The Backyard Beekeeper

The Backyard Beekeeper We are proud to offer a complete and unique personalised set of services for the aspiring urban Backyard beekeeper. ABN Australian Registered business.

Fully insured for all types of beekeeping work including but not limited to education in schools, removal of bees from public places including structures, apiary set ups in urban environments. Flowhive (TM) Australia authorised for direct to public sales and support. Department of Primary Industry registered. NSW Amateurs Beekeeping Member
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Secondary update on the Varroa Front..... The Resistant Mite SpreadWe have just received yesterday - results on mite sam...
02/06/2026

Secondary update on the Varroa Front..... The Resistant Mite Spread

We have just received yesterday - results on mite samples we conducted in April across a number of suburbs.

I thought it important to share this information asap as we had an idea it was bad but now we truly know how bad the resistance mite load actually is throughout Brisbane.....

To say we are disappointed would be an understatement, the sense of urgency and communication to get this type of information out to beekeepers that are making daily decisions on thier colonies and finances - has a lot to be desired in our opinion.

These samples were submitted and collected on the 14th April and results communicated the 1st of June.

For us - In that time we have condensed and treated entire apiaries (150 colonies) using Bayvarol and now Apivar. Over $3000 spent on treatments and wages to now learn we have to do it all again as the mites have up to 100% resistance to both products in some of our apiary locations -
a ticking time bomb for entire collapse and spread now.

The attached two pics - one is the data of actual samples we collected (personal data covered for obvious reasons) the other a suggestive map of areas we suspect to be most impacted by resistance. Information below to explain further -

We have asked for DPI to release more findings or to construct a map for us to use but we have been informed their test results are not for public disclosure at this stage.
DPI response is "to continue to use different modes of treatments and to check efficacy rates and suggested to check wash counts again a week after treatment applied".
What has been confirmed is that the Brisbane and Ipswich areas have resistant mites and the spread is vast - areas like Kingaroy, Bundaberg, NSW and Victoria all have confirmed cases of the resistant mite, without testing samples we don't know the percentage of impact.

I'll let you all be the judge of all this information but hope talking about it and sharing it can help you with your management of this pest.

Thanks
Rick

Data example pic 1
Using say example 3 in Pullenvale 70 % of the mite sample tested resistant to Pyrethroid and 80% of the sample tested resistant to Amitraz. Highlighted in red due to the high number of resistant mites in the sample provided for testing.

Next line Marburg zero mites tested resistant to both modes of treatment.

Pic 2 - Suggested impact of resistant mite spread across Brisbane

31/05/2026

The "Super" mite....... more on this below....
Varroa update week ending 31st May - short one due to the rainy conditions most of the week.. and the OA vaporisation program we are doing for clients at the moment through Pullenvale, Brookfield, Jimboomba, Carabrook areas

- Morayfield- 1 hive - 16mites - (increasing)
- Narangba - 3 hives - 1-2 mites (area increasing)
- Pullenvale - 2 hives - avg 20 mites (increasing)
- Carabrook 1 hive - 25 mites (increasing)

Has everyone underestimated this new "super" mite?? Why is the term "super" mite being thrown around.... it's certainly not for positive reasons that's for sure...
For those that haven't heard or following from other countries, we have recently discovered that Australia has had a secondary incursion of varroa.
The issue for us in this new incursion is that this genetically different varroa mite is resistant to synthetic pyrethroid and Amitraz synthetics and is now widely believed (not confirmed yet) to have brought new pathogens and viruses to the Australian beekeeping colonies.

The rest of the world has been dealing with a "slow burn" of these issues over decades with little to no wild, feral or unmanaged populations.

We in Australia however are experiencing a "wild fire" of spread with plague proportion numbers of these "new" mites that have already spread across thousands of square kilometres in what we believe to be just the last 12months.

The result so far as we enter winter is millions and millions of dead bees, thousands of colonies wiped out and we are yet to understand totally the reasons why 😔 Is it management? Is it efficacy rates? Is it viruses? Is it environmental? Is it re-infestation? Is it poisoning?
Is it all the above?

For those of us that bees are their life, their livelihood and just have a love for our bees.... the future is a scary black hole of the unknown right now....
For everyone else who doesn't keep bees, the impact will be considerable to the agricultural industry - the last thing our farmers need right now.

Please help to spread the word to those that can help, scientifically, financially, influencing... time to put our hands up and admit we are worried about the future.

