NB - Our March Meeting has been changed to a Friday night. This will be an in-person meeting Friday 31st. (instead of Sunday 26th). Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start. Ally Driessen is a Bee Biosecurity Officer at Agriculture Victoria. She was an amateur beekeeper and permaculture enthusiast during the Varroa scare in Victoria mid-2018. This drove her to swap a corporate career for a ‘bee-change’ and become part of the driving force in reducing the risks of exotic and established honey bee pests. At our March meeting she will be speaking about: Varroa Mite - Update  BeeMAX – Agriculture Victoria’s bees online digital platform; Priorities for Apiary Inspectors at the moment; The Apiary Code of Practice; and The Australian Honey Bee Industry - Biosecurity Code of Practice and the Victorian Legislation Division 5—Bees.  Join us to keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology.    

2pm - Whats happening in my hive? Followed by our monthly Speaker - Dr Anna Carrucan - the botanist and the bees. We are thrilled to have Dr Anna Carrucan join us online at this months meeting. She is a second-generation beekeeper with a PhD in botany, as well as a qualified teacher, educator and science communicator. She is dedicated to elevating beekeeping, celebrating pure, natural honey, and eduction about the intricate interconnectedness of gardens, farms, ecology, pollination and the environment, and the importance of all bees! Bees were part of her life from a young age - her dad started beekeeping as a hobby about 40years ago, encouraged by the gift of a classic beekeeping book from her mum.  I became more and more fascinated by these little insects, with their “hive mind” and complex societal behaviours.  The more I discovered, the more I knew I had to have my own hive. In 2018 she wanted to  create something bigger than keeping hives for honey and to build upon her knowledge of plants, flora, ecology, science, communication and education, then BUUKAAR WAARUUNG Boutique Apiary and Artisan Honey was born.  A niche enterprise that seeks to elevate the understanding and appreciation of bees and beekeeping; celebrates and values pure, raw, natural honey that’s made locally; works with Gardners and farmers to increase knowledge about pollination services and planting bee habitat on their property; and, providing specialist and relevant presentation to networks, group, conferences and events. So, come along and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. We also have a very special raffle this month. One of our members, Tony A, has very kindly dontated one of his homemade, carefully crafted, beehive stands to our club. Tickets will be sold at this months meeting and, thanks to Tony, someone will be lucky enough to take this lovely piece of equipment home with them. (hive box not included)   Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated. 

There will be no January bee club meeting as planned. See you on the last Sunday in February instead where we will hear from guest speaker Ally Driessen - Bee Biosecurity Officer - Agriculture Victoria.    

Come and join in the celebrations for our last meeting of the year. 2pm - Whats happening in my hive? Followed by our monthly Speaker - Simon Turner - Malaika Honey in Uganda Australian beekeeper Simon Turner established Malaika Honey in Uganda in 2006 with the aim of developing a sustainable beekeeping industry. Malaika Honey is a social enterprise and has a wide range of international partners and supporters including the UN Industrial Development Organisation, Jane Goodall Institute and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Malaika Honey provides farmers throughout Uganda with the beekeeping training, equipment and tools to become self-sufficient producers of high-quality honey and hive products. Malaika has also developed a retail and online market for beekeeping equipment that enables the farmers to become small-middle income earners. He has written a guidebook that focuses on transitional beekeeping methods using Kenyan Top Bar beehives. Simon Turner will be our guest speaker at our monthly meeting on 27th November, 2022. He is going to talk about Malaika Honey's work over the past 16 years and its future. Stay on after the speaker and help us celebrate another year of YVBG. Aternoon tea provided. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the newly renovated ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated. 

Honey Competition YVBG will be running the honey competition in conjunction with the show. Click here to find out how to enter your honey, frame of honey or mead!   Volunteers needed We also need volunteers to man our YVBG stall. Each year we have a stall to sell our honey, educate the community about beekeeping and the joys of beekeeping clubs. You don't have to be an expert on beekeeping, Newbees will be rostered on with more experienced people. 2 hour timeslots. All volunteers will now need a Working with Childrens Check. However, this is free and easy to complete online.  Please email your interest to volunteer to yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com.    Visit their Website to find out whats on this year    

October Bee Group Meeting - Its swarm season! Join us in person to hear from our new President, Greg Huggins and our swarm coordinator, Phil Council, talk about all the in's and out's of catching swarms. They'll talk about their fun swarm collection experiences and give you some hot tips on how to catch your own. Come along and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the newly renovated ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom).

