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CEO Update February 2025

CEO Report February 2025

It is so disheartening to hear all the stories from across the country of low honey production this season. Despite some pockets of NSW and QLD finding some honey the majority of the country is producing well below average yields. Rising cost of operating and low honey prices is making it tough for everyone.

Over the last month the team at AHBIC have been working across a few important industry matters; in the Varroa Transition to Management Program, had several meetings with Federal DAFF and the APVMA, and worked with some of our member bodies to assist in lobbying government at local levels.

Coloss Survey

The Coloss survey is now live, and it is important that ALL beekeepers participate whether you have varroa or not. The purpose of the survey is to gather hive health baseline information, importantly in the absence of varroa, to better map and understand the potential impacts. https://www.coloss.au/ With  time running out, we are urging commercial beekeepers to partake in the survey before it closes for 2024 on 10th March.

Deformed Wing Virus – A: Detection

As we have communicated there has been a detection of DWV-A in an historical sample of Red Dwarf Honey Bees from WA. This detection has occurred when WA DPIRD retested some historical subsamples with a slightly varied assay that detected very low levels of virus. The refined positive sample was also tested by CSIRO using the national standard assay which also showed a positive result and very low levels.

Talking to many experts in this space we are comfortable that there is no reason to doubt the validity of the current assay. It is likely that the original colony had very low virus levels and sampling is why it tested negative in the first round of testing then positive on a new subsample of bees from the same colony.

Subcommittee Activities

The Levies Subcommittee has been active in meeting monthly to review the current levies and make some recommendations to improve the equity in the system. The committee will continue to meet monthly to work through the information to inform any recommendations.

The imported honey subcommittee has continued to source honey from the shelves to test. Active communications are ongoing with DAFF to progress a review of current testing protocols.

The congress organising committee also has been meeting monthly with the dates, venue and theme for the 2026 congress locked in. The committee has also started developing the program and a sponsorship prospectus will be available in the coming months.

Meetings/events

I attended the inaugural meeting for the steering committee of the National Pollination Strategy meeting in Melbourne. This full day strategy workshop started to map out the big 5-year project that is being lead by the Wheen Bee Foundation. This exciting project be very important for our industry into the future.

I also attended Evoke Ag where I was able to connect with a number of exciting innovations and startups for the honeybee industry. This massive event attracted over 2,000 delegates from around the globe with thought provoking presentations and an exhibition hall bigger than any I have seen.

US colony losses

Reports out of the US of disturbing colony losses over their winter has attracted the attention of many in our industry. Whilst information is not clear as to the cause, the losses are huge. A survey of beekeepers coming out of winter has documented average losses of 62% across large commercial apiaries. Through conversations with US counterparts, it is thought that that almond pollination could be short nearly 350,000 colonies.

There is no pattern or correlation emerging yet, as the losses are broad across the US and not in a specific climatic or geographical region. We will be watching closely as this unfolds to understand if there are any learnings for us here in Australia to be gained.

The Month Ahead

The AHBIC board will be meeting face to face in Canberra on the 6th and 7th March. As part of this meeting, we will be holding a number of board member workshops to work through the final version of AHBIC strategic plan, workshop our preparedness for Tropilaelaps mites and review our AHBIC communications.

This week I will be attending Bery Quest 2025 to present on lessons learnt from the varroa response and network with berry growers from around the country.

 

Danny LeFeuvre

CEO

2024 Australian Colony Loss Survey – time is running out!

 

The 2024 Australian Colony Loss Survey – why you should have your say

The 2024 Australian Colony Loss Survey closes in two weeks – here’s why all beekeepers should take part

With just two weeks to go until the 2024 Australian Colony Loss survey closes, time is running out for beekeepers to let their industry know what the biggest issues facing them are. The data being collected are vital for industry and government to manage the many challenges faced by beekeepers.

It’s not just about Varroa

While the Australian Colony Loss survey is being run as part of the National Varroa Transition to Management Program, it’s not just about Varroa. Many other issues affect colony health in Australia, such as American foulbrood, small hive beetle, queen problems, natural disasters and more. Our survey is collecting data about all the factors that drive colony losses in Australia. In this way, we can provide fact-based evidence to inform policies that will help beekeepers across the country maintain successful businesses.

