SA Varroa update and information webinar

Varroa Mite's Advance in South Australia

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) first appeared in Australia in June 2022 at the Port of Newcastle in New South Wales. After a failed eradication attempt, authorities shifted in September 2023 to a transition-to-management approach, ending formal eradication in early 2026 after a two-year national program focused on slowing spread and building industry capacity.

South Australia stayed free until September 2025, when routine surveillance found the mite in hives at Pooginook in the Riverland. Detections then multiplied: by November 2025, cases emerged in the Limestone Coast near Salt Creek, Taratap, and Sellicks Hill on the Fleurieu Peninsula, often linked to shared sites or movements. By February 2026, the tally reached 32 affected apiaries involving 25 beekeepers, with new areas including Baroota, Kuitpo, Mt Gambier, and parts of the Coorong.

The mite's impact is severe because it parasitises honeybees, transmitting viruses that cause colony collapse. In unmanaged or feral populations, losses can exceed 90% without intervention. Commercial beekeepers face higher monitoring and treatment costs, while pollination-dependent industries—such as almonds, apples, cherries, and avocados—risk reduced yields or inflated fees as hive demand rises and effectiveness falls.

Tensions arise between containment efforts and practical realities. Beekeepers must monitor hives frequently (every 3-4 weeks in risk zones) using methods like alcohol washes or sticky mats, yet the mite spreads via drifting bees, robbing, or undetected movements. Miticide resistance has emerged in northern NSW by January 2026, raising concerns about long-term control efficacy. Growers anticipate needing more managed hives for adequate pollination as early as 2026, squeezing margins in an already tight sector.

The broader stakes involve food security and economic ripple effects. Pollination underpins roughly a third of Australia's agricultural output by value; any sustained decline in bee health could lift supermarket prices for fruits, nuts, and vegetables.