Annual General Meeting of the Yarra Valley Bee Group will be held in person (only) on 18th September 2022 beginning at 2pm. Please note that to avoid the Grand Final Weekend, we have moved our meeting to a week earlier than usual. This will not be on the last Sunday of the month - but the week before. Monthly Speaker - Roof Top Honey - First Spring inspection and requeening a hive. Vanessa Kwiatkowski and Mat Lumalasi are the founders of a unique project that aims to bring bees back to our cities. Concerned by a growing sense of disconnect between food production and consumption and inspired by hundred year old practices in Europe, Vanessa and Mat have created something uniquely Melbourne in their project ‘Melbourne City Rooftop Honey’. Yet while their project is inherently local their message has a much broader reach. What they do not only seeks to address issues of sustainability, it also aims to raise awareness of the importance of bees and the various threats they face. We are lucky to have Matt join us this meeting to discuss your first inspection of Spring and requeening a hive. In preparation for the AGM meeting, please view the following: AGM Minutes 2021 Agenda Committee Nomination Form Proxy form All are welcome to attend the AGM. However, only financial members are entitled to vote.  If you are unsure of your financial status, please email us to check at yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com   Do you love your Bee Group? Do you want it to continue? Then we need your help! To allow this great club of ours to continue, we need nominations for the Office Bearers for the YVBG Committee. These include President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. You don't need to be an experienced beekeeper to nominate for these roles. Whether you're a Newbee or an Oldie, we'll look after you!  Like any club, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. However, the more help we have, the more we can grow. Please join our friendly and focused committee so that together we can help our YVBG group thrive. Did I mention that there are only four meetings a year! Click here for position descriptions or go ahead and fill out a Committee Nomination Form. Please return to us no later than the 16th September. Positions are also available for the General committee. Examples of how you could help as a general committee member: Book Borrowing and Equipment Library Newsletter Social media Help to coordinate our presence at public events  Monthly meeting coordination  Membership Coordination Swarm Collection and Bee removal Want to talk to someone before committing? Feel free to email us on yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the newly renovated ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom).

This event will be held online only. Please see below to purchase a free ticket.  Please note the new start time of our YVBG meetings is 2pm. Wheen Bee Foundation The Wheen Bee Foundation is an Australian registered not-for-profit charity that promotes awareness of the importance of bees for food security, and raises funds for research that addresses the national and global threats to bees. They engage with all levels of government, the apiculture industry, bee reliant food industries, universities, research organisations and community. They fund vital strategic research, education and conservation initiatives that strengthen bees, improve pollination efficiency and increase food security and ecosystem health. Come along and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Attending online If you are planning on attending online, please see below to purchase a free ticket. The day before you will be sent a zoom link to join.  **Registrations for online tickets close Saturday 27th August at 5pm. If you've missed out please email yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com   

Due to unexpected circumstances, this event will now be in person only. No online option.   2pm - What's Happening in my Hive? Followed by our monthly Speaker - Bernie Heinze - How to prepare your honey for show.  Local Beekeeper Bernie Heinze, from the VAA (Victorian Apiarist's Associations), will be spaeking about how to prepare your honey for show. From extracting a frame of honey to bottling it up, Bernie's going to demonstrate it all. If attending in person please do not attend if you are unwell or experiencing any cold or flue like symptoms; have been a close contact of someone with COVID-19; or are isolating.  Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Everyone is welcome - gold coin donation appreciated.  

Please note the new start time of our YVBG meetings is 2pm. This event will be held in person only.  Speaker - Jessica Locarnini - Honey Tasting Jess's love of Australian honey has driven her to carve out a career as Australia's foremost Honey Sommelier. But unlike a restaurant sommelier who recommends wine, Locarnini works in the field of honey. She has trained with – and received official certification from the world’s best – the American Honey Tasting Society and the Italian Honey Commission. She has now brought these skills home and is applying them to our unique Australian honey. Her obsession with honey and bees started at an early age and eventually led her to create Honey Merchant in 2018. She’s passionate to share her knowledge and is set to launch a honey tasting mentorship later this year to inspire a new wave of Australian honey connoisseurs. Currently she works with fellow beekeepers, chefs and foodies to draw attention to the unique and complex characteristics of Australian honeys through education, pairings and tastings.  As Jess says: "Australia is a land of extremes filled with many challenges our bees and beekeepers adapt to, including fire, drought and flood. This is reflected in the complex taste of our honeys. The unique and diverse flavour profiles we have here in Australia deserve to be celebrated". Please bring your own : 1 or 2 small wine glasses A spoon Drink bottle - water to drink between honeys We will provide the cheese and apple :) and some variety of honey samples. However, you are welcome to bring your own samples to try with the expert. Please do not attend if you are unwell or experiencing any cold or flue like symptoms; have been a close contact of someone with COVID-19; or are isolating.  Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Everyone is welcome - gold coin donation appreciated. This event will be held in person only.

This event will be held in person with an option to attend online. If you are planning to attend online, please see below to purchase a free ticket.  Please note the new start time of our YVBG meetings is 2pm. Vanessa Hoo of Mademoiselle Bee - https://www.mademoisellebee.com/ Vanessa Hoo is a 2nd generation beekeeper, whose father used to be a French commercial apiarist, with a driving passion for bees. Vanessa is a fervid advocate for bees. She rescues our pollinators, by offering a diverse range of services around South Australia, and Australia. From mentoring, to education sessions, to live bee removal, and adoption/sponsorship programs.  ​Vanessa’s Visions is; “I see myself developing a better future for the bee population,  as well as scientifically improve our knowledge in the world of the Apis mellifera. Creating a better environment  and greener Australia“ ​Vanessa appeared multiple times of Tv shows, news, and guest public speaking, and love to share the important message about Bees! and this month she is joining us online to do just that!   If attending in person please do not attend if you are unwell or experiencing any cold or flue like symptoms; have been a close contact of someone with COVID-19; or are isolating.  Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Everyone is welcome - gold coin donation appreciated. Attending online If you are planning on attending online, please see below to purchase a free ticket. The day before you will be sent a zoom link to join.  **Registrations for online tickets close Saturday 28th May at 2pm. If you've missed out please email yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com 

