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https://theconversation.com/australia-is-in-a-unique-position-to-eliminate-the-bee-killing-varroa-mite-heres-what-happens-if-we-dont-205926>
"Varroa mites – notorious honey bee parasites – have recently reached
Australian shores, detected at the Port of Newcastle in New South Wales last
year. If they establish here, there would be significant implications for
agricultural food security, as honey bees are heavily relied on for the
pollination of many crops.
However, while Australia is the last continent to be invaded by the mite, it
has an opportunity to be the first to eradicate it.
Varroa destructor is a small mite that attaches to bees and eats their “fat
body”. The fat bodies of honey bees are the insect equivalent of a liver.
Varroa weakens bees, reduces their lifespan and increases the spread of deadly
viruses.
Scientists need to be ready: this might be Australia’s best chance to collect
important data on the spread and evolution of this parasite. Our new paper
published today in Biology Letters outlines what questions scientists need to
ask and what data they need to collect if Varroa spreads in Australia.
Such data could help us understand how parasites evolve, why Varroa are so
damaging for honey bees, and how Varroa mites impact other insects and the
environment."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
