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Deadly Bee Mite Nears Europe, Sparking Calls for Emergency Import Bans

Europe's bees face a looming catastrophe as a colony-killing mite advances. Beekeepers warn time is running out to stop its devastating spread.

,   and  Administrator
2 min read
The image shows an old book with a drawing of a beehive on it, surrounded by a few insects. The...
The image shows an old book with a drawing of a beehive on it, surrounded by a few insects. The text on the paper reads "The Ordering of Bees or the True History of Managing Them".

Deadly Bee Mite Nears Europe, Sparking Calls for Emergency Import Bans

A highly destructive bee mite is spreading rapidly towards Europe, prompting urgent calls for stricter import controls. The Tropilaelaps spp. mite, which wipes out bee colonies faster than the well-known Varroa mite, has already reached regions near the EU's eastern borders. Beekeeping groups are now pushing for immediate action to prevent a full-scale invasion.

Over the past five years, the Tropilaelaps spp. mite has spread aggressively across Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Australia. Confirmed cases have been reported in China, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Jordan, Oman, the US (California and Hawaii), and Australia (New South Wales). More recently, detections in Georgia and Russian regions near Ukraine—alongside unconfirmed reports from Belarus—have raised alarms in Europe.

The European Beekeeping Association has labelled the mite's advance an immediate biosecurity threat. Unlike the Varroa mite, *Tropilaelaps spp.* reproduces more quickly and causes far greater colony collapse. It spreads through queen bee shipments, used equipment, and unprocessed bee products, exploiting gaps in current EU import rules. In response, the Association is demanding the European Commission temporarily suspend Ukraine, Turkey, and Russia from the list of approved bee-importing countries. They are also pushing for a complete ban on unprocessed apiculture products and second-hand equipment from high-risk regions. To strengthen defences, they want stricter health checks in EU border states and the fast-tracked development of eco-friendly mite treatments—none of which are currently authorised in the bloc. The urgency mirrors recent moves by Canada and the UK, which have already tightened their own bee-import regulations to block the mite's entry.

Without swift action, the Tropilaelaps spp. mite could devastate Europe's bee populations, threatening both biodiversity and agriculture. The European Beekeeping Association's proposals—including import bans, stricter screenings, and new treatments—aim to close current loopholes before the mite establishes itself in the EU. The Commission has yet to respond to the calls for emergency measures.

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