It'll bee great to keep track of threats

Jan 6, 2022

Sweet as: The National Bee Pest Surveillance Program has been funded for another three years to keep Australia’s apiary industry free from threats. Photo by JACKIE COOPER

There’s a hive of activity going on to monitor threats to the Australian honey bee industry.

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Honey bees are critical for the production of many crops, pollinating about 65 per cent of agricultural and horticultural crops in Australia. Their contribution to the Australian economy through pollination services and products is estimated to be $14.3 billion a year.

A new three-year National Bee Pest Surveillance Program, funded by Hort Innovation, the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, Grain Producers Australia and the state and territory governments, aims to protect the apiary sector from exotic pests and diseases.

Eleven exotic pests that could pose a significant threat to pollination services have been identified. The most concerning is Varroa mite, a parasitic mite present in Europe, North and South America, Africa, parts of Asia and New Zealand that has contributed to the collapse of honey bee industries in those regions.

Although Australia is free from Varroa and other significant honey bee pests, there is constant pressure on the biosecurity system, largely as a result of the hitchhiking nature of exotic honey bee colonies on sea cargo.

“Australia’s largely healthy honey bee population is the result of intensive, world-leading surveillance efforts combined with the vigilance and support of organisations and government agencies across the country,” Hort Innovation’s Ashley Zamek said

The NBPSP was first established in 2012 to monitor major ports and surrounding areas. The current program, which concluded in December 2021, is one of the leading surveillance programs for bee pests and pest bees in the world.

“The newly funded NBPSP builds on the success of the previous program by continuing to focus on monitoring for bee pests, diseases and pest bees at high-risk ports,” Plant Health Australia’s Dr Sharyn Taylor said.

PHA will again co-ordinate and administrate the program on a national level, which will run until December 2024, undertaking activities at ports identified to be the highest risk of entry and establishment of bee pests.

“In Australia, 35 industries depend on honey bee pollination, with almonds, apples, avocadoes, blueberries, cucumbers, pumpkins and rockmelons 100 per cent reliant on honey bee pollination services,” AHBIC chair Trevor Weatherhead said.

“On behalf of our members, we are delighted to continue supporting this very important program for another three years, for the benefit of all Australians.”