Bees at ‘frontline’

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
A NEW security force under the leadership of masked volunteers is buzzing around Geelong’s sea and airports.
The volunteers from Geelong Beekeepers Club are the frontline in a fight to keep Australia free of exotic honey bee pests and diseases.
Club member John Edmonds said he had positioned 10 sentinel beehives around the region to keep watch for invaders.
“These sentinel hives are our early-warning system against things like the varroa mite, which can devastate the bee population,” Mr Edmonds said.
“The beekeepers recruited in Geelong are active with the club and are aware of the importance of surveillance and early detection for varroa.”
Victorian Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh recently launched the Bee Force program.
Mr Walsh said the hives included sticky mats to trap intruders.
Department of Primary Industries’ entomologists would check the mats for pests and diseases, he said.
“Seaports are a common point of entry for pests and diseases. As part of the Geelong Bee Force extension, one extra hive has also been positioned close to Avalon Airport.
“Australia is the only continent free of varroa mite and to counter the risk of it ever arriving here it’s vital we maximise our capacity for rapid detection and response to this devastating bee pest.
“Varroa mite has the potential to devastate Australia’s honey and honey bee-dependent crop pollination industries if it becomes established, causing losses estimated at $50 million a year over 30 years.”