What is Varroa Mite plague in Australia?

July 21, 2022

In the recent weeks, Australian authorities have killed millions of honeybees in a bid to stop the spread of catastrophic parasite to its south-eastern part. Honey-sector in Australia is under huge threat from recent outbreak of deadly varroa mite. It is a sesame seed-sized parasite, discovered at a port in near Sydney recently.

Varroa mite or Varroa destructor:

It is a parasitic bug, involved in attacking and feeding on honeybees. They are small pests, reddish-brown in colour. They are known to destroy entire colonies of honeybees. They move frequently through beekeeping supplies such as detached combs and hives. Varroa mite affects the honeybee colonies severely;

Decrease in number of honeybees colonies across the world can be linked to the proliferation of mite. Bee colonies worldwide have been affected by it.
It could negatively affect the development of various crops, including macadamia nuts, blueberries, and almonds in Australia, if left uncontrolled. This is because, these products depend on hives for pollination.

Australia’s agriculture business is going through several challenges including, Mouse plague, supply-chain concerns, Bushfires, Increasing energy costs due to Russia-Ukraine conflict, floods, and supply-chain issues. Furthermore, the outbreak of mice has spread to over 400 different locations. To stop the spread, around six million bees have been killed. Authorities have also implemented biosecurity zones in a bid to restrict the movement of honey, bees, hives and comb.

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