The Journal of the Victorian Apiarists' Association
By Andrew Wootton With several varroa detections in metropolitan Melbourne and the Victorian varroa heat map looking like a Christmas pudding, we can safely assume that you either already have mites in your hive or will have this season.So it was encouraging to attend the Melbourne Section club meeting on the 29th January and see … Read more
15/1/2026 – I have been away for a break two very hot days I have noticed scorched leaves on Eucalypt trees in exposed positions. Fortunately, locally the Red Gum has yielded heavily where it has been well budded, and has lingered on. Most days the scales recorded 1.6 to 3 kgs weight gain, but a … Read more
Reported positive Varroa mite tests represented by the yellow “present” hexagons on the BeeMAX Varroa map https://bees.agriculture.vic.gov.au/Public/Varroa are now joining up across Bendigo showing that Varroa is fairly widespread throughout Bendigo, surrounding districts in late January 2026 and, in my apiary. Either you have Varroa and have found it, have Varroa and don‘t know it, … Read more
(Beyond Pesticides, January 29, 2026) A study of ecotoxicity risk from neonicotinoid insecticides, published in Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, finds that chemicals in this class of pesticides, particularly dinotefuron, increase the body temperature of Apis mellifera (European honey bee) and subsequently accelerate the translocation (movement) of contaminants into hives by the honey bees. The research … Read more
Dear Members, As I write this, it’s that time again when we reflect on the year just past while putting in place plans for the year ahead. And right in the centre of all this, we find ourselves in the middle of a dinki-di honey flow. Across Victoria, beekeepers have been doing what we do … Read more
Extracts From The AHBIC January newsletter Do you know what miticide resistance is? Miticide resistance happens when some Varroa mites carry genetic traits that make them less likely to be killed by a specific chemical treatment. Within any mite population, there is natural variation — a few indi-viduals may, by chance, have genetic differences (e.g., … Read more
By Mike Allerton The powdered sugar shake has been widely promoted as the gentler option for monitoring Varroa destructor, especially among hobbyist beekeepers who feel uneasy about killing a small sample of bees in an alcohol or soapy water wash. For years, the assumption has been that bees walk away unharmed after being dusted with … Read more
By Andrew Wootton We would all prefer to stick to the organic miticides. However, I’d like to discuss problems with the use of Api-Bioxal that limit its effectiveness. I’m not here to criticise the government (indeed, I’ve been proud to play my own small part in the varroa response and will continue doing everything I … Read more
An emergency permit has been issued for Aluen CAP, an oxalic acid treatment which is applied using cellulose strips. There are no temperature limitations listed for this treatment and it can be used when honey supers are present. The treatment period is 42 days. The treatment level is four strips per eight to ten frame … Read more
