Varroa mite – current situation

Update: Victorian Varroa control area order will be removed effective 11 September 2025

Agriculture Victoria will remove the statewide order declaring a control area in relation to Varroosis that was put in place to manage the spread of Varroa destructor in Victoria.

The change reflects the continued spread of Varroa across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia and aligns with the national strategy to slow the spread of Varroa and transition to management.

This reduction in regulatory burden will further support business continuity for beekeepers seeking to introduce bees and hives into Victoria from jurisdictions where Varroa is present and further support access to pollination services for growers.

In order to manage the biosecurity risks posed by the introduction of bees and hives from apiaries without an adequate Varroa management plan, the existing health certification system has been updated to incorporate Varroa-related conditions.

What this means for beekeepers from 11 September 2025

• The Victorian Varroa control area order restricting the movement of bees, bee products and beekeeping fittings will be lifted statewide.
• Beekeepers seeking to introduce bees or hives into Victoria from a state where Varroa is present will no longer be required to apply for and be granted a Varroa permit.
• ALL beekeepers seeking to introduce bees, bee products or used beekeeping equipment into Victoria from any jurisdiction MUST apply for and be granted a health certificate.
• Information on health certificate requirements is available at Moving bees interstate.

Ongoing responsibilities

Beekeepers are reminded to:

• continue monitoring hives regularly for signs of Varroa mite
• report positive and negative inspection results via BeeMAX
• adopt integrated pest management practices to help control Varroa populations in hives and keep mite numbers below treatment thresholds
• maintain accurate records of hive locations, inspections and treatments.

Updated 23 July 2025

Varroa detection in Victoria

As anticipated during the Varroa transition to management phase, new detections of Varroa have and will continue to occur across Victoria. All beekeepers should continue to monitor their hives regularly and report both positive and negative inspection results via BeeMAX. This will ensure the accuracy of the Victorian Varroa Surveillance Map, making it as useful as possible. This map is populated by data from BeeMAX users and can be found under the Public Reports tab in BeeMAX.

Agriculture Victoria strongly encourages and applauds the transparency and reporting of positive Varroa detections. This is for the benefit of industry and Government in supporting this transition phase.

As we are now in the transition to management phase of the Varroa response, there are no movement restrictions in place for positive hives (located in Victoria) moving within Victoria. The focus remains to slow the spread of Varroa and therefore Agriculture Victoria’s Varroa Development Officers are working in field with beekeepers to ensure any positive loads within the state are well managed below threshold, to minimise the biosecurity risk.

In line with the National Varroa Mite Response Plan, Agriculture Victoria is working closely with beekeepers to minimise the impacts on beehives in the apiary.

A team of 12 Varroa development officers (VDOs) have been recruited in Victoria under the National Varroa Mite Response Plan to provide guidance and assist all beekeepers to develop the skills and knowledge to manage Varroa and maintain healthy beehives.

The VDO team are available to lead practical presentations one on one, at bee clubs, field days and group events discussing how to keep bees happy and healthy, the realistic changes you can make in your apiary now to prepare for Varroa, surveillance techniques, chemical treatment options (both synthetic and non-synthetic) and how to schedule and plan for treatment based on your unique beekeeping situation.

Beekeepers looking for support and advice about Varroa should contact a Victorian Varroa Development Officer on:

• Phone: 1800 958 485 or
• Email: Victorian.VDO@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Varroa management training workshops were held at 26 locations across Victoria for both commercial and recreational beekeepers. Topics covered included monitoring and threshold surveillance actions, integrated pest management techniques, record-keeping and chemical treatments, including organic options. Find out more about the National Varroa Mite Management Program.

All beekeepers in Victoria are urged to check their hives and record their inspections, mite testing results and hive movements in BeeMAX.

Transition to management

Following the National Management Group meeting on 19 September 2023, the Victorian Government will join other Australian states, territories and industries in transitioning from eradication to management of Varroa destructor.

With active contribution from industry and government stakeholders, a National Varroa Mite Transition to Management 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 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.

As activities under the Transition to Management Plan progress, Agriculture Victoria will continue to update this page to provide information for Victorian beekeepers and affected industry parties.