Three and half years on from first finding varroa in Australia, authorities have detected a gene mutation in the parasite which is resulting in lower susceptibility to several common treatments. Has this ‘resistance’ developed in such a short period? Is it the result of a separate, parallel, mite incursion? Or has it just been missed to this point? Australian beekeepers and scientists are searching for answers, while experts in New Zealand say the news should put Kiwi beekeep

June 2025 marks three years since the beekeeping nightmare that is Varroa destructor was first detected in Australia, at a New South Wales (NSW) port. Unsurprisingly then, management of the mite is a hot topic say three Kiwis who flew across the Tasman recently to partake in Australian beekeeping conferences.

1400 beehives destroyed by fire, then within a year another 700 to flooding, soon after that small hive beetle wipes out 500 more, then...

Despite a bill of AUD$132 million and more than 30,000 hives euthanised, Australia’s 15-month fight to eradicate Varroa destructor from...