Join us on Friday 21st November for our end of year break up and Trivia Night. 6pm for drinks and a chat with our Trivia starting at 6.30!  Great Prizes to be won and raffle tickets for sale on the night to win a 2 box paradise hive! (dontated by Graham at BuzzBee!)  The best dressed bee themed outfit will win a $100 voucher from Bens Bees!  Please bring: a plate of food to share BYO drinks  a sense of humour! We look forward to seeing you there. Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated.  There will be no meeting on the last Sunday of November or December.

**Entries close Sunday 9th November Honey Competition YVBG will be running the honey competition in conjunction with the show. Click here for the schedule and to find out how to enter your jarred honey, frame of honey, wax block, honeycomb and mead! CLASSES 1. Jar of Liquid Honey (H) 2. Jar of Creamed Honey (HCR) 3. Jar of Crystalised Honey (HCRY) 4. Capped Frame of Honey (F) 5. Wax Block (W) 6. Cut Honeycomb Block (CHB) 7. Home Made Mead (M)-Sub classes M1A Dry Mead, M1B Semi-sweet Mead and M1C Sweet Mead  Download the schedule for all the details To enter you need to purchase tickets and drop off your entries Monday between 2-8pm. Details are in the schedule. Visit the Lilydale Show Website to find out whats on this year Volunteers needed We also need volunteers to man our YVBG stall. Each year we have a stall to sell our honey, educate the community about beekeeping and the joys of beekeeping clubs. You don't have to be an expert on beekeeping, Newbees will be rostered on with more experienced people. 2 hour timeslots. All volunteers will now need a Working with Childrens Check. However, this is free and easy to complete online.  Please email your interest to volunteer to yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com.   

1.30 for a 2pm start 2pm - Whats happening in my hive?  Followed by our monthly Speaker - Biosecurity Officer Agricultrual Victoria Agriculture Victoria’s biosecurity team has a specific role in protecting and managing bee health and biosecurity risks across the state. Their work with bees covers both protecting honey bees  and managing risks from exotic pests and diseases. They monitor, respond, educate, regulate, and support beekeepers to keep Victoria’s bees safe from pests and diseases. A member of Biosecurity team will be joining us to speak about the The Honey Bee Industry Code of practice, Varroa update and details of the Agriculture Victoria Apiary team. Join us and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated. 

1.30 for a 2pm start 2pm - Whats happening in my hive? - Geoff Meehan  Followed by a group discussion lead by Greg Huggins - Spring preparedness, Swarms and splitting hives. We'll also be talking Hive hygiene and Varroa mite checks and reporting. As well as how to present honey for judging at the Lilydale show.  Join us and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated. 

Annual General Meeting of the Yarra Valley Bee Group will be held in person on 31st August 2025 beginning at 1.30pm. 1.30 AGM  2pm - Monthly meeting - Please bring a plate of food to share :) Speaker - Graham from Buzzbee was our speaker in April and has kindly offered to return! Graham was a 10-year-old scout in Africa when he first became fascinated by bees. He then devoured every book he could find on bees and even joined beekeeping clubs. Through his journey, Graham observed a concerning amount of inaccurate and confusing information circulating online. Driven by this gap in the beekeeping industry, Graham embarked on a mission to create a brand that would serve as a trusted resource for beekeepers... Buzzbee. Join us to hear Graham discuss the latest Varroa treatment options, and equipment for show and purchase.   In preparation for the AGM meeting, please view the following: AGM Minutes 2024 Agenda President Report Financial Report Committee Nomination Form Proxy form All are welcome to attend the AGM. However, only financial members are entitled to vote.  If you are unsure of your financial status, please email us to check at yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com Questions on notice in writing from members will be accepted by the Secretary up until 2 days prior to the meeting. Please email yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com Do you love your Bee Group? Do you want it to continue? Then we need your help! To allow this great club of ours to continue, we need nominations for the Office Bearers for the YVBG Committee.  You don't need to be an experienced beekeeper to nominate for these roles. Whether you're a Newbee or an Oldie, we'll look after you!  Like any club, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. However, the more help we have, the more we can grow. Please join our friendly and focused committee so that together we can help our YVBG group thrive.  Click here for position descriptions or go ahead and fill out a Committee Nomination Form. Please return to us no later than Friday 29th August. Positions are also available for the General committee. Examples of how you could help as a general committee member: Book Borrowing and Equipment Library Newsletter Social media Help to coordinate our presence at public events  Monthly meeting coordination  Membership Coordination Swarm Coordinator Want to talk to someone before committing? Feel free to email us on yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com Join us and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated. 

1.30 for a 2pm start Speaker - Dr Kit Prendergast - Looking out for our native bees. Dr Kit Prendergast is a native bee ecologist and conservation biologist. Her research has revealed that unsustainable beekeeping practices can harm indigenous native bees. Kit will be joining us on line and sharing how we can ensure our native bees are conserved and manage beekeeping in a sustainable manner. Join us and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated. 