Sorry it's a sad one, feel free to share your story good and bad -
Negative and useless comments will be deleted as usual.

Goodluck out there

Thanks
The Backyard Beekeeping Team

Rick
Gracie - Super Star
Steve- Wild West
Wifey - Support councillor 😉

The video of the resistant mite I pulled off a bee - looks like all the rest hey....🤷‍♂️

24/05/2026

Update - ABC story next Tuesday at this stage - landline this weekend apparently

Varroa update week ending 24/5
Diary note ABC News and Landline doing stories on the impact of varroa this coming week. Thanks for getting the word out!

- Auchenflower 2 hives - >40 mites (increasing)
- Kenmore 2 hives - > 20 mites (increasing)
- Brookfield - 3 hives Formic treated reduced from +70 mites to 40mites
- Augustine heights 1 hive - 7 mites (stable)
- Springfield 1 hive - 20mites (stable)
- Logan Village - 1 hives - 4mites (area increasing)
- Chelmer 1 hive - >50 mites (increasing)
- Camira 2 hives - 20mites (increasing)
- Pullenvale 2 apiaries 10 hives - avg >30 mites (increasing)
- Brookfield 2 apiaries - 2 hives avg 35mites (increasing)
- Pine Mountain 1 hive - 17mites (increasing)

We are starting to see the impacts of the recent honey flows and brood build up around Brisbane - mite numbers once again creeping up in most areas we have visited.

Keep an eye out on ABC News this week (likely Thursday evening) as well as Landline next weekend as the media start to respond to the difficulties we are facing as beekeepers and the concerns for the future with this new incursion.

Keep the momentum going as we all struggle to agate these uncertain times with resistance and possible new viruses or pathogens that are yet to be discovered.

Hot tip.... remember to keep the brood warm over these much cooler conditions, not something all beekeepers are used to in QLD but with far smaller clusters of brood this year... things like hive mats (if leaving supers on) will make a huge difference to the colonies.

Share your experiences, keep the comments positive or constructive leave the negative out or it will be deleted.

Goodluck out there

Rick
Gracie - super dooper South
Steve- Wild West
Wifey - still extracting engineer.

17/05/2026

Varroa Update week ending 17th May

Between rain periods and illness we still managed to get out and about....

- The Gap- 3 apiaries - 2 hives plus 50mites / 1 hive 12 (increasing)
- Chapel Hill- 1 hive plus 30mites (increasing)
- Kenmore 1 hive - 20mites (increasing)
- Pullenvale 2 hives - plus 25mites (increasing)
- Boonah 4 hives - nil
- Mt Cootha - 1 hive collapsed (increasing)
- Mt Crosby 1 hive - 19mites (increasing)
- stockleigh 1hive - >50mites (increasing)
- Jimboomba 4 apiaries - 3 hives - avg 20 - 2 hives >50 mites (increasing)
- Reedy Creek 1 hive -4mites (stable)
- Logan village - 2 apiaries - avg 20 (increasing)
- Park Ridge 2 hives > 50mites (increasing)
- Everton Park 20 hives avg 40mites (increasing)
- Esk 6 hives Avg mites last time 8 this time 1 or less found - treated with bayvarol

Just a quick summary of the above and what we are doing - as you will no doubt work out the Logan area is now in the midst of plague proportions of mites quickly spreading throughout all the apiaries in the area.

We are also seeing huge mite numbers in the areas from Pullenvale across to Everton park. Unfortunately from what we can tell these areas have been the last to be hit and they are being hit from the west and the east at the same time so huge numbers of infestation rates hitting all hives in these areas.

We are using formic pro (last resort) for any mite counts over 50 (14 day method unless mite loads are around 100 then both pads are applied, only on colonies that have good numbers of bees) as we know the queens will be impacted and possibly superseded due to the impact of this product. Not great during winter- we still have drones but.

Under 50 mites in a count we are still having mixed success with bayvarol / Apivar / OA strips and OA vaporisation.
A combination of any of the strips with an initial vaporisation of OA is certainly slowing the mite numbers but it's still very difficult to bring the numbers down without a consistent va**ng program to deal with phoretic mites coming in.

We are implementing an OA vaporisation program for the next 4 weeks for our clients every 4-7days in the areas of Pullenvale and Logan / Jimboomba areas at a reduced rate in the hope of reducing the mites loads and infestation rates in the areas and trying not to open hives that will impact the brood clusters whilst we are in the colder months.
Let us know if you want to be included via email please.

