Keep sniffing for varroa
From the November 2006 edition of Agriculture Today.
Kiss that scrumptious morning crumpet and world’s best Aussie honey into recession for a while, if a tiny destructor mite called varroa slips through quarantine.
Wherever it hitches a ride – and it’s not here yet – the “foot and mouth” style nemesis of honey bees worldwide, Varroa destructor, destroys all wild populations before it and will also kill any managed colony left untreated.
Stopping varroa mites getting here, now, is very front-of-mind for quarantine managers and bee keepers all over the country.
Beyond the love labour, honey, what other insect will pick up the job of pollinating a huge number of our crops and vegies? Our gardens?
Pale imports could flow in as honey’s replacement – but it just would not be the same golden breakfast bliss, would it?
If varroa mites got to the multimillion dollar almond industry flourishing in the Tri-State region, they could retard it dramatically – almonds must be pollinated by bees to get a crop.
Lucrative exports of live bee packages would also be heavily knocked about.
So, besides calling out the dogs, a number of other quarantine measures are in place. “Mites can drop off adult bees and live for some time, so anyone entering Australia who has handled bees in the previous few days should not go near a hive for a week,” Dr Doug Somerville, NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) apiarist at Goulburn said.
“Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) dogs are sniffing at airports and mail exchanges for illegally sent queen bees.
“Illegally importing bees attracts a stiff fine but there are ways to bringing queens in legally through a quarantine facility at Eastern Creek.
“Numerous sea ports around Australia are being checked for swarms that have found their way into shipping containers by either accident or design.
“A number of swarms have been located in imported containers and killed.
“Australia has a sentinel hive program where hives at major ports are inspected for mites every three months,” Dr Somerville said.
In the hope of maintaining Australia as the last major beekeeping nation free of the pest, hundreds of beekeepers are using NSW DPI’s free “sugar shaking” test jars and there is significant interstate interest.
Rolling a sample of 200 adult bees in fine powdered sugar makes mites drop off; if they were present, they’d then shake out through the wire grid on the lid of the jar.
New Zealand was the secondlast country free of mites until they popped up there in 2000, spread throughout the North Island, and were found just last June on the South.
The New Zealand government is implementing an eradication program.
If they and beekeepers win the battle, it will be the first time anyone has, anywhere.
Contact Dr Doug Somerville, Goulburn, (02) 4828 6619. For more information about quarantine, contact AQIS, (1800) 020 504 or (02) 6272 3933.
