Surveillance

Varroa mite eradication update

10/02/2017 – 1:52 pm Bees on the move With the recent rainfall in North Queensland, there has been a notable increase in bee activity and swarms. The National Varroa Mite Eradication Progam is calling on beekeepers and members of the public in the Townsville area  to report new bee swarms and feral nests so that they can be examined […] Read more

Varroa mite prevention and control program in Townsville

19/01/2017 – 9:23 am Biosecurity Queensland is conducting surveillance and control activities to detect and destroy Asian honey bees and eradicate varroa mites. To stop the spread of varroa mites, a Prevention and Control Program is now in place for the Townsville City Council local government area. The Prevention and Control Program imposes obligations on an occupier of a […] Read more

Varroa mite eradication team in it for the long haul

02/12/2016 – 8:48 am The campaign to rid Townsville of varroa mites is now being funded nationally, with a dedicated locally-based varroa mite eradication team being established in Townsville. Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Economic Development Bill Byrne said the establishment of the National Varroa Mite Eradication Program would ensure a continuing long-term effort to […] Read more

Bee biosecurity code of practice

12/10/2016 – 1:24 pm The secret to being a good beekeeper Currently Australia is free of many serious honey bee pests that damage the health of European honey bees overseas. According to Alison Saunders, National Manager for Horticultural Cropping at Plant Health Australia, exotic pests such as varroa, tropilaelaps or tracheal mites are a constant threat. “As bad as […] Read more

Response team make a bee-line to Asian honey bee nest

12/09/2016 – 12:00 pm Another Asian honey bee nest has been found in the Hyde Park area of Townsville, but there were no varroa mites on the bees or in the nest. Biosecurity Queensland Varroa Mite Response Coordinator Dr Ashley Bunce said this latest nest was located in the eaves of a house that backed on to the property […] Read more