Varroa mite has been detected near Boggabilla, giving Moree Plains growers reason to heed warnings that they may need to budget for pollination instead of relying on feral honeybees.
Varroa mite attacks honeybees and can weaken or kill hives if it is not managed. Its spread is expected to reduce feral honeybee numbers and increase demand for commercial hives during flowering.
Farm and bee industry groups say growers need to start treating pollination as a planned farm input, like water, fertiliser or labour.
The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council said in January 2025 that Varroa had been detected in hives across three apiaries at Boggabilla, near the Queensland border.
Australia’s Varroa response is now focused on managing the pest, not wiping it out.
The Pollination Security Status Report 2026, released by the Wheen Bee Foundation, says Australia could face a shortfall of about 290,000 commercial honey bee hives during peak pollination periods under a severe Varroa scenario.
The report says about two-thirds of crop species grown in Australia benefit from honey bee pollination to some degree.
Varroa destructor is now established across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT, while Western Australia and Tasmania remain free of the pest, according to the NFF Horticulture Council and AHBIC.
NFF Horticulture Council executive officer Richard Shannon said many growers had long benefited from pollination they did not have to organise or pay for.
“For decades, a large share of horticulture’s pollination has come from feral bees that growers never had to think about, let alone pay for,” Mr Shannon said.
“Varroa is steadily removing that invisible workforce. The growers who likely fare best from here will be the ones who treat pollination as a managed input, planned, budgeted and contracted, rather than something the landscape provides for free.”
AHBIC chief executive officer Danny Le Feuvre said Varroa was not only a beekeeping issue.
“This is not just a beekeeping problem, it is a national food production and resilience issue,” Mr Le Feuvre said.
“Growers and beekeepers are in this together, and securing pollination for Australia’s horticulture industries depends on us planning side by side.”
The report says broadacre crops such as canola, cotton lint, faba beans, field peas, lupins, soybeans and sunflowers could also face pressure if feral pollination declines. However, it says widespread use of managed honey bee pollination in those crops is unlikely and may not be viable for many growers.
Growers are being urged to check how much pollination their crops need before flowering begins, contact beekeepers early, confirm hive prices and availability, and include pollination costs in crop budgets.
The NFF Horticulture Council and AHBIC will co-host a national grower webinar on managing pollination in a Varroa-endemic Australia from 12pm to 1.30pm AEST on Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
Growers can register for the webinar here.