Also if you didn't see Murray's post recently a really good point he made is if your unsure why the colony has collapsed please err on the side of caution and treat all gear as if it been impacted by AFB - it's just good housekeeping for you and every beekeeper around you.

Goodluck for the week ahead, hoping this rain heads out west for our framers and gives the city some break for the blue gums and iron barks to kick in and give our bees a good nutritional kick along.

Remember negative or useless comments deleted 👍 thanks for staying positive

The Backyard Beekeeping Team

Rick
Gracie - Superstar status apparently 🤷‍♂️😂😂 (she is) as said by one client (what am I doing wrong 🤷‍♂️😞)
Steve - Wild West man in the know
Wifey - still extracting engineer, quality control, never ending job this year having to take supers off)

Video - her first day.... missing the girls😔😢 tough year ahead for anyone in queen breeding 😔

10/05/2026

Happy Mother's Day to all the great mums out there!!

Varroa update weekending 10th May 2026

- Marburg - 3 apiaries avg mite count 8-12 (stabilising)
- Seventeen mile rocks 2 hives >30 (increasing)
- Karana Downs 1 hive - plus 50 mites (increasing)
- Fig tree 3 hives - ranging from 9-35mites (increasing)
- Kenmore - 2 apiaries >20 mite avg (increasing)
- Redland bay 1 hive 32 mites (increasing)
- Pullenvale 3 hives > 30mites (increasing)
- Westlake 1 hive - 45mites (increasing)
- Ormeau - 1 hive -28mites (increasing)
- Worongary 4 hives - avg 5 mites (decreasing)
- New Beith 2 hives - 3/7mites count (increasing)
- Woodhill 2 hives - avg 10mites (increasing)
- Buccan - 1 hive - 11 mites (stabilising)
- Burbank 1 hive - 4mites (stable)

All up a fairly positive week across most areas from what we have seen. The onset of good nutrition as well as the cooler weather is hopefully on the bees side for a change🤷‍♂️
As part of packing the bees down tight and helping them to stay warm it's a great opportunity to get your mite numbers down as low as possible using different mode of treatments that difficult to use during hotter periods and are temperature sensitive or needing supers removed.
It's also a good time to take stock and clean out any old damaged, un-usable equipment and get rid of it.

The most hygienic way of disposing of any bee equipment is to recycle or burn.
We don't want old frames in the bin, making their way into land fill where bees can find them. This will spread disease throughout the bee community.

Hope everyone has a great week ahead stay well

The Team at The Backyard Beekeeper

Rick
Gracie - super south Beekeeper
Steve - Wild West
Wifey - extraction expert.

Video
SHB taken over a collapsed colony - best way to dispose of it- burn it!!

03/05/2026

Warning Butt shot 😂😂

It's that time of the week....
Varroa in SE QLD update week ending 3rd May

- Pinjarra Hills 8 hives - 3 different apiaries Avg 20mite per wash after bayvarol (increasing)

- Pullenvale 6 hive -3 locations Avg 25 mites post Bayvarol (increasing)

- Kenmore 3 hives Avg 10 (increasing)

- Indoorapilly 1 hive- 8 mites from 25 last time OA strips (stabilising)

- Bald hills 2 hives - hive 1 > 70mites packed down to brood with empty super and treated with Formic pro. Other hive 8mites - OA strips and vap holding them steady. (Increasing)

- Belbowrie - 1 hive - collapsed no treatment (increasing)

- Chelmer 2 hives - 1 collapsed / other 35mites (increasing)

- Raceview 1 hive - 7mites down from 10 (stabilising)

- Newtown - 1 hive previous count plus 70 treated with Formic (14day release) now 25

- And some great news coming out of Camp hill area.... 3 hives - 2 on the verge of collapse 5weeks ago are making a come back, full brood and expanding rapidly.
Treated with Apivar (2 almost collapsing) with the remaining colony staying in OA strips but with a brood break 5 weeks ago. This story has been one of very hard work and commitment from the beekeeper (Shelley) she has never once faulted from seeing them survive insane mite numbers.

Some positive outlooks at the moment with the majority of the city suburbs and Ipswich areas stating to show some subsidence in mite numbers and healthy hives.
This does come in line with brood numbers increasing with winter honey flows.

As much as we don't want to treat and to start giving more and more time between treatments, just don't become complacent.

