Flavorite Hydroponic Tomatoes -

The Honeybee Industry is regrettably very much misinformed about the relationship between Varroa mites and honeybees, which is concerning for the industry because it may inhibit taking correct action when Varroa does arrive in Australia. There is a wealth of published information on Varroa and honeybees, and none on its association with bumblebees, or any other bees, for that matter, except for very rare instances where Varroa deposited in flowers by honeybees have attached themselves to visiting insects. Two New Zealand experts, Drs Barry Donovan and Nelson Pomeroy, both confirmed that bumblebees are in no way responsible for the spread of Varroa in that country which had bumblebees introduced 150 years ago. (this has been further confirmed by Mr Randy Oliver - International Pollination Consultant from the USA, at a recent PA day in South Australia.)

Honeybees and humans are quite capable of doing all the spreading. If there is still any doubt, please contact bee diseases experts in State and Federal veterinary laboratories, not individuals with a vested interest in trying to keep bumblebees out of mainland Australia. A good website for general information on Varroa is maintained by DEFRA in the UK  http://beebase.csl.gov.uk/pdfs/managing_varroa.pdf , also see the Ausvetplan produced by Animal Health Australia.

Regarding the finding of bumblebees in honeybee nests, this behaviour was not known by European experts contacted-it is generally honeybees which invade commercial bumblebee hives. Two contacts in New Zealand confirmed that they have sometimes observed bumblebees trying to enter honeybee hives there. It is queens, not workers, and they may be seeking nest sites or be drawn by smell. In any case, they are clearly committing suicide, and could not possibly be spreading Varroa between hives.

A copy of the factsheet on which the dead bumblebees were placed can be accessed through the AHGA website http://www.ahga.org.au/issues/bumblebee.html

In terms of Bumblebees potentially spreading Varroa mites (which is strenuously denied), even IF it did, the facts are that bumblebee hives (nests) are many times smaller in bee population the European honeybees which can contain up to 100,000 in a hive. (e.g. only 20 bumblebees in a standard greenhouse hive, with around 200 in a typical outdoor nest). Therefore honeybees will be by far the greatest spreader of Varroa than any other vector.

Best Regards