Meet the Keeper

Bill Ringin is a beekeeper from Moe with 55 years of experience. He is extremely passionate about beekeeping, as bees are such a critical part of our life cycle and food production, and his love for bees stems from his innate love of animals, insects and plants. Bill enjoys providing mentorship to others who have an interest in bees and beekeeping, and donates his time and knowledge to educate about theory and offer hands-on experience with his own beehives, and supports those who then have wish to have their own bees and undertake beekeeping.

Bill has accumulated his skills and knowledge from other experienced beekeepers locally and interstate, through his involvement with beekeeping groups in various regions and participation in short courses and training sessions run by the Department of Agriculture. Bill completed his SQRT (State Quarantine Response Team) training after becoming experienced in detection tests such as the sugar shake method. SQRT is designed to equip participants with the skills to conduct in-hive surveillance in the event of a suspect incursion of parasitess, such as Varroa mites, and to participate in the government’s emergency response.

One of Bill’s greatest achievements is working with Agriculture Victoria on their biosecurity endeavours to keep exotic and deadly parasites, including the Varroa mite, out of the country. In fact, through his and others’ work, Australia is the only country that has been able to keep this mite out. Varroa mite attacks bees by weakening the bees, and eventually killing bee colonies.  Bill was one of the first beekeepers to be called upon for this program and has since been joined by over 180 other trained beekeepers around Australia.

Bill and his beekeeping colleagues are the driving force in Max Biocare Research Park’s dedication to its research and innovation activities related to bees and beekeeping. He is always eager to share and impart his knowledge and experience to the world and has been the inspiration behind our philosophy and ambitions.