It’s part of an international initiative 

While the 2024 Australian Colony Loss survey is the first of its kind being run in Australia, it’s part of an international initiative (COLOSS) that runs similar surveys in over 40 other countries. New Zealand has run an annual colony loss survey since 2015, and the data they’ve collected has provided important insights about what causes colony losses in New Zealand, and what can be done about it.  

 

 

By telling us about your experience as a beekeeper in Australia, we’ll be able to provide feedback that will help you know where you stand compared with beekeepers around Australia and the world.

 

It will help beekeepers manage their businesses 

By filling out the survey, individual beekeepers will tell us what the biggest issues they faced in 2023-24 were. We’ll use these individual responses to get the big picture about what causes colony losses in Australia. We’re collecting information relevant to season and location, which is why we need all beekeepers from all over Australia to take part. 

For example, the 2023 New Zealand survey showed that Varroa is indeed the most important factor in colony losses, with 51% of colony losses in winter attributed to Varroa (Figure 1). In autumn Varroa-related issues caused about 36% of losses, with queen-related issues close behind at 31% (Figure 1). Thus New Zealand beekeepers now know that in autumn, they are likely to lose nearly as many colonies to queen-related issues as they are to Varroa and can manage their operation accordingly. 

As this is the first Colony Loss survey being run in Australia, we don’t yet have this kind of information – which is why we need beekeepers to tell us. This will allow for more targeted management strategies and inform industry and government as to where their efforts should be focused based on the time of year and geographical location. 

 

It will ensure the future of our industry

Beekeepers face many challenges year-to-year. Pests and diseases, extreme weather, bushfires and many other issues have significant impacts on beekeeper businesses. The best way to make sure beekeeping remains a sustainable industry is to know exactly what the impacts of these various factors are, and to map their trends over time. The Australian Colony Loss survey will be run annually, so we can track changes in the impact of various factors over time and know where to focus efforts to help beekeepers overcome these challenges.

The 2024 Australian Colony Loss survey takes 7-15 minutes to complete, and by doing so, you’ll help tackle the biggest issues facing beekeepers in Australia.
 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE 2024 AUSTRALIAN COLOSS SURVEY

 

You have until midnight on 10 March 2025 to have your say!

Biosecurity Protection Levy (BPL) has been scrapped.

 

The 38 industry members of Australia’s $39 billion plant industries represented by the Plant Industry Forum welcome news that the fundamentally flawed Biosecurity Protection Levy (BPL) has finally been scrapped.

Plant Industry Forum Committee Chair Nathan Hancock said the elimination of the Government’s BPL from the Senate paves the way for Australia’s next government to lead genuine consultation and create a sustainable biosecurity funding plan for the future.

“The BPL attracted sustained and escalating opposition since it was announced almost two years ago, given producers weren’t consulted openly and transparently from the start and the policy design was wrong,” he said.

Producers represented by the industry group members of the Plant Industry Forum are at the frontline of biosecurity management and response efforts. Mr Hancock said the plant industry has significant track record in biosecurity contributions, including in-kind support and investment worth around $33 million in cost sharing emergency responses in collaboration with all Australian governments over the past 10 years.

“These investments have been directed to address issues such as citrus canker, brown marmorated stink bug, chestnut blight, banana freckle, khapra beetle, giant pine scale, tomato potato psyllid, Torres Strait fruit fly and Varroa mite,” he said. “This figure is certain to increase as arrangements are finalised for cost sharing banana freckle and Varroa mite responses that are currently under way.”

The Plant Industry Forum remained staunchly opposed to the BPL from its first announcement, condemning suggestions by the government that producers are the sole beneficiaries of a strong biosecurity system. Mr. Hancock has represented the Plant Industry Forum via the Federal Government’s Sustainable Biosecurity Funding Advisory Panel (SBFAP). He said it was critical that a whole-of-system approach was taken when considering sustainable biosecurity funding systems in the future, while recognising that the true cost of any biosecurity crisis is ultimately borne by the individual grower themselves.

 

For a detailed report covering the Plant Industry Forum’s submission please click below:

 

 

Churchill Fellowships applications 2025

People in the agriculture, horticulture and food production sectors are invited to consider applying for prestigious Churchill Fellowships.
Applications open 28 February 2025.

