Published - 18 February 2022 By Nadine Chapman, University of Sydney Uncapping: a defence against Varroa Varroa is an external mite that feeds on both brood and adult bees. When it feeds, it spreads viruses. The combined effects of predation and … Read More breeding, brood disease, Plan bee, uncapping, varroa Breeding, Pests and diseases
Published - 10 November 2021 By Rod Bourke, NSW DPI Australian beekeepers need to regularly check for exotic mites Australian honey industry at risk from exotic mites The majority of Australian beekeepers are completely unskilled and unprepared should mites arrive to our shores and start … Read More alcohol wash, biosecurity, hive inspections, sugar shake, Tropilaelaps, varroa Biosecurity, Code of Practice, Managing your hives, Pests and diseases, Policy and compliance
Published - 27 August 2021 By John Roberts Safe imports of new bee genetics into Australia Queen bee breeders are the backbone of the honey bee industry. They breed queens from the best performing stock so that beekeepers can have productive … Read More Africanised bees, biosecurity, breeding, import, mites, quarantine, varroa, virus Biosecurity, Breeding, Genetics, Pests and diseases, Policy and compliance
Published - 9 August 2021 By Nadine Chapman, University of Sydney Tropilaelaps mites There are at least four species of Tropilaelaps mites, all native to Asia. Two species are able to parasitize the worker and drone brood of … Read More brood disease, mites, pests, Tropilaelaps, varroa Biosecurity, Pests and diseases
Published - 4 June 2021 By Théotime Colin (University of Sydney) Varroa, the greatest threat to Australian honey bees What is the varroa mite and what does it do? Varroa destructor is a small mite that parasitises honey bees, transmitting harmful diseases and ultimately killing … Read More mites, varroa Managing your hives, Pests and diseases
Published - 5 March 2021 By Nadine Chapman Hive inspections Under the Australian honey bee industry biosecurity code of practice beekeepers are required to inspect their hives at least twice per year and to keep … Read More American foulbrood, biosecurity, code of practise, hive inspections, hive movements, mites, records, varroa Biosecurity, Code of Practice, Managing your hives, Pests and diseases, Policy and compliance, Registration, Training & resources
Published - 4 June 2020 By Nadine Chapman Hygienic behaviour For a colony to show hygienic behaviour, there are three things the workers must do. The first is detection: a worker bee must sense that … Read More American foulbrood, brood disease, chalkbrood, European foulbrood, hive management, hygienic behaviour, varroa Breeding, Managing your hives, Pests and diseases
Published - 22 May 2020 By Michael J Holmes How is Varroa like COVID-19? Tracking outbreaks of exotic diseases has never been more at the forefront of public thinking, and it’s important to remember that the honey bee industry … Read More colony density, drone congregation area, pollination, queen pheromone, varroa Pests and diseases, Pollination
Published - 4 April 2020 By Nadine Chapman Can Aussie bees tolerate Varroa? Australia is the lucky country, particularly for beekeepers. Around the world, the beekeeping industry has been devastated by the ectoparasitic mite Varroa and the diseases … Read More sugar shake, varroa Biosecurity, Code of Practice, Pests and diseases
Published - 4 December 2019 By Nadine Chapman Screened bottom boards Varroa has not yet established in Australia. In the advent that it does establish, beekeepers need to be aware of the available control methods. Chemical … Read More hive management, screened bottom boards, varroa Agrichemicals, Biosecurity, Honey, Managing your hives, Pests and diseases
Published - 9 November 2019 By Ros Gloag Asian honey bees in Australia A swarm of Asian honey bees in Cairns, Queensland.(Photo: R. Gloag) Today there are two honey bee species that call Australia home: the European honey bee … Read More Apis cerana, Asian honey bees, varroa Biosecurity, Pests and diseases
Published - 9 November 2019 By Elizabeth Frost, NSW Department of Primary Industries What is VSH? Varroa sensitive hygiene trait The Varroa destructor mite is a major honey bee pest throughout most of the world. Australia is the only major beekeeping country in the world … Read More biosecurity, breeding, varroa, VSH Managing your hives, Pests and diseases