蜜芽传媒

In Australia, millions of bees have been euthanised in an attempt to eliminate a parasite which is spreading across the southern part of the country. The Varroa destructor mite has been called "a little vampire" that feeds on bees, and beehives in the state of New South Wales are now subject to a biosecurity lockdown. The country is the only major honey-producing nation where the mite is not already endemic.

Sue Carney, an amateur beekeeper in the Blue Mountains, just west of Sydney, says that the lockdown means that hives cannot be moved and that the Varroa destructor mite weakens colonies and ultimately can destroy them. She explains that the principal value of honey bees is through pollination services, and estimated that the value of this to Australia is $14.2 billion. The season for moving bees to start pollinating crops and orchards will soon begin, and if that can't happen, it will have a major effect on crops.

Photo: Honey bee with Varroa mite - Credit: Science Photo Library