Varroa Detection at the Port of Newcastle

On late Wednesday the 22nd of June AHBIC was made aware if the detection of mites in surveillance hives at the port of Newcastle. AHBIC has acted swiftly in working with the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to ensure the sentinel hives have been euthanised and the mites identified. Molecular testing has conformed that it is V. destructor.

AHBIC has been in constant contact with the DPI and the national response plan has been initiated with a meeting of the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pest (CEPPD) held on Friday and further meetings on Monday. AHBIC and the NSWAA will be working to provide on ground resources to assist in the surveillance.

Industry Liaison Officers are being mobilised and will be based at the state control centre in Orange and the local coordination centre in Maitland. In the initial stages the ILO officers will be Danny Le Feuvre from AHBIC and Steve Fuller from the NSW Apiarists Association. These ILO’s will be on the ground and will coordinate the industry resources that will be needed to assist in the surveillance.

There is a 50km ‘do not move’ order in place. It is critically important that beekeepers in the Newcastle area do not move any hives or equipment in or out of the area. Moving hives away will only further exacerbate the issue and make eradication efforts futile.

Not moving hives in or out of the 50km ‘do not move’ area will be the only way of successfully containing the incursion and ultimately eradicating the pest.

It also important that any media enquires are directed to AHBIC to ensure the messaging is consistent.

Further information contact AHBIC - Danny Le Feuvre 0402 467 780