BeeAware website and newsletter

The BeeAware website

The BeeAware website is a hub of online information for beekeepers and growers about honey bee biosecurity and pollination of agricultural and horticultural crops.

The site contains detailed  information on established and exotic  honey bee pests and diseases, the  symptoms they cause and how to  control them. It also has pollination  information and advice on how growers  and beekeepers can work together to  get maximum benefit from honey bee  pollination.

BeeAware contains the latest information for both hobby and commercial beekeepers about how to implement biosecurity best practice in the apiary, information on education and training resources, beekeeping associations and downloadable documents, such as the Biosecurity Manual for Beekeepers.

Pollination

As honey bees forage for nectar and pollen they pollinate plants, resulting in benefits for many types of crops. The benefits vary from crop to crop, and include increased seed or fruit set, improved storage qualities and shape of some fruit, and a more synchronised maturation of some fruits or nuts.

The BeeAware website contains extensive information about the pollination requirements and the management practices that can be put in place to achieve optimal pollination for the following crops.

Information about the following pollinator reliant crops is available: almonds, apples and pears, avocados, berries, blueberries, cherries, cotton, legumes and oilseeds, lychees, macadamias, melons, onions (for seed), papaya, passionfruit, strawberries, summerfruit and vegetables.

To assist farmers and beekeepers, BeeAware has details about how pollination works, checklists that beekeepers and growers should follow, and extensive information on the following topics:

• Pollination agreements – agreements help clarify what a grower thinks they are hiring and what a beekeeper thinks they need to supply.
• Pesticides – contains information about pesticides that are harmful to bees, how to avoid being exposed to pesticides and how to report a bee kill incident.
• Preparing for Varroa – summarises the impact that Varroa will have on pollination markets in Australia and how plant industries can prepare for an incursion.
• Native bees – outlines the role of native bees in Australia as pollinators and how these native populations can be promoted on-farm.