Varroa Mite Changes Beekeeping in Central Victoria

This Sunday’s Field Day at Harcourt Recreation Reserve gathers experienced and new beekeepers, industry experts, and community members interested in bees. With Varroa mite now established in Victoria, local beekeepers are learning to manage a pest previously unknown to Australian honey bees. For hobby beekeepers with only a hive or two, these changes can be challenging.

Regular Varroa monitoring is becoming essential alongside managing seasonal changes, swarming, and colony health. Jessica Ruedin, a hobby beekeeper and member of the Victorian Apiarists’ Association Bendigo Branch, finds support from her local club helpful in this learning process. She notes the club includes both experienced and new beekeepers willing to assist each other.