Keep rotating your treatments for at least the next 12months would be our suggestion and keep the bees very tight.
As brood numbers increase with each honey/pollen flow so will mite numbers. Remember there is a big delay between brood at full capacity and mites at full capacity (around 2-3months delay for mites)
So keep your foot on the pedal, knock these resistant mites by changing treatments every 4-6weeks and all the hard work and expense will hopefully pay off.

It then we will be able to focus on moving towards zero treatment breeding from survivor stock and colonies that show more promise.

Just a side note - please if you have any influence in gaining government support for our farmers and commercial beekeepers please make some noise about it - they need all the help they can get right now and they are all suffering badly with treatment expenses / drought / fuel costs / fertiliser shortages and now drought as well as there will be a pollination shortage in the future.

Thanks for all the hard work feedback - remember negative or useless comments will be deleted but please feel free to add your experiences to share with everyone.

The Backyard Beekeeper Team

Rick
Gracie - South of the river - the weapon will deliver
Steve- he's the man around the ranges
if your bees are in danger.
Wifey - extracting not that fun, but she's the one to get it done!
😂😂😂

Video - one of our beautiful golden cordovan boys hanging out with me in the car this week

26/04/2026

We never expected to see such images in person.... how many mite can one bee carry ??

Varroa Update week ending 26th April 2026...

A lot of work on our bees this last week... so close to home

- Sunnybank - 1 hive 20mites (stable)
- Auchenflower 3 hive - 1 collapsed 2 mite counts plus 30 (increasing)
- Pullenvale 2 hives (previous count >50) this count 4 (treated with OA strips and OA vap) (area is increasing in mite numbers)
- Chewar 20 hives avg 20 mites - stable
- Mount Crosby 30 colonies avg 10 mites (stable)
- Belbowrie 20 hives avg 10 mites (stable)
- Anstead 4 hives - under immense mite pressure - treated OA vap and Bayvarol
- Carabrook - 1 hive 20 mites (increasing)
- Shailer park - 2 hives > 20 mites (increasing)
- Camira 2 hives avg 12 mite count (increasing)
- Springfield 1 hive 23 mite (increasing)
- Augustine heights 1 hive - 4mites (stable)
- Ripley 1 hive >40 mite (increasing)
- Mount Tamborine 2 hives under brood break (increasing)
- Kooralbyn 1 hive > 40 increasing

- one to watch the area around Harrisville / Kent's lagoon / Peaks crossing areas
has seen a huge increase in the area of mite numbers - one case going from 20 mites to over 100 whilst under treatment.

So the recent confirmation from DPI NSW and QLD that there has been a second incursion has been making a lot of noise this week, but it's what we had expected to be the case for some time now...

We know that the horse has bolted on finding out the how and why this second incursion has occurred - if money and resources are to be spent then I think the questions we should be asking is what is DPI doing to stop the possible incursion of a far superior and destructive mite called Tropilaelaps. This mite can be found at our nearest neighbour in Papua New Guinea very close to our shores.
Also what is being done to communicate minimise the spread of disease during this time and how are they helping beekeepers with the financial impacts of the shear labour workloads and treatment costs that are crippling commercial beekeepers 🤷‍♂️

Nothing has changed for us treatment wise, we monitor all hives every 4 weeks and clients who monitor drop rates weekly in SHB pest trays are an still reporting good drops rates regardless of the treatment being used.
4 weeks or less is key now to knowing your mite numbers and alternating treatments and methods is more critical than ever.
Ie don't expect the treatment to last the label duration under the conditions we have here in SE Queensland.

Good news is a number of areas seem to be experiencing an ease of mite pressure as brood clusters start to reduce naturally due to cooler conditions.

Goodluck out there.... as always feel free to share what's working / your mite counts for others to look at in your area - negative and useless comments will be deleted.

Thanks

The Backyard Beekeeping Team

Rick, Gracie, Steve, Wifey

Pic of a worker bee covered in mites in a collapsing hive at Auchenflower 😞😔

Varroa Update week ending 19th April 26 - The Gap 2 hives - 1 > 50 2nd - 8 mite count (going up) - Marburg 2 hives - 8/...
19/04/2026

Varroa Update week ending 19th April 26

- The Gap 2 hives - 1 > 50 2nd - 8 mite count (going up)
- Marburg 2 hives - 8/ 30 mites (going up)
- Toowong 1 hive - > 30mites (going up)
- Taringa 1 hive > 30 mites (going up)
- Clayfield 3 hives > 20 mite avg (last counts plus 50) (going down)
- Brookfield 5 hives avg 6-12mites (going up)
- Chelmer 1 hive > 50mites (going up)
- Wishart 1 hive < 1 (last count plus 30) (brood break)
- Logan village 1 hive -4 mites (stable)
- park ridge 2 hives - 17 mites (going down)
- Jimboomba 2 hives - 3 mites (stable)
- Forest Dale 1 hive - 6mite (going down)
- Esk 7 hives - avg 8mites (going up)

Sunshine Coast
- Cromahurst 2 hives - 1 mite (stable)
- PalmView 3 hives - avg < 1 (stable)
- Eerwah Vale - 3 hives Avg

12/04/2026

Varroa Destructor - killing entire bee colonies all over the east coast 😩

12/04/2026

Varroa week ending 12th April 2006
- some further observations (sorry long read but read it all please) on the current unique situation we find ourselves in here in SE QLD after around the grounds update below...

New confirmed suburbs for us
- Morayfield 1 hive - 2mites
- Naragabra 3 hives - avg 2 mites

Existing
- Glamorgan Vale 1 hive - 12mites
- Coominya 2 hives - > 20mites
- Pine Mountain 1 hive - 4mites
- Redland bay 1 hive > 20mites
- Esk 5 hives >
- Jimboomba 2 hives 7/14 mites
- Westlake 1 hive - 21mites
- Mount Crosby 2 hives - avg >20
- Chewar 2 hives (Formic treatment) previous >100 post treatment 3 weeks 2 and 3 mites.
- Chewar 2nd Apiary 20'hives avg >20 mites
- Stockleigh 1hive >70mites
- Pullenvale 3 hives avg 8 mites

So just over 12months in from our first confirmed detection of varroa into QLD and it's been a tough learning for most and that learning isn't slowing up anytime soon....
We all as beekeepers get to be a little unique compared to what everyone else in Aus and I'd say the world has experienced when it comes to the varroa spread across our state.
It would be fair to say the sheer amount of colonies across the eastern suburbs of QLD was grossly underestimated by everyone.
The initial and continuing plague numbers have been extreme, we have seen with our own eyes estimated weekly mite re-infestation rates in the thousands. This is subsequently confirmed with weekly mite drops rates in the thousands if not 10's of thousands of mites during effective treatments.

Now add the scientifically confirmed genetic mite mutation resistance to synthetic pyrethroids and synthetic formamdine (this includes Bayvarol, Apistan, Apivar and Apitraz)
And lastly as we are sub tropical and many may have noticed these last couple of weeks we have just started our winter honey flows meaning brood build ups - zero chance of a brood break.
All of this is a perfect situation for varroa, allowing this little parasite to continue its lifecycle and not slow down.

Now this sounds like all doom and gloom for us, for people on the outside looking in seeing death and destruction, no beekeeper in their right mind would want to be walking in your shoes if any of our shoes right now.

So for us in QLD keep on being resilient if you have tried, tested, adjusted, changed your management plan over and over again and you have failed or succeeded you are a great and more experienced beekeeper regardless, just for having a go. Every beekeeper is inclusive of this- natural beekeeping or treatment free, mechanical methods, treating methods or a combination of all of the above - well done from us as you have had a go and you have learned what many beekeepers haven't.
You are and have become far more experienced beekeepers and in an ageing demographic of beekeepers we hope that you can pass on this knowledge to our next generation of beekeepers, as beekeepers are more vital than anyone truly realises and to loose the craft would be devastating.

My final quote for your thoughts and to keep in mind when reading, sharing, commenting or judging others....
I truly believe......
" There isn't a single beekeeper out there that does not have their bees welfare at front of mind right now, doing their best to keep their bees alive with the knowledge, beliefs and tools they have chosen to use and prevent their colonies from perishing" as quoted by me...

Goodluck out there - feel free to share your stories, mite counts and things that are working for you.... negative and unhelpful comments will be deleted as we see them!

The Backyard Beekeeping Team
Rick
Gracie -named "The Weapon" By a client this week
Stevo- the wise one out west - he's available for Towoomba / Kingaroy and beyond if you need him.
Wifey- clearly the birthday week continued and I wasn't told, that's or it's a stop work week, wanting better conditions 🤷‍♂️🤦🏼😂

Video - a super healthy hive in Redland bay double brood with Bayvarol in for last 4 weeks - drone uncapping showed 4mites in one cell- count went from 6 mites to plus 20 in 4 weeks
The silent killer.....

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