Way back in episode 16 of the Bees with Ben podcast, Ben introduced Richard Noel as a

dear friend, a lovely English chap, an ex-paramedic, a landscape gardener, and now

passionate beekeeper with a full-time bee-oriented business. A few years back, Ben was

lucky enough to stay with Richard for a week at his home in Corseul, a town in Brittany,

northwest France, and during this period Ben was able to see the effects of varroa mites upon

Richard’s bees, and to gain some insight into Richard’s management regime. It was only

natural, therefore, that when varroa was discovered in Newcastle on the New South Wales

coast last week that Ben immediately called Richard for his thoughts on this incursion, and

out of that this extraordinary podcast episode was quickly organised (episode 95) which was

also live-streamed on Richards YouTube channel.

Ben starts by stating the current position with respect to the outbreak: two infested hives have

been discovered and as at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday 26 June the movement of hives is prohibited

throughout the state of NSW.

Referring to this as a ‘lockdown’ in one of several references that parallel Covid, Richard is

immediately concerned about unregistered and feral hives - and the fact that he has heard

there is a national park close to the site of the incursion. He also wants to know about winter

temperatures in the region, since in Europe there is a ‘brood break’ during which the mites

cannot reproduce. This seems unlikely in Newcastle’s climate.

Richard says that ironically because Australia has healthy bees, we may also have healthy

mites. He says there is no single correct answer, and if the outbreak spreads.

There are so many issues raised by the possibility of a widespread outbreak in Australia

including, for example, whether there is a list of approved mite treatments, and how these

should be administered. The almond pollination season is only weeks away, and with the

movement of hives in NSW prohibited, this billion-dollar industry is now in jeopardy.

Richard emphasises the need for an arsenal of mite control measures, but says brood breaks

are very valuable, and that oxalic acid is a ‘soft’ treatment that is cheap, organic and

effective. He says it is very difficult to produce queens able to reliably pass on VSH due

simply to the genetic variation in the field, but that if you maintain strong, prolific colonies,

you will go a long way towards keeping varroa at bay.

Both Ben and Richard are agreed that Australian authorities must throw everything possible

at this current incursion while they have the chance. Although Richard has never known life

without varroa, he acknowledges that life would be very much easier without it. 

Australian beekeepers pondering a future with varroa will find this podcast instructive.

YouTube link available here https://youtu.be/0KLsbeSTEL8