News in Science

Bee industry abuzz over mite-free breed

A British beekeeper claims he may have discovered a strain of honey bee immune to a parasite that has been gradually wiping out populations of the vital insect worldwide.

Scientists have been trying to find a way to fight the pesticide-resistant Varroa mite.

But now a retired heating engineer who has spent 18 years searching for a mite-resistant breed may have made a breakthrough.

Ron Hoskins, 79, from Swindon in southern England, says he has managed to isolate and breed a strain of bees which "groom" one another, removing the mites.

Since making his discovery, which he says happened by chance, he has been artificially inseminating queen bees in the hope they will establish themselves.

"The Varroa mite has been causing havoc with colonies in countries all over the world, apart from Australia. It has spread at an alarming rate and is very destructive," says Hoskins.

"If this problem is left unchecked it could be a disaster for the food chain waiting to happen," he says.

Hoskins says recent research had found that more than two thirds of all Britain's honeybees have been lost to the parasite. He is now looking for funding to further his research and has had an invitation from Australian officials and counterparts eager to keep the parasite at bay