These are a unique chance to travel internationally, investigate global best practice, and apply it in your working life.
Each Fellowship involves funding for expenses for four to eight weeks of international travel. The amount of funding varies depending on the location and itinerary of approved travel.
Over 60 years and almost 5000 people receiving Fellowships, the impacts are widespread and ‘hidden in plain sight’ within Australian society.

Australian citizens and permanent residents from any industry, background or location are eligible to apply. (No academic qualification is necessary).

Fellowships are based on the legacy of Sir Winston Churchill – it’s about the freedom to explore, the wisdom of travel and open-mindedness. 2025 is the 60th year of the Trust.

People are invited to attend an information session hosted by former head of ABC Rural Leigh Radford:
• 25 Feb 2025, 6-7pm (AEDT)
• Register here: https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/event/?id=EV000391

Applications close 1 May 2025.
For more information go to ChurchillTrust.com.au

Sponsorships

People may be interested in specific sponsored Fellowships:
• The Ron Badman Family Churchill Fellowship to study an aspect of agriculture with a focus on seed production, pasture development and irrigation
• The Saskia Beer Churchill Fellowship to support innovation in food production or farming
• The Samuel and Eileen Gluyas Churchill Fellowship for Queensland applicants planning to investigate topics relating to the tropical pasture industry
• The Dr Dorothea Sandars and Irene Lee Churchill Fellowships to investigate an issue in marine science.

AHBIC Industry Information – DWV

Deformed wing virus has been found in Australia. Should we be worried?

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a common virus found in honey bee populations across the globe. Despite extensive surveys of honey bee viruses in Australia (1), DWV had not been detected in Australian bees until February 2025, when it was found during re-testing of invasive red dwarf honey bees (Apis florea) which were collected from the Burrup Peninsula in northern WA in 2023. Why was DWV not found earlier? What does this mean for our beekeeping industry, and should we be concerned?

How do we detect exotic viruses?

Virus testing involves combining and crushing a sample of honey bees (for example, 50 workers) from a colony and taking a subsample of this ‘bee smoothie’ to extract the genetic material. The virus detection step usually involves a technique called PCR, a targeted method that uses specific ‘primers’ that have been designed to match and amplify a section of the virus genome. This method works when we know the genetic sequence of the virus, however identifying any new viruses requires more in-depth genetic testing.

Some may be wondering why DWV was not detected when red dwarf honey bee colonies were first examined in 2023. There are a few reasons why a virus may not be found during routine surveillance and testing, some of the main ones:

Strength in numbers

Finding an exotic virus at low numbers in a population of bees can be similar to finding a needle in a haystack. Not every bee in a colony will carry the same level of viruses, and unless you test every single bee (which is cost prohibitive), there is a chance a virus may be missed. In addition, some virus levels might be extremely low within an infected bee, making them difficult to detect. Surveillance is a numbers game; it relies on multiple samples across a landscape to ensure an acceptable level of confidence can be achieved. Surveillance should be viewed as an ongoing process rather than a one-off ‘yes or no’ answer. Any conclusions should be revisited regularly with further sampling – the more you look, the more chance you have of finding things.

It was a case of repeated surveillance showing a positive result in the invasive Apis florea. DWV was only detected in one of the 40 colonies tested and it was present at very low levels, and only in the second sample taken from that colony. We can assume that very few workers in that colony were infected, and original testing on the first sample taken from that colony did not include DWV-infected bees, but additional samples from the same colony did.

Viruses mutate quickly!

Each year we need to get a new flu vaccine, which has been designed to specifically protect us against new identified strains that develop. DWV, like influenza, has multiple different strains. The genome of DWV contains 10,000 ‘letters’, called bases. Over time, some bases mutate to generate new versions of the virus which eventually become distinct strains from the original version. The two main DWV strains globally are DWV Strain A (DWV-A) and DWV Strain B (DWV-B), whose genomes contain around 15% of differences in their sequence. Other less common strains also exist (e.g. DWV-C, -D and potentially more).