This event will be held in person with an option to attend online. If you are planning to attend online, please see below to purchase a free ticket.  Please note the new start time of our YVBG meetings is 2pm. Doug Purdie - Beehive Monitoring Doug Purdie, author of best-selling beekeeping book Backyard Bees and founder of the urban beehive, is joining us via zoom to talk about beehive monitoring with Broodminder and the Apisolis, the fire free bee smoker! If attending in person please do not attend if you are unwell or experiencing any cold or flue like symptoms; have been a close contact of someone with COVID-19; or are isolating.  Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Everyone is welcome - gold coin donation appreciated. Attending online If you are planning on attending online, please see below to purchase a free ticket. The day before you will be sent a zoom link to join.  **Registrations for online tickets close Saturday 23rd April at 2pm. If you've missed out please email yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com 

This event will be held in person with an option to attend online. If you are planning to attend online, please see below to purchase a free ticket.  Please note change of Speaker for our March Meeting Speaker - Don Muir - B-Trace B-QUAL, as the industry owned QA and Food Safety program, has been asked by various stakeholders to implement a low-cost program that offers small producers assistance with their record keeping obligations, and to give consumers confidence in their products and product traceability. Consumers and Government departments are increasingly becoming aware of where food comes from and how it is produced. It is recognised in the honey industry that quality standards, in relation to food safety are demanded by customers, and governments.  B-TRACE is designed for smaller enterprises to maintain readily available hive record information that satisfies the requirements of the National Biosecurity Code of Practice, including Extracting and Product records that are also required by legislation. A specially designed hive management web app has been developed to assist members with this record keeping.  The B-TRACE program is intended for small semi commercial and recreational beekeepers who sell to: Farmers Markets Direct to consumers Food stalls Boutique shops, such as Bakeries, Fruit and Vegetable, Delicatessens, Restaurants and similar Or, any other outlets   If attending in person please do not attend if you are unwell or experiencing any cold or flue like symptoms; have been a close contact of someone with COVID-19; or are isolating.  Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Everyone is welcome - gold coin donation appreciated. Attending online If you are planning on attending online, please see below to purchase a free ticket. The day before you will be sent a zoom link to join.  **Registrations for online tickets close Saturday 26th March at 2pm. If, after this time, you've missed out please email yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com 

We're back at ECOSS! This event will be held in person with an option to attend online. If you are planning to attend online, please see below to purchase a free ticket.  Speaker - Beekeeping with a Flow Hive Growth in beekeeping interest during COVID and the continued strong up take of Flow Hives are considered important reasons for the escalating numbers of Victorian Beekeeper registrations. We’ve recently topped 13,000! This source of information will be critical if we locate the Varroa Mite in our country. While it seems that not everyone can report success with their Flow Hive its introduction has created welcome new exposure and interest in beekeeping. This meeting will be devoted entirely to this topic with an experienced guest speaker.  Michael Johnson from The Basin Backyard The Basin Backyard runs 250 hives throughout the Dandenong Ranges and other parts of rural Victoria. What started out as one hive has expanded to become our small family business. We are passionate about bees and this passion has led us to open a retail outlet at our warehouse, where we stock basic bee keeping supplies at our Knoxfield shop. We are now the Melbourne/Gippsland region Authorised Flow Reseller and stock the Flow Hive at our shop in Knoxfield. We offer bee mentoring at the beehive location and have been very successful in helping new Flow Hive owners not only understand the Flow Hive concept but most importantly how to be a beekeeper and not just a keeper of bees. If attending in person, COVID regulations require you to be fully vaccinated, check in using the QR code or sign in sheet, wear a face mask at all times inside and adhere to social distancing. Please do not attend if you are unwell or experiencing any cold or flue like symptoms; have been a close contact of someone with COVID-19; or are isolating.  Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Everyone is welcome - gold coin donation appreciated. Attending online If you are planning on attending online, please see below to purchase a free ticket. The day before you will be sent a zoom link to join. Please note, this is the first time we will be attempting to zoom from ECOSS. So, please be patient. **Registrations for online tickets close Saturday 26th February at 2pm. If you've missed out please email yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com 

Due to the current covid environment, the YVBG Committee has decided to continue with online meetings until further notice.  On Sunday January 30th we'll be having an interactive Q&A session from 1.30. For those who are new to beekeeping, this is your chance to have your questions answered by the group. For those with more experience, this is a chance to share your knowledge :). In preparation, we would welcome questions sent to yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com or just bring them along on the day. Join us online to keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Grab yourself a ticket and the day before the meeting, we'll send you a link via email. On Sunday its as simple as clicking the link to join using your computer, ipad or phone. With your link we'll also send you some further details on "how to" Zoom.  **Registrations close Saturday 29th January at 2pm. If you've missed out please email yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com