The Journal of the Victorian Apiarists' Association
Lindsay Callaway Hi members, For this month’s President’s Report, I thought I would do something a little different and introduce you to the nine people who make up your VAA Board. It’s a diverse group, bringing together commercial and recreational beekeepers, science and research, education, biosecurity, business, governance and industry experience from across Victoria. Between … Read more
August 2026 By John Edmonds I have been away for 3 weeks visiting Queensland and inland New South Wales. We visited friends in Toowoomba and enjoyed having them show us around. I am amazed at the huge area of fertile irrigated land in the Darling Downs and Cecil Plains. The cotton harvest was just finished … Read more
By Kris Fricke Researchers in Queensland have found spider venom peptides that kill 100% of varroa and 0% of honey bees.1 This is obviously a good thing. I’ll admit I was slow to read up on this because it seems there’s a new varroa wunderwaffe every week and most don’t turn out to be anything … Read more
Are we asking the right questions? By Karl Just Planned burning is widely used to reduce bushfire risk, but its effects on fuel can vary markedly between ecosystems and over time. Ecologist Karl Just argues for closer field assessment, stronger monitoring and greater protection of long-unburnt refuges. South-eastern Australia is one of the most fire-prone … Read more
By Kris Fricke I’m not much of a cook, and therefore when I do, I usually follow the instructions with rigorous accuracy until undone by some detail the makers of recipes felt too obvious to include. But one substitution I always make is replacing the sugar in most recipes with honey because, well, of course … Read more
Shannon Holt, Bee Biosecurity Officer, Western Australia (DPIRD WA) Spring is one of the busiest times in the apiary. Spring build-up…or hidden trouble? Spring is one of the busiest times in the apiary. Colonies are expanding rapidly, brood nests are growing and management activities are ramping up. While colonies may appear healthy and productive, hidden … Read more
My First Almond Orchard Experience By Jana Hamilton There is something quite extraordinary about seeing an almond orchard in full bloom for the first time and being a part of the largest movement of livestock in the Southern Hemisphere. As a beekeeper from Far North Queensland, I’ve spent years thinking about that moment. Standing among … Read more
A Changing Landscape By Lindsay Callaway, Commercial Beekeeper As another almond pollination season draws to a close, beekeepers are doing what we always do — loading trucks, watching the weather, finding the next patch of flowers and saying over the UHF, “have a safe one!” The 2026 season has again reminded me just how quickly … Read more
Central District – August 2026 By Matt Lorenz It was a strong second half of the season in the Central District, especially for ironbark, which put on its best show for some time from early summer right through to late autumn. A dry start to 2026 didn’t seem to impact the honey flow greatly; however, … Read more
VBRN: the discussion continues VAA Board endorses a time-limited scoping and consultation phase By Mark Bichan, VAA Board member In the last edition of the ABJ, I put forward the case for Victoria to take a more organised role in the longterm resilience of our honey bees. That article was intended to open a discussion, … Read more