The Varroa destructor mite has now been confirmed in the states of NSW, Victoria and Queensland as well as the ACT, with the most recent detections in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley in March 2025.

In September 2023, the National Management Group (NMG) – the peak decision-making body for the national varroa mite emergency response – decided that eradication of varroa mite was no longer achievable and to shift the focus of the response from eradication to transitioning to management activities.

In February 2024, the NMG endorsed a transition to management with a scope to:

• ensure an orderly stand-down of emergency response operational activities in NSW and Victoria
• slow the spread of Varroa destructor
• build industry resilience to the pest
• provide management options including Integrated Pest Management (IPM) recommendations and chemical control options, and
• support pollination security.

The transition to management program operates until February 2026 and is to increase resilience and capacity to manage varroa mite within the Australian honey bee industry and minimise the ongoing impacts of varroa mite naturalisation on the honey bee industry and pollination reliant industries.

Varroa mite remains a key threat to Australia’s honey bee pollination plant industries. For some of the answers to how Varroa destructor (varroa) will affect pollination in Australia, and what can we do to help bees, beekeepers and growers overcome the challenge please click here to access a fact sheet recently produced by Agrifutures.

Varroa Development Officers

Varroa Development Officers have been engaged (as part of the Varroa Transition to Management Plan) in all states and territories of Australia to engage with commercial and recreational beekeepers to extend best management practice guidelines and resolve problems. They are also tasked with establishing, coordinating and maintaining a voluntary Varroa mite monitoring program in collaboration with volunteer beekeepers, beekeeping clubs and societies. For more information about the T2M plan go to National Varroa Mite Management Program and for a list of the VDOs in all states and territories please follow this link Varroa Development Officers — National Varroa Mite Management Program.

For access to the National Pollination Coordinator who is tasked with gathering relevant information from pollination-dependent industries on their concerns, knowledge gaps and future needs related to living with Varroa mite within their industry click here > Pollination Coordinator — National Varroa Mite Management Program