Spider venom to target 'super mites' killing Australia's honey bees

Spider venom and gene disruptors to target varroa mite destroying Australia's honey bee colonies Thu 2 Jul 2026 at 7:05am In short: The Queensland government has provided $100,000 to support two research projects that are developing potential weapons against the varroa mite. One project is exploring the use of spider venom peptides, and the other is looking at gene disruptors. What's next? Researchers hope to have the treatments available in the next few years. It has all the elements of a superhero movie: an invasion of killer mites, scientists tinkering with genetics, and spiders coming to the rescue. But that is also a simplified version of research taking place on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in the race to save Australia's bees. Varroa destructor is a parasitic mite that was first detected in New South Wales in 2022 and is now entrenched in five states and territories, wreaking havoc on the nation's European honey bee colonies. Chemical and organic treatments are being used to manage the mites, but many have developed a resistance. The deadly incursion poses a major threat to the nation's agriculture sector. More than 30 per cent of food production, worth $4.6 billion annually, relies on bee pollination. The mites also threaten Australia's $237.5 million honey market, and beekeepers have already been pushed to the brink. Spiders versus mites Enter "Spider-Man", better known as associate professor Volker Herzig, whose lab at the University of the Sunshine Coast is home to the world's largest arachnid venom collection, with samples from more than 870 species. "A spider is an arachnid and a mite is also an arachnid and, because they eat each other, they also have toxins in their venom that target each other," Dr Herzig said. "We identified these two venoms that had really good activity against the varroa mite." He said using spider venom peptides was a more "organic" way of killing the mites than using synthetic treatments. "It doesn't accumulate in the food chain. It doesn't kill any other organisms, like the farmer or the beekeeper or any pets — it's selective to the varroa mite," Dr Herzig said. With the help of a Queensland government grant, the research project was set to enter a new phase of testing on bees that carried the mites. "If that works, then we could design a sprayable treatment," Dr Herzig said. "The mites will hopefully drop dead and the bees still stay alive." Two-pronged attack It could take several years before the spider venom peptide spray is available to Australian beekeepers. But a fellow researcher at the University of the Sunshine Coast is working on another plan of attack that could be enacted much sooner. Associate Dean of Research at the School of Health, Professor Rob Harvey, was exploring whether RNA interference (RNAi) could be used to kill the mites. "RNA interference uses the mite's genes against itself," Dr Harvey said. "We introduce a small copy of an RNA corresponding to a certain varroa mite gene, and the idea is that we silence that gene … we interfere with the functions of the brain or the muscles of the mite." There are already products on the market in the US that use the RNAi method, but Dr Harvey said they were "not perfect". "They're a kind of varroa mite birth control. They stop the varroa mites from reproducing, but they don't outright kill the mites — that's my aim," he said. Members of his research team were heading to the Bee Research Centre in Switzerland this month to test the RNAs they have developed. "As soon as the end of July, we could have a product that we could commercialise, which is quite exciting," Dr Harvey said. "It will work on the normal mites and the super mites." Queensland Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett said his government was providing $100,000 towards the two research projects and would leave "no stone unturned". "We're doing everything that we can to make certain that the research that's available here at universities like this links in with what we do as a department and the engagement that we have directly with the industry," he said. "We'll continue to work to find a solution, not just for Queensland, but for this nation."