New Zealand scientists developing laser to kill pests ravaging honeybee colonies

New Zealand professors are using lasers to kill pests that are ravaging honeybee colonies across the motu and world. It gives a whole new meaning to laser Kiwi as professors at Auckland University reveal they're experimenting with using lasers to disable and kill varroa mites in an effort to come up with cheap and effective protection for bee colonies. Devising a cheap tool for beekeepers to protect bee colonies without using pesticides is the aim of scientists led by Dr Francesco Merola and Professor Cather Simpson at the University of Auckland's Photon Factory, in a collaborative project with New Zealand's Plant & Food Research. Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) cling to bees to enter hives but tiny lasers stationed at beehive entrances can target the mites and prevent them from infesting and critically damaging the hive, the scientists believe. "Our goal is to free bees to do their important agricultural work by allowing beehives to thrive again, to be more resilient, healthy ...