Agriculture Victoria has completed a targeted almond pollination operation across the Piangil, Tooleybuc, Mildura, Robinvale
and Euston areas.
The operation focused on undertaking inspections of apiaries that were brought into the region to pollinate almond orchards to determine the presence or absence of disease, with effort concentrated on American foulbrood disease (AFB).
An estimated 110,000 hives arrived in North-West Victoria for the annual almond pollination season. This large movement of bee hives increases the biosecurity risks that are associated with hive-to-hive transmission of bee pests and diseases, most notably American Foulbrood disease.
Foulbrood can spread from an infected hive whether it be weakened or already dead, known as ‘dead outs’, by robber bees who take the infected honey back to their healthy hive.
Prior to conducting field operations, apiary staff undertook a risk assessment on each beekeeper known to be bringing hives to almond pollination. The risk assessment using the Honeybee Biosecurity Code of Practice as a foundation was based on whether each beekeeper: had completed honey culture tests (HCT) and how recently and what the results indicated; had completed the Biosecurity On-Line Training (BOLT); was a B Qual Member; and whether they have any known history of AFB.
inspecting hives during almond pollination.
Photo Credit: Agriculture Victoria.
Apiary staff completed an extensive engagement campaign to contact all beekeepers flagged as high or medium risk or their brokers, who were known to be attending pollination prior to their arrival. The purpose of the contact was to remind them of their obligations under the Livestock Disease Control Act 1994 (LDCA) and let them know that apiary inspectors would be onsite conducting audits and inspections.
Beekeepers flagged as a ‘high risk’ were the highest priority for field inspection, followed by those flagged as ‘medium risk’. In addition, sugar shakes were conduct on hives from all Queensland beekeepers and random New South Wales beekeepers to ensure no exotic bee pests were present.
With Victoria’s almond industry worth an estimated $380 million annually, and currently 68 per cent of Australia’s almond production coming from Victoria, ensuring compliance with the LDCA is a priority for Agriculture Victoria.
| Low Risk | Medium Risk | High Risk |
|---|---|---|
|
Hive is in early stages of infection Only one or two sunken cells per brood frame, discoloured to dull white yellowish or light brown Adult population is declined No glue pot odour |
Hive is in early stages of infection Only one or two sunken cells per brood frame, discoloured to dull white yellowish or light brown Adult population is declined No glue pot odour |
Hive is in advanced stages of infection Multiple sunken perforated cells with larvae coffee brown to dark brown almost black mass or hard dry black brittle scale across multiple brood frames Bees that die in the pupal stage their mouth parts (tongue) are turned up towards and almost touching the top side of the cell Presence of gluepot odour Declined population of adult and developing bees rendering hive to be robbed by other hives |
Agriculture Victoria’s targeted operation aimed to:
1. Minimise the risk of spread of endemic diseases between hives and protect healthy hives from becoming diseased.
2. Protect the almond pollination and brokerage industry by minimising the biosecurity risk associated with bringing large quantities of livestock into the one geographic area.
3. Undertake exotic pest surveillance by carrying out sugar shake testing.
4. Deliver a compliance operation that upholds the principles of being: helpful, respectful, impartial, proportionate, predictable and transparent.
Photo Credit: Agriculture Victoria.
During the two-week operation Agriculture Victoria inspected hives at 65 sites, 107 Sugar shakes were conducted, with a range of different pests detected, including AFB, Nosema, Chalk Brood, small hive beetle and cockroaches.
Inspectors conducted an inspection of each hive and, where any clinical signs of AFB were present, carried out field testing and sampling as per the Ag Note AG1426: ‘Diagnosis of American foulbrood disease of honey bee brood’. Our inspectors then assessed each hive infected with AFB and determined a risk rating of low, medium or high per the symptoms described in the table above.
Where AFB was detected, action was taken to mitigate the risk posed by the diseased hive/s. AFB is not highly contagious, however bacterial spores can easily be spread between hives and apiaries through sharing of beekeeping equipment and via bee robbing and drifting.
Inspectors are now following up with beekeepers offering suggestions to improve compliance with the Act, raising awareness for the Honeybee Biosecurity Code of Practice which is legislated in Victoria and South Australia with NSW aiming to legislate the code in 2020 and providing feedback on how to improve the quality of hives in the field.
Working together with the industry, Agriculture Victoria aims to secure almonds as Victoria’s second largest horticultural export after grapes. Almonds make up about 27 per cent of the state’s total horticulture exports.
As we know the size of the crop harvested in 2020 greatly depends on the success of the pollination process in August.
For more information on honey bees visit the Agriculture Victoria website: www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/honey-bees
This article by Agriculture Victoria team of: Joe Riordan, Ally Driessen, Nikki Jones, Paige McDonald, Ben Walker, Cynthia Kefaloukos, and Kate Miller.
