Apiarists in Canberra are being urged to follow good beekeeping practices to ensure their bees don't become a buzzkill to neighbours, under a new code of practice released in the ACT.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The code, which was released on Friday, encourages urban beekeepers to maintain their beehives to minimise the impact on the community while also setting guidelines for the keeping of bees and issuing a set of standards to ensure bee communities are kept free from diseases and parasites.
The ACT government worked closely with the Beekeepers Association ACT to write the code, inviting the association to review its first draft and serve as experts at a public forum.
Association president John Grubb said the code was "a collaborative effort, but it was the initiative of the government and they should be applauded for it".
Mr Grubb said interest in residential beekeeping had grown over the past two years, possibly due to a renewed interest in sustainability.
"I think there's been a greater move towards self-sufficiency – we've got more people interested in organic gardening, keeping chickens, and also in producing your own honey," he said.
"It's all part of a groundswell of opinion towards self-sufficiency and keeping bees is just one element."
Territory and Municipal Services Minister Shane Rattenbury said the code aimed to achieve a good relationship between urban apiarists and other residents.
"The key is really just being a good neighbour," Mr Rattenbury said.
"There is definitely a place for bees in the urban environment… there are no risks in bees in the urban environment, as long as they're well-managed."
This is a sentiment shared by Mr Grubb, who said the most important step to take when considering urban beekeeping was to consult your neighbours.
"It would be appropriate to speak to your neighbours and tell them you're planning to have a hive," he said.
"Some people could suffer from an anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting, and the last thing you want is to put people at risk."
The code also outlines avenues for concerned residents to have those concerns addressed.
The Beekeepers Association conducts beekeeping courses through the Canberra Institute of Technology at the end of every year, so amateur beekeepers don't have to wing it.
The four-week courses sell out quickly, but, as Mr Grubb said: "it's better to be fully informed rather than acquiring a hive and learning by default".
