Deadly honey bee parasite detected in Australian beehives

A deadly parasite that infests beehives and kills honey bees has spread through regional Victoria.

Varroa mites have been detected in beehives throughout the Gippsland region, putting apiarists on alert to monitor their hives for any infestation.

Gippsland Apiarist Association president Stan Glowacki said once a mite got into a beehive, it could build up numbers where it killed off the hive within about six to nine months.

“If you have 400 hives that could be quite a financial hit to your operation,” he said.

“It’s going to affect every beekeeper, it does not matter whether they have one hive or 1000 hives.”

Varroa destructor is a parasite of adult honey bees and broods that weaken and kill honey bee colonies and transmit viruses, according to Victoria Agriculture.

They are a major problem for commercial and hobby beekeepers once they become established.

Varroa mites were first detected in NSW in June 2022.

A national eradication response saw 14,000 hives euthanised before it was determined that it was not feasible to achieve total elimination.

Authorities and beekeepers now manage the pest, which can cost about $40 a year per hive, according to Glowacki.

“It’s a little parasitic mite that moves on the bees,” Glowacki said.

“To scale it up to human size, it’s the equivalent of having a parasite the size of a dinner plate stuck on your body, sucking out your blood.”

He said once a female mite got inside a hive and a brood hatched, it was an exponential threat.

“It’s very worrying even for a small backyard beekeeper. Nobody wants to lose their bees,” he said.

“If you don’t monitor your hives and manage the mite, you’re going to lose your hives.

“Eventually, we’re going to get to the stage where the industry is going to know the genetics and have hives that can manage the mite without the use of chemicals.

“But until we get to that stage, people will lose hives and pay for the chemicals to try and keep their hives alive.”

Victoria Agriculture has been contacted for comment.