Honey bee Varroa mite eradication 'still technically feasible'

Since it was first discovered in June 2022, the parasite has been restricted to a 10,000-square-kilometre radius, or just one percent of NSW, around the Hunter region.

Almost 12 months on from the initial outbreak, Australia's chief plant protection officer, Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith, said all industry and government parties agreed it remained "technically feasible and cost beneficial to eradicate".

"In terms of the operational activities, everything is going very well and according to plan," Dr Vivian-Smith said.

READ MORE: What is Varroa mite and why should we bee worried?

"All of the detections that have occurred so far have been linked, so there's no unexplained detections."

Although concerns were raised by a detection of varroa mite in a "very large" wild European honey bee nest, it was right in the epicentre of the outbreak and "that was to be expected".

"That does not signify the eradication has been compromised in any way... the wild European honeybee baiting program is progressing very effectively," Dr Vivian-Smith said.

The NSW government is leading the eradication response and has so far mobilised 47 years of working hours across more then 2100 staff to survey more than 37,000 hives.

As soon as varroa mite was detected in a sentinel hive near the Port of Newcastle, the movement of hives of all hives in the states was restricted, a measure that has since proven to be key in halting the parasite's spread.

READ MORE: Aussie scientists work on pesticide to kill varroa mite but not bees

NSW Apiarist Association executive councillor and Tamworth beekeeper Ray Hull said the parasite was "absolutely contained" and would remain that so long as everyone did the right thing.

"Australia is unique in that we knew it was here straight away and that enabled us to contain it - in the United States, the mite was in several states before it was detected and within two years," Mr Hull said.

"The mite itself doesn't travel far, it can only go where the bees go, so if we contain the bees, the pest dies."

Although the hive lock down cost last year's Victorian almond harvest up to $200m, Mr Hull said the cost to agriculture as a whole would pale in comparison if varroa mite was allowed to spread.

"Eradication won't happen overnight, it could take three years, but if beekeepers keep doing the right thing it will be eradicated," he said.

The Varroa Mite National Management Committee will soon meet to consider the next stages of the response plan and has already agreed to share the cost of the $55 million NSW has already spent in containing the outbreak.