NSW Department of Primary Industries

Nana Glen Pollination plan

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Commercial beekeepers located in the general (blue) zone or the Nana Glen surveillance emergency (purple) zone can now apply for new permits to move hives for pollination in the Nana Glen area.

NSW DPI has been working with industry since Varroa mite was first identified to enable business continuity wherever possible for beekeepers and industries reliant on bees for pollination.

Apply for a pollination permit

The nationally approved Nana Glen pollination plan includes a range of conditions beekeepers must adhere to which are outlined below.

Permit conditions

A registered beekeeper may only move a hive that is currently located in the following zones:

  • a. General Emergency Zone,
  • b. Narrabri Surveillance Emergency Zone, and
  • c. Coffs Harbour Surveillance Emergency Zone

A registered beekeeper must not move a hive that has been:

  • (a) in the Narrabri eradication emergency zone after 30 April 2022,
  • (b) in the Coffs Harbour eradication emergency zone after 1 January 2022,
  • (c) in any other Varroa mite eradication emergency zones, or in any other Varroa mite  surveillance emergency zones in the 24 months before 24 June 2022.

Before you move the hives and bees, you must:

The following surveillance requirements must be met to permit the movement of the hives:

  • If an alcohol wash or DPI surveillance event was conducted 2-12 weeks ago, conduct another wash prior to movement. OR
  • If one alcohol wash or DPI surveillance event was conducted within the last two weeks, conduct one additional alcohol wash within two weeks of hives arriving at the destination site (at pollination site). OR
  • If no recent alcohol wash, you must conduct an alcohol wash prior to movement and another alcohol wash two weeks later (at pollination site).
  • The number of hives you must alcohol wash depends on the number of hives you have at each site:
    • Less than 26 hives at a site – alcohol wash all hives at that site.
    • More than 26 hives at a site - alcohol wash 26 of your hives at that site.

    You must also submit your alcohol wash results as soon as you have completed the wash through the online form.

While moving the bees and hives, the registered beekeeper must:

  • transport the hives in a manner that prevents the escape or entry of bees out of or into the load of hives being transported, and
  • You must travel by the most direct route from the origin premises to the destination premises at which the hives and bees are destined for, and as far as reasonably practicable, avoid transiting through the Varroa mite eradication emergency zone.
  • During transportation of the hives and bees from the origin premises to the destination premises, and if you transit through the Varroa mite eradication emergency zone you must not stop unless it is for the following reasons:
    • Obtaining fuel or supplies, that is reasonably necessary for:
      • the vehicle in which the hives are travelling, or
      • a person in the vehicle, or
    • reasonably stopping to rest or have a meal, or
    • dealing with an emergency.
  • Carry an approved permit with you during your trip.

After transporting the hives under this permit, the person responsible for the transport must, before leaving the premises to which the hives were transported to:

  • decontaminate the vehicle that was used to transport the hives and any apiary equipment that was on the vehicle when the hives were transported or that may have otherwise had contact with bees or honey by:
    • scraping and cleaning any hive material that has leaked from the hives or apiary equipment,
    • placing that material into disposable garbage bag which must be sealed and stored in a way that ensures that the contents of the bag do not come into contact with bees for 21 days, and
    • removing any honey or wax from the interior or exterior of the vehicle by washing with warm, soapy water to remove honey and apiary product; and
    • take all reasonable measures to ensure that any clothing is free from bees.
    • After 21 days, the person in charge of the hives must dispose of any debris and hive material that was placed into the disposable garbage bag at a waste or resource management facility or in another way that ensures the contents of the bag do not come into contact with bees.
  • You must make any bees and any hives of which you have care, custody or control of available for Surveillance by an authorized officer.  A person in charge of hives must not move, remove or interfere with any testing material or equipment placed in a hive by an authorised officer as part of surveillance for Varroa mite.
  • Once at the destination. hives must not be moved off the premises. Hives can be moved within the premises for Farm Management practices.
  • You must maintain written records of the following:
    • the date and time movement of hives and bees from the origin premises commenced,
    • the number of hives moved,
    • vehicle registration details, driver name and contact details of the driver transporting the hives,
    • the date and arrival time of hives at the destination premises,
    • retain details of the movement for 5 years.

A copy of this permit and all records must be immediately provided to an authorised officer upon request.

Note: Fipronil baiting of wild European honey bees continues throughout the Nana Glen Eradication Emergency (Red) Zone until 20 March 23. After this date, wild European honey bee feeder/bait stations will be located more than 2kms away from hives at GPS locations nominated by bee keepers via their permit applications for pollination in the Nana Glen Eradication Emergency Zone. Beekeepers are not to supply any hive product exposed to treatment under this permit for human or animal consumption.

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au