Cairns & District Beekeepers Association Inc.

24/04/2026

We have been informed that the new incursion is devastating beehives in the South East of Queensland, some beekeepers are having 70% losses from this new incursion of Varroa Mite that is resistant to treatments.



I would highly recommend that any Queen purchases from South East Queensland be paused, if and I say IF, it is absolutely necessary, the Queen must be closely inspected and the escorts that come with the queen must be killed before they ae introduced to a hive.



AHBIC Biosecurity Update - Incursion of Resistant Varroa Mite - 23 April 2026 - Australian Honey Bee Industry Council

23/04/2026

Yay! Beginners Workshop in May. Limited places (8) to ensure maximum teaching.

Beginners BeeKeeper workshop
Come and learn about honeybees, hives and beekeeping.
Theory and practical sessions will give you knowledge and experience.

To be held in Cairns on 9th and 10th May from 9am - 1pm each day
Cost: $80 members; $100 non members
(Includes the hard copy “ABC of Beekeeping” book by Julia Toft, with information specific to our area)

Book on TryBooking Link: https://www.trybooking.com/DLPFY

20/01/2026

Please note:
The Bee Club meetings and get togethers are for the purpose of supporting and educating members in beekeeping, and to provide a community where members can come together in a friendly, respectful environment to network.

The club will not tolerate any racist, political, religious, sexual preference or gender identification language which could potentially cause isolation and division for any member.

09/01/2026

Hmm, looks like my time in Cairns is over, at least for now. We are leaving for Brisbane this coming Thursday.
I was considering taking my Kenyan top bar beehive with me to Brisbane but it might be a bit of struggle.
Thus, I would like to put my hive with a very well behaved bees in it for sale hoping they will find a new great beekeeper to keep them healthy and happy. This is the place I got this hive from: https://www.happierbees.com/key-features-of-the-kenyan-top-bar-hive
I paid $575 + $145 freight to Cairns for it few years ago.
It would need to be collected between this coming Sunday and Wednesday from Caravonica.

When it comes to choosing a hive, natural beekeepers look for one that truly supports their bees’ health and well-being while staying simple to manage. The Kenyan Top Bar Hive is a favorite among natural beekeepers for these exact reasons. Designed to reflect the way bees naturally build their hom...

14/11/2025

Great Varroa Visual Slide provided by Kirsty Stainton, author of " Varroa management: a practical guide on how to manage Varroa mites in honey bee colonies".

04/11/2024

This on Saturday. Register and attend !

NSW Varroa Management Training

15/10/2024

This is a workshop anyone with honeybees or planning on obtaining them soon, needs to attend.
A FREE workshop on varroa mite monitoring and management is coming to Cairns on Saturday November 9th and is being held at Brothers Leagues Club in Cairns. This is part of the National response to the varroa mite incursion in NSW

Register for this important workshop to obtain the information you need to keep your hives healthy!
Click on this link to register and attend:

https://events.humanitix.com/cairns-varroa-management-training-workshop?_gl=1*b4ulvn*_gcl_au*MTE1MDEyOTgyNy4xNzI0MjgwOTAy*_ga*NTYzMzIxMTA0LjE3MjQyODA5MDI.*_ga_LHKW5FR9N6*MTcyNzMxMTA4OC4xMy4xLjE3MjczMTExNTYuNTMuMC4w

10/09/2024

Beginners Workshop in Cairns - open to members and non members - anyone interested in beekeeping 😍

03/09/2024

22/03/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/USDkSnSmc7xaYqnW/?mibextid=WC7FNe

How beekeepers can prevent the spread of varroa mite in Queensland.

07/03/2024

🐝 Bee alert! 🛑

We’ve found a new exotic incursion of Asian honey bees at the Port of Brisbane after enhancing our biosecurity measures following a recent detection of a single varroa jacobsoni mite.

To safeguard our buzzing buddies, a movement control order is in place restricting the movement of bees, bee hives, unprocessed honey, and beekeeping equipment.

We need all Queensland beekeepers to pitch in by:

🐝 Monitoring hives for varroa mite using the alcohol wash method (at least every 16 weeks).

🐝 Reporting hive checks using the quick and easy Bee 123 form, even if you don't spot any suspect mites (link in comments).

🐝 Reporting unexpected hive deaths, deformed bees, or swarming bees, by calling us immediately on 13 25 23.

🧐 Bee our eyes and ears – we're counting on your vigilance to keep our bees safe and our industry thriving. For more information, head to https://brnw.ch/21wHBy1.

📸 An Asian honey bee (left), and a European honey bee (right).