Newsletter – July 2026
Latest articles Investing in Bee Research: Supporting Scientific Efforts to Protect Pollinators Australian beekeeping is entering a new era. From emerging biosecurity threats to changing environmental conditions, the pressures facing pollinators are growing rapidly—and the industry must evolve alo
Newsletter – June 2026
Latest articles The Best Australian Native Plants for Bee Forage Forage is no longer something you can leave to chance. With shifting seasons and increasingly unpredictable conditions, what your bees have access to—and when—can make or break your operation. There’s a growing shift among seriou
Newsletter – May 2026
Latest articles Splitting Hives: A Guide to Creating New Colonies For serious beekeepers, growth isn’t accidental—it’s engineered. And one of the most powerful ways to expand and strengthen an apiary is often underutilised or poorly executed. Done right, it can improve colony performance, redu
The Best Australian Native Plants for Bee Forage
Building Reliable Forage in a Variable Climate For serious and commercial beekeepers, reliable forage is the foundation of productive, resilient colonies. In Australia, where climate variability, drought cycles, and shifting flowering patterns are becoming more pronounced, strategic planting and man
Newsletter – April 2026
Latest articles Honey vs. Sugar: A Sweet Showdown The choices made in the apiary don’t just affect production — they shape colony resilience, product integrity, and long-term sustainability. One ongoing debate continues to surface across yards, meetings, and seasons, especially as conditions bec
Newsletter – March 2026
Latest articles Queen Rearing Basics: Tips for Successful Queen Production If you are serious about the future performance of your hives, some skills simply cannot be left to chance. Across Australia, experienced beekeepers are rethinking how much control they have over the most critical factor in c
Newsletter – February 2026
Latest articles Combating Bee Colony Collapse Disorder: Sustainable Solutions Colony losses don’t happen in isolation. They are the result of cumulative pressures that build quietly over time, until one season tips the balance. Across Australia, experienced and commercial beekeepers are taking a c
Newsletter – January 2026
Honey 101: Types, Flavours, and Health Benefits If you’ve ever looked at your latest harvest and marvelled at how different it is from the last, you’re not alone. Across Australia, every jar tells a story of landscape, season, and hive health. And for those of us dedicated to the craft, understa
Newsletter – DECEMBER 2025
Beekeeping Equipment Essentials: What Every Australian Apiarist Needs For serious beekeepers, the difference between a smooth season and a stressful one often comes down to preparation and the tools you use every day. This week on the blog, we’re diving into the essential equipment every Australia
Newsletter – NOVEMBER 2025
Organic Beekeeping in Australia: Is It Possible? Organic honey carries a certain prestige, both at home and overseas. But for Australian beekeepers, turning that ideal into reality is far from straightforward. We’ve taken a closer look at what it means for commercial operators to pursue organic ce
Newsletter – OCTOBER 2025
latest articles Mite Maths – The calm before the storm Here in Victoria, the calm before the varroa storm won’t last much longer. The spread is real, and for many of us, it’s not a matter of if our hives will encounter mites, but when. We’ve all heard the “five or nineâ€
Newsletter – September 2025
latest articles Swarming Season: A Golden Opportunity for Beekeepers During swarm season, beekeepers across Australia are watching the skies and the trees for the tell-tale signs of honeybee colonies on the move. Whether you’re keen to grow your hive numbers or simply want to understand swarm
Newsletter – August 2025
NEWS Life Membership Awarded to Lindsay Bourke B-QUAL is pleased to announce that we were able to present Lindsay Bourke with his Life membership award at the 2025 AHBIC AGM in Adelaide on 5th July in Adelaide. The award was presented in appreciation of Lindsay’s work in helping to establish
Newsletter – July 2025
LATEST ARTICLES Protecting Pollinators: Why Bees Matter to Our Ecosystem Sometimes, the smallest creatures make the biggest difference, and their well-being is closely tied to ours. In our latest blog, we explore the often overlooked heroes of our environment, the challenges they face, and how we ca
Newsletter – June 2025
LATEST ARTICLES Fall Feeding – Preparing Your Bees for Winter Survival As the seasons shift, your bees are preparing for one of the most critical times of the year. How you support them now will shape their chances of thriving through winter and emerging strong in spring. We’ve created
Beekeeping Tools 101: Essential Equipment for Every Apiarist
Beekeeping Tools 101 - the right tools can mean the difference between successful, stress-free hives and a chaotic, disruptive experience
Newsletter – May 2025
Celebrating Don Muir’s Dedication to BQUAL From his early beekeeping days pollinating fruit trees to his pivotal roles, including Co-Managing Director, Don’s journey has significantly shaped our organization. In a special blog Q&A, Don shares his insights on the importance of quality
A Heartfelt Thank You to Don: Reflecting on Years of Dedication to BQUAL
As we delve into the fascinating journey and insights of a long-standing figure within the BQUAL community, it’s paramount to begin by expressing our sincere gratitude to Don for his unwavering commitment and invaluable contributions over the years. Don’s dedication has been instrumental
Newsletter – April 2025
Varroa mite spread The varroa mite, a parasitic mite that attacks honey bees, has spread across Australia, prompting concerns for honey production and pollination services. Eradication Abandoned: Australia has abandoned its $100 million efforts to eradicate the varroa mite and is now focusing o
