Goulburn District Beekeepers Club

03/11/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DttuoByuR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

I had a question about the jobs that worker bees have through their life... let’s chip away at this!
Worker bees don’t do the same task their entire lives. They move through different "career stages" based on their age:
🐝Days 1–3 (Cell Cleaners & Brood Warmers): Newly emerged bees start off by cleaning out empty comb cells for the queen to lay in and clustering over brood to keep it warm.
🐝Days 3–12 (Nurses & Queen Attendants): Young bees move on to nurse duty—feeding larvae, producing royal jelly, and tending to the queen's needs.
🐝Days 12–18 (Comb Builders, Food Processors & Undertakers): Middle-aged bees use their active wax glands to build comb, pack away pollen, process raw nectar into honey, and take on undertaker work to clear out dead bees.
🐝Days 15–21 ((Learning to Fly & Guarding): Before heading out into the big world, bees start taking short orientation flights—hovering in front of the hive on sunny afternoons to map out landmarks and calibrate their compass. They also take their turn standing watch as guard bees at the entrance to protect the colony.
🐝Days 21+ to the end of life (Foragers): Finally, they head outside full-time to forage, gathering nectar, pollen, water, and propolis for the hive.

The part I find most fascinating is how flexible they are! If the hive suddenly needs extra hands in a specific area, bees can actually step back into a previous role. For instance, if there's a sudden surge in young larvae, older foraging bees can head back inside, reactivate their food glands, and start feeding brood again.

Honey bees are absolute masters at shifting their workforce to whatever the colony needs in the moment. That flexibility is a huge part of why a colony is so incredibly resilient!

(For my fellow bee geeks, the scientific term for this age-based job schedule is age polyethism literally meaning "many behaviors over time" (poly = many, ethism = behaviors). It keeps the youngest bees safe inside doing vital nest work, while reserving high-risk foraging outside for the older bees. And their ability to switch back and forth when needed is called behavioral plasticity!)

Picture do not belong to Bee Haven

26/10/2026

Gifting two Russian Olive hedge shrubs, the fruit can’t be eaten but the bees thrive on the flowers. I don’t water them. Will need help this Friday morning to dig them out. Advertising elsewhere but order to go to a beekeeper to feed the bees.🐝

24/10/2026

I’d just like to remind people that kindness and compassion still go along way to help new beekeepers start out.

Today I was waiting patiently in line at Hornsby Beekeeping Supplies in Mount Druitt, abit excited 😝 it was first visit and I was picking up my bee package.

I noticed an older lady getting her gear and she had just picked up her bees. My instincts screamed at me that this woman needed some friendly advice especially with suiting up.
Let’s face it how many times have you had a bee in your veil, it’s not much fun.

I asked the attendee and he explained she had only tried the suit on. Then some of the others waiting in line started to sniggle and make derogatory remarks like “oh well she’ll learn when she gets stung” (not going to mention the others). I was personally challenged by this, and find it appalling. As a beekeeper I remember too clearly all the mistakes I’ve made.

Having someone share and guide you along is the best legacy you can give a person. To me, I thought here’s a brave woman, doing something she’s never done before and helping her local district with food security.

I explained to the lady about the importance of getting the veil right, finding a mentor and to do a beekeeping course. She took this on board, said she’d do it and thanked me.

It’s not hard to bee 🐝 kind people. It’s a choice you make. Show others what kindness looks like, the next generation is watching.

Love ❤️ to our beekeeping crew, and committee, you all rock. The support and generosity in our club is second to none.

Just my 2c worth 😘

Feel free to share your act of kindness.

24/10/2026

A little info on Caucasian Queen

https://www.facebook.com/share/1A47TDn3L7/?mibextid=wwXIfr

About 18 months ago, I noticed something interesting while breeding my Caucasian queens here in Victoria.

One particular genetic line, the Dr. Jody Gerdts Caucasian J-line, seemed to stand out.

Over the past 18 months, I've consistently observed very low Varroa mite levels in some of these colonies.

I've carried out alcohol washes and inspected drone brood by uncapping the cells. In some colonies, I couldn't detect any mites using either method.

These colonies have also required very little treatment.

But I want to be clear — I'm not encouraging beekeepers to avoid treatment. Regular monitoring is essential, and appropriate treatment should always be carried out when required, based on mite levels and current guidelines.

I'm not claiming this line is Varroa-resistant, but I believe its potential hygienic behaviour is worth investigating.

I'd love to collaborate with universities or researchers and provide queen samples for proper scientific testing.

Hopefully, we can find better ways to manage Varroa in Australian beekeeping.

21/10/2026

20/10/2026

Amended as requested

Thanks to the past committee for their commitment and time spent over the past year.

We now Welcome the new 2026/27 committee, volunteers who want to see the club grow and prosper. Especially our Supporting Club role members who are helping the club to build a stronger, vibrant team. Isn’t it a wonderful honour to have so many people helping. So very grateful ☺️.
Members play an important role in this too.

John is correct that clause 14(2) limits the committee to seven people. However, the club can appoint other volunteers to supporting roles under clause 23, provided they are not treated as additional committee members or given committee voting rights.

2026–27 Committee, the seven committee members are:

* Richard Clarke — President
* Amie Mills — Secretary
* Cameron Campbell — Vice-President
* Barry Jackson — Treasurer
* Cherrie Grant — Membership Officer
* Janelle S — ordinary committee member
* Kerry — ordinary committee member

Supporting Club roles

Belinda Baxter as Editor and
Cameron Boden as Biosecurity Officer

Thanks to all the members who turned up last night, it was a great session.

A special shoutout to our VIP Jacqueline Clarke who helped with onboarding the new committee. Nothing beats community spirit and service- thank you 🙏

Our final meeting of the year will be in November.

20/10/2026

Prepare your hive area to prevent Small Hive Beetle larvae
Sprinkle granules around the ground, follow the directions on the package.