Bees
Movement restrictions
The following items cannot be brought into South Australia without written permission of the Chief Inspector of Stock.
- bees
- hives
- associated apiary products
- beekeeping property.
Restrictions on moving bees and bee commodities are in place to protect our apiary and horticulture industries from the threat of varroa mite, which has been detected in NSW.
Beekeeper registration
If you keep honey bees in South Australia, you must register your details and your hives every 12 months.
There are more than 2,000 beekeepers registered with Biosecurity SA. Registering through PIRSA means you receive important updates about pests and diseases, so you can take action to protect your honey bees.
Find out how to register as a new or renewing beekeeper, and the legislated hive requirements:
Pests, diseases and pesticides
Several pests and diseases affect honey bees:
Some of these are notifiable and must be immediately reported to control the damage they cause.
It is also important to protect honey bees from pesticides.
Products and pollination
European honey bees generate in excess of $269 million for Australia, directly from:
- honey
- beeswax
- pollen
- royal jelly
- venom
- package bees.
Their most significant contribution to the economy is pollinating agricultural and horticultural crops.
In Australia, 65% of plant-based industries depend on pollination, particularly almonds, apples, cherries, blueberries, lucerne, and clover. The national average economic value of honey bees in pollinating dependant crops is calculated at $14 billion.
South Australia has approximately 77,000 beehives which produce more than $15 million worth of products, primarily high-quality honey. Honey bees in the state pollinate an estimated $1.7 billion worth of agricultural and horticultural crops.
Learn about legislative requirements for almond pollination.
Related information
Contact
PIRSA Apiary Unit
Email: pirsa.beebiosecurity@sa.gov.au
Phone: 8207 7900
