Varroa mite detected in Australia for the first time and other news
by Jeremy M on 2022-07-06T14:03:00+10:00 in Agriculture | 0 CommentsVarroa mite detected in NSW beehives and spreading 
In devastating news for the apiary industry and amateur beekeepers, the Varroa mite, a parasite of European honey bees, has been detected for the first time in Australia. Detection hives in the Port of Newcastle were the first to become infected by this parasite and further infections of hives have now been detected as far away as Narrabri in north western NSW and Gosford north of Sydney. This is terrible news for Australian honey producers as infected hives are required to be destroyed to rid them of the parasite. This comes on the back of massive hive losses as a result of the recent flooding in northern NSW and will likely result in impacts to many industries including commercial fruit and nut producers and the horticulture industry who rely heavily on bees to pollinate their crops. Picture credit: xiSerge from Pixabay.
You can read more on this developing story at the ABC Rural Beekeeping website here: Beekeeping or the articles below:
- Bee varroa mite outbreak set to cost beekeepers millions of dollars as government works to control spread - ABC News
- Emergency orders in place across NSW to protect bee industry from deadly varroa mite parasite - ABC News
- New varroa mite red zone added near Gosford as threat of deadly bee parasite expands in NSW - ABC News
- Bee parasite varroa mite detected in Narrabri, new emergency zone declared - ABC News
What is the Varroa mite?
The Varroa Mite (Varroa destructor) is an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on the honey bees. The disease caused by the mites is called varroosis. The Varroa mite can reproduce only in a honey bee colony. It attaches to the body of the bee and weakens the bee by sucking fat bodies. This affects the bees ability to fly, collect pollen, impacts on the larvae and ultimately leads to the death of the colony. The species is a vector for at least five debilitating bee viruses, including RNA viruses such as deformed wing virus (DWV). The Varroa mite is the parasite with possibly the most pronounced economic impact on the beekeeping industry. Varroa is considered to be one of multiple stress factors contributing to the higher levels of bee losses around the world (Wikipedia, 2022). You can read more about the the Varroa mite at the Bee Aware website here: Bee Aware
Picture credit: David Mark from Pixabay.
Now it's here, what can be done?
The only eradication for the Varroa mite is the destruction of infected hives by dousing in petrol or gassing and then burning. The NSW Department of Primary Industries has introduced strict Biosecurity protocols including exclusion zones around infected hives with hives up to 25km from the infected hives being monitored and destroyed if necessary. Baiting has also commenced within exclusion zones for feral honey bees to control the spread in 'escaped' honey bees that are now living in native bushland areas. You can read more on the response to Varroa mite at the National Pests and Disease Outbreak website here: Outbreak.
But it's not all bad news, agricultural scientists in Western Australia are currently researching the use of blowflies as an alternative to bees for the pollination of crops and produce. They may be an alternative pollinator however we won't get the associated benefit of honey. You can read more on the ABC News website here: ABC News
Also, an Australian company has been trialling the use of AI to monitor hives and 'scan' for the Varroa mite and other parasites on bees leaving and returning from specially designed purple hives at the Port of Melbourne. Through the use of a 360 degree camera system the technology uses computer algorithms to detect parasites on bees as they pass the camera and sends real time alerts that an anomaly has been detected. Read more on the ABC News webpage here: ABC News
Other news:
Inventor Frederick Wolseley's vast legacy now present in woolsheds around the world - ABC News
Read the history of the development of electric shears, a device that revolutionised the shearing industry and is virtually unchanged since its invention by Fred Wolseley in the late 1800's. You can read more on the ABC website here: Landline
Potato farmers call for 20 cents more per kilo as production costs continue to soar - ABC News
Potato farmers in key growing states say unless supermarkets add 20 cents per kilo to the shelf price of their produce, departures from the industry will be inevitable. As production costs skyrocket, impacted by the ongoing war in Ukraine and other economic factors, associated price rises in fertilisers, fuel and maintenance costs are starting to bite primary producers. Potato growers are generally tethered to a price agreed to with processors prior to harvest and as a result their returns do not fluctuate as demand or check-out prices for their produce increases. Read more on the ABC News website here: ABC News
Hot milk prices reach boiling point - Dairy News Australia
Dairy farmers on the mainland are delighted at the prices their milk is now fetching with many processors increasing their price per kilo to close to $10 with some farmers saying this is the best price they've seen after years in the industry. Read more on the Dairy News webpage here: Dairy News
Hugh Christie appointed new CEO of TFGA - TFGA
Hugh Christie has been appointed the new CEO of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) and will take over the reins from 1 August 2022. Hugh moves to the TFGA from his current role as the General Manager Service Delivery at Southern Rural Water in Victoria. Prior to this Hugh held senior roles with Tasmanian Irrigation and DPIPWE, where he was responsible for operational water management in Tasmania. Read more on the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association website here: TFGA
Sydney flood crisis expected to worsen fruit and vegetable price hike - ABC News
Following another flood event in NSW it would seem more pain lies ahead for farmers as their crops have again born the brunt of the recent bad weather. Shoppers are also likely to see a rise in price for many vegetables and fruit due to a lack of product entering the market. Read more on this at the ABC News website: ABC News
New Library Resources:
Here are some of the latest arrivals to the Library collection. Don't forget to check the New Books page to see all the new arrivals:
Holistic management handbook : regenerating your land and growing your profits by
Why you should give a f*ck about farming : (because you eat) by
Soil : the incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy by
SafetyHub - your online source for safety training videos
Did you know the Library has a wide range of online videos related to workplace safety and training? The SafetyHub streaming video service has more than a hundred short videos related to workplace safety including equipment operation and hazards, PPE, chemical safety and behavioural/mental health safety. Access SafetyHub on the right hand side of the Library homepage under the Streaming Video dropdown menu, or access it directly by clicking the link here: SafetyHub. Log in with your TasTAFE Username (without the @education...) and your Password to access.
Some example videos include:
If you have any issues accessing SafetyHub or logging in, contact the Library for assistance.
Of course if you need any assistance during your teaching or studies, don't hesitate to contact the Library. We can be contacted in a number of ways including via email, on Live Chat Monday to Friday on the Library Website (look for the orange chat bubble in the bottom right of the main page), via phone or just come in to any of our locations. Locations and contact details are available on the webpage here: Locations
Till next time,
Jeremy
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