This investment assisted the Australian beekeeping industry in responding to the incursion of Varroa Mite by providing information on developing technologies to monitor and control the mite in the Australian context.  

Challenge  

Varroa Mite is a parasitic mite that has caused significant damage to bee populations worldwide. The Varroa Mite's impact on honeybees includes weakening colonies by feeding on the fat bodies of bees, transmitting viruses such as the deformed wing virus, and ultimately leading to the collapse of bee colonies if not managed effectively.  

Varroa Mite is a significant threat to pollination services provided by honeybees, which support 64 per cent of Australia's total horticultural production volume.  

Response  

Australia was the last major region free from Varroa Mite, enabling the project team to review varroa infestations in other countries and develop a framework to use control and monitoring techniques in Australia better.   

The project team compared the structure of the beekeeping industry both here and overseas to identify potential challenges to Varroa Mite management nationally. The research identified potential tools for Varroa Mite control and monitoring and a framework in which to use them to safeguard both honey production and the essential pollination services bees provide to agriculture.  

The project collected information on existing and emerging methods for Varroa Mite monitoring, detection and control using a formulated search strategy repeated across many databases that harvested nearly 2000 references and can be repeated to keep the information relevant to the industry.   

The project also collected information by engaging with researchers and stakeholders at meetings. A distilled list of potential techniques, focusing on monitoring techniques and biological and physical control methods, was reviewed at a two-day workshop involving representatives from many aspects of the pollination and beekeeping industries. The workshop bridged the gap between research and practical application, exploring how the techniques could be tailored to suit different beekeeping operations in Australia.  

Benefit  

The project delivered a shortlist of emerging monitoring and control techniques that could be further developed as tools to defend Australia against Varroa Mite.   

The research also informed a framework that recognised that Varroa Mite infestations go through phases, depending on how much Varroa Mite moves into hives. The most appropriate control methods depend on the phase of the infestation at hand. Techniques targeting varroa reproduction are most applicable during the chronic phase with little movement into hives. Individual efficacy is less significant than whether the suite of control methods deployed brings the reproductive rate below 1. During an acute phase where many mites enter the hive daily, long-lasting techniques with high efficacy are necessary within the hive, while the best non-chemical response is to stop varroa from entering the hive.  

The information produced by this project provides a comprehensive list of techniques that could be further explored to monitor and manage varroa, along with a structure in which to use those techniques and recognition of industry challenges in engaging industry with these techniques. The work supports the pollination industry by providing beekeeping with a roadmap and tools to respond to the Varroa Mite challenge effectively.