What are my obligations as a beekeeper?
Having a beehive is a fascinating hobby however with it, come responsibilities to ensure that the health of the bees in our care is maintained. Disease can not only destroy your own hive but have a huge detrimental effect on others hives in the area and to the industry. As backyard beekeepers, we must be mindful of the potential risk that can occur to this essential industry through ignorance. If a hive dies, it is very important to identify why that occurred and if expertise is needed to assist, then please access that. There are many issues which can affect a colony’s health including but not limited to a variety of diseases, Varroa Destructor mite, poisoning, starving to death etc. Having a Bee Club, enables us to share knowledge to assist others but also to access expertise through guest speakers which as individuals we would not have access to.
All apiaries’ (one or more hives in a location) in New Zealand are required by law to be registered. This is managed by AsureQuality and can be done through the web site www.afb.org.nz where you can access the form for registration of apiaries, transfer and reporting disease. If there is an outbreak of any disease in your area, you will be notified. Knowing where the hives are, ensures that management of disease is able to take place. Once you have registered, you will be allocated a registration code. Once per year, every beekeeper who owns a hive/s is required to fill out an Annual Disease Return for each apiary to update location information, number of hives, if hives have been bought or sold/transferred and if any hives had American Foul Brood.
There is a small levy payable to contribute to the National American Foulbrood Pest Management Strategy. The base levy is $20 and $13 per apiary per annum.
In addition to this, beekeepers who have not attained a Disease Elimination Conformity Agreement (DECA) and passed the disease test are required to fill out a Certificate of Inspection and in order to complete this form it is necessary to have an approved beekeeper (one that has a DECA) inspect your hives between 1st August and 30th November and sign the Certificate of Inspection on your behalf.