Meet Mike Allerton - ABA Vice President and Biosecurity Officer
Mike Allerton’s fascination with honey bees began many years ago, but after several decades away from beekeeping, he returned to it with renewed enthusiasm eleven years ago. What began as a recreational pursuit quickly became a determination to understand bees more deeply and to help other beekeepers care for them well.
Not content to rely solely on short courses, books, field days and online learning, Mike completed a Certificate III in Beekeeping through Tocal Agricultural College. He later became a certified University of Florida Master Beekeeper and is continuing his studies at the university’s Master Craftsman level.
As Vice President and Biosecurity Officer of Amateur Beekeepers Australia, Mike advocates for recreational beekeepers through the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council and in discussions with state and federal governments. He has become a strong voice on varroa management, biosecurity and the urgent need for practical, lawful treatment options that ordinary beekeepers can use successfully.
For Mike, however, beekeeping is about much more than policy and pest management. One of his greatest pleasures is sharing the wonder of bees with others. He regularly speaks at schools, garden clubs, beekeeping associations and community events, and particularly enjoys seeing curiosity replace apprehension as people discover the remarkable world inside a hive.
A visit to Slovenian beekeeping relatives, followed by studies in Slovenian beekeeping at the Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia, opened another chapter in Mike’s beekeeping journey. Inspired by the Slovenian AZ hive, he is now adapting the system for Australian conditions. His aim is to develop practical, back-friendly hives that make beekeeping more accessible for older people, those with injuries or limited strength, wheelchair users and anyone who would prefer not to lift heavy supers.
Whether he is working a colony, speaking to a roomful of beekeepers or making the case for better biosecurity policy, Mike is driven by the same conviction: healthy bees depend upon informed, capable and well-supported beekeepers.