A targeted PCR method (as described earlier) uses a pair of virus-specific primers, each around 20 bases in length, that can only detect viruses that share this identical sequence. If there is a virus strain that contains a mutation in the part of the genome where the primers should match, they will no longer match, and the test may come up negative. Most of our honey bee virus diagnostic assays are designed so that they target a region of the genome that is common between different strains, or a different test is designed for each of the currently known strains. The tests used for DWV detect both major strains with high sensitivity, so it is not the case that the original testing failed to detect DWV when it should have.

What is in our favour?

The DWV detection has been found in a remote area in northern WA, and it has been 2 years since the colony that had DWV was destroyed with no further detections. A quarantine zone around Dampier has been in place since March 2023 and no movement of bees or equipment has occurred since that time. The local environment is harsh and not conducive to rapid honey bee reproduction and the eradication program has continued to destroy any bee colonies as they are found. No managed colonies exist in the quarantine area and few unmanaged European honey bee colonies have been identified, however ongoing surveillance must assess whether any co-localised European honey bees are at risk of coming into contact with any remaining red dwarf bees in this region, as DWV can be transmitted by bee-to-bee contact when foraging on resources or robbing.

Importantly, DWV has been confirmed in only one red dwarf honey bee colony, and all the 40 other colonies have tested negative for DWV after two rounds of testing. This is encouraging, but virus testing of any additional red dwarf honey bee colonies, and any European Honey Bees found in the area is needed before we know whether DWV has established in the invasive population or not.

What happens now?

On its own, DWV rarely causes disease symptoms in bees. When combined with varroa, DWV is spread rapidly and virus infections in bees are much more deadly. The red dwarf honey bee detection in northern WA has its own mite called Euvarroa, but it is not known to spread DWV in the same way, nor is it known that the Euvarroa mites carried by our invasive Apis florea will be able parasitise our managed honey bees (2).

Now that DWV has been detected in the West, and with varroa establishing in the East, if the virus and mite meet, it will create an association where mites can now spread and amplify the DWV infection in our managed hives. Adhering to movement restrictions in the red dwarf honey bee quarantine zone is critical.

All efforts to avoid uniting DWV with European honey bees, and especially bees with Varroa destructor, should be a priority. We know from overseas that once DWV emerges in a varroa-affected bee population, mite management becomes even more challenging.

 

Dr Emily Remnant, BEE lab, University of Sydney.
With thanks to Danny Le Feuvre, Dr Cooper Schouten, Dr Nadine Chapman and Dr John Roberts for contributions, discussion and feedback.

To view this article in PDF; Please click here: https://honeybee.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/AHBIC-Industry-Information-DWV-ERemnant.pdf

References
1. Roberts, J. M. K., D. L. Anderson and P. A. Durr (2017). “Absence of deformed wing virus and Varroa destructor in Australia provides unique perspectives on honeybee viral landscapes and colony losses.” Scientific Reports 7(1): 6925.
2. Ramsey, S. D. (2021). “Foreign Pests as Potential Threats to North American Apiculture: Tropilaelaps mercedesae, Euvarroa spp, Vespa mandarinia, and Vespa velutina.” Veterinary Clinics: Food Animal Practice 37(3): 545-558.

AHBIC, its employees, executive and consultants expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person in respect of anything, and the consequences of anything, done or omitted to be done in reliance, whether wholly, partly, upon the whole or any part of the contents of this industry update document.

 

AHBIC & our Member Bodies Conference Dates 2025

Set your calendars, find your state association and member body below, make sure to support your annual conference.

 

Association	Date
New South Wales Apiarists Association	22 & 23 May – Ballina, NSW
Tasmanian Beekeepers Association	30 – 31 May – TBA, TAS
Crop Pollination Association of Australia Inc.	10 June, Beechworth, VIC
Victorian Apiarists Association	11 – 13 June – Beechworth, VIC
Queensland Beekeepers Association	19 & 20 June – Southport, QLD
South Australian Apiarists Association	4 July – Murray Bridge SA
Australian Honey Bee Industry Council – AGM	5th July – Adelaide, SA
Bee Industry Council of WA	August 2025
Amateur Beekeepers Australia	30 August – Hornsby RSL, NSW
Honey Packers and Marketers Association	TBA
Australian Queen Bee Breeders Association	TBA

 

B-QUAL

B-QUAL is an Industry Owned Quality Assurance System for Australian beekeepers.

