Bees in Australia have been infected by a virulent gut parasite that it is making them less likely to pollinate, research published this week reveals.

Sick bees pollinate slower and less frequently than healthy bees, which means potentially lower yields in Australia for almonds, apples and watermelons to start.

Australia – largely because it is an island – has until recently been relaxed by pollination problems in the US and Europe, which has pushed bee health back into the spotlight.

However bee research between 2012 and 2015 – using micro-sensors glued to the back of bees - showed the gut microbe, originally from Europe and now from Asia, is making the bees sick and less able to forage.