varroa Archives - Professional Beekeepers

Topic: varroa

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 treatments have several drawbacks. Miticide residues have been reported in honey and bees wax, mites can become immune to the miticides, and their use prevents …
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hive management, screened bottom boards, varroa

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 (Apis mellifera), introduced for beekeeping in the 1820s, and the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) which was accidentally introduced to Far North Queensland (Cairns) sometime …
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Apis cerana, Asian honey bees, varroa

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 to be free of the parasite. Varroa mites feed on the fat body of adult bees and developing bee larvae and reproduce under capped cells …
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biosecurity, breeding, varroa, VSH

Managing your hives, Pests and diseases