clean honey is required for the HCT sample.
Reporting biosecurity threats
Poor beekeeping practices by others which enable bees to rob exposed honey or weak/dead hives, directly affect many nearby managed and feral bee colonies. This enables AFB to be a much bigger problem than it needs to be. By reporting anything wrong that you see to DPI Compliance they can follow up on it. This can be done anonymously if wished. Please call the Biosecurity Hotline number 1800 680 244 or report online at https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/animals-and-livestock/bees/contacts.
DPI Compliance
Many beekeepers are fulfilling all their code requirements, but some are not. DPI Compliance will soon start auditing beekeepers to ensure they are following The Code. If you are not yet compliant then it is time for you to get all your records in order. If you need further assistance with anything I have discussed then please contact me.
The National Bee Biosecurity Program is funded by the honey bee industry through a component of the agricultural honey levy, with state governments contributing in-kind resources. Plant Health Australia manage the program on behalf of the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council.