Contact Us - Tasmania

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.

Fill in the form to contact a Varroa Development Officer in Tasmania.

Tasmania Varroa Development Officers

  • Carson McGinty

    Varroa Development Officer

    My beekeeping journey began in 2012 with a single hive in Vancouver, Canada. The connection to beekeeping happened the first time I opened a hive – and that was also my first experience with Varroa. This means that my knowledge of beekeeping is intertwined with knowledge of managing and living with Varroa.

    When I moved to Australia in 2018, I had the opportunity to turn this passion into a career; as a commercial beekeeper, then a queen producer, and finally a researcher investigating pollination and bee breeding. Six years, two children, and a citizenship later, Tasmania is very much my home, and I appreciate all the opportunities I’ve had to learn from and work beside many recreational and commercial beekeepers here.

    Now is the time to give back to and help strengthen the community and industry that I love. As one of Tasmania’s Varroa Development Officers, I look forward to continuing building relationships throughout Tasmania, so that all beekeepers feel supported and armed with the necessary information and tools to effectively deal with Varroa.