How does B-QUAL certification benefit my business?

• Product integrity
• Quality Assurance
• HACCP based certification
• Regulatory compliance
• Industry best practice
• Biosecurity
• Access to domestic and export markets

B-QUAL Certification also enables an enterprise to market its product under the B-QUAL logo to show that it meets the B-QUAL Industry Standards.

Complete your training at home at your own pace.

For more information and to obtain a Certification Information Pack, contact the B-QUAL Certification team.

www.bqual.com.au
B-QUAL Pty Ltd
Phone 07 49949820
Email: admin@bqual.com.au

AHBIC Industry Update 69

ACT Varroa Detection

Varroa mite has been detected in a beekeeper’s hives on a property in the Kowen district of the ACT, very close to the border with NSW.

This is the first confirmation of Varroa mite detection in the ACT, although not a surprise, as there have been no movement restrictions between the state of NSW and the ACT since 20 December last year. Beekeepers within the ACT can view heat mapping for the ACT via the DPIRD NSW heat map.

Queensland Varroa Update

Queensland

To date, there has been no confirmed pathway of how varroa entered into Queensland when detected early March this year. Recent surveillance has confirmed further detections in and around the Lockyer Valley and Somerset Council areas, to a total of 20 infested premises.

Biosecurity Queensland’s varroa mite biosecurity zone remains in place. This prevents the movement of bees and live hives from jurisdictions with varroa mite (NSW, ACT & Victoria). These Queensland movement restrictions apply until 28 April 2025 unless removed or changed earlier.

AHBIC reminds beekeepers who have received bees, hives or equipment from the Lockyer Valley since December 2024 to conduct surveillance of their hives and report to the Bee123 portal, or if interstate check your relevant authority: Reporting Varroa.

South Australia

Tracing of movements from the Locker Valley into South Australia have been cleared of any varroa presence by surveillance teams within Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA).

The PIRSA – “South Australian Varroa Detection Response and Management Plan” is published online and outlines South Australia’s government response for detections, both outside and within SA and can be found at: South Australia Varroa Program – Detection Response and Transition to Management Plan.

Beekeepers must still apply for an entry permit from QLD into SA. We are told both DPI Queensland and PIRSA are reviewing the current process considering the recent QLD detections and the expansion of Varroa in Eastern States.

Varroa Development Officers

AHBIC successfully advocated for the national distribution of VDO across Australia within the T2M Program and we also fought hard to successfully extend the T2M from 12 to 24 months, including VDO roles.

Although VDOs are employed in government agencies they are funded under T2M via the Emergency Plant Pest Deed, our honey industry is responsible for a 1% share of the full varroa response, and this is funded by all levy paying beekeepers across Australia.

There are 34 VDO across Australia, overseen by AHBIC’s National Varroa Mite Coordinator, Bianca Giggins. The team of VDO are all passionate beekeepers, upskilled in varroa management, best practice beekeeping and ready to improve our industries capacity for the future.

Make sure if you haven’t engaged with the support VDO are offering that you reach out via:

 https://www.varroa.org.au/vdo

VDO can help beekeepers with planning out how you will manage varroa in a case-by-case scenario treatment plan, tailored for your area, skillset and desired outcomes and are able to elaborate on the complex new skills and knowledge that will become part of your journey living with varroa in the future.

Beekeepers need to be aware that the T2M funding ceases in February 2026, including VDO funding, some of which will cease before February:

State/territory	VDO End Date
NSW & ACT	Dec 2025
Victoria	Dec 2025
Queensland	Aug 2025
South Australia	Feb 2026
Tasmania	Jan 2026
Western Australia	Feb 2026
Northern Territory	Jan 2026

Table 1: showing cessation of VDO in states and territories across Australia

 

To view this Update in PDF Click Here

You can reach out to AHBIC via:

National Varroa Mite Coordinator 

Bianca Giggins

0402 467 780

bianca@honeybee.org.au

AHBIC, its employees, executive and consultants expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person in respect of anything, and the consequences of anything, done or omitted to be done in reliance, whether wholly, partly, upon the whole or any part of the contents of this industry update document.