More than 200 beekeepers have taken part in the final Varroa Mite Management Workshops hosted by the National Varroa Mite Management Program over the weekend.
Staged simultaneously in Ballina, Queensland's Lockyer Valley and South Perth on Saturday 12 July 2025, the last workshops brought to a conclusion a comprehensive training program spanning 16 months.
NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) National Varroa Transition to Management Coordinator Tamara Prentice said the Varroa Mite Management Workshops had been a resounding success.
"We set ourselves an ambitious target of delivering 110 physical workshops across the country in just over a year," Ms Prentice said.
"In total we hosted 121 workshops exceeding our expectations, with almost 8,000 beekeepers joining us to learn about Varroa mite and how together we can protect and grow Australia's honey and pollination-dependent industries."
Ms Prentice said the 8,000 beekeepers trained were responsible for the management of more than half of the country's registered hives.
"To have that support from the Australian beekeeping community is testament to the passion they hold for the industry and a reflection of the quality of training delivered.
"We thank each and every beekeeper for taking time out to learn about this bee pest and help safeguard our beekeeping industry."
Varroa Mite Management Workshops commenced in April 2024 following the Transition to Management announcement.
Workshops covered issues including integrated pest management techniques, pest impacts, record-keeping and treatment options.
Seven Advanced Workshops were also rolled-out aimed at commercial beekeepers. These workshops explored how commercial operators can mitigate the impacts of Varroa on their business operations.
Ms Prentice added the online training and other resources, such as webinars, factsheets and video case studies remain available via the National Varroa Mite Management Program website.
"The transition to management plan places a strong emphasis on building industry resilience and preparedness and increasing beekeeper and industry knowledge," Ms Prentice said.
"We thank those industry leaders who have shared their experiences with us. We have developed resources based on these, and encourage all beekeepers to take advantage of these learnings in their own battles with the mite.
"Beekeepers can also continue to access the services of Varroa Development Officers who can visit them and provide practical assistance on how to manage Varroa."
Visit Varroa mite online training options to view the full range of free online learning resources available from the National Varroa Mite Management Program.
