The varroa mite has been detected in South Australia for the first time. The discovery was made in a beehive at Pooginook in the Riverland during routine surveillance by inspectors from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA). The parasite, described as the world's most serious honey bee pest, feeds and reproduces on bee larvae and pupae, killing colonies and transmitting viruses.
The infested hive is believed to have originated from a consignment of hives from Queensland. PIRSA is testing other hives from the same load and has issued a biosecurity notice to beekeepers. South Australian minister for primary industries Clare Scriven said hives from Queensland would remain on site and that the department would act according to the national varroa mite plan. "Those hives [that have been detected in SA] can be treated. They don't need to be destroyed; if we were in an eradication phase or an eradication approach, then they might have needed to be destroyed, but that's not the situation," she said.
The detection leaves Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory as the only regions free of the mite. Scriven said the number of hives in the affected area was "in the hundreds" but stressed that not all were necessarily infested.
Beekeepers said the parasite was expected to arrive eventually. Riverland beekeeper Ian Cass noted that treatment would increase production costs. "If you use the treatments that we've been told to use, it's going to cost between US$39 and US$45 per hive, per year — that's just for the chemicals," he said. He added that feral European honey bees, which play a role in crop pollination, could be reduced by up to 95%.
Select Harvests Limited confirmed the varroa mite was detected in bees at its Jubilee Orchard in South Australia following annual pollination. The company said the affected hives had been isolated, and it was working with PIRSA to contain the spread. According to the company, there is no expected impact on pollination or the 2026 almond crop's quality and quantity. Select Harvests is sourcing bees for the 2027 crop with consideration of the mite's potential spread and stated it would continue working with the horticulture sector in the state.