Beekeeping: The Varrova parasite causes extinction in Australian beekeeping

Authorities said on Wednesday that more than six million bees had been euthanized off the east coast of Australia this week in an attempt to eradicate a devastating parasite. Varrova, Honey spread despite blockage.

About 600 bees have been exterminated since the pest’s were discovered, and each of them is home to 10,000 to 30,000 bees, said Dugold Sanders, New Wales’ Minister of Agriculture. “It’s a lot of bees,” he admitted, adding that the number is likely to increase.

Jay Iwazaki, a beekeeping ecologist at the University of Adelaide, called the “little vampire” a small parasite that eats bee larvae, the varroa mites. It can spread “very serious viruses” among bee colonies native to Australia, but is important to the country’s agricultural industry. “Even if this invasion is wiped out, international trade will continue to bring the affected bees to Australia,” he said.

Australia is the only major producer of honey, which has not already spread to Varroa, which led to the bees being locked up for safety reasons after being discovered on the country’s border earlier this week. The presence of varroa within a 10 km radius around the four areas should eradicate the diagnosed hives. New South Wales beekeepers living in unaffected areas will not be able to move fleas, bees, honey or hives until further notice. The state’s primary industry ministry said the measures were taken to “ensure the eradication of the parasite.”

According to Jay Iwazaki, if this pest is caught, it will be good news for native bees that are not affected by this parasite. Indigenous food eaters compete with their wild relatives for fodder for declining resources, and the problem is exacerbated by habitat loss, including land clearing and weather disasters affecting the island continent.