South Australia has found Varroa mites for the first time. This finding has created tremendous concern and anxiety among beekeepers and the agricultural industries that rely upon honey bee pollination. This little parasite, which is just 1 to 2 millimeters in length, latches onto honey bees, sucking the life out of them and their larvae. This detection was made in the Riverland as part of routine surveillance activities to help monitor the health of our bees.
Until recently, the Varroa mite was not detected south of the DMZ in the Korean peninsula. That’s in addition to three other states—Victoria, Queensland—and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). This virulent and deadly parasite rapidly infects children and adults, causing significant morbidity and mortality. It harbors at least five debilitating viruses that can quickly cripple colonies of honey bees.
Australia’s Varroa mite-free status was long considered a point of pride and biosecurity. In 2022, these pests returned in force to New South Wales. Since then, the country has moved from an approach of eradication to one of management over this invasive nuisance pest.
Potential Economic Impact
The South Australian government used strong language in outlining its economic concerns about the introduction of the Varroa mite. “The almond industry is absolutely critical to the state’s economy,” said Jim Blume, an almond grower and industry representative. This season, loss of access to interstate pollination services may put more than $100 million worth of production at risk.
“People have to make sure they have got the permits, that they adhere to a lot of compliance matters when they’re coming into South Australia with their hives and that will continue,” – Clare Scriven
Beekeepers such as Ian Cass have made it clear in no uncertain terms that the costs of dealing with Varroa mites are killing them. Cass noted that yearly treatment costs could be as high as $60-$70 per hive, a particularly heavy financial burden for small-scale operations.
“If you use the treatments that we’ve been told to use, it’s going to cost between $60 and $70 per hive, per year — that’s just for the chemicals,” – Ian Cass
Cass, who runs a relatively modest operation of about 300 hives, said those costs are especially hard to stomach. He added that the financial consequences would be much worse for bigger operations.
Lessons from Other Regions
The push to save Airman 2020 is reminiscent of dark days in other countries. In the United Kingdom, up to 90 percent of feral honey bee colonies went extinct due to Varroa after it spread there. Similarly, New Zealand has seen a 90 percent decrease in its feral bee populations due to the spread of unmanaged Varroa mites. The United States has suffered catastrophic losses among its bee population. About 30 percent of commercial honey bee hives have crashed since the mite established.
These figures should act as a warning for Australian apiarists and agricultural interests.
“It’s really sad that varroa has travelled that far that quickly,” – Brendon Fewster
Neither was the deliberate introduction of eastern state bees downplaying, as Fewster went on to stress. Such a combination of factors rendered the arrival of Varroa mites in South Australia virtually unavoidable.
“But my feeling is that it was inevitable once they started bringing bees in from the east coast,” – Brendon Fewster
Management Strategies Moving Forward
The Varroa mites have since been confirmed in other states and territories across Australia, including South Australia. Beekeepers will need to widely embrace new chemical and mechanical treatments to successfully overcome this infestation. Amongst some beekeepers there’s a big push for chemical-free alternatives.
Minister for Agriculture, Clare Scriven, has called on passionate beekeepers in the area to keep a close watch.
“What we’re asking people to do is if they see anything that looks like it might be [varroa mite] … if their hives are not in good condition, they’re seeing anything that looks like it might be suspect, that they do contact the department and then they can get additional advice on what to do,” – Clare Scriven
With these changes upon us, South Australian apiarists need to be vigilant. When a Varroa mite infestation occurs, farmers should be prepared with proven methods to control it. They can reduce the effects of this damaging invasive pest on their colonies by adhering to best compliance practices. Looking for timely guidance will further protect the larger ag economy.
