Plain English guide for Varroa mite Emergency Order

Can  I move bees within my property for the purposes of disposal or destruction?

(clause 11(3)

Yes, you can move hives into NSW or transit through NSW.  If you move hives into NSW, you must:

• complete the Tocal training,
• complete alcohol washing requirements, and
• provide a movement declaration to the Department.

The emergency order imposes other requirements for transport and record keeping.

You may only transit through the General zone.

This does not apply if any hive was in:

• Narrabri after 30 April 2022,
• Coffs Harbour after 1 January 2022 or
• The movement of any hive that has been in the following areas in the 24-month period prior to the date of the proposed movement is not permitted. There are also other requirements to keep records.

Yes, if your bees have not been in the:

• eradication zone after 30 April 2022 (Narrabri),
• eradication zone after 1 January 2022 (Coffs Harbour) or
• eradication zone or surveillance zone within 24 months before the movement.

You may only move the bees to a location in the general zone.

You must

• complete the Tocal training,
• complete alcohol washing requirements, and
• provide a movement declaration to the Department no later than 72 hours after the hives were moved.

The hives must be transported in a bee-proof manner, and should not transit through a Red or Purple zone.

Additionally you may move a queen and her escorts from the Blue to the Purple zone.

Yes, you can move hives into NSW or transit through NSW.  If you move hives into NSW, you must:

• complete the Tocal training,
• complete alcohol washing requirements, and
• provide a movement declaration to the Department.

The hives must be transported in a bee-proof manner, and should not transit through a Red or Purple zone.

You may only transit through the General zone.

This does not apply if any hive was in:

• Narrabri after 30 April 2022,
• Coffs Harbour after 1 January 2022 or
• The movement of any hive that has been in the following areas in the 24-month period prior to the date of the proposed movement is not permitted. There are also other requirements to keep records.

Yes, if your bees have not been in the:

• eradication zone after 30 April 2022 (Narrabri),
• eradication zone after 1 January 2022 (Coffs Harbour) or
• eradication zone or surveillance zone within 24 months before the movement.

You may only move the bees to a location in the general zone.

You must

• complete the Tocal training,
• complete alcohol washing requirements, and
• provide a movement declaration to the Department no later than 72 hours after the hives were moved.

The hives must be transported in a bee-proof manner, and should not transit through a Red or Purple zone.

I am a registered beekeeper.  Can I move my hives that have had contact with bees?

(Clause 46)

Yes, you can move a hive that has had contact with bees for limited reasons, including:

• for the purpose of destruction as directed by an authorised officer

The hive must remain within the Purple zone.

It may be possible to apply for a Movement Permit to move your bees and hives for other reasons. Call the Hotline on 1800 084 881 to discuss

Yes, if your hives have not been in the

• eradication zone after 30 April 2022 (Narrabri),
• eradication zone after 1 January 2022 (Coffs Harbour) or
• eradication zone or surveillance zone within 24 months before the movement.).

You may only move hives with bees to another location in the general zone and you must

• complete the Tocal training,
• complete alcohol washing requirements, and
• provide a movement declaration to the Department.

The emergency order imposes other requirements for transport and record keeping.

Can I move a hive within my property for the purposes of disposal or destruction?

(clause 10(6))

Yes, if:

• the hive has had no contact with bees for 21 days before it is moved.  This will be 21 days after any hive contents have been removed and the hive cleaned, and
• the hive is double bagged and wrapped so that it is bee-proof and it remains in that state until it reaches the treatment facility.

Before transporting the hive, you must clean any apiary equipment that had contact with the hive or its contents.  The apiary equipment must remain in the zone in which the hive was located.

Can I allow a beekeeper to move hives onto my property?

(clause 11(8), 46))

Yes, you can move a hive that has had contact with bees for limited reasons, including:

• for the purpose of destruction as directed by an authorised officer

The hive must remain within the Purple zone.

It may be possible to apply for a Movement Permit to move your bees and hives for other reasons. Call the Hotline on 1800 084 881 to discuss

Yes, if the person has:

• completed the Tocal training,
• completed alcohol washing requirements, and
• provided a movement declaration to the Department no later than 72 hours after the hives were moved.

Yes, if you are a registered beekeeper or a qualified pest controller.

You may:

• move the bees to a container so that you can destroy them
• move the container and the bees to another location to destroy the bees within the same emergency zone.

You must destroy the bees as soon as possible.

Yes, if you are a registered beekeeper you may capture and move feral bees, including a swarm, for the purpose of managing bees as a hive.

You may move the bees to another location in the General Zone (Blue) and if you:

• have completed the Tocal training,
• complete alcohol washing requirements, and
• provide a movement declaration to the Department within 72 hours of moving the bees.

Yes, if the feral bees are at your property.

Yes, if you see the colony of feral bees when undertaking work in your professional capacity.

Notifications can be made:

1. by telephone, to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline 1800 084 881, or

2. by electronic transmission, using a form at the location https://nswfoodauthority-dpi-online-forms.app.oneblink.io/forms/12288.

You can move a queen bee and her escorts within General Zone.

You can move a queen bee and her escorts from the General Zone into the Surveillance zone.

Before you move a queen bee and escort bees or a queen cell you must:

• complete the Tocal training,
• complete alcohol washing requirements.

You must also keep movement records.

• You cannot move a queen bee and her escorts into the general zone from the surveillance or eradication zones.

Yes, as long as:

• the queen bee and the escort bees must be transported securely
• you keep records of the movement and keep those records for 5 years.

Yes, you can move an empty honey (as defined) super:

• within the Surveillance zone

or

• into the General zone for the purpose of transporting between properties, apiary sites and apiary ranges

You can then place the empty honey super on any hive.

Before moving an empty honey super you must ensure it is wrapped in a bee-proof manner.

After transporting the empty super you must

decontaminate any vehicle used for transport. Any hive material and debris removed during decontamination of the vehicle must be stored for 21 days in disposable garbage bags and then disposed of.

Yes

You must conduct an alcohol wash on the bees in your hives at least once every 16 weeks and notify the Department of the results at http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/alcohol-wash.

If you have hives at more than one site, you must meet the alcohol washing requirement  at each of those sites.

The number of hives you must alcohol wash depends on the number of hives you have at each site:

• Less than 64 hives at a site – alcohol wash all hives at that site.
• 64 or more hives, but less than 640 hives at a site -alcohol wash 64 hives at that site.
• More than 640 hives at a site - alcohol wash 10 percent of your hives at that site.

Yes, if the feral bees are at your property.

Yes, if you see the colony of feral bees when undertaking work in your professional capacity.