Contact Us - South Australia

Varroa Development Officers are available to support and advise beekeepers on all aspects of varroa management.

Varroa Development Officers, or VDOs, are critical members of the National Varroa Mite Management Program. 

Their role involves helping recreational and commercial beekeepers understand and implement Varroa management techniques, improve hive health and undertake sustainable hive practices.

Together with other team members, VDOs help improve industry resilience and capacity.

To get in contact with a VDO in South Australia, contact Rahul Shankar, Extension and Engagement Coordinator, by completing this form.

SA Varroa Development Officers

  • Rahul Shankar

    Extension & Engagement Coordinator

  • Davide Stella

    Varroa Development Officer

    Davide began his beekeeping journey at 16 years old in Italy, encountering Varroa mite early on. Since 2020, he has expanded his beekeeping practice in South Australia, growing his apiary to nearly 100 hives from wild colonies collected around Adelaide suburbs.

    Specialising in colony relocation, mentorship for recreational beekeepers, and promoting urban beekeeping in Adelaide CBD, Davide is passionate about the societal impact of beekeeping and food security. Having witnessed the effects of Varroa in Italy, he is committed to supporting South Australian beekeepers in managing and minimising Varroa's impact.

    In his role as Varroa Development Officer, Davide aims to spread knowledge about Varroa management, assisting local beekeepers in preparing for and mitigating its effects on the industry.

  • Aaron Woolston

    Varroa Development Officer

    Having spent the last 10 years building my Meningie-based beekeeping business from scratch up to a peak of 450+ hives with bulk honey production and almond pollination the main two focuses, I understand first-hand the impacts that these new Varroa management practices will have on our businesses and am keen to support our beekeeping community leverage the knowledge that's been learned from other locations.

    Aside from running my beekeeping business, I've had the opportunity to learn a lot about biosecurity at PIRSA helping out part time with the Varroa surveillance program as well as some of the BBO duties. The opportunity to work for large commercial beekeepers during my beekeeping career has also been invaluable for my knowledge base, as well as generational knowledge from my grandfather, father, and uncle who was an apiaries inspector. So many beekeepers have that generational knowledge being passed down, and we now have the opportunity to bring our industry together as a family to make sure every single one of us has the tools, confidence, and preparation in place to tackle Varroa when it does arrive.

  • Josh D'Ambrosio

    Varroa Development Officer

    As a fourth-generation beekeeper, my childhood memories are of playing among the hives and harvesting honey laid a strong foundation for my later professional venture into beekeeping. Getting hands-on practical experience throughout my younger years, enabled me to hone skills and build a deep understanding of these crucial pollinators.

    My deep-seated passion for the environment, our natural resources, and sustainability, comes from a successful career in a variety of sectors including the environmental and education sectors. Through that work I became passionate about the crucial link between honeybee welfare, ecosystem health, and our natural resources. This led to establishing our current family-run apiary business, managing beehives across urban, rural and bushland sites, and advocating their vital role in society.

    Through urban beehive projects, educational outreach, ethical bee rescue efforts, and habitat preservation, I strive to connect humans more closely with honeybees. Despite challenges like Varroa mites impacting bee populations, I remain optimistic about our ability to innovate and responsibly steward our natural resources.