Varroa Mite

Varroa destructor

Varroa Mite

Varroa Mite

Legal Status: Notifiable Organism
Status in New Zealand: Controlled
Organism: Micro-organism

Pest and disease search

This pest is established in the North Island and as far south as Canterbury in the South Island.

If you suspect you have found this pest elsewhere in the South Island call 0800 80 99 66.

Controlled Areas under the Biosecurity Act 1993 in operation over the whole of the North Island and the upper part of the South Island to prohibit the movement of hives and other materials that could spread varroa into the uninfested southern part of the South Island will be revoked on 25 September 2008.

Revocation of Controlled Area Notices in Respect of Varroa Mite Link to PDF document

MAFBNZ made this decision after varroa was found outside of the South Island Controlled Area in September 2008. MAFBNZ has decided that controls to prevent the further spread of varroa in the South Island are no longer feasible because of the number of beekeeping operations affected, the geographic spread of operations, and the duration varroa has likely been present in Canterbury.

Description

Varroa is an external parasite of honey bees. Adult female mites are fairly large about 1.1 x 1.6mm. They have a hard reddish to dark brown body that is flattened and oval in shape.

Varroa mites are transferred to new bee colonies on adult bees. The mite will then leave the bee and crawl into a brood cell. Once in the cell the mite submerges itself into the larval food at the bottom of the cell and start feeding on the prepupa. The mite will then lay its eggs. The eggs will hatch and go through two juvenile stages before becoming adults. The adult mites will leave the cell when the bee emerges.

Impact

The varroa bee mite is reducing the number of bees in managed hives as well as feral or wild colonies. This has an impact not only on the beekeeping industry, but it is also potentially damaging for crop pollination and pollination of pasture legumes. The apicultural industry's major contribution to the New Zealand economy is the pollination of plants, which is worth many times the value of honey and other bee products. It is estimated that one third of the food we eat relies on honey bees for pollination, and the area of crops reliant on bees for pollination is increasing.

Spread

Varroa is widely distributed throughout the entire North Island, including many offshore islands in the Hauraki Gulf, and South Island as far south as Canterbury. It has not been detected on Chatham or Stewart Islands.

Management

Beekeepers in affected areas should monitor the mite levels within their hives and treat before numbers rise to damaging levels. Varroa cannot be eradicated, but can be controlled using various organic and inorganic miticides and possibly by selecting bees for tolerance to the mite.

Visual examination of adult bees is not an effective way to monitor for varroa. However, infested hives may show the following signs:

  • Unexpectedly low bee numbers
  • A patchy brood pattern
  • Small reddish-brown mites on the bodies of bees, and on uncapped drone or worker pupae
  • Crawling bees near the hive entrance, often with damaged wings or no wings
  • Sudden population crashes, especially in the autumn when hives may have honey stores but no bees.

Media Releases

Page last updated: 7 October 2008