Varroa mite – frequently asked questions

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is a serious, exotic parasite of adult European honey bees and their brood. It weakens and kills honey bee colonies and can also transmit honeybee viruses.

Varroa destructor is a distinctive-looking small mite, around 1 mm in diameter.

Mites are easily identifiable to the naked eye and are a reddish-brown colour.

Detailed descriptions are available on the About Varroa mite of honey bees page.

The mites are very mobile and readily transfer between adult bees.

Varroa mites spread between colonies and apiaries when hive components, infested brood and adult bees are interchanged during normal apiary management practices.

The transport of hives used beekeeping equipment and queen bees by beekeepers is also a very effective means of spread. In Australia, the spread of Varroa mite is expected to be fast over long distances because of the migratory nature of the beekeeping industry.

Foraging and drifting bees and swarms can also spread Varroa mite. In the case of foragers, mites can move from the bee to a flower and then hitch a ride with another bee or insect visiting the same flower.

Beekeepers who detect or suspect Varroa mite is present in their hives in Victoria are required to notify immediately by calling the Emergency Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

In Victoria this hotline is staffed 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 10 am to 6 pm on weekends and public holidays - please leave a message outside these hours.

You may be asked to provide photos, collect a sample or provide further information about your hive. Beekeepers can also Report Varroa mite online.

Once Varroa is confirmed, beekeepers will be put in touch with Varroa Development Officers who can assist with advice about ongoing Varroa management.

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) was reported in sentinel hives at the Port of Newcastle in New South Wales (NSW) on Friday 24 June 2022. The detection was the result of routine surveillance on sentinel hives by NSW Bee Biosecurity Officers.

Varroa mite has since been detected at multiple sites across NSW, and continues to spread. Read more on the NSW Department of Primary Industries website.

The National Management Group has agreed that the eradication of Varroa mite is no longer technically feasible; we now need to work collaboratively to manage and minimise its impact.

Agriculture Victoria confirmed the first Varroa mite detection in Victoria on 14 August at a property in Nangiloc near Mildura. Following the detection of varroa in one hive, increased surveillance was conducted on hives at that location, with no further mite detections. A second beekeeper self-report occurred in October.

As further spread is reported by beekeepers throughout Victoria, the Victorian Varroa map will be updated on BeeMAX to provide early warning and enable beekeepers to undertake extra monitoring and preparatory activities.

Following the National Management Group meeting on 19 September, the Victorian Government will join other Australian states, territories and industries to transition from eradication to management of Varroa destructor.

With active contribution from industry and government stakeholders, a National Varroa Mite Response Plan was developed by the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests (CCEPP), this plan was finalised by the National Management Group on 13 February 2024.  The plan guides the Transition to Management phase of the response has a strong focus on education and engagement activities to help build industry resilience and contains measures aimed at slowing the spread of the pest.

Agriculture Victoria is working with key beekeeping industry bodies and interstate agencies to implement the elements of the plan.

A copy of the National Varroa Mite Response Plan can be viewed at Varroa mite transition to management (nsw.gov.au).

Victoria continues to try and slow the spread of Varroa and The Victorian Control Area Order remains in place restricting the movement of bees and bee products into Victoria unless they can meet specified entry requirements and obtain a permit.

Permits are reviewed on a case-by case basis. Applications can be made via the Agriculture Victoria Beekeeper Permits page.

Extension and engagement are being delivered across the state to directly support beekeepers as we transition to managing Varroa mite.

The delivery of extension and engagement is occurring via two streams:

• a series of free one day workshops (25 in Victoria) and
• Beekeeper access to a network of Varroa Development Officers.

All beekeepers are encouraged to attend a free Varroa workshop. Workshops are released in stages and current courses are listed at Varroa Management Training | Humanitix

Beekeepers in Victoria can reach out for support from VDO’s by emailing Victorian.VDO@agriculture.vic.gov.au or by calling: 1800 958 485

The primary objective of the 12 VDOs employed, is to build beekeeper knowledge and capability to effectively manage Varroa mite as an endemic bee pest.  Activities include:

• Presenting extension and engagement activities to promote best management practices for Varroa mite to commercial and recreational beekeepers at field days, bee club meetings and workshops

• Speaking with beekeepers one on one
• Promoting hive health monitoring across the state and assessing the impacts of Varroa mite.