B-Qual news March 2025
National survey launched to tackle Varroa mite threat to honey bees Australia’s beekeepers are being urged to complete the Australian Colony Loss Survey as part of a national effort to understand the impact of the Varroa mite (Varroa) outbreak and improve hive health management. The survey is a cr
Mastering the Art of Hive Inspections: A Step-by-Step Guide
Keeping your colony healthy Regular hive inspections are the key to maintaining a strong, healthy bee colony. By checking for signs of disease, monitoring the queen’s productivity, and assessing food stores, you can address potential problems before they become serious threats. However, conducting
b-qual news February 2025
Recreational Beekeeping Conference Better Beekeeping Basics to Biosecurity Where: Hume Global Learning Centre44 Macedon St, Sunbury VIC 3429, Australia When Saturday 29th March 2025 Program and speakers Subject Speaker Honeybee viruses Emily Remnant (via Zoom) Molecular testing for AFB Olivia Ducomm
b-qual news January 2025
Fire, Flooding and Invasive Pests – Beekeeping Resilience in ‘The Lucky Country A story of resilience and Determination 1400 beehives were destroyed by fire, then within a year another 700 to flooding, soon after that small hive beetle wiped out 500 more, and then close to another 1000 fell vict
b-qual news december 2024
December News As 2024 draws to a close, we’re buzzing with gratitude for an incredible year of growth, learning, and collaboration. This year, we’ve witnessed the power of community in action—whether it was sharing information about pollinator-friendly gardens, protecting vital habitats, or si
b-qual news NOVEMBER 2024
What is B-Qual doing to protect your honey? and other news and updates
b-qual news OCTOBER 2024
Varroa testing and Reporting You will need to check with your individual state requirements, as it is different in nearly all jurisdictions…. The common requirement is that any positive result must be reported in all jurisdictions. In terms of recommended methods only, alcohol wash or drone un
b-qual news September 2024
The ins and outs of correct labelling of honey products, compliance with OH&S systems, easing data capture, and other news and updates.
B-QUAL NEWS JUNE 2024
In this newsletter: General News, Asian honey bees detected in outer southern Townsville, Chairmans Message and more
B-QUAL NEWS MARCH 2024
In this newsletter we cover the latest updates surrounding Varroa, talk about new directors and give updates surrounding memberships.
B-QUAL NEWS December 2023
In this newsletter Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Varroa news
Are you worried about the recent news surrounding Varroa? Dr Andrew Wootton interviews Dr Randy Oliver about the current phase of the incursion, how to detect issues and more...
B-QUAL News September 2023
Enhancing tracability between the apiarist and orchadist communities, how tracability drives the Australian honey bee industustries national food safety program, and more...
B-QUAL News June 2023
News on how remote auditing works, the latest Queensland advice on Foulbrood, organic honey testing services and more.
B-QUAL News MAR 2023
Honey testing; we have been able to secure some additional funding to undertake specific Ironbark honey varietal species testing.
B-QUAL News Dec 2022
Here are six easy ways beekeepers can reduce the threat of exotic and established pests affecting their livelihood.
B-QUAL News Sep 2021
Traceability allows food businesses to target the product(s) affected by a food safety problem, minimising disruption to trade...
B-QUAL News SEPT 2022
Honey traceability Report – B-QUAL Australia B-QUAL Australia sets and manages the industry husbandry and product packing standards for the beekeeping industry, including biosecurity and HACCP requirements. Industry standards reviewed regularly and documented in the B-QUAL manual.
B-QUAL & B-TRACE App video Instructions
In this video Prof. Sharon Purchase from the University of Western Australia goes through the B-QUAL App to help members understand the importance of using the app. Using the B-QUAL App makes it easier for members during auditing. Watch the B-QUAL App Video Instructions here:
Anti-Counterfeiting Workshop Videos – From Hive to Table
Protect your label and avoid forgery. Copying labels is easily done – with a well thought out strategy your brand is safeguarded. Judgement of a honey product is largely based on the information supplied by the label on the jar. The connection of the label to the honey within the jar is the wo
B-TRACE Membership promotion
 SPECIAL OFFER Join 1st August 2022 to August 31st 2022 for a reduced fee of $99. Joining fee reverts to the normal $175 plus GST upon your 2023 renewal. Be compliant with the National Biosecurity Code of Practice, by keeping accurate hive records with our specially designed web based App. The rece
B-QUAL News June 2022
Australian honey is one of the few honeys still collected from native bushland and forests and...
SAFE FOOD AUSTRALIA
Many apiarists sell their honey in farmers’ markets, an ideal way of developing brand awareness...
FARMERS’ MARKET INITIATIVE
Many apiarists sell their honey in farmers’ markets, an ideal way of developing brand awareness...
B-QUAL News Mar 2022
The B-QUAL board have made the decision to introduce a lower level desk only audit system for small enterprise operations for beekeepers...
B-QUAL News Dec 2021
The honey testing system presently established is to undertake the seven CODEX tests, High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography and...
B-QUAL News Sep 2021
Traceability allows food businesses to target the product(s) affected by a food safety problem, minimising disruption to trade...
B-QUAL News JUNE 2021
The overall aim is to strengthen consumer trust and boost Australia’s safe and premium food profile by developing methods to ensure the....