Varroa mite – current situation

Updated 23 June 2026

Varroa mites in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia resistant to pyrethroid and formamidine products

Some Varroa mites in Victoria and South Australia are resistant to pyrethroid and formamidine chemicals. This means they cannot be controlled by the chemical treatments.

Agriculture Victoria confirmed Varroa mites in a north-east Victorian apiary were resistant to pyrethroid treatments on May 13^th this year. These pyrethroid chemicals are sold under the brand names Bayvarol and Apistan. In early June, further testing confirmed the same mites were also resistant to formamidine-based products. These are sold under the brand names Apivar and Apitraz.

This means some mites are resistant to all four permitted synthetic miticide treatments available in Australia. These treatments may not work to control Varroa mite numbers as expected.

In May, South Australia authorities confirmed some Varroa mites were resistant to both pyrethroid and formamidine chemicals. The chemical resistance was linked to QLD and NSW cases that emerged earlier this year. It is expected that other areas will be impacted.   Varroa mites with genetic resistance to pyrethroid and formamidine-based treatments are believed to have entered Australia in the past few years. This incursion is separate to the initial detection of Varroa mites in Australia in 2022. It is not known how the genetically resistant mites entered Australia. Testing by the NSW Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute has shown there are no exotic (new) viruses carried by Varroa, such as deformed wing virus (DWV) in affected hives.

Eradication of this resistant mite population is not technically feasible, because Varroa is so geographically widespread. As a result, eradication will not be attempted.

If this resistance spreads, beekeepers will lose some of the main tools for controlling Varroa mites. This could lead to more mites in hives and less bee colonies surviving. Resistance can spread through chemical misuse, the sale and movement of bees infested with Varroa mites that are already resistant and spread of resistant mites from nearby apiaries.

Because fewer chemical treatments may work in the future, it is important to start using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods that do not rely solely on chemicals. When using chemicals, follow all label instructions. P  roper dosage and treatment duration are essential. Using miticides incorrectly can speed up resistance in the Varroa population.

Agriculture Victoria, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and QLD DPI are working together to trace hive movements and carry out further tests for  resistant mites. This helps to understand the cause and how far the resistant mites have spread.

State and territory governments and the Australian Government, are also continuing to work with the beekeeping industry through the National Bee Biosecurity Program and the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program.

Beekeepers are asked to monitor their hives and report suspected resistance or anything unusual. Monitoring and reporting helps to protect the beekeeping industry.

For more information see Miticide resistance In Varroa mites: What Victorian beekeepers need to know.

To report any suspected cases of treatment failure, contact the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881

Ongoing Varroa management support

The Victorian Government is providing long-term biosecurity support for the apiary and pollination-dependent industries by investing an extra $3.2 million through the Victorian Varroa Transition Program 2025–27.

This  program , alongside the existing National Bee Biosecurity Program, will help beekeepers to adjust to managing Varroa mites in Victoria and help protect the pollination services that are essential for Victorian agriculture.

Beekeepers looking for support and advice about Varroa should contact a Victorian bee biosecurity officer on 136 186 or honeybee.biosecurity@agriculture.vic.gov.au

End of the Varroa Transition to Management Program

In September 2023, the National Management Group (NMG), the national authority overseeing the Varroa mite emergency response , determined that eradication of Varroa was no longer possible. As a result, the program shifted in early 2024 from eradication to a transition to management approach.

The focus of this 2-year transition to management was to slow the spread of Varroa mite, strengthen the capacity of beekeepers to identify and manage Varroa effectively and secure pollination services for dependent industries.

Although the Transition to Management Program  ended in February 2026, the resources developed are still available for free to help support best practice management.

These free tools and guides can be found at the National Varroa Mite Management Program.

Victorian Varroa control area order was removed effective 11 September 2025

Agriculture Victoria removed the statewide order declaring a control area in relation to Varroosis (the infestation of honeybees with Varroa). The control area 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.

Beekeepers seeking to bring bees and hives into Victoria from jurisdictions where Varroa is present are no longer subject to statewide movement controls. This further supports access to pollination services for growers.

The existing health certification system has been updated to include conditions relating to Varroa mite. This is to manage  the biosecurity risks posed by the introduction of bees and hives from apiaries without an adequate Varroa management plan.

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 has been lifted statewide.
• Beekeepers seeking to introduce bees or hives into Victoria from a state where Varroa is present will no longer need a Varroa permit.
• ALL beekeepers seeking to introduce bees, bee products, queen bees, or used beekeeping equipment into Victoria from any state or territory MUST have 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
• report any suspected chemical treatment failures.
• maintain your registration and continue to meet its conditions, including compliance with the Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice.

Reporting positive and negative test results to BeeMAX ensures 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 to assess risk before movement of hives.

There are no movement restrictions in place for positive hives (located in Victoria) moving within Victoria. Agriculture Victoria’s bee biosecurity officers are assisting beekeepers to ensure any positive loads within the state are well managed below threshold, to minimise the biosecurity risk.

In line with the national response, Agriculture Victoria is working closely with beekeepers to minimise the impacts on beehives in the apiary.

Visit the National Varroa Mite Management Program website for information about:

• monitoring and threshold surveillance actions
• integrated pest management techniques,
• record-keeping and chemical treatments, including organic options.

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