To get in contact with the Varroa Development Officers:

• email Victorian.VDO@agriculture.vic.gov.au
• call 1800 958 485.

The National Varroa mite Management Program is delivering a series of workshops to provide beekeepers with the latest information on Varroa mite and managing varroa mite in your hives.

These FREE one-day workshops will provide Victorian beekeepers with the training and skills to successfully manage Varroa.

Each workshop will cover:

• Understanding Varroa mite and its impacts
• The importance of monitoring and thresholds
• Integrated pest management and Varroa
• Chemical treatment options including organic options
• Brood location, frame rotation and management
• Best practice record keeping.

A list of workshop locations can be found on the Varroa Management Training | Humanitix website.

Places at the workshops are limited so please register early to secure your spot.

To maximise the chances of early detection, the current surveillance recommendation in Victoria is to use drone uncapping (where possible), PLUS the alcohol/soapy water wash or sugar shake method, 4 times per year, in each apiary that you manage.

• For apiaries with <10 hives test all hives
• For apiaries with >10 hives sample 10 or more hives

The legislated minimum surveillance requirement continues to be one hive per apiary, twice per year, 4 months apart as per the Biosecurity Code of Practice.

We continue to ask beekeepers to submit all test results on BeeMAX.

If you require advice or support with Varroa surveillance or entering your results, please contact Victorian.VDO@agriculture.vic.gov.au or by call: 1800 958 485.

It is important to note that once Varroa becomes endemic to your area, it is recommended to increase testing to every 4 weeks. This learning comes from New South Wales regions where re-invasion pressures from highly infested wild European honeybee colonies has been known to cause rapid hive decline.

Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) permits are now in place for legal use of Varroa mite treatments in Victoria.

It is important to remember that treatments should only be undertaken when Varroa mite in-hive thresholds are exceeded. This will minimise miticide resistance and should be part of your integrated pest management (IPM) strategy.

The National Varroa Mite training workshops have a strong focus on IPM and how chemical treatments fit into a control strategy.

The AHBIC website has some useful information on miticide use for your reference.

AHBIC Varroa Chemical Treatment Table - Australian Honey Bee Industry Council

The APVMA permits allow these otherwise unregistered products to be used in Australia. Chemical users must follow the instructions specified on the relevant APVMA permit. Once products are registered with the APVMA, they will receive Australian labels which will be available on the PubCRIS database. At this time, chemical users must follow the product label.

Varroa treatments are considered agvet chemicals and their use must be recorded and available if requested by an Agriculture Victoria Biosecurity Officer. More information about the record-keeping requirements can be found here. Record-keeping is also covered in the training workshops.

Registered beekeepers in any state or territory not free from Varroa mite can apply for a permit on the Beekeeper permits.

Beekeepers should create a BeeMAX account if they do not already have one.

Upon submitting your application, an Authorised Officer will assess the application. Approved applications will be signed and you will be sent a copy of the permit.

A copy of the permit must travel with the items/load listed on the permit and copies of permits and records must be kept for the timeframe specified on the permit.

A reminder that existing certification requirements for moving bees, hives, used beekeeping equipment and bee products into Victoria still apply. For information about health certificate, read about moving bees interstate.

An application for a permit can also be made through the Customer Contact Centre on 136 186 or email honeybee.permits@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

A control area order in relation to Varroosis remains in place for Victoria. Permits remain a requirement for hives and queens from states or territories where Varroa destructor is present.

Permits are no longer required for:

• hives and queen bees from states and territories that remain free of Varroa
• bee products and used apiary equipment from all states.

These movements still require a valid Victorian Health Certificate and, in some cases, require a movement notification to be made.

For more information and details on permit applications visit the Varroa mite page.

