How imported Varroa mite has caused millions of dollars worth of crop damage in ... trends now
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Australian sniffer dogs aren't able to smell queen bees who are carrying in deadly and destructive pests, it can be revealed.
This means sniffer dogs at Australian ports didn't detect the Varroa mite parasite that has been devastating bee populations and causing tens of millions of dollars worth of destruction to Australian crops in the last year.
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry told the ABC they didn't know why dogs weren't detecting the scent.
'Queen bees were re-introduced to the detector dog target odour list at the end of 2022 as part of a review into risk controls for varroa mite,' the spokesperson said.
Australian sniffer dogs aren't able to smell queen bees who are carrying in deadly pests, it can be revealed
'We understand the odour was removed in 2015, however there is no specific information relating to the decision made at that time.'
The parasite has wrecked havoc on Australia's native bee population.
The Varroa mite was first detected near the port of Newcastle in June and an emergency order was introduced in NSW to try and prevent the spread of the deadly mite.
On Tuesday, fresh cases of Varroa mite infestation in eastern NSW prompted mandatory monitoring of beehives in Sydney for the first time since the outbreak began.
The potentially devastating mite was detected in six new hives across
