Beekeepers Associaton of the ACT

September Meeting

At the meeting on the 8^th we will be discussing spring management and swarm control, and may also be able to hear something from Graham Turner about his encounters with overseas beekeepers.

August Meeting

Some items from the meeting were:

3 discounted copies of the book "Beekeeping" are available to members (cost $15 each)

Member Graham Turner sent a postcard from Finland. (Perhaps Graham will be able to give us a brief report on his observations of beekeeping during his travels on his return).

AFB was discovered in an abandoned hive in Oaks Estate

Ken Crane reported that David Lillis collected a swarm for him.

Robert Gardiner reported that his talk to the Third Gardening Club AGM at the Botantical Gardens was well received and that he enjoyed it.

The Royal Canberra Show was discussed. It was agreed to contact the RNCAS about the site and conditions for next Februarys Show. Honey sales to be sorted out in advance along the lines developed after last years Show. Possibly other regional bodies to be contacted to determine if they might be interested to participate.

It was expected that following the Bee Diseases Steering Committee meeting a clearer picture will be gained of how to approach regulation/inspections in the ACT and what to raise with Environment ACT

Following the meeting members split into small groups to talk about their experiences in swarm collection.

Disease Control in the ACT

Environment ACT has now decided to provide inspection and certification services. We remind members that it is your responsibility to control disease in your hives. Beginners can get help with disease detection from more experienced Association members. However, if you need an official inspection or a compliance certificate for moving hives, then this will be provided by Environment ACT.

Swarm Collection

By September 1 numerous swarms have already been reported. Volunteers are urgently needed so that the Swarm Hotline System, which is supported by the Association, will operate effectively. Details of the Swarm Hotline System operating in the ACT are enclosed with this newsletter. If you wish to participate this season, sent your application ASAP to Derek Butler or direct to the Amateur Beekeepers Association of NSW Inc., 40 Marguerette Street, Ermington, NSW, 2115. Also if members would like some form of help or training in swarm collection or if you would like to accompany a collector contact Derek.

Year 2000 Royal Canberra Show

The RNCAS has been in contact with the Association about plans for the next Show. Points covered were:

Improved access for removal of bees at the end of the Show. Options for a vehicle pass seem OK

Probably the same site but difficulties such as overshadowing from the adjacent stand, remoteness of the corner, early removal of adjacent bread displays were discussed.

Some form of commercial payment for honey sales may be required.

In you would like to participate in planning for the Show or have any ideas or suggestions, please contact any one of the committee.

Bee Disease Steering Committee

Report by Derek Butler:

The Bee Disease Steering Committee is a subcommittee of the Bee Industry Consultative Council. The BICC is the representative of the beekeeping industry in NSW. It comprises members from the Amateur Beekeepers Association of NSW, the Australian Queen Bee Breeders Association, NSW Agriculture and NSW Apiarists Association. The Beekeepers Association of the ACT has been invited to participate in BDSC meetings as a non-voting member.

The reason for participation is to allow the BDSC to keep informed of disease activities in the ACT and for the Association to keep informed about disease activity in NSW, particularly in our region. This is particularly important because disease regulation and control in the ACT is still in a transitional stage following repeal of the Apiary Act, coverage of bee disease by the Animal Diseases Act and abolition of any apiary officer position in the ACT.

On Saturday 14 August I attended the BDSC meeting at Camden. The following is my recollection and summary of issues from the meeting - they should not be taken as a record of formal outcomes. Minutes and papers are available from me on request.

Des Cannon, from the Southern Tablelands Branch of the NSW Apiarists Association, who members may recall addressed our Association a couple of years ago, was elected Chairman.

Des stressed that the BDSCs charter is to recommend on bee diseases in general, and not just on American Foul Brood.

The Chairman set an objective to prepare a strategy for bee disease control in time for it to be considered at the next BICC meeting planned for 11 February 2000. If approved by the BICC it needs to be endorsed by relevant constituent bodies. NSWAA endorsement would be sought from its state conference to be held in May 2000. It will be a 3-day conference with day 1 devoted to disease issues. It was suggested that the strategy be a 5 year plan that sets objectives, describes processes and demonstrates benefits such as improved access to export markets, reduced production costs and more efficient pollination. The plan would need to be consistent with existing national strategies. It was agreed that such a 5-year plan be prepared for the industrys development and that it should be succinct and indicate objectives, evaluation procedures and benefits.

It was acknowledged that education should remain a key part of the plan. Industry, through the associations must share responsibility for education, but it is also important for beekeepers outside the associations. (Obviously this is difficult for our Association to cover effectively because beekeepers in the ACT are no longer identifiable through any form of registration or membership, apart from a small proportion who are members of our Association). Bruce White (NSWAg) has offered to train 3 members from each branch of the ABA in disease identification to assist fellow members (Funded by NSWAg? - if our Association was to also participate, who would fund?).

