[Pollinator] Virus may threaten hives in Australia

[Ladadams at aol.com]

 From CCTV - Beijing, China

Virus may threaten hives in Australia


 Source: CCTV.com | 09-30-2008 09:27

 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.
 It's training day for some of Australia's most experienced beekeepers.
 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.
 The varroa mites attach themselves to adult bees and feed off their blood, 
transmitting viruses and bacteria.
 Apiary Inspector, Peter Kaczynski, came out of retirement to help fight the 
mites.
 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."
 Australia is now the only major beekeeping country free of the tiny parasi
tes.
 But many beekeepers there are beginning to worry when the mites will strike.
 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."
 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.
 According to the national government, bees are worth billions to Australia's 
agriculture, pollinating everything from avocados to almonds.
 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."
 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.

  
 Editor:Liu Fang









































































































































Laurie Davies Adams
Executive Director
Pollinator Partnership
425 Washington Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
415 362 1137 (p)
415 362 3070 (f)
LDA at pollinator.org
www.pollinator.org
www.nappc.org


Join the Pollinator Partnership working to protect agriculture and ecosystems 
- visit www.pollinator.org



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