THE QUEENSLAND Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has confirmed the presence of the damaging varroa mite in the State’s north.
It is the just the second time varroa mites, which have had disastrous implications for bee numbers in other continents across the globe, have been found in Australia.
In all the locations it has been found previously, varroa mite has wreaked havoc on bee populations.
Biosecurity officials say a worst case scenario would see a 90 per cent plus decline in Australian bee populations if the varroa mite was to spread.
The incursion of the mites in Australia was found in a feral Asian honey bee hive at the Port of Townsville and follows a similar incident last year at the Port of Brisbane.
There have been five varroa mites officially identified in the offending hive of 5000 Asian honey bees at Townsville
In a worrying statement, biosecurity officials say they believe the hive could have been there as long as two years.
As a result, a 10 kilometre movement exclusion zone has been set around the port to stop the spread of the deadly mites.
Varroa mites cause damage by infesting bee hives and feeding on larvae, with hives with varroa mites present generally dying out in less than four years.
They are especially dangerous to European honey bees, the strain of bees which produce the majority of Australia’s honey.
But it is not just the $90 million a year honey industry on high alert.
Bees also play a huge role in Australia’s agriculture sector, particularly in the horticulture and cropping industries as pollinators.
Bee pollination services have been estimated to contribute between $620 to $1,730 million to the value of Australian agricultural production per annum.