Search warrants have been issued as part of the federal government's investigation into the suspected illegal importation of live bees infected with varroa mite, as the industry works out what's next in learning to live with the deadly pest.More than 30,000 hives have been euthanased across 286 infested premisesVarroa mite was first detected in sentinel hives at the Port of Newcastle in June 2022, but authorities now know ground zero was near Williamtown further north.
The maximum penalties for offences under the Biosecurity Act 2015 are up to 10 years imprisonment or $626,000 per offence.Second-generation beekeeper Jon Lockwood from Goldfields Honey near Orange had 2,500 hives pollinating an almond farm near Balranald in the NSW Riverina region, when varroa was confirmed in a neighbouring orchard.
The third-generation apiarist's bees tested negative through mandatory alcohol-wash testing, so trucked his 1,000 hives to almond orchards in the Riverina, 1,000 kilometres away.Mr Seam spent a decade building up his hives to a commercial scale, battling fires, floods and droughts, as pollination was a chance to earn decent money.
"We had less than half of the registered beekeepers undertaking the alcohol washes in the time frame required — that's a significant disadvantage to any eradication program," he said. Mr Lockwood said varroa mites could breed in massive numbers, creating "mite bombs" that could then affect other beekeeping operations.
Cooper Schouten said the price paid for pollination in NZ increased by 30 to 100 per cent when varroa spread.Southern Cross University Researcher Cooper Schouten said despite the destruction, for those who could manage the pest it could provide an opportunity.