Bee Gyms for Varroa Mite Barrier Control

At Hort Innovation, everything we do is built on our vision to create a prosperous and sustainable Australian horticulture industry on innovation.

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We invite innovators, problem solvers and innovative organizations to develop a barrier system to place at hive entrance to physically dislodge Varroa mite off a returning honey bee.

Application Deadline
April 15th, 2024
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Summary

Background

Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australia's horticulture industry.

Our role is to advance Australia’s $16 billion horticulture industry by investing in research and development, marketing and trade to build a prosperous and sustainable future for growers.

We partner with Australian and international co-investors including government, leading science, technology, and consumer strategy experts to anticipate future challenges and opportunities. Our role is to capture value from the investments we make to benefit all levy payers.

Challenge

Pollination services provided by honey bees supports 64% of Australia’s total horticultural production volume contributing about $ 3.85 billion to agricultural production. Internationally, the Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) has caused major destruction to the honey bee industry, severely weakening or causing the collapse of most hives if left untreated contributing to a loss of about 39% of hives from April 2021 to April 2022 in the US alone. Varroa mites are parasitic mites, which require a honey bee host to survive and reproduce. The Varroa mite is only able to reproduce on honey bee brood, while only adult female Varroa mites are able to feed on adult honey bees. Therefore, the entire life cycle of Varroa mite occurs within the honey bee colony.

Australia was one of the last beekeeping countries where Varroa mite had not been established. In June 2022 however, Varroa mite was detected in New South Wales and as of November 2023 eradication has been deemed unfeasible and the response has moved to management. This means Australian beekeepers need to establish comprehensive management and detection options.

Varroa mites are mobile and can spread easily within a hive.

Key Success Criteria:

  • Targets multiple areas of the honey bee (e.g. the thorax and abdomen) to maximise varroa dislodgment: The solution should target all possible areas on the Honey bee where Varroa mite can attach.
  • Honey bee safe: Contraption should not harm Honey bees
  • Able to be retrofitted to standard hives used in commercial beekeeping: Should be able to slot in to current mainstream commercial hives (multi-story Langstroth) and be long lasting. The solution should be able to be installed and monitored by beekeepers.
  • Solution efficacy: The solution should be able to produce a high level of confidence of Varroa mite capture.
  • Cost-effective: The solution should be cost-effective to facilitate widespread adoption among commercial beekeepers with up to 500 hives.

Possible Approaches:

  • Hive entrance trap paired with sticky board

What we aren’t interested in:

  • Chemical treatments

What's in it for you?

This is a global challenge, and Hort Innovation is willing to collaborate with innovative companies, researchers, universities, and technical solution providers. A successful collaboration could mean funding for the solution through the Hort-Frontier co-investment mechanism. It is important to mention that although the implemented solution must be available in Australia, the implementation can be carried out anywhere in the world.