Updated: April 2006

Hobby beekeeping AG1146

Joe Riordan, Wangaratta ISSN 1329-8062

Introduction they incorporate a number of protective features. Most

beekeepers wear khaki or white coveralls.
Backyard beekeeping is a fascinating and occasionally
profitable hobby. A hive or two can be kept in most parts Beekeeping gloves. These need to be strong, but pliable, to
of Victoria, including cities and towns. Honey bees that allow movement of the fingers when lifting boxes and
are kept in the one locality will usually provide enough frames. Elbow length cloth sleeves attached to the gloves
honey for your needs (table use etc) and will certainly help will prevent bees gaining access to the inside. A band of
pollinate fruit and berry flowers. elastic should be sewn into the cloth sleeve at the elbow
end to make it bee-proof. Vinyl or plastic coated gloves
Getting started are frequently used.
People inexperienced in handling bees and collecting A pair of boots that will cover the ankles. Elastic sided
samples should first read the Agriculture Note AG1240 boots are commonly worn.
‘Safe beekeeping practices’.
It is essential that adequate protective clothing, including a
bee veil, is worn and techniques for safe handling of bees
are understood before opening hives and collecting
samples.
Information
For those wishing to start in beekeeping there can be no
better advice than to join a beekeeping association or club,
or working with a local apiarist. Most associations or clubs
meet regularly and discuss the benefits, pitfalls and
experiences of beekeeping (see below for list of contacts).
Some of these organisations have beekeeping books,
magazines and videos for loan.
TAFE colleges may offer short courses in beekeeping. Photo 1. The folding wire bee veil, bee suit and additional
When available, these courses offer new beekeepers protection for the ankles.
accurate and valuable information to help them start Apiary tools
beekeeping in the right manner.
Hive tool. This tool is used to separate the boxes when
Protective clothing opening the hive and to separate and lift the frames which
It is important to always wear protective clothing that is hold the combs (a screw driver will do in an emergency).
smooth and light-coloured as bees react unfavourably to Smoker. It is best to buy a smoker that has a barrel of
dark or woolly material. approximately 100mm. This size smoker will provide an
Beekeeper’s hat. The hat should be firm and strong to ideal amount of cool smoke which is used to subdue bees
support the veil. Ventilated helmets are ideal for the hot before opening the hive and during the time the hive is
months of the year. Avoid dark felt hats. open.
Beekeeper’s veil. Folding wire veils fitted to a hat keep
their shape and provide a reasonable distance between the
beekeeper’s face and the bees. Black cotton veils are
cheaper than folding wire veils, but can be easily blown
against the skin.
A pair of coveralls with elastic cuffs and wrist bands. The
cuffs and bands may need to be inserted after buying the
coveralls. Bee suits are also worth consideration because

