Current alerts

This page is a short summary of the honey bee biosecurity alerts that were in force on 31 October 2026. It is not the official notice. The official pages linked below are the authority, and they change faster than this page can. Check your state department’s page before you move hives, buy bees or buy used equipment.

Last checked: 31 October 2026.

Alert 1: varroa mite resistance to common treatments

Where: confirmed in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

What: some varroa mites have been found that are resistant to both of the main synthetic treatment groups, pyrethroids and amitraz (also called formamidines). In practice, treatments in these groups may not control mites as expected in affected hives.

What officials say about timing:

• New South Wales and Queensland confirmed resistance in a small number of apiaries (a site where hives are kept) in early 2026.
• Victoria and South Australia had confirmed resistance to both groups by June 2026.
• Testing indicates the resistant mites came from a more recent incursion, separate from the one first detected in 2022.
• Resistant mites appear to be spreading through the trade of bees and through proximity to affected apiaries.

What beekeepers are asked to do:

• Monitor mite numbers before, during and after any treatment, so a treatment that is not working is noticed early.
• Combine non-chemical and chemical methods (integrated pest management) rather than relying on one product, and rotate treatments that work in different ways.
• Follow the label and permit conditions on every chemical treatment, exactly.
• If you think a treatment has failed, contact your state or territory department.

Dates and official pages:

• Updated by Outbreak.gov.au, 13 June 2026: Varroa mite (Varroa destructor)
• Updated by Agriculture Victoria, 23 June 2026: Varroa mite - current situation
• NSW DPIRD (page not dated): Varroa mite
• Updated by Business Queensland, 23 October 2026: Manage varroa mite

For how mites are monitored and what treatments are registered, see Varroa mite.

Alert 2: the varroa mite situation

Varroa mite was first found near Newcastle, NSW, in June 2022. As at October 2026 it has also been detected in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT. Biosecurity Tasmania says Tasmania is still free of it. The National Varroa Mite Management Program ended on 6 February 2026, and state governments now give local advice. Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) says varroa has not been detected in Western Australia.

Eradication was judged no longer achievable in September 2023, and the response moved to slowing the spread and helping beekeepers manage the mite. Reporting rules for varroa now differ between states and territories. For example, varroa is no longer notifiable in the ACT: the ACT’s list of notifiable pests that took effect on 5 June 2026 no longer includes it. Check your own state or territory’s page (listed below) to see what you must report.

South Australia’s department lists detections across many regions of the state, including the Riverland, Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula and Limestone Coast, and asks beekeepers who have or have had hives within 25 km of a detection site to test every 3 to 4 weeks. It also publishes a surveillance map.

Official pages:

• Outbreak.gov.au (updated 13 June 2026): Varroa mite
• National program website (not updated after 6 February 2026): varroa.org.au
• Updated by PIRSA, 7 October 2026: Varroa mite

Alert 3: red dwarf honey bee, Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia

What: red dwarf honey bee (Apis florea) is a small, exotic bee that is not established in Australia. It was detected on the Burrup Peninsula, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, in March 2023. It can carry bee mites and diseases that could affect European honey bees. A national response to eradicate it, led by WA DPIRD, is still in place.

Where: the Burrup Peninsula, near Karratha. A Quarantine Area is in place there.

What beekeepers must do:

• Hives, equipment and collected swarms on the peninsula must not be moved outside the Quarantine Area.
• Workers, residents, businesses and visitors in the Quarantine Area are required to report unusual bees. Anyone elsewhere who sees unusual small bees or exposed single combs should report them too.

Dates and official pages:

• Updated by Outbreak.gov.au, 28 January 2026: Red dwarf honey bee
• WA DPIRD (page not dated): Red Dwarf honey bee

Where official alerts are published

Official pages are updated before this one is. Use them for the latest information, including any movement rules that apply when you move hives between states.

Where	Official page
All of Australia	Outbreak.gov.au: current responses to outbreaks
All of Australia	BeeAware (Plant Health Australia)
NSW	NSW DPIRD: varroa mite
Victoria	Agriculture Victoria: varroa mite - current situation
Queensland	Business Queensland: manage varroa mite
South Australia	PIRSA: varroa mite
Western Australia	DPIRD WA: red dwarf honey bee
Tasmania	Biosecurity Tasmania: rules for moving bees

For the rules in each state, see State-by-state rules. For how to tell one problem from another, see the diagnosis guide.