Kelly Lees (NSW):
Saskia Beer Churchill Fellowship to investigate ways of managing parasitic mites of honey bees,
including Varroa and Tropilaelaps
The second in a series of interviews for Australian Rural & Regional News with 2024 Churchill Fellowship recipients whose projects have a rural or regional focus.
Project outline1
New South Wales has recently seen the incursion and subsequent establishment of Varroa destructor a terrible parasitic mite of honeybees. We were prepared to eradicate, underprepared to manage. We are the last country to get this mite in the world, but there are others on our doorstep including Tropilaelaps mites in SE Asia and PNG. Beekeepers in these regions are already learning to manage more than one mite species in colonies and we will have to do the same. Learning how other beekeepers do this is critical for the survival of the Australian beekeeping industry. To see, experience and participate in beekeeping with others that are already doing this is crucial so I can share this knowledge and experience.
ARR.News: What has been the level of success of the projects with which you have been involved so far in controlling the spread and impact of the parasitic mites of honey bees?
Kelly Lees: I was heavily involved in the initial eradication attempt as part of my work with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). This attempt was a huge undertaking involving a high level of surveillance to determine the initial area of the incursion and then large scale hive euthanasia to contain the mites. Early indications were that eradication was feasible and hopes were high. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in large part due to two factors, the human element with hive movements and the determination that the incursion had occurred earlier than first detected. So despite our best efforts, containing the spread of the mite was difficult and ultimately unsuccessful. With the transition to management in September 2023, commercial beekeepers have returned to business as usual and as a result the mite is spreading throughout NSW as hives once again move freely throughout the state.
As the transition to management occurred, my team, the Honey Bee Education team based at Tocal, ramped into high gear, writing and developing the educational materials that have become the National Varroa Mite Management Program (NVMMP). Materials include videos, factsheets, presentations and workbooks. The materials were developed through consultation with the beekeeping industry through pilot programs. We then trained contract trainers and the Varroa Development Officers in every state to deliver this training. This training has so far been delivered to more than 4500 beekeepers across the nation and delivers best practice Varroa management, teaching beekeepers various methods for controlling the spread and impact of Varroa. We are now converting the NVMMP to an online course which will make the course more accessible to more beekeepers.
ARR.News: What do you see as the big risk factors to address in Australia in particular to get on top of these mites?
Kelly Lees: We were the last continent to get Varroa which means we can learn from the mistakes of other nations as we move forward. However, there are still many unknowns.
a. Climatic conditions: Australia has very varied climatic conditions across the country which will have an impact on how Varroa is managed. One of the most effective management strategies is having a brood break (where there is no bee reproduction), but in many parts of Australia this never happens. This is a risk because if the bees are reproducing so are the mites. So this will have to be managed artificially.
b. Non-treatment of colonies: Beekeepers who do not treat their hives particularly in this early build-up phase where the mite population spikes and hives get reinfested quickly from the environment. This phase can last many years and if beekeepers do not adequately manage mite numbers, untreated hives become a source of continual reinfestation for beekeepers around them extending how long this phase lasts.
c. Reliance on and overuse of chemicals and non-permitted treatments: Chemicals like all chemicals have a particular way they work on the target organism known as mode of action (MOA). Synthetic miticides need to be rotated with non-synthetics and other synthetics with a different MOA. Unfortunately many of these chemicals cannot be used whilst honey is present on the hives, restricting their use significantly. And the non-synthetics have either honey restrictions, temperature restrictions limiting the windows in which they can be used, or number of use per annum restrictions due to the hard impact on the colonies. There are few times when beekeepers do not have honey on their hivers particularly in some locations. What this boils down to is overuse of a particular chemical that can be used with honey present leading to mites being resistant to this chemical and rendering it useless. Beekeepers need to adapt to using incremental control methods like drone trapping to reduce chemical reliance and rotating between products to keep them viable.
ARR.News: How confident are you that the mites can and will be managed here?
Kelly Lees: Beekeepers are nothing if not resourceful and what we have seen overseas is that despite having Varroa mites many nations still have very successful beekeeping industries. We have the benefit of not repeating the mistakes made elsewhere and forging a better path. There are already Australian beekeepers doing a very good job of managing Varroa. I am confident that the industry can and will manage to live with Varroa with the right training, education and willingness to adapt. There is no doubt it will be difficult, costs and hive management will increase and we will and are seeing some beekeepers choose to leave the industry. But the beekeepers who come behind us in the future will not know the pre-varroa world of beekeeping, for them, it will just be part of the job. It is those of us that experienced the before that need to adapt and we will because Australian beekeepers are hard workers and they are resilient.
About Kelly Lees2
Kelly has been a dedicated beekeeper for over a decade, with an infectious passion for bringing people into the world of bees through education. Kelly’s journey began as a recreational beekeeper, before co-founding a small commercial urban beekeeping operation.
Kelly began delivering training for the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, leading to her current role as Education Officer Honey Bees. Known for her hands-on approach, Kelly is not just a beekeeper but also an engaging educator who works closely with industry and colleagues writing and delivering education programs for the commercial beekeeping industry and the recreational sector alike.
When Varroa mite hit our shores Kelly, along with other department staff and volunteer beekeepers from across Australia worked tirelessly on the emergency response. When we could not kill the mite, we had to learn to live with it, and education was the logical next step.
Kelly threw herself into the task, knowing the industry she loves was at risk. She has been instrumental in the development and delivery of the education materials for the National Varroa Mite Management Program, and in training others to teach about managing Varroa.
Kelly strongly believes in the strength, ingenuity and resilience of the Australian beekeeping industry, and the significant role that education plays in supporting this crucial agricultural sector face current and future threats.
References
1. https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/project/saskia-beer-churchill-fellowship-to-investigate-ways-of-managing-parasitic-mites-of-honey-bees-including-varroa-and-tropilaelaps/
2. https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellow/kelly-lees-nsw-2024/
Related story: 2024 Churchill Fellowship recipient: Dean Gilligan