Australia: Why native bees might not be the solution to the Varroa pollination problem

Garry Worth, Tea Gardens, NSW, is, by his own admission, crazy about native bees. Australia's native and stingless species had been touted as a possible solution for pollination if European honey bee populations in Australia were devastated by Varroa. Mr Worth, despite his passion, is realistic about the true role native species can play in that event, and said the native bee was unlikely to present as any form of solution. Tetragonula carbonaria, better known as the sugarbag bee, is a common sight in northern NSW and southern Qld. It's one of only 11 species in Australia which are both stingless and form hives - and it's also a common contender for a replacement pollinator, because native bees are not affected by Varroa. "We noticed that the sale price for native bee hives went through the roof when Varroa mite hit," Mr Worth said. "There's a rumour that it was because fruit growers were buying native bee hives and just sitting them in their orchards as an insurance policy." Mr ...