Items that do not require a permit are drone semen, processed honey, processed wax and propolis for human consumption. These items will still require a health certificate. The form and more information about this can be found on our moving bees interstate page.

Victoria will continue to regularly reassess restrictions of the movement of hives, queens, bee products and used fittings into Victoria as the situation evolves.

Before applying for a permit, beekeepers should ensure they understand and are able to fulfil specified permit conditions. Beekeepers should also create a BeeMAX account if they do not already have one.

For more information and details on permit applications visit the Varroa mite page.

Victoria will continue to regularly reassess restrictions on the movement of hives and queens into Victoria as the situation evolves.

All Victorian beekeepers should ensure they purchase queens from interstate breeders who are compliant with current Victoria movement restrictions.

Queen breeders registered in a state or territory with Varroa must apply for a permit and meet the following conditions:

• Demonstrated compliance with biosecurity legislation

• An approved Varroa monitoring program in place

• No previous detections of Varroa mite

Queen breeders registered in a Varroa-free state or territory must obtain a valid health certificate for the movement of queens and complete necessary movement declarations.

Queen breeders can apply for permits and see details of required movement declarations on Beekeeper permits.

For further help or information, email honeybee.permits@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Victoria is maintaining a cautious and staged approach to ensure that biosecurity risk can be appropriately managed.

Victoria will reassess restrictions on the movement of hives and queens into Victoria from states and territories that are no longer free from Varroa mite as the situation evolves.

Agriculture Victoria is working closely with counterparts in NSW and other states to ensure permit systems are appropriate for the current risks.

The State Quarantine Response Team is extremely valuable to Agriculture Victoria, the beekeeping industry and the agriculture sector as it provides a large pool of trained in-hive surveillance experts, who are confident in handling bees, and ready to be called on as part of a honeybee response.

SQRT members conduct in-hive surveillance and participate in the government’s preparedness and response to biosecurity incursions such as Varroa mite.

Agriculture Victoria’s SQRT members work alongside authorised biosecurity officers in field teams to conduct in-hive surveillance.

Being part of the SQRT is a partnership between Agriculture Victoria and the Victorian honeybee industry. The program was created in Victoria and is now being implemented in other states across Australia.

If you are experienced in beekeeping and want to join the SQRT team, you will be required to complete the Victorian Honeybee SQRT Training course. The self-paced e-Learning course will inform you of the expectations required of you as a SQRT team member to actively participate in a response effectively. Sign up here: learning.agriculture.vic.gov.au

This link will take you directly to the course via a ‘Sign Up’ form.

When signing up, you must select “I need to access honeybee preparedness training” in the section “Why are you here”. The training will then appear directly in your Dashboard and Goal Centre.

If you have any problems accessing the training please email honeybee.biosecurity@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Yes, SQRT positions are paid to support Agriculture Victoria’s surveillance team when they are deployed.

When you apply you’ll be requested to complete some ‘employee’ paperwork, such as a police check, providing your COVID certificate, a pre-employment form, WorkSafe, etc.

Completing this employment paperwork as fast as possible is imperative to ensure you are ready to go and can be deployed.

There are currently 181 fully trained SQRT members. SQRT members were deployed to both the 2018 Varroa detection, and the 2022-2023 Victorian Varroa response. Many SQRT team members were also voluntarily deployed to the NSW Varroa response.

Victoria is not currently deploying SQRT members for Varroa surveillance in Victoria, but they remain an important work-force resource for future exotic incursions of bee pests and diseases.

For further information on being part of the SQRT team contact: Honeybee.Biosecurity@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

For anyone who is not part of the SQRT program, you can be involved in early detection of varroa mite by conducting mite testing and reporting your findings. Remember, recording negative results is important.

Report any suspect Varroa mite or any other plant pest or disease immediately to the national Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881 or make a report via our online form with photo (where possible).

In Victoria this hotline is staffed 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 10 am to 6 pm on weekends and public holidays - please leave a message outside these hours.

Report Varroa mite online.