Across the backyards of regional and metropolitan Victoria there are at least 14,000 beehives in action.
This may only be about half the number of active recreational or hobby beekeepers despite compulsory registration (at no cost if you have up to five hives).
Most small beekeepers invest quite a substantial investment in their hives, their bees, the recommended safety and related working equipment.
They seek to produce an annual harvest of tasty raw honey often for their own consumption or gifting to family or friends.
Many also see their backyard hive as their contribution to a greener environment in recognition that the world’s bee population is declining principally due to chemicals used in farming or even to excess in the home garden.
Some beekeepers just obtain solace from watching their bees as they fly in and out of their hive and there are benefits too, in pollinating orchard trees and their vegetable gardens.
But there is a new threat to beekeeping on the imminent horizon in the form of the Varroa destructor – a unique small pest that can lead to the total loss of your bees.
To inform hobby or recreational beekeepers about remedies, State specialists the Victorian Apiarists’ Association (VAA) has organised the Recreational Beekeepers Conference in Melbourne on March 9.
The program is broken up into two parts – Improving Your Skills as a beekeeper and addressing the Biosecurity Challenges like the Varroa mite.
In support of these themes will be live beehive openings and demonstrations with the ‘secrets of the hive’ explained.
VAA president, John Van Weeghel, said an impressive program of speakers had been confirmed, with leading practitioners, educators and scientists including Vin Anderson, Mike Love, Michael Johnson, Dr Jodi Gertz, Dr Andrew Wootton, Prof Travis Beddoe, and Prof Madelaine Beekman as guest presenters.
They will be joined by the VAA president, as well as Nikki Jones and Adam Maxwell from Victoria’s Department of Agriculture.
The Recreational Beekeepers Conference will commence at 9am, on Saturday, March 9.
The event will be held at the Victorian Croquet Centre, 65 Nobel Banks Drive, Cairnlea, Melbourne.