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Hobby beekeeping
Photo 2. A smoker (100 mm barrel) and hive tool
Bee hive conponents
To set up your first beehive you will need to purchase
boxes and frames. These are usually bought ‘in the flat’
and need to be assembled.
There are two hive sizes in use – ‘eight frame’ and ‘ten
frame’. The eight frame hive being lighter than the 10-
frame is a little more user friendly when it comes to lifting
boxes of honey or relocating the hive.
You will also need:
• 1 bottom board and 1 lid
• 2 supers (hive boxes)
• 16 frames and 16 sheets of bees wax comb foundation
for an eight frame hive or 20 frames and 20 sheets of
foundation for a ten frame hive.
• Water proof glue and enamel or acrylic paint
• 65mm x 2.8mm galvanised nails for supers
• 25mm x 1.25mm galvanised (or cement coated) nails
for each end of the bottom bar of the frame
• 30 mm x 1.4mm galvanised (or cement coated) nails
for each end of the top bar of the frames
• 1 reel of frame wire.
You may need to purchase or borrow a frame wiring board
plus an electric embedder to fix the comb foundation onto
the wires of the frame.
Take care when assembling the material that every joint is
nailed and glued as the timber can warp easily. All supers,
bottom boards and lids need to be thoroughly painted as
they have to cope with all extremes of weather. Once
painted the boxes need to air for some time to lose the
paint smell that may irritate bees.
As the colony develops and expands, a third box with
frames and foundation will be required to provide
adequate space for the bees and honey storage.
Beekeeping equipment is expensive and regular
maintenance and upkeep is very important.
© State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries
AG1146
How to obtain bees
There are three ways to obtain bees as described below.
Nucleus colony
Probably the best method is to purchase a ‘nucleus’ colony
(a small colony) from a reputable queen rearer or bee
equipment supplier during September or October. It is best
to place an order well in advance to ensure supply of the
nucleus. Nucleus colonies come with a queen, 3-4 combs
with worker bees, brood and honey.
The nucleus is transferred into your hive with added new
frames, with foundation fitted, to fill the box. The nucleus
will then slowly build up to a stronger colony. When it
almost fully occupies the box, a second box may be added
to the hive.
Honey bee swarms
Another method of obtaining bees is to collect swarms
which occur in spring and early summer. Hiving a swarm
of bees is simple when the swarm has settled in a
convenient place not too high. Place an empty box under
the swarm and a quick shake of the branch will dislodge
most of the bees into the box. Use your smoker to move
any remaining or returning bees from the branch. Some
bees may take flight during this process. The box with the
lid on may be left on the ground below the branch for a
short period of time to allow any flying bees to enter the
box and rejoin the swarm.
Sometimes a swarm may land on a solid object like a
roadside post. In this instance, the swarm can be brushed
off the post into an empty box.
A box of frames with drawn combs or comb foundation is
placed over the box which contains the collected bees.
This allows the bees to continue to hang in a cluster for a
while before they move into the box of combs or
foundation. The bottom box is removed later or has frames
placed inside it.
Requeening a swarm can ensure quiet bees and a strong,
productive colony for the season. The term ‘requeening’
describes the process of replacing the old queen with a
new one.
Purchase of hives with bees and used
beekeeping equipment
Occasionally beehives and beekeeping equipment are
advertised for sale. Buying these is one way of obtaining
bees and beekeeping material. However, there is a risk that
the colonies and previously used beekeeping material may
have come from a diseased apiary. To avoid buying
diseased bees and material ask the seller for a vendor’s
declaration. This written declaration will provide the buyer
with important information about the health of the bees
and/or material being offered for sale. Blank vendor
declaration forms are available from Department of
Primary Industries (DPI) apiary officers.
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Hobby beekeeping
Photo 3. A comb of honey ready for extracting.
Legal requirements for keeping bees in
Victoria
Honeybees like other live stock don’t just look after
themselves. Once the decision has been made to keep bees,
the beekeeper has a legal and moral obligation to maintain
the bees in a healthy state and in such a way that they do
not become a nuisance to other people. The bees must be
kept in accordance with the terms of the Livestock Disease
Control Act 1994 and the Apiary Code of Practice 1997.
Registration as a beekeeper
The Livestock Disease Control Act 1994 requires anyone
who owns one or more hives of bees to register as a
beekeeper with the Department of Primary Industries. The
current annual fee when 1-60 hives are kept is $11.50.
When 61 or more hives are kept the fee is calculated at 19
cents per hive.
DPI will routinely forward application forms for renewal
of registration to all registered beekeepers.A registration
number is allotted to a beekeeper when registering for the
first time. It is compulsory to brand (by painting or
firebrand) this number on each of your hives.
For more information about registration and the Livestock
Disease Control Act 1994, refer to the Agriculture Note
AG1100 ‘Beekeeping and the Livestock Disease Control
Act 1994’.
Apiary Code of Practice 1997
The prime aim of the Apiary Code of Practice is to ensure
that beekeeping does not become a nuisance to people.
The Code describes a number of standards for the
placement and management of hives throughout Victoria.
In brief, beekeeping activities within Victoria may be
conducted without a planning permit provided the activity
complies with the requirements of the Code. If the
requirements of the Code cannot be met, a planning permit
must be obtained from the local government council
before beekeeping is commenced on the property.
The Code requires beekeepers to:
• manage colonies to prevent or minimise swarming
• capture swarms that have left a colony they own
© State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries
AG1146
• provide water on the property where the bees are
located if they don’t have access to water
• maintain colonies located in urban areas with young
docile queens
• store used hive components not housing bees in such a
way that bees cannot gain entry to it
• prevent or minimise activities of robber bees
• observe hive density limits for properties in urban
areas
• ensure bee flight paths don’t interfere with
neighbouring land
• place hives greater than 3 metres from a property
boundary fence. This does not apply if a bee proof
barrier, not less than 2 metres high, is situated on the
boundary fenceline adjacent to the hives. A bee proof
barrier is not required where the adjoining property to
that fence is unimproved land.
Free copies of the Apiary Code of Practice can be obtained
from the Planning Information Centre, Department of
Sustainability and Environment, Plaza Level of Nauru
House, 80 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000. Telephone
(03) 9655 8830, Facsimile (03) 9655 8847. Email
planning.info@dse.vic.gov.au
General points for urban beekeeping
Keeping bees in urban areas requires good management
skills otherwise the bees can have a negative impact on
those who live close by.
Hives are best placed in a sunny but sheltered spot.
Always position the hives so that the bees do not become
troublesome to neighbours. Always comply with the
Apiary Code of Practice.
Do not place hives in the front yard where bees only have
to cross a low fence before mingling with a passer-by that
may happen to cross the flight-path of the bees. Always
remember that some people are extremely sensitive to bee
venom. If a passer by receives an accidental sting, or even
a bee in the hair, any beehives nearby will be blamed.
Water supply
Provide a good water supply for the bees in a partially
shaded position where possible, and in close proximity to
the hives. Never assume that the colony will satisfy its
water requirements without your help. A strong colony of
bees will use over a litre of water on a warm day.
Have the water supply in place before the hives are
introduced to the area, otherwise the bees will become
accustomed to watering where they are not wanted and it
will be difficult to change their habits.
Containers of water should have floating material (corks,
polystyrene foam, sticks) in the water to provide a landing
platform and so reduce the risk of the bees drowning. An
alternative is to provide trays of damp sand and fine gravel
to provide a beach effect for the bees. The water level may
be topped up by having water slowly drip from a container
situated somewhat above the tray. A boardman feeder
fitted to the hive entrance may also be used to provide
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Hobby beekeeping AG1146

