<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Geneva" FAMILY="SANSSERIF" SIZE="4"> From CCTV - Beijing, China</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Geneva" FAMILY="SANSSERIF" SIZE="4"><I><B><BR>
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Virus may threaten hives in Australia<BR>
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Source: CCTV.com | 09-30-2008 09:27<BR>
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Australian honey producers are preparing for a parasite that's wiping out hives across the globe. In the past two years it has spread to New Zealand, where it's threatening the billion dollar fruit export industry that relies on bees for pollination. Beekeepers say it's only a matter of time before the virus arrives in Australia.<BR>
It's training day for some of Australia's most experienced beekeepers.<BR>
A group of 30 apiarists are being taught how to search for a two millimeter-long parasite called the varroa mite. It has already wiped out many commercial hives and wild bee populations around the world.<BR>
The varroa mites attach themselves to adult bees and feed off their blood, transmitting viruses and bacteria.<BR>
Apiary Inspector, Peter Kaczynski, came out of retirement to help fight the mites.<BR>
Peter Kaczynski, apiary inspector, Department of Primary Industries, said, "They'll be looking for the field signs of the mite and the mites are quite easy to identify. What we showed them today are the methods we'd like them to use so that everyone's doing the same thing, show them how we can test with insecticide strips and test with sugar shake, another method of identification. And show them what the visual signs of varroa look like."<BR>
Australia is now the only major beekeeping country free of the tiny parasites.<BR>
But many beekeepers there are beginning to worry when the mites will strike.<BR>
Peter McDonald, bee keeper, said, "It jumped across from the Asian honey bee to the European honey bee and the European honey bee is the one that most bee keeping countries in the world use because it's a prolific producer of honey. The European honey bee hasn't evolved the defense mechanisms that allow it to survive with the varroa mite."<BR>
Four-fifths of Australia's food crops rely on pollination, but because there are so many wild bees, agriculture hasn't had to pay for it.<BR>
According to the national government, bees are worth billions to Australia's agriculture, pollinating everything from avocados to almonds.<BR>
Elwyne Papworth, bee keep and pollinator, said, "There are crops such as almonds, there's over a 100,000 hives needed for almonds and those numbers won't be available in good condition if we get varroa into the country in the future."<BR>
The Australian government is checking for mites at major container ports and quarantine dogs have been trained to detect bees. And beekeepers are volunteering to be part of rapid response teams across the country, so something can be done to quarantine the mite before it spreads.<BR>
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Editor:Liu Fang<BR>
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Laurie Davies Adams<BR>
Executive Director<BR>
Pollinator Partnership<BR>
425 Washington Street, 5th Floor<BR>
San Francisco, CA 94111<BR>
415 362 1137 (p)<BR>
415 362 3070 (f)<BR>
LDA@pollinator.org<BR>
www.pollinator.org<BR>
www.nappc.org<BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Geneva" FAMILY="SANSSERIF" SIZE="2"><I>Join the Pollinator Partnership working to protect agriculture and ecosystems - visit www.pollinator.org</I></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Geneva" FAMILY="SANSSERIF" SIZE="2"><BR>
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