Beyond the Hive
Successfully managing Varroa
Commercial beekeeping
After taking over the family business Min and Sam have taken Varroa mite management in their stride. Their focus on cost management, record keeping and staff training has helped them to successfully manage the pest.
Profile
Name: Min & Sam Fuller
Business: Bee Services
Location: Grafton NSW
Years in the Industry: Their Father started the business 45 years ago. Min and Sam have now taken over.
Number of Hives: 4,700 (2,700 pollination and 2,000 honey production)
Operation type: Honey production and pollination
Varroa Discovery
Varroa mites were first discovered in their hives in October 2023 by a DPI officer performing routine surveillance. Min and Sam then went on to discover their first infested hives in June 2024. They now have approximately 2,700 hives infested with Varroa.
Treatment Costs
From the early stages of Varroa mite infestation Bee Services have prioritised working the costs of treatments and extra labour into their business model. Their biggest concern facing Varroa is the cost of Varroa mite management and the impacts it will have on their business.
‘We’re not concerned about managing it, doing the treatments, but we’re concerned more so about the long-term cost to us.’
Sam estimates that Varroa costs account for around 30% of the business revenue. Not only do these costs come from the price of treatments but also takes into account indirect costs of surveillance, training and labour.
Min and Sam emphasise that these costs are necessary to keep their hives healthy.
Record Keeping
Accurate record keeping is another important aspect of the Bee Services core business strategy. They have created their own internal database to keep records of:
Which hives and loads are being treated
What treatment has been used
When the treatment should be removed
When hives were monitored for mites
Surveillance initially started with a 12 week rotation on washes and they then moved to 4 weeks when Varroa mite was prevalent in their area. They experienced high reinfestation rates in their hives with mite numbers increasing quickly so frequent monitoring ensures that they can keep mites under control.
‘Now it’s kind of just the normal in our business.’
Preparing the team
The Bee Services team have participated in a number of training sessions provided by the NVMMP and in house. They have seen the benefits of their team engaging with professionals in the industry as well as other beekeepers to keep up to date with the latest information and management strategies.
Lessons learnt
Moving forward Min and Sam are focusing on spending their money wisely, selling assets if they are no longer being used, budgeting for the future, strong record keeping and management.