From the Editor

I wonder if you are all as disappointed, as am I, at the lack of resolution or reasons why varroa entered Australia. This pernicious parasite has changed beekeeping in Australia, forever, and for the worse. Not only the financial cost but the time and effort to successfully manage our honey production colonies, but also the viable queen breeding and pollinating activities. We had hoped for reasons why and how varroa is now a notifiable pest.

Back copies of TAB and ABA Bulletins are being collated into a web archive, for all members to read. It will be good to have this reference material – we find that some stories repeat over time. It is good to read about familiar problems and there may be solutions from the past that we are over-looking, today.

 Please have a rummage in your club archives and see if you have old newsletter issues that we may borrow. In fact, any old ABA history material will be welcome.

 All current members should have received their newly printed copies of the Biosecurity Manual. Keep it safe, after you have read it, as it will be current for some years to come. Just one of the benefits of being an ABA Member.

Next month we are hoping to have a follow up on the swarming feature. We are looking for swarm behaviour specialists who may be able to shed some light on the causes of the extreme swarming behaviour.

We also hope to have a report on drones, or the lack of them, in the next issue. We have often been too cavalier with drone removal, as an integral part of varroa control, but we need well mated queens. We need the drone congregation areas to be flush with drones, for natural queen mating and maintaining genetic diversity, in healthy colonies. Please do not be too quick to sacrifice drones.

A huge thank you to whomsoever anonymously “returned” the experimental hives that were stolen from Western Sydney University’s Richmond Campus 6 weeks ago. This secret return means that the experimental work may now continue. We shall follow the results with interest and thank you, whoever you are, once again.