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WESTERN AUSTRALIAN
APIARISTS' SOCIETY

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Welcome

The Western Australian Apiarists’ Society (WAAS) is an incorporated not for profit association whose members are beekeepers and people simply interested in bees.  Some members are professional or ex-professional beekeepers, but most have a small number of hives and could be best described as hobbyists.

WAAS was founded in 1953. It is the second oldest beekeeping association in Australia, and with over 1000 members is one of the largest in Australia. WAAS is managed by an elected committee of members and relies on volunteers for most of its activities.

WAAS has Chapters operating in regional Western Australia, covering the Greater Bunbury region, and the Margaret River region. Link to our Chapters page for more information and contact details for these groups.

We also have Bee Buddy groups all over the Perth metropolitan area and in a growing number of country towns. Check out upcoming meetings and other activities on our events calendar.

WAAS provides education, support, fellowship opportunities and third party insurance for your bees and honey products. You will also get access to our members only pages, full of useful beekeeping resources, recordings of past meetings, an online shop and much more. If you are a current or prospective beekeeper, why not join us

Beekeeping during the WA Bushfire Season

The bushfire season in Western Australia happens to coincide with the busiest time for beekeepers – firstly with the jarrah flow in early summer, followed closely by the marri flow in mid to late summer.

It is critical that you beekeep with bushfire conditions top of mind. If the weather is hot and windy, your bees won't enjoy a hive inspection any more than you will!

Most importantly, NEVER light your smoker during a Total Fire Ban and exercise extreme care at all other times.

Keep a close eye on fire ratings for your area – bookmark the DFES fire ban webpage and always check with your local council for any harvest or vehicle movement bans.

During the restricted burning period (October to April), smokers can be used with caution as long as a Total Fire Ban is not in place or unless you have been directed otherwise by a fire safety officer.

According to the Bush Fires Regulations 1954, pt 39CA, when using a smoker you must:

    • have at least one fire extinguisher available
    • have prepared an area of 3 m around your hives, either by clearing or dampening down with water
    • place your smoker in a fire resistant container when not being held
    • extinguish the fire in the smoker when finished.



lEARN ABOUT BEEKEEPING

Getting started with beekeeping


A checklist of the things you need to know before you decide to keep bees.

Best Practice Guidelines for Urban Beekeeping

Practical advice on the best ways to manage bees in urban settings  so as to minimise impacts on neighbours.

Swarms



What to do if a swarm lands in your garden!

Find a swarmcatcher to help remove swarms or feral hives from your property.


Legal obligations



Learn about the legal requirements associated with beekeeping, including registration and council approvals.

Contact

Have any questions? Need more information? Have something to send us? Please visit our Contacts page. We are a volunteer organisation so it is best to contact us by email. We will reply as soon as we can.

Become a member

Join other hobby beekeepers across Western Australia and beyond - benefit from education, insurance, support and fellowship opportunities. 

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Creative Commons License
This website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. You are welcome to use our text and images for non-commercial purposes as long as you attribute them to the Western Australian Apiarists' Society.
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