Perth residents and visitors are encouraged to make a beeline for a World Bee Day display at Perth’s Murray Street Mall this Saturday.
Live bees, beekeepers and local honey to sample are part of the display hosted by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the Bee Industry Council of Western Australia (BICWA).
DPIRD principal agribusiness development consultant Gerard Leddin said visitors would have the opportunity learn about the vital role bees play in our food security.
“Due to their central role in crop pollination, our bees are worth $1.1 billion to the State’s economy,” Mr Leddin said.
“WA has a thriving bee industry with about 4800 beekeepers – commercial and hobbyist – who together own more than 57,000 hives.”
Local apiarists and research scientists will take visitors on a journey through the lifecycle and importance of our busiest little pollinators.
Visitors can also get a close-up view of live bees, safely contained in plastic display boxes.
Department project officer Jessica Bikaun said the WA bee industry was notable for its freedom from important bee diseases.
“Anyone keeping honey bees in WA, whether it be a commercial beekeeper with hundreds of hives or a hobbyist with a single hive in the garden, must be registered with DPIRD and maintain hive movement records,” she said.
“This is so we can trace hives and contact owners in the event of a pest or disease incursion.”
The World Bee Day display will feature at the Murray Street Mall on Saturday, 20 May from 8am to 3pm.
For more information on World Bee Day head to: www.worldbeeday.org.au
Media contacts:
Megan Broad/Jodie Thomson, media liaison
+61 (0)8 9368 3937/3137