1.30 for a 2pm start 2pm - Whats happening in my hive?  Followed by an in-house information session - Winter jobs What winter jobs can we do to keep ourselves busy whilst our bees are "quiet"? Greg will share some of his must-do jobs to ensure he is ready for Spring. Cleaning boxes and frames, storing euipment and frames, rendering wax, making new frames. What's on your list? Bring along your ideas to share with the group. Join us and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation.   

Mead Making Workshop 2025 Cost $145 Cost includes: - Initial workshop, and 2 follow up sessions TBA. [Timing of later sessions for decanting and bottling depends on fermentation progress, but will be on Sundays @ 2pm] - 2 x 5 litre glass demijohns, with swing clip, silicone bung and airlock - 1.6 kg local honey, and all required yeast, fruit, spices, yeast nutrients, Ph adjustment, etc. - 12 x 375 ml clear glass bottles with stelvin closures. [Ideal for entering one into the Lilydale Show in November!] - Printed notes and recipe for "Joe's Ancient Orange Mead", so you can make your following batches at your leisure.   *This is a members only event Tickets are essential and only 10 spots are available. So hurry and purchase a ticket via our website - ticket sales end midday Monday 16th June. Enquiries - Greg Huggins president.yarravalleybeegroup@mail.tidyhq.com  

1.30 for a 2pm start 2pm - Whats happening in my hive?  Followed by our monthly Speaker - TBA Ben is an apiarist, environmentalist, father, food-lover and the owner of Ben’s Bees. Being exposed to nature and farming from an early age, and with three decades of experience behind him, Ben started Ben’s Bees in 2008. Since then, his company has expanded to include beekeeping, honey production, the safe rehoming of bee colonies, wasp nest removal, international mentoring, media and education. With a focus on ethical and natural beekeeping practices, Ben is committed to educating the community about bees and their vital connection to the environment and our everyday lives. Ben will be talking about Varroa and the safe use of Oxalic acid treatment; Varroa controller heat box and how its used; new wax moths treatments; winter jobs and some equipment show and tell! Join us and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated. 

1.30 for a 2pm start (Join us early for a cuppa and chat) 2pm - Whats happening in my hive?  Followed by our monthly Speaker - Graham from Buzzbee Graham was a 10-year-old scout in Africa when he first became fascinated by bees. He then devoured every book he could find on bees and even joined beekeeping clubs. Through his journey, Graham observed a concerning amount of inaccurate and confusing information circulating online. Driven by this gap in the beekeeping industry, Graham embarked on a mission to create a brand that would serve as a trusted resource for beekeepers... Buzzbee. Join us on Sunday 27th as Graham shares with us his ideas on preparing your hives for winter, feeding and more. Graham will aslo be bringing a range of equipment for show and purchase. Join us and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated. 

YVBG will be having a stall at the 2 day Crank Up Festival 5th and 6th April 10am-4pm. Volunteers are needed to man our bee group and honey sales stall. Please consider coming along and lending a hand for a few hours. Looks like a great day. Please email us at hello@yarravalleybeegroup.tidymail.co and let us know what times best suit you - Sat 5th or Sunday 6th - 7-9 / 9-12.30 / 12.30-4.  We'll then be in touch.  This is a great family outing in the beautiful Warburton Valley! Learn about heritage trades and vintage machines, browse through the Museum collections, and enjoy food and drinks while listening to some live music. ​Crank Up Heritage and Community Festival - organised since 1978 - takes place at the Upper Yarra Museum in Yarra Junction. This event showcases vintage machinery (moving and stationary) and vintage cars; live blacksmithing and heritage trades demonstrations; an exciting wood chop competition and working draught horses; live music and fun kids' activities as well as market and food stalls. ​Vintage car show takes place on Saturday and wood chop competition on Sunday. ​Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome! ​​​This is their biggest fundraising event of the year so do come along and support the museum!  Facebook  Website Flyer

1.30 for a 2pm start 2pm - Whats happening in my hive Followed by our monthly Speaker - Simon Mildren Simon Mildren is the founder and CEO of HiveKeepers, an Australian company dedicated to making beekeeping simpler and more accessible. With a background in emergency management and a passion for innovation, Simon has spent years developing practical solutions that support beekeepers at all levels. His latest innovation, the Micro Honey Harvester, is designed to simplify honey extraction while preserving honey purity and reducing waste. About the HiveKeepers Micro Honey Harvester The HiveKeepers Micro Honey Harvester is a revolutionary, closed-system honey extraction device that removes the mess, hassle, and waste of traditional honey harvesting. Designed for hobbyist and small-scale beekeepers, it eliminates the need for cappings removal, filtering, and extensive cleanup—allowing beekeepers to harvest honey quickly, easily, and as needed. The harvester works seamlessly with standard Langstroth frames, making it a simple drop-in solution for beekeepers looking to extract high-quality honey with minimal effort. For more details, visit HiveKeepers.   Join us and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology. Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated.