This investment is laying the groundwork to allow the first importation of desirable honey bee germplasm into Australia, with a focus on sourcing genetic material from bees with a tolerance to Varroa mite and its associated viruses.

Import of and access to this material for breeding purposes will allow both the honey bee and horticulture industries to prepare for the threat of Varroa, by pre-emptively establishing Varroa-tolerant genetics in Australia’s honey bee population. The project team will also evaluate the first successfully imported and propagated Varroa-tolerant germplasm prior to its release to industry.