Varroa Agency Inc, but is it already too late?

New Zealand's National Pest Management Strategy to control varroa starts tomorrow (well, today, since it's already Friday downunder) and will be run by Varroa Agency Inc.

The main objective of the strategy is to keep the South Island varroa-free. Seasoned varroa specialists in the northern hemisphere think that varroa may already be in South Island since first sightings often seem to be long after first arrivals.

The new agency will take over responsibility for inter-island movement controls on bees and beekeeping materials, raise public awareness of varroa, and survey the South Island each year for signs of a varroa outbreak.

The costs of the strategy are expected to be NZ$730,000 each year and 25% will be met by a levy on beekeepers, the rest being from local government.