The meeting acknowledged the need to establish a benchmark of the present incidence of major bee diseases in NSW, so that results of control programs may be evaluated. Chalkbrood is endemic across the state. European Foulbrood is endemic over much of the state. Nosema and sacbrood occur spasmodically. So it is the incidence of American Foulbrood that needs to be agreed on. Opinions vary on this. The commercial beekeepers suggested unreported incidence is significant and may exceed reported incidence. However NSWAg figures are the only ones available. It was also suggested that the number of beekeepers owning infected apiaries is more significant than the number of hives infected. Some figures are:

In 1998/99 1445 hives were found infected with AFB, or 0.56% of hives registered in NSW.

In 1998/99 171 beekeepers owned infected apiaries, or 4.5% of beekeepers registered in NSW.

Control of disease in the apiary is the beekeepers own responsibility in terms of maintenance, checking and treatment. However because not all beekeepers take this responsibility seriously, compliance with the communitys requirements for control of bee diseases in terms of regulation and inspection is the responsibility of the government. This is the basis for the various Acts of parliament aimed at controlling the spread of diseases. The BICC in 1996 sought the following assistance from NSWAg to control the spread of AFB:

Continued and extended research

Maintenance of the bulk honey testing program

Provision of an effective inspection service

There are often considerable delays between beekeepers reporting AFB and an inspector confirming for destruction/irradiation and compensation. As a result many beekeepers carry out their own control to avoid having the diseased colony present. In the light of this, it was decided that the NSW Bee Diseases Compensation Fund be discontinued, perhaps in steps. It was considered that beekeepers would then just get on with the job. Inspectors would still be required to assist some beekeepers while other beekeepers would fail to exercise proper control practice. However this is already the case. NSWAg representatives suggested it would be beneficial to provide a more specific description of what the industry wants from the inspectorial service but in terms of outcomes rather than how inspection staff are deployed. The meeting agreed that the Chairman and Secretary would prepare such a statement for endorsement next meeting.

It was agreed to recommend to BICC that the proposal for "temporary inspectors" (honorary inspectors operating as unpaid assistants to inspectors) be abandoned. Recent NSW legislation to permit inspectors to be accompanied by other persons in the course of their duties is unclear as to protection for those persons in the event of injury or litigation. NSWAg are to investigate and advise the committee.

The meeting agreed that honey packers should provide financial incentives to suppliers providing honey free from AFB spores.

The issue of using sniffer dogs to detect AFB was raised. Apparently the dogs are quite capable of the task in theory but are quickly deterred by being stung. Alternatively, it was agreed to recommend to BICC that the Rural Research and Development Council investigate the efficacy of gas analysis in identifying AFB.

Next meeting will be on Friday 22 October at Windsor Library at 10 am.

Bee Science

How do honey bees react to a flower that has just been visited by another bee? In a paper in the journal "Animal Behavior" last year, C.S. Williams showed that they rejected more than 80% of borage flowers that had been probed by another honey bee within the previous 20 seconds. If the previous visitor was a bumble bee, less than 20% of the flowers were rejected. These effects remained even when the nectar content of the flowers was artificially manipulated. Since other studies had shown that honey bees are repelled from artificial feeders by volatile bee-deposited chemicals, Williams work suggests that such chemical cues are used by bees in the field. Calculations show that the ability to detect recently-visited flowers may help bees to make a foraging profit, especially when bee densities are high.

Empty Super Award

A contribution from Derek Butler:

On this occasion I was shifting a hive of bees up the bush. During the week a certificate to shift the hive over the border was duly obtained. Late on Friday night I closed the hive entrance and placed straps in place on the three decker in readiness for the move. Early Saturday morning I set about loading. There is no way I can lift a three decker with stores so I was very pleased once I managed to slide the hive up a plank onto the ute without either the hive or myself tumbling base over lid. By this time the sun was getting pretty strong.

Mistake number one: I didnt check the plastic strapping which had originally been tightened in chilly night air.

So I set off and just outside Tharwa I noticed bees on the outside of the hive. Clearly the boxes had slid on the base allowing the confined bees to escape. I stopped to adjust the hive but of course the bees were in no mood to sit tight and continued to pour out of the unplanned openings.

Then I realised mistake number two. My bee suit was in the storage box in the back of the ute with the bees.

Luckily after a quick dive for the box and a sprint along the road away from the bees I was able to suit up, close the hive without any stings and continue on my way (minus a few bees!).

So now I know when moving a hive, check hive straps are tight in the sun (preferably metal straps and Emlocks), and always keep your suit with you, not with the bees.

New Member

Welcome to Paul Nesbitt of Theodore.

Bindaree Beenotes:

.Plenty of queens still available for order.
Think about your springtime needs for upgrading equipment early this season because Dick will be away from September 11 to 28. Bindaree will still be open during this period but with limited service.

Richard Johnston

Phone: 02 6281 2111

Email: bindaree.bee@bigpond.com

Website: www.bindaree.com.au

Shop open: Wed, Thur, Fri 4 pm to 6 pm, Sat 9.30 am to 4pm

Closed: Sun, Mon, Tue.

Newsletter September 1999