American foulbrood (AFB) {Paenibacillus larvae) is a bacteria that can exist in a vegetative spore form, making the disease highly infectious. Unlike the other brood diseases, AFB will almost always go on to kill the colony. The spores remain viable for at least 40 years, and can withstand wide variations in climatic conditions - from freezing winters to scorching summer heat.

Species of Australian Native Bees

Most of the 1630 species of Australian Native bees are solitary insects, building nests in the soil, or hollow sticks. Two of the more common species are the Blue-banded bee (Amegilla spp.) and the large carpenter bee (Xylocopa spp.)

Backyard Beekeeping 101: All You Need to Know (porch.com)

All beehives must be registered with the Department of Primary Industries in your State.

What you need to get started :

Please note that some items will need to be assembled as they are sold in kit form.

DPI Pack Registration forms etc QLD Free.

Bee boxes or "supers" as they are known come in 2 sizes. The smaller size can hold 8 frames and the larger can hold 10 frames. A double bee box is basically 2 of the single boxes stacked on top of each other. The double will hold twice as many frames according to the size chosen ie 2 x 8 frames or 2 x 10 frames. The double box also comes with a Queen excluder.

Single Box Starter Kit (8 frames or 10 frames) - FLAT PACK

• 1 x Bottom Board 
• 1 x Super (which is the main box) 
• 1 x Lid
• 8 or 10 Frames with eyelets inserted (Full Depth)
• 8 or 10 Sheets of Full Depth Foundation (Wax Sheets) 
• Entrance Closer
• Hive lock & strap
• Roll of Wire 
• Pack of Tacks 
• 65mm x 2.8mm Nails
• 25mm x 1.4mm Nails
• Spur wheel Embedder
• Embedding Board

Double Box Starter Kit (2 x 8 frames or 2 x 10 frames) - FLAT PACK

• 1 x Bottom Board 
• 2 x Supers (which are the main boxes) 
• 1 x Plastic Excluder
• 1 x Lid
• 16 or 20 Frames with eyelets inserted (Full Depth)
• 16 or 20 Sheets of Full Depth Foundation (Wax sheets) 
• Entrance Closer
• Hive lock & strap
• Roll of Wire 
• Pack of Tacks 
• 65mm x 2.8mm Nails
• 25mm x 1.4mm Nails
• Spur wheel Embedder
• Embedding Board

Single Box Starter Kit (8 frames or 10 frames) - ASSEMBLED

• 1 x Bottom Board 
• 1 x Super (which is the main box) 
• 1 x Lid
• 8 or 10 Wired frames with foundation attached
• Entrance Closer
• Hive lock & strap

Double Box Starter Kit (2 x 8 frames or 2 x 10 frames) - ASSEMBLED

• 1 x Bottom Board 
• 2 x Supers (which are the main boxes) 
• 1 x Plastic Excluder
• 1 x Lid
• 16 or 20 Wired frames with foundation attached
• Entrance Closer
• Hive lock & strap

For a list of available starter kits and prices see our catalogue here.  

Starter Kits

Once the hive is assembled and painted you are ready to introduce the bees known as a (nucleus) around $130.00 - $200.00 depending on the beekeeper.

When untreated pine is exposed to moisture, various organisms can attack/eat the wood , resulting in what we call 'Wood Rot'. Even in well painted pine, a nail or screw into the timber can provide access for moisture and these organisms. In less than 18 months, your newly assembled brood box, honey super or lid can be reduced to crumbling waste material.

If you want your hives to last for many years, and ensure a long productive life, the timber must be treated before you paint it.

Why uncap frames

In days of olde, honey comb was simply crushed to extract the liquid honey.

It takes bees a large effort to build the wax comb, and they consume considerable honey to create the wax. Once built, they can fill it with honey in a very short time, and it can be re-used for many years. For this reason, your comb is one of your most valuable resources.

The most efficient method to extract the honey, is to spin it out using centrifical force (see extractors). Each cell is sealed with a wax capping which must be removed before the honey can be extracted, hence the term - uncapping.

Over hundreds of years, people have kept bees in many types of hives, from hollow logs, to baskets and Skeps. The problem was they had to destroy the hive to extract the honey, plus they could not inspect the hive for disease.

Best protection - a strong hive

Fortunately honey bees do not succumb to many diseases. Keeping your hive strong, by ensuring good pollen/protein supplies, nectar, and a young queen, is the best protection against disease. The bees natural cleaning ability, combined with drawing foundation wax, helps limit the build-up of disease.

Summary Nosema disease is the most widespread adult bee disease in the world.

Although there are a number of symptoms, these often go unnoticed, and the poor performance of a colony is blamed on other factors.

There are no classic signs of the disease, and hence it frequently goes undetected.

Heavily infected bees live only half as long as non-infected bees.

Nosema disease is most likely present in all colonies all the time, and only likely to cause bee losses when conditions favour the micro-organism.

Why are there different flavours

Honey is produced all over the world and tastes different depending on which local flora the bees have been feeding on. Thus you might find lavender honey in France, or apple blossom from the UK, each with completely dissimilar flavour notes. Most Australian honey tends to come from native flowers, either blended or increasingly available as mono-floral honey.

The next time you suffer a minor cut or burn, you might want to reach for the honey jar instead of the antibacterial ointment. Honey has been used for thousands of years to protect wounds, so long that its medical use has fallen into folklore.

New Zealand research

A New Zealand biochemistry researcher aims to change that......Peter Molan, a biochemistry professor and director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in New Zealand , has spent 18 years researching the medicinal properties of honey. "I was looking at other antibacterials and a friend who was a fanatical amateur beekeeper got me interested," Molan said.