The importance of honey bees cannot be underestimated; they are essential for the pollination of about one third of the food we eat, including fruit, vegetables, oils, seeds and nuts but there are concerns for their health.
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It’s a subject that is occupying the minds of scientists at the CSIRO while at a local level there is a chance to strike a blow for biodiversity and learn about beekeeping.
Bega Valley Amateur Beekeepers is organising a one-day course on Saturday, September 12 to give anyone interested a chance to learn about beekeeping, honey production and bee behaviour.
The day will include theory in the morning with a chance to handle a frame of bees in the afternoon.
Bega Valley Beekeeper, John Fuary, said: “You don’t need to live on acreage as there are plenty of flowers in our suburban areas.
“There’s a big interest at the moment mainly because the word is out that bees are under threat. People want to strike a blow for biodiversity and without bees we would be in trouble; we need them to pollinate our crops.”
It’s something that the CSIRO is working on, leading the Global Initiative for Honey bee Health, an international collaboration of researchers, beekeepers, farmers, industry, and technology companies aimed at better understanding what is harming bees and finding solutions to help secure crop pollination.
CSIRO pollination researcher, Dr Saul Cunningham, said Australia has been very lucky, so far, to be the only country that doesn’t have the devastating Varroa mite, which has wiped out bee colonies overseas at an alarming rate.
The Bega Valley Beekeeping workshop will be held on Saturday, September 12 at the Old Bega Hospital, 9am-2pm and costs $60. Contact Lyall Zweck on 0418 816 904 or email treasurer@begavalleybeeclub.org.au for further information.
