1. Registering as a beekeeper
2. Applying your registered hive brand
3. Apiary signage
4. Record keeping
5. Selling or disposing of hives or nuc's
   
6. Provision of water
7. Provision of appropriate care
8. Immediate reporting of declared pests
9. Complying with local bylaws and policies
10. Registering as a food business (if you plan to sell your honey)
11. Obeying fire bans
12. Where to get help

• You must not be or become a beekeeper unless you are registered
• You must identify every hive super you own with your registered hive brand (see below)

• Each letter and numeral must be not less than 12 mm in height, set in alignment but not conjoined
• The brand must be burnt in, stamped, carved or scored, so that it is distinctly impressed below the level of the surface of each brood box and super
  
• You must apply your brand within 7 days of taking possession of your hive   

1. identify the hive with your registered hive brand immediately below the last owner’s brand; and
2. cancel the previous owner’s identifier by burning, carving or scoring a straight line through it. The previous brand must still be legible.

1.  your full name; and
2.  your telephone number; and
3.  your registered hive brand; and
4.  the street address of your place of residence or business in letters of not less than 50 mm in height  

• name and postal address; and
• registered hive brand, having confirmed, by reference to the online register, that the person is the registered owner of the brand and having made a written record of that confirmation.

Unless water is available from natural sources, every beekeeper must provide a good and sufficient supply of water on every apiary site in a way that is readily accessible to the bees on that site. 

Bees may drown if not provided with safe entry to water sources - below are some examples where bees can safely access water.

  

7. Provision of appropriate care

A person who owns, or has the charge, care or possession of,  bees or any hive that contains, or has contained, bees must NOT:

8. Immediate reporting of declared pests

Beekeepers must immediately report the presence of declared bee pests to the Deparment of Primary Industry and Regional Development. The current list of declared pests in Western Australia is below.

In addition, there are a number of potential pests which are not yet present in Western Australia but which MUST be reported if found. These include varroa mite, honeybee tracheal mite, various debilitating bee viruses and other bees such as Asian honey bee, giant honey bees, africanised bees and cape honey bees. You can read more about these established and exotic pests on the BeeAware website.  If you think you have found any of these exotic pests, they must be reported immediately to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

If you notice something unusual in your hive, or can identify a declared pest, dont use social media to spread the word. Take a picture of what you have found and contact DPIRD:  

• by emailing the department’s apiary unit at PBhoney@dpird.wa.gov.au
• calling the Pest and Disease Information Service on (08) 9368 3080; or
• submitting a report using the MyPestGuide Reporter app.

Be proactive about biosecurity! There is some great information available from DPIRD on how to keep your beehives free of disease. There is also an Australia wide site called Bee Aware with photos to help you identify pests and a free online biosecurity course which explains why biosecurity is important, describes the main pest threats to bees and shows how to check hives for signs of pests and diseases.

There is also a wealth of information on DPIRD bee pests page including an excellent flyer on Honeybee Biosecurity in WA - be sure to check them out.

9. Complying with local bylaws and policies

Before keeping bees on your property you must check with your local shire or council and make sure you comply with their bylaws relating to bees. Every local government authority currently has different rules - some charge an annual fee, others require stringent compliance with a very narrow set of regulations, others are happy as long as your neighbours are happy.

If you get the opportunity, please show your local government authority the WAAS Best Practice Guidelines for Urban Beekeeping which outlines responsible beekeeping practices.

10. Registering as a food business (if you plan to sell your honey)

Processing or selling honey commercially, even in small quantities, is considered to be a "food business" under the Food Act 2008 and associated regulations. Before operating your food business you need to register or notify your business with the relevant enforcement agency, either the:

Your local government will require you to meet certain health requirements relating to the safe preparation of your honey products and may involve regular inspections of your prepration facilites, annual fees and so on. You can read more about what is required for a home-based business on the Department of Health website.

Other legal requirements around selling honey include the need to label your product. You can read more on the Food Standards webpage. This site also has a new online tool to help you create your own nutrition labels. WAAS members can purchase pre-printed nutrition labels from our online store.

11. Obeying fire and vehicle movement bans

During the restricted burning period (October to April), smokers can be used with caution. According to the Bush Fires Regulations 1954, pt 39CA, you must:

Smokers can be used when the fire danger rating is high, extreme or catastrophic as long as they comply with these requirements. The exception to this is when you are ordered otherwise by a bush fire control officer.

When a total fire, harvest or vehicle movement ban is declared, beekeepers must not:

More information about fire bans can be found on the DFES website.

For current harvest and vehicle movement bans, check with your local government.