Brisbane beekeepers say a treatment-resistant strain of varroa mite is ripping through suburban hives, wiping out colonies and threatening local honey production and pollination services.
Commercial apiarist Rick McFarlane, known as The Backyard Beekeeper, said the outbreak had hit this part of Queensland hard.
“For south-east Queensland, the only word I can use now is devastation,” McFarlane said.
He said the pest had moved quickly through suburbs near the airport (Eagle Farm, Hendra, and Ascot) with recent testing showing many Brisbane hives were resistant to both synthetic pyrethroid and amitraz-based miticides.
“We had complete apiaries fail due to not being aware of the resistance until after the testing results,” he said.
He estimated 90 per cent of managed colonies had collapsed and 99 per cent of feral and unmanaged colonies had been destroyed by the mite.
Varroa mites infest brood cells, weaken developing bees and spread viruses that can trigger colony collapse. As hives fail, secondary pests such as the small hive beetle can take over weakened colonies, leaving ruined wax and, in some cases, only a handful of listless bees and a queen.
Craig Turner, vice-president of the Brisbane Amateur Beekeepers Society, said losses had accelerated sharply in recent months.
“In meetings now, I ask who still has bees, and about 30 per cent put their hand up,” he said.
“A couple of months ago, most people had multiple hives. Now they’re either wiped out or down to a single hive.
“It’s like a tidal wave swept over everyone.”
Mark Ansell, secretary and treasurer of the Brisbane branch of the Queensland Beekeepers Association, said suburban keepers were being hit as hard as commercial operators.
“Through the east side of Brisbane there’s been countless losses, complete losses of beehives — literally overnight in some cases,” Ansell said.
Clint Lovell, a hobbyist beekeeper based in Carina, said one of his hives was currently dropping hundreds of mites a day into a pest management tray, while another just a metre away remained comparatively stable.
“The bees are not happy,” Lovell said. “They fly out but don’t make it back.”
With synthetic options failing, keepers have been forced to pivot to labour-intensive organic alternatives such as oxalic acid strips or thermal vapourisers, which require constant rotation. McFarlane said the added costs were crippling smaller operators.
“I’ve only got 150 hives, and it’s $1,500 to $3,000 extra per month that I’ve got to cover,” he said.
“It’s labour and cost intensive for small businesses. It’s our livelihood, but more than that we love our bees.
“The joy has been taken out of beekeeping,” McFarlane said.
The broader concern is that what happens in Brisbane’s backyards will ripple into the wider agricultural sector, with pollination services already under strain.
A Queensland Department of Primary Industries spokesperson said varroa was now being managed as a long-term biosecurity issue.
As of July 2026, there were 2,246 infested premises across 24 local government areas, with most cases in south-east Queensland. The spokesperson said 50 apiaries across Brisbane and surrounding regions had confirmed resistance to synthetic pyrethroids and amitraz-based miticides.
DPI is also backing the sector through the $500,000 Community Bee Innovation Fund, which supports local projects aimed at improving bee biosecurity.
A petition has been lodged with the Australian Parliament for “Immediate Financial and Regulatory Support for Bees/Beekeepers of Australia”. You can sign the petition at aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN10425.
