Bee Pests and Diseases
General information
The naturalised European honey bee supports an Australian honey and bee products industry valued at approximately $80 million (industry estimate) per year (Source: Australian Honeybee Industry Council Submission no. 56, p. 28, to the House of Representatives Standing Committee Inquiry into the Future Development of the Australian Honeybee Industry).
The industry is composed of about 1500 commercial apiarists and many thousands of part-time and hobbyist apiarists, producing around 30 000 tonnes of honey each year. It is estimated that bees contribute directly to between four and six billion dollars of agricultural production, mostly from unpaid sources such as feral bee colonies, but also from a small paid pollination industry of about $3.5 million per year (Source: Ms Margie Thomson, RIRDC, Transcript of Evidence, 8 August 2007, p6. to the House of Representatives Standing Committee Inquiry into the Future Development of the Australian Honeybee Industry).
There are severe biosecurity threats to honey bees and pollination that have not yet arrived in Australia, including Varroa mite which would cause a major decline in Australia’s feral bee population and cause a rapid increase in demand for pollination services. It is estimated that Varroa mite could cost Australian plant industries between $21.3 million and $50.5 million per year over thirty years.
What are the pests and diseases of honeybees?
Apart from the risk of the Varroa mite, honeybees may be affected by a range of pests and diseases.
- Tropilaelaps mite (Tropilaelaps clareae)
- Tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi)
- Braula fly (Braula caeca) – present in Tasmania only: under control
- American foulbrood (Bacillus larvae)
- European foulbrood (Melissococus pluton)
- Leafcutter bee chalkbrood (Ascosphaera aggregata)
- Small hive beetle (Aethina tumida)
- Stonebrood (Aspergillus falvum and A. fumigatus)
Are we prepared for disease and pest incursions?
The Australian Government is working in partnership with the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, Pollination Australia, Horticulture Australia Ltd, Plant Health Australia and Animal Health Australia, as well as the the Rural Industries Research Development Corporation and the CSIRO, and with state and territory governments, to develop a nationally coordinated approach to managing biosecurity threats to honey bees and pollination.
This group has identified 11 projects that will enhance Australia’s preparedness, response and recovery to key biosecurity threats to honey bees and pollination, particularly Varroa mite. The projects contribute to improving national arrangements by:
- determining the threat to Australia of Varroa mite, including an entry pathway analysis
- updating AUSVETPLAN’s ‘Bee pests and diseases – disease strategy manual’ to formalise response actions that will be taken in the event of an incursion
PDF [2.5mb] - developing a more comprehensive surveillance and monitoring strategy for key biosecurity threats to honey bees and pollination
- determining the impact of a decline in bee populations in Australia on related industries
- producing an integrated strategy to recover from a decline in bee population
- developing a continuity plan for pollination services in the event of a decline in bee population
- undertaking a simulation exercise to test national response arrangements and improve response strategies
- communicating with bee keepers, honey bee and pollination industries, agricultural producers, and other interested parties: to raise awareness about the issues; to provide tools to assist in identifying and managing potential threats; and to coordinate an agreed range of activities in relation to bee biosecurity.
In addition, a variety of activities are being undertaken by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) to try to prevent the entry of Varroa and other pests and diseases.
- Surveillance outside Australia by the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS). NAQS develops and implements measures for the early detection of targeted pests and diseases.
- Inspections by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) helps prevent the entry into Australia of foreign bees or diseases they carry by ensuring they are detected and killed before they can establish within Australia.
- Surveillance within Australia to detect any incursions that have entered Australia to enable us to destroy the pest or disease before it becomes established or restrict its spread.
For specific information on regulations and legislation, visit your state or territory's department of primary industries or agriculture website.
Protecting your honeybees
If exotic honeybee parasites and pests enter Australia, early detection will be crucial in limiting their spread and impact on the Australian honeybee industry. All beekeepers (including commercial and backyard beekeepers) have a significant role in recognising and reporting any suspected infestation by Varroa (or other pests and diseases)
- Know what to look for. If you suspect the presence of Varroa, immediately phone Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline: free call 1800 675 888 and report the suspected outbreak.
- Implement appropriate controls
- Follow any quarantine instructions in the event of an incursion
- Don’t try to bypass quarantine controls aimed at protecting the industry.
Pollinators/Beekeepers
It may be necessary to confirm a field diagnosis with laboratory tests. Apiary officers in all states and territories can provide advice on the correct procedures. Click on field diagnosis for general information.
Further information
Overseas information
- Apimondia- information about beekeeping, bees and honey
- COLOSS- an international project to identify the factors at the individual honeybee and colony levels causing severe colony losses and investigate synergistic effects between them
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) - UK bee health website
Other honeybee activities
- Asian honeybee incursion in Queensland
- National Sentinel Hive Program Research
- Global pollinator initiative PDF [1mb]