Responsibilities of South Australian Apiarists

South Australia’s apiary industry is regulated by the Livestock Act 1997.

Apiarist responsibilities

  • Registration of their operation and hives

A person must not keep bees unless they are registered as a beekeeper. To register you need to complete the Apiary Registration Form.

Registration expires on the last day of February of each year. An application for renewal must made prior to this to avoid a lapse of registration.

You need to pay a registration fee and a hive fee that contributes to the apiary program. Current fees are listed in the Apiary Registration Form.

You must notify the Apiary Unit wtihin one month of any change of address.

  • Discovery of a notifiable disease

Notify the Apiary Unit within 48 hours once a notifiable disease (particularly American Foulbrood) is detected within their hives.

Eradicate any notifiable disease from their apiaries.

  • Hive identification

Brand all hives with the brand allocated brand by the Chief Inspector of Stock in the prescribed way.

  • Transfer ownership of hives

Notify the Apiary Unit in writing of the sale or disposal of their hives.

Apiarists must not sell, barter, give away or otherwise dispose of (unless in the prescribed method) infected bees or equipment.

  • Apiary management

Bees must be kept in a removable frame hive.

Apiarists must not expose to the open air, or any place that bees may have access to, any frames, combs, apiary products or appliances.

Sufficient clean water of suitable mineral content must be available within 200 metres of the hives.