We have only just started the development of our Varroa Action Plan (VAP), and there is much research and consultation with the beekeeping community and governments to be done.

It is not a foregone conclusion that we will adopt a sentinel program of some kind.  As I see it at the moment, there are three main components to the VAP: (1) heightened public education to deter illegal importation; (2) a sensitive, early detection method with rapid response and containment (e.g., delimitation surveys, quarantine); and (3) an eradication strategy assuming the infestation is contained geographically. A fourth component may be a restocking program which would be feasible only if we have a relatively small number of colonies in need of replacement.

Our biggest assets at the moment in terms of preventing Varroa incursions here are: (1) the giant moat that separates the Island of Newfoundland from the rest of North America. In central Labrador, where beekeeping is nascent and experimental, there’s 500 km of boreal forest and bog separating the region from Varroa (Sept-Iles, Quebec); (2) government importation restrictions; (3) little migratory beekeeping for pollination contracts, with zero such traffic from the Mainland; and (4) 

My preliminary analysis of risk pathways for a Varroa incursion suggests that illegal importation of colonies from Mainland North America is our highest risk, followed by an incursion via a port of entry.  The CFIA has jurisdiction over exotic species monitoring/prevention at our ports and I’m awaiting a response from the agency with respect to what if any measures they have in place to manage the arrival of Varroa by sea (as with Melbourne, Australia, in June 2018). 

What I have in mind for an early detection strategy is a network of volunteer beeks, strategically located in dense beekeeping regions and in high risk incursion and spread pathways, who would test routinely for Varroa using the alcohol wash method.  By law they would be required to inform the provincial apiarist immediately of any Varroa finding.  This approach is inexpensive and does not make us dependent upon fickle government funding. I’d say that all of us are highly motivated to keep Varroa out of here, so I don’t anticipate having trouble finding volunteers for this early detection approach. 

However, significant government resources would be needed in the event of a Varroa incursion.  Government would need to commit staff time and expenses to delimitation surveys and act quickly to impose quarantine zones, etc.  Whether we have this commitment from government is up for discussion. 

In any event, none of this makes sense if we cannot contain and eradicate a Varroa incursion.  This requires the cooperation of 100% of the beeks in the province, and the track record elsewhere in the World is not encouraging with respect to cooperation and collective action. For example, beeks on the Sunshine Coast in B.C. tried a restocking/eradication program in ~2004. It failed either because they missed a back-woods beek who was not part of the plan (a libertarian sociopath?), or someone bust their quarantine by importing one or more infested colonies (a libertarian sociopath?).  There are other examples of efforts to control the spread of Varroa that were defeated by illegal importations/quarantine breaches (e.g., Nova Scotia and Vancouver Island).

It’s all grist for the mill.

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