water. However, the feeder does require daily attention to Further Information
replace water used by the bees. Bees sometimes prefer
water that is slightly salty. Associations and clubs
Victorian Apiarists’ Association Inc. 5446 7911
Maintain a quiet strain of bee
Bendigo Branch
Aggressive colonies should be requeened with a gentle
Victorian Apiarists’ Association Inc. 9547 1350
strain. However, a number of factors should be considered
Melbourne Section
before deciding if a colony is aggressive by nature.
Seasonal conditions and the skill level of the apiarist can Gippsland Apiarists’ Association Inc. 5156 8440
affect bee behaviour and aggression. Factors include the Geelong Beekeepers’ Club 5264 1245
way a hive is approached and opened, the way combs are “J”Diggers Rest Beekeeping School 9331 1619
handled, the use and quantity of smoke, the type of flora
Pretty Sally Beekeepers’ Club 9338 0423
and the amount of nectar flow in progress, the type of
clothing worn and the time of day. All of these factors Southside Beekeepers’ Club
should be considered before deciding that a colony is too The Beekeepers’ Club (meets at Doncaster) 9850 3697
aggressive and requeening is necessary.
Publications
Neighbourly responsibilities
Books
Most non-beekeepers find being in the vicinity of a
swirling swarm of bees a frightening experience. • Beekeeping for dummies (2002), by Howland
Blackiston. Published by Hungry Minds Inc, New
Practice proven swarm control methods, but if your bees York, USA. ISBN 0 7645 54190.
do swarm collect them quickly to prevent their
establishment in your neighbour’s house or tree. Some • The new complete guide to beekeeping, by Roger A
beekeepers choose to collect swarms in neighbouring Morse. Published by Countryman Press, Vermont,
properties even they though know the swarm did not issue USA. ISBN 0 88150 3150.
the hives they manage. • Trees of Victoria and adjoining areas (1998 5th
Keep good relations by sharing a little honey over the Edition) by Leon Costermans. ISBN 0 9599 10522.
fence from time to time. Stress the value of bee pollination The following books are out of print but may be obtained
in fruit and other crops. from time to time in secondhand bookshops.
• Beekeeping (1991). Edited by Russell Goodman.
Loss of Interest Published by Creative Solutions, North Melbourne.
Many of the critical management tasks are overlooked
• Honey Flora of Victoria (1973) by Russell Goodman.
when a beekeeper has lost interest or no longer has the
Published by Government Printer, Melbourne.
time to put into the management of the bees.
Neglected hives may become diseased and be a source of Journals
infection to colonies nearby. They may also swarm • Australian Bee Journal, newsletter of the Victorian
causing serious public relation implications for the Apiarists’ Association Incorporated. PO Box 40.
beekeeper and the honey bee industry. California Gully, Vic., 3556.
It is far better to dispose of the hives to someone who can • The Australasian Beekeeper. Published by Pender
look after them properly. Beekeeping Supplies Pty Ltd, 28 Munibung Road,
Cardiff, NSW, 2285.
Department of Primary Industries
Website
DPI has a number of programs to help hobby and
commercial beekeepers with the diagnosis and • Australian Honey Bee Industry Council.
identification of honey bee diseases and pests. The contact http://www.honeybee.org.au/
details of DPI apiary officers may be obtained by calling
the Customer Service Centre on 136186. The previous version of this note was published in
February 2004.

The advice provided in this publication is intended as a source of information only. Always read the label before using any of the products mentioned.
The State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular
purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this
publication.

© State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries Page 4