Registration as a beekeeper:
Anyone who keeps one or more hives of bees in Victoria must register with Agriculture Victoria as a beekeeper.

Cost to register:
For beekeepers with up to 5 hives:
no charge, if you register online $30 if you register and pay using the paper application form

For beekeepers with more than 5 hives:
$30 to register 6 to 50 hives
60 cents per hive to register 51 or more hives

Registration enables the department to conduct disease prevention and control programs to benefit beekeepers. This includes the mailing of helpful information from time to time including legislative amendments and biosecurity alerts and advice.

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

The site contains an extensive range of information about exotic and established pests and diseases of honey bees, and helps beekeepers to identify and respond to these pest threats. It also contains information about the pollination of crops and how beekeepers and growers can work together to provide and receive best practice pollination services.

BeeAware was funded by the Australian honey bee industry, pollinator-reliant plant industries, Plant Health Australia, governments and R&D agencies.

The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) is the national representative body for the honey bee industry.

AHBIC works to protect the long-term economic viability, security and prosperity of the sector and to promote the important links between the honey bee, beekeeping and healthy Australians.

AHBIC ‘s role is to foster, promote, enhance and protect the interests of the Australian honey bee industry and the viability of its members. It represents industry at all levels of government, private enterprise and the public. AHBIC enhances the industry by encouraging the adoption of best practice in production, quality assurance, presentation and promotion of its products and conducts educational, promotional and public relations campaigns in the best interest of the industry..

Biosecurity Code of Practice

There are a variety of established pests of honey bees in Australia that have an impact on the strength and productivity of a colony. There’s also a range of exotic pests that are not yet present in Australia but are affecting honey bee colonies elsewhere around the world.Beekeepers have an important role to play in protecting their honey bees and the entire honey bee industry from the spread and impact of established pests, as well as the possible entry and establishment of exotic pests. Every beekeeper should be familiar with established pests, the symptoms they cause and how to control them. Beekeepers should also be aware of threats posed by exotic pests, and how to monitor hives and apiaries for their possible presence.

Detection in Australia

Varroa mite was detected in sentinel hives in NSW on 22 June 2022. This was during routine surveillance by NSW Bee Biosecurity Officers at the Port of Newcastle. NSW traced the centre of the outbreak further away from the port, within the Newcastle area.

Response program

On 19 September 2023, the National Management Group (NMG) – the peak decision-making body for the national varroa mite emergency response – made a decision that eradication of varroa mite was no longer achievable and to shift the focus of the response from eradication to transitioning to management activities.

Read more on the Australian Government Site