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AgVetLink: Number 57, August 2006

Bee Products

Products used to manage bees or used in bee hives and hive components are considered to be agricultural compounds and are subject to registration or management under the ACVM Act. The introduction of the Varroa mite resulted in an increased recognition that there were regulatory obligations to manage residues from the use of products for the purposes of the ACVM Act as well as other legislation.

If products or chemicals are used in a producing hive, there is likely to be direct contamination of honey and resulting problems with meeting acceptable residue limits for both domestic and trade purposes. Any product used on frames, supers or wax has potential to contaminate honey when production commences. Chemicals that are lipophilic may be residual in the wax and accumulate, resulting in contamination of honey through the unavoidable wax content or direct contact. Bee’s wax used in combs is a food product and should be treated as such during storage and reprocessing.

If any product is being marketed or sold for use on bees or in and around hives during production or storage, the regulatory requirements under the ACVM Act, Animal Products Act 1999 and Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 must be met.