In June 2022, Varroa destructor, a parasite of European honey bees, was detected in surveillance hives at the Port of Newcastle (NSW).
At the beginning of September 2022, 99 premises in NSW have had bees infested with varroa mite. The location of these premises range from Sydney up to the Hunter Valley region, one property in north-west NSW and one on the north coast near Coffs Harbour.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries has euthanised more than 4000 hives as part of this important eradication program.
The number of infested premises has plateaued at 99. This is because newly infested hives have been in close proximity to or linked to known infested hives.
The current situation in the NSW response is available here
The VAA are attending decision making meetings with the Victorian biosecurity teams and other state and national bodies.
Braula fly in Victoria
Braula fly is a small species of wingless fly that lives in honeybee colonies and looks similar to Varroa mite when viewed with the naked eye. Found during the Varroa response, three detections have been reported in Victoria.
While Braula fly is not considered to be a serious threat to commercial beekeeping or honey production, it does impact on honeycomb quality, and is a domestic trade pest.
Braula fly is a notifiable honey bee pest across all states and territories of mainland Australia, with beekeepers required to report the detection or suspicion of this pest to government authorities.