When buying candles, there are more things to consider than ever before. For example, some candles contain toxins harmful to humans and our beloved pets. Wondering if they’re safe to burn in our homes is understandable. Below, I’ve compiled the frequently asked questions I receive about beeswax candles so you can make an informed decision when purchasing any kind of candles. Are beeswax candles really better? Beeswax candles offer many advantages over traditional paraffin candles, making them a preferred choice for many consumers. Their main benefits are: #1: Beeswax candles burn cleaner First ..read more

The entrance holes spanned 1.5 metres of creek bed; there was a dense plume of wasps continually entering and exiting the nest and the ground nearby literally vibrated under Simon’s feet. Clearly, eradication of the wasps while attempting to preserve the nest as a future exhibit would be an extremely perilous undertaking and one that would require careful planning. After consultation with the property owner, Jim Dowde, Simon decided to wait until the cover of darkness, and then block off all but one of the larger entrances; a large can of six-month cockroach spray was to be discharged down t ..read more

As previously stated, our aim in providing ongoing information and commentary with respect to the varroa incursion in Newcastle is to create greater awareness of the nature and magnitude of this threat and to encourage everyone to do everything possible to assist. Especially given that we are likely to have a very short window in which to get this under control. Many people have reached out to express that they have found our commentary useful and informative – thanks to all of you for your feedback. Opinions will naturally differ, no-one has all the answers, and a healthy debate is positive ..read more

In the wake of new eradication emergency zones set up to combat varroa mite infestations at Bulahdelah, 96 kilometres north of Newcastle (the epicentre of the recent varroa incursion) and Calga, about 99 kilometres south, 600 bee hives have already been eradicated by NSW authorities, with many more to follow. An online article published in The Guardian on June 30 quoted NSW Minister for Agriculture, Dugald Saunders, as stating that commercial beekeepers would be compensated for equipment, hives and bees destroyed, but there were no plans at this stage to cover lost income. This is somewhat ir ..read more

Varroa Update from DPI 29 June. On June 29, 2022, the NSW Department of Primary Industries held a briefing for beekeepers in Newcastle to provide an update on the current emergency response for varroa mite. What follows is a summary of the information presented: Leigh Pilkington (Director, Emergency Management NSW DPT) commenced by confirming that varroa mites were detected around the port of Newcastle on 22 June via sentinel hives. He said that the sentinel hives, along with a ‘couple’ of private hives, had been sampled, and that mites had been detected in ‘a number of those hives’ and the ..read more

The Colossal Colony: Part 1. The European or German wasp (Vespula germanica) is native to Europe, northern Africa and parts of Asia, but it is an aggressive coloniser and has become established in North America, South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. These social wasps fabricate papery nests from chewed wood or plant fibres mixed with saliva and water. Most are located underground, but they are also sometimes found in logs or trees, concealed in vegetation or in artificial structures like roofs and wall cavities. In the wasps’ natural range, the old queens die off in autumn ..read more

Bees on the Big Screen (Revisited). Bees and beekeeping have featured prominently in a number of feature films through the years. The horror genre notably exaggerated the potential threat posed by ‘Africanised’ bees (‘killer bees’), resulting in The Deadly Bees in 1967 and Irwin Allen’s big-budget The Swarm in 1978. The latter was to develop something of a cult following and featured a cast including Richard Widmark, Olivia de Havilland and Michael Caine. The rampant bees managed to destroy a military base, a nuclear plant and a township, before being eventually lured out to sea and apparently ..read more

‘Flying Cane Toads’ Part 2: Permanent Residency. In March 2011, media reports warned of dire consequences in the wake of the federal government’s decision to scrap an eradication program for the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) in north Queensland. The bees had arrived in Cairns in 2007, and their potential to carry and spread dangerous varroa mites was set to jeopardise up to $6 billion of annual agricultural produce. But although the eradication program was deemed unfeasible and consequently shelved, this did not mean that the invading bees were ignored, or that we were left unprotected from fu ..read more

‘Flying Cane Toads’ Part 1: An Unwelcome Immigrant. A little over ten years ago, Australia faced an ecological and financial disaster so dire that the potential consequences were estimated to threaten agricultural produce worth up to $6 billion per year and imperil our food supply. The organism responsible was referred to by Greens Senator Christine Milne as the ‘21st century equivalent of the Cane Toad’ and the ‘Cane Toad with wings’. Concerned apiarists descended on Canberra to protest the government’s handling of the situation, and the event received widespread media coverage, including the ..read more

Since its introduction in 1974, glyphosate, marketed as Roundup, has become the world’s most popular herbicide; more than 8.5 million tonnes have been used around the globe. Long considered to be harmless to animals, since it acts by blocking a metabolic pathway found only in plants and microorganisms, it is stable, non-specific and readily translocated in plant tissues. Commercial usage increased dramatically with the advent of genetically modified ‘Roundup Ready’ crops in 1996, which are resistant to glyphosate and can be sprayed directly, allowing the herbicide to also be used as a desicca ..read more