Varroa unlikely to have entered through Port of Newcastle and may have been here for years, national body says

Australian Honey Bee Industry Council says the varroa mite is unlikely to have entered the Hunter via the Port of Newcastle. File picture.

The varroa mite could have been in the Hunter for years and is unlikely to have entered through the Port of Newcastle, according to a national body representing the honey bee industry.

The Department of Primary Industries initially detected the mite on Wednesday, July 22, at their sentinel hives near the port.