Hive registration and hive marking
Alert
Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) has been detected in New South Wales.
Queensland remains free of varroa mite.
Queensland is a varroa mite biosecurity zone. You must hold a permit issued by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to move bees, beehives, used beekeeping equipment or bee products (including unprocessed honey) into Queensland from states or territories where varroa mite has been found.
You must follow all permit conditions — penalties apply.
Monitor your hives for unexpected hive deaths, deformed bees, parasites, poor brood patterns and dead brood.
- If you suspect the presence of varroa mite, you must report it to either
- Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23
- the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.
- Use our Bee 123 online form to report any checks you make on your hives, even if you do not have any suspect mites.
Visit our eHub for more information.
Registration and cancellation of registration
If you own or keep 1 or more hives, you must register as a biosecurity entity with Biosecurity Queensland.
The Act allows for an individual, multiple people, or a business to be registered depending on who owns the hives. A registrable biosecurity entity is allocated a hive identification number (HIN) and only 1 HIN relates to each biosecurity entity.
Your current apiary brand is now your HIN.
Find out how to update or renew your registration details. Your registration must be renewed every 3 years.
You can cancel your registration by logging into your biosecurity entity registration portal online account, completing and returning the application to deregister form (PDF, 33KB), or by phoning Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23.
Hive identification numbers (HIN)
Once you're registered as a biosecurity entity, you'll receive a unique HIN to brand your hives. Each beekeeper who registers as a biosecurity entity will receive only 1 HIN.
The HIN is not transferrable to other beekeepers.
You can cancel your registration by logging into your biosecurity entity registration portal online account, completing and returning the application to deregister form (PDF, 33KB), or by phoning our Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23.
Marking or branding hives
The Act requires a beekeeper to place a HIN on 1 hive out of every 50, but we recommend that you brand all your hives as proof of ownership and to help with recovery in the event of loss or theft. This is particularly important if your hives have old brands.
You must ensure that hive markings stay legible. You must mark or brand the HIN:
- on the front of the hive
- in block letters, at least 25mm high.
The first HIN on a hive must be placed in the centre of the front of the hive (position 1). If a hive is already marked or branded, you must place any subsequent marks or brands of the HIN in the corners of the front of the hive in a clockwise sequence, starting from the top left hand corner (position 2).
Also consider...
- Read more about becoming a registered biosecurity entity.
- Last reviewed: 29 Mar 2019
- Last updated: 7 Mar 2023