BEEINFORMED

commercial beekeeper

Welcome to 2026, which will be an extremely critical year for all varroa-affected beekeepers in NSW, QLD, Vic and SA as varroa continues to spread further and they all go through various phases of its long-term establishment and impact on bees and beekeepers.

Words Rod Bourke, NSW Bee Biosecurity Officer

VARROA really puts the pressure on beekeeping, but it will not end a beekeeping business if a little extra work is put in, the new normal is adapted to (with varroa management firmly front and centre), and good beekeeping is maintained in this environment.

Nevertheless, Western Australia should not remain complacent, as Varroa can spread very effectively without being observed (as seen on the east coast) and may even already be in WA. To reduce potential impacts on the state’s beekeeping sector, West Australians should remain highly vigilant by routinely checking for varroa through alcohol washes and drone uncapping, rather than assuming it isn’t there.

Varroa is responsible for many beekeepers leaving this wonderful (though often challenging) industry, but good beekeepers can still manage it and continue to do well. This success does require more work than before, which may mean reducing the number of hives managed by each beekeeper and/or bringing on extra staff to handle the increased workload.

Taking a day or two out of work to do training can be very profitable for a beekeeping business over the years that follow.

Don’t get scared by varroa; they’re basically the beekeeping equivalent of fleas and ticks on household pets, and with proper management colonies can stay healthy, strong, productive and profitable — rather than ending up killed. Just don’t skimp on the extra work, especially routine alcohol washing to monitor mite numbers, as colonies can quickly start going backwards if levels spike.

As varroa clears out both the feral bee colonies and poorer beekeepers — reducing the overall stocking density of bees in most areas — there will be a noticeable increase in resource availability when seasons allow those resources to flourish. This will enable higher honey yields for good colonies, so it is worth putting effort into managing bees well, removing weak and dead colonies from apiaries, and running only hives that are worth the time and money that varroa management requires.

My New Year’s resolution request for all beekeepers is for them to get rid of any junk colonies, and please don’t send rubbish hives to pollination jobs.

With the T2M Varroa Development Officer program now officially finished, BBOs will be the go-to group for varroa management queries, along with assistance for all the other regular bee biosecurity issues. Be it providing information to help fulfil all obligations under beekeeper registration requirements (including the yearly Appendix 1 form), assistance with record keeping, getting the correct phone number or link to report a nearby beekeeper who is a biosecurity concern, or suggestions about which varroa treatment may be needed next, BBOs can assist with all of that.

European foulbrood is apparently not found in WA, but further to the East it can cause significant productivity losses. Its increased presence is often the result of mistakes in hive management. Good training covers both endemic and exotic pests and diseases so that issues can be recognised early and their impact minimised within apiaries. It also reinforces the sound reasoning for notifying DPIRD when required.

It is important for every commercial beekeeper to keep improving their varroa management skills by trying things out, learning from respected industry operators and colleagues, and taking any available training. Staff should also complete this training, as capable staff are now more essential than ever. Many operations have seen frequent staff turnover, but a business is only as strong as the skills of its workers. Investing time in training builds confident, reliable staff who are more productive and profitable for any operation. If a manager does not provide enough support and training, responsibility for poor outcomes rests with the manager, not the staff.

Check out some great FREE Varroa training and other resources at the varroa.org.au website.

Training is something many beekeepers shy away from or openly criticise, and for a while I wondered why. I really enjoy delivering face-to-face bee pest and disease training around NSW, and in the past I have delivered many courses aimed at times when the local branch thought members would be available. Unfortunately, even after the time and effort going into organising free training for commercial beekeepers, attendance was still low. In talking with quite a number of operators I got many varied excuses, but the following three were the most common:

• they are “too busy” to find time to train

• someone they have had past disagreements with might be there

• they are not confident in their literacy skills

When delivering beekeeper training, we pay particular attention to getting participants feeling comfortable, discuss seating if we know that there are a few “rivals” in the room and ensuring that everyone remains on their best behaviour and is courteous in how they speak with others. We are there to train, not enable arguments, and to date we have done a pretty good job of maintaining that! We have had a number of occasions where previously sworn enemies inadvertently did the training together and had actually made inroads into repairing their relationship by the end of day 2. Some of the crankiest beekeepers to ever do the training also thanked us at the end of it because they had enjoyed it so much.

There are many beekeepers who are excellent at reading the trees and seasons for their bees, even if they struggle with reading, writing, computers, or feeling comfortable in “the classroom.” Training staff from reputable organisations have worked hard to ensure that anyone with learning difficulties gets the support they need to fully understand the course and complete the assessments. If needed, we can read the questions aloud and record the beekeeper’s answers — whatever it takes to help them get the most out of the training.

If you know a beekeeper who has avoided training for any of these reasons, please encourage them to contact their BBO so they can have their questions answered and be guided toward future training opportunities.

Any training completed is valuable, so searching “beeaware training” will lead to the free online BOLT course. This course also meets the three year training requirement for beekeepers managing 20 or more hives under the Code of Practice. The updated COP is available through the same link and is worth reading to stay familiar with current obligations. Generally, beekeepers who undertake training and continue to upskill run better operations than those who do not.

The BBO team is available to help with submitting AFB slides, honey culture tests, and information on bee biosecurity issues or varroa management, so get in touch for assistance.