VARROA mites have been found on an Asian honey bee hive at Annandale, Qld, the second detection of the pest in the past month.
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Laboratory examinations of the hive confirmed the presence of varroa mites.
Australia is one of the last remaining places in the world to not be infested by the pest.
Biosecurity Qld Varroa Mite Response director Ashley Bunce said initial examinations found no mites on the bees, but a single mite had been identified within the comb taken from the hive.
“The hive was in a residential yard about nine kilometres from where the previous hive was found at the port of Townsville,” he said.
“As a result of this confirmation, we are now increasing our surveillance activities in and around the Annandale area.
“By the end of this week, we expect that laboratory testing will confirm whether there are any more mites and if the Asian honey bees found at Annandale are related to the original hive found at the port in Townsville.
“We continue to urge local residents to check their yards and let us know if they see any bee activity.”
Dr Bunce said the current varroa mite response was initiated after the discovery at the port.
“Those bees were carrying a small number of varroa mites which present a real threat to the honey bee industry and plant industries that rely on bees for pollination,” he said.
“While these mites are not the more serious varroa destructor, we are taking this incident very seriously and putting every effort into ensuring they are eradicated.
“There are currently restrictions on the movement of bees, bee hives, bee products (excluding honey), and used bee keeping equipment from the Townsville area to prevent any possible spread of the mite.”
