Exploration of advanced control and detection methods for varroa mite (PH22002)

The Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) threatens honeybee populations globally. This project assists the Australian beekeeping industry respond to varroa by providing information on developing technologies to both monitor and control varroa in the Australian context. Australia was the last major region free from this pest, and this enabled the project to review varroa infestations in other countries and thereby develop a framework to better use control and monitoring techniques in Australia. We also compared the structure of the bee-keeping industry both here and overseas to identify potential challenges to varroa management nationally. Our work identifies potential tools for varroa control and monitoring, and a framework in which to use them, to safeguard both honey production and the essential pollination services bees provide to agriculture.
The project collected information on existing and emerging methods for Varroa mite monitoring, detection and control using a formulated search strategy repeated across many databases that harvested nearly 2000 references and can be repeated to enable the information to remain relevant to the industry. PH22002 also collected information by engaging directly with researchers and stakeholders at meetings. A distilled list of potential techniques, focusing on monitoring techniques and biological and physical control methods, was reviewed at a two-day workshop involving representatives from many aspects of the pollination and beekeeping industries. The workshop bridged the gap between research and practical application, exploring how the techniques could be tailored to suit different beekeeping operations in Australia.
The result is a shortlist of emerging monitoring and control techniques that could be further developed as tools to defend Australia against varroa. Ph22002 also developed a framework that recognized that varroa infestations go through phases, dependent on the amount of varroa moving into hives. The most appropriate control methods depend on the phase of the varroa infestation at hand. During the chronic phase with little movement into hives, techniques targeting varroa reproduction are most applicable. Individual efficacy is not as important as whether the suite of control methods deployed brings the reproductive rate below 1. During an acute phase where many mites enter the hive daily, long-lasting techniques with high efficacy are necessary within the hive, while the best non-chemical response is to stop varroa from entering the hive.
The Industry analysis identified that varroa will probably cause many sideliners to exit the industry because of the added cost. Recreational beekeepers may be more receptive to the benefits of IPM but may be difficult to reach. Alternatively, large commercial operations will be easier to inform about new management techniques but will be more risk-adverse than recreational beekeepers. The commercial operators will also be those most likely to spread varroa through pollination services, so engaging with them is critical.
The information produced by this project provides a comprehensive list of techniques that could be further explored to monitor and manage varroa, along with a structure in which to use those techniques, and recognition of industry challenges in engaging industry with these techniques. The work supports the pollination industry by providing beekeeping with a roadmap and tools to effectively respond to the Varroa mite challenge.