We all knew it was going to come sooner or later despite the prevention and detection strategies in place. And now it’s here. With the efforts in place, there is reasonable chance that the outbreak may be eliminated. The best sites to go to for up to date information are below. Avoid those that are just pontificating.
Australian Honey Bee Industry Council
There is a view that Varroa in Australia would be beneficial in the long run as it would significantly reduce the wild honey bee population that may compete with native pollinators and other animals for resources and habitat. It’s an interesting view, however the evidence of competitiveness and environmental damage done by European Honey Bees is not compelling and need further research. Furthermore such competition would be minuscule compared to the reduction of habitat undertaken by urbanization and agriculture. While I agree that significant damage has been done to Australia’s biodiversity, the introduction of Varroa is not the way to resolve it.