Australia’s defences against destructive exotic bee pests have been strengthened, with Hort Innovation launching the next phase of the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program alongside the NSW Apiarist Conference in Bathurst last week and World Bee Day (20 May).

The five-year, nationally coordinated program will continue targeted surveillance in Australia’s highest risk areas to enable the early detection of 18 exotic and regionally significant bee pests, safeguarding the honey bee industry and the $12 billion worth of pollination services Australian agriculture relies on each year.

Delivered by Plant Health Australia in partnership with all state and territory governments, the surveillance program takes a risk-based, nationally consistent approach to monitoring threats such as exotic honey bees, invasive mites and emerging bee viruses before they can establish and spread.

Hort Innovation CEO Brett Fifield explained what this means for Australia’s growers and pollination-reliant industries: “Early detection is our best line of defence when it comes to protecting honey bee health and pollination services. This program ensures Australia is proactively monitoring the highest risk entry points, using the most effective surveillance techniques available, to protect growers, beekeepers and the industries that depend on them.”

The program will operate at a minimum of eight high risk air and sea ports across Australia, with surveillance activities delivered by state and territory biosecurity agencies using specialist hives, detection and diagnostics. Surveillance will focus on pests that pose the greatest threat to honey bees.

Peter Cavallaro, General Manager at Walker Flat Almonds “Fortifying our borders from anything that further impacts our honey bee population is paramount. We are living through the serious impacts of varroa mite since it was detected in 2022, so we need to be ready and the surveillance program is one way we can stay ahead of the game to protect our farms and farming communities.”

Australian Honey Bee Industry Council Chair, Jon Lockwood explained why the program is crucial: “' The Australian honey bee industry consider the horticulture sector as vital partners, moving together into the future to secure Australia's food supply via pollination.

The National Bee Pest Surveillance program is essential to protect the Australian bee industry from many unwanted pests and diseases that threaten our boarders. The Red Dwarf Honeybee incursion in Western Australia is a primary example, where we are currently seeking a proof of freedom.”

Coordinated nationally, the program will strengthen collaboration across government and industry, supports Australia’s broader biosecurity system and aligns with national plant and biosecurity strategies to improve preparedness for emerging threats.

Plant Health Australia will oversee program coordination, governance and data management, working closely with jurisdictions to ensure surveillance results contribute to national reporting and decision-making.

By investing in ongoing surveillance and early detection, the program plays a critical role in protecting Australia’s honey bees, commercial and recreational beekeepers, and the productivity of horticulture and agriculture nationwide.

The National Bee Pest Surveillance Program (NBPSP; PH25001) is funded through Hort Innovation Frontiers with co-investment from 14 horticultural industries, Australian honey bee industry levies, Grain Producers Australia, significant in-kind contributions from all states and the Northern Territory Government and contributions from the Australian Government.