Until recently many people who knew little about bees apart from the fact that they make honey, had not heard of Varroa destructor, more commonly known as the varroa mite.
Recently this pest has been in focus because of mite detections and now the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) has confirmed three new detections of Varroa mite, to 6pm on Thursday 7 July 2022.
The new detections at Campvale, Holmeville and Glen Oak, all fall within existing emergency zones, and bring the total number of infested premises to 34, since Varroa mite was first identified during routine surveillance at the Port of Newcastle on Wednesday 22 June.
Emergency zones
NSW DPI has established emergency zones around the infested premises and has put significant measures in place to eradicate Varroa mite in NSW.
As per the agreed response plan with industry, NSW DPI has commenced euthanising all hives and equipment within existing emergency zones and is undertaking tracing activities.
As at 6pm yesterday, 1,693 hives have been euthanised.
NSW DPI’s efforts to arrest the Varroa mite spread are being assisted by the apiary industry, Local Land Services (LLS), NSW Police, NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and the wider community.
Very treatable.
methods of treatment examples are:
ox·al·ic acid (ŏk-săl′ĭk)
A poisonous, crystalline acid found in a number of plants. It is used for many industrial purposes, including rust removal and bleaching.
Vaporised, it is essentially wood bleach, needs 12 bolts of electricity to run the vaporiser. This takes 10 mins per hive.
LEAST INVASIVE
A treatment called fogging is the least invasive. Food grade mineral oil is used to fog the hive. This takes 10 seconds per hive.
Bees provide food security, so why destroy unnecessarily?
I have heard it said from various bee keepers & on Macca’s ABC radio show, that the Americans have a remedy/treatment that kills the Varroa Mite without harming bees. Is this true? If so, why are we not using it?
This what people do. It’s why everything was thrown out on to the footpath after the flood. Generally speaking people are lazy and stupid.
Get a effn grip folks and stop directing your woowoo pseudoscience bs weapons at the mite. There is no conspiracy here, so stop trying to create one!
Stop needlessly trying to muddy the waters just let the authorities get on with doing what they need to do. Not everything has to be a conspiracy.