Beyond the Hive
Varroa and Pollination
Commercial beekeeping
With a background in honey production, pollination and bee brokering Matt has seen the effects of Varroa mite on the beekeeping and pollination industries. As we enter this new age of beekeeping he touches on changes within the industry, impacts on beekeepers and best practice moving forward.
Profile
Name: Matt Skinner
Business: Big Springs Honey
Location: Wagga Wagga NSW
Years in the Industry: 16 years
Number of Hives: 720
Operation type: Honey production, pollination and bee brokering
Varroa Discovery
As president of the NSW Apiarists Association Matt is no stranger to the impacts Varroa mite has had on the beekeeping industry. Based in southern NSW he has only recently discovered one mite in his own hives after moving them north. However, he has already started developing a mite management plan so he is prepared for the warmer months when mite numbers increase.
Impacts of Varroa
Matt suspects that the biggest impacts on the industry will be the ongoing costs and the extra labour that will be required to manage the pest. He emphasises the importance of beekeepers developing their own management systems, chemical rotations, monitoring and record keeping.
‘The impacts I see is obviously the ongoing costs or the unknown costs.’
Pollination Industry
It is evident that Varroa infestations are wiping out wild colonies so Matt predicts this will increase the demand for pollination services in Australia.
‘Pollination industries that haven’t had to get bees in before in the past, they will probably have to start sourcing them.’
He has witnessed the effects Varroa is having on beekeepers and their bees and acknowledges that everyone’s experience with Varroa is different.
Looking to the future
Matt has a realistic yet positive outlook on the future of beekeeping. Beekeeping with Varroa means looking at budgets, structure and implementing some new beekeeping strategies.