For anyone that is interested, but in particular for Australians on this forum, “BeeAware” have an article on the “Bee biosecurity code of practice”. Although the COP was published in July 2016, so many might/should be aware of it, the short article is worth a read.
Bee Aware - Bee biosecurity code of practice
The article provides a link to the code. It has been endorsed by all State Govt’s and is applicable to all apiarists/beekeepers, so everyone should have a look.
…Although governments conduct a lot of surveillance for exotic pests, beekeepers need to be on the lookout for these pests as well. Help from both hobby and commercial beekeepers is critical to the success of any surveillance activities and hive inspections are part of the Code.
“When inspecting your hives, look for the presence of exotic mites. Simple monitoring methods that every beekeeper can use to check for mites are sugar shaking, alcohol washing and drone uncapping.”
Remember that any pest that you find might not just be new to your hive, but also to the country.
The surveillance results provided by the program support trade and access to overseas markets by professional beekeepers who need to declare that a particular pest is not present in Australia to continue exporting bees and bee-related products.
If you see anything unusual on your bees call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on…