Varroa Bee Mite
| Case Study: | Varroa in Nelson | | Where: | Initially only throughout North Island but now infested a
small area in Nelson city, Tapawera and Pelorus | | When: | Originally discovered in 2000 in the North Island
Detected June 2006 in Nelson |
Biosecurity Threat:
- External parasite of honey bees that attacks adults bees and their developing larvae and pupae or brood
- Varroa infestation causes decreased brood, deformed bees, and general weakening of the entire colony
- Spreads quickly by travelling with swarms or migrating drones, and by the movement of infested equipment
- Potentially devastating for crop pollination
- Impacts both apiary and horticulture industries
Field Staff:
- Field Operations Response Team established in Nelson
- Controllers
- Logistics
- Field Teams
- Apiculture Officers
- GIS and IRS Specialists
- Incursion Response Centre (IRC) in Wallaceville (previously Emergency Disease Response Centre - EDRC)
- Intelligence
- Apiary Registrars
- Movement Control
- Tracers
- Biosecurity New Zealand staff
- Satellite locations for Nelson response set up in Blenheim, Westport and Takaka - resourced out of main Nelson headquarters
Action:
- Surveillance programme established
- Movement control measures put in place
- Controlled area established in Upper South Island
- Infected zones established in Nelson, Tapawera and Pelorus
For latest updates on Varroa Mite incursion and response, information is available at www.maf.govt.nz or www.varroa.org.nz.
Also see the pests and diseases section of the Biosecurity New Zealand website www.biosecurity.govt.nz.
Emergency Contact
If you suspect an importation of bees into the South Island, either illegally or accidentally, or you suspect your South Island hives have Varroa mite please contact an AsureQuality Apiculture Officer on 0508 00 11 22 or MAF on 0800 80 99 66 Disease Hot Line immediately.
Inspection and Detection
All South Island beekeepers should routinely inspect their hives for Varroa mite. For details on inspection techniques and identification of Varroa, refer to the book Control Of Varroa, A Guide for New Zealand Beekeepers. For more information about this publication please refer to www.biosecurity.govt.nz or www.varroa.org.nz.
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