Authorities are closely monitoring any impact on Queensland's bee populations amid a 'worrying' interstate detection of the deadly honey bee parasite, varroa destructor.
and again in 2019, sparking a national eradication program, but the outbreak was declared eradicated last year.
UQ's Dr Tobias Smith says "very little" is known about Australian stingless bees and their importance is often underestimated.Dr Smith said that, while stingless Australian bees were not susceptible to the varroa destructor, there was still cause for concern. "With these unknown questions about how European honey bee diseases can affect native bees, there is some need to be concerned."Australia's bee populations are also under threat from habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change.
"Without stingless bees and other bees in our ecosystems doing pollination, ecosystems would fall apart and, from there, other species would fall apart, including ourselves," Dr Smith said. The project aims to build a long-term dataset of native stingless bees, using simple observations of hives being kept in Australian backyards or known native colonies.To try to find out more about native stingless bees — and particularly how they reproduce — scientists at the University of Queensland have launched a new citizen science project.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘Deadly combination’: unpicking race’s role in three separate tragediesTheir beaming faces and traumatised parents graced countless news bulletins. Did ‘systemic racism’ in Australia’s health system play a part in the deaths of Amrita, Hiyaan and Aishwarya?
Read more »
New Zealand ‘grossly underprepared’ as deadly drug fentanyl causes string of overdosesTwelve people needed medical attention after overdosing on the drug, which had been sold as cocaine
Read more »
NSW issues bee lockdown after deadly varroa mite parasite discoveredAustralia ‘the only major honey-producing country free from varroa mite’, the most serious pest to honey bees worldwide
Read more »
NSW issues bee lockdown after deadly parasite discoveredAustralia ‘the only major honey-producing country free from varroa mite’, the most serious pest to honey bees worldwide
Read more »
Biosecurity zone set up after deadly honeybee parasite detected in NSWA parasite responsible for the widespread deaths of honeybees around the world has been detected in NSW. To stop the spread of Varroa mite, a statewide emergency order has been issued to control the movement of bees, taking effect from 6pm. MORE:
Read more »
'Done the impossible': The secret, deadly rescue missions to Ukraine hellholeA series of clandestine missions to reach the Azovstal defenders are being celebrated as some of the most heroic feats of the war in Ukraine. 9News
Read more »