DPI silent on second stage of varroa eradication operation

The 100-day operation to eradicate the deadly bee pest has lapsed, and details of the next phase remain unknown.

NSW’s Department of Primary Industries has failed to release its plan for the eradication of the deadly bee parasite varroa destructor, almost two weeks since its initial 100-day plan lapsed.

DPI has managed the emergency response plan triggered in June when the pest was first discovered in three sentinel hives at the Port of Newcastle.

The $65 million plan has sought to eradicate the bee parasite, making Australia the first nation in the world to do so.

But the timeline and $65 million in funding was for the first 100 days only.

An apiarist checking for varroa mite in Newcastle.

NSW Apiarists Association president Steve Fuller said the industry was in the dark about the next phase of the plan, leaving some to fear the sense of urgency to eradicate varroa mite could be lost.

“I’m trying to find out what the next 100 days entails, we don’t know what’s planned. Give us a plan,” Mr Fuller said.

He said fipronil baiting of wild European honeybees was due to start in Nara Glen last week but had been delayed.

“We’re over 100 days in and we’re only just starting to feral bait, is that going to put it (the eradication effort) off the rails,” he said.

Two weeks ago DPI began baiting wild European honeybees from red zones – areas where a varroa mite infection had been found – kicking off the next phase of the eradication effort.

The baiting of wild bees began at Jerry Plains, in NSW’s Hunter Region.

Australian Honey Bee Industry Council chief executive Danny Le Feuvre said about 70 per cent of hives, around 12,000, in red zones had now been euthanised.

He said it was still “technically feasible” to eradicate the pest, “and we’re still very much on that path”.

But he warned that dwindling volunteer numbers was slowing down progress.

“We were getting around to 50 or 60 beekeeping volunteers a day and also a number of RFS volunteers but they’re busy with flood issues.

He said DPI still have a dozen teams operating across the impacted zone.

The 26 industries affected by the outbreak – including melons, apples and almonds – will continue to foot half of the bill for the continuing operation, with the state, territory and federal governments paying for the remaining 50 per cent.

DPI has been contacted for comment.