Bee Hives unauthorised and will be moved

Bob Butter, the owner of two dogs that died after being attacked by bees last weekend on the outskirts of Rainbow Beach, returned back to the hives to find out about more who owned them.

A spokesperson from the Department of Natural Resources and Mines has advised the bees were placed on the land “without authorisation” and “instructed them to immediately remove all hives from this state land”.

They had disappeared. Until the next day, when he realised they had only been moved across the track. Please still stay on  alert until the community knows the bees have been removed.

A Biosecurity Queensland spokesperson told the Community News that, “Beekeepers should manage bee colonies to prevent swarming and should take responsibility for a swarm that has come from one of their colonies and, whenever possible, capture the swarm as soon as it has formed into a cluster.

“Beekeepers should manage bee colonies to prevent swarming and should take responsibility for a swarm that has come from one of their colonies and, whenever possible, capture the swarm as soon as it has formed into a cluster.

“A bee swarm is a round or oval mass of bees seeking a place to start a new nest under the direction of a queen. A swarm could come from either a managed or feral honey bee colony.

“Beekeepers should manage and place hives in a way that minimises the impact of their activities on the public. Details on the management of hives are available from the Queensland Beekeepers Association or the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) web site https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/animal-industries/bees/guidelines-for-beekeeping.

For more information about bee registration in Queensland, or reporting bee pests or disease, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23, or visit https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industry/agriculture/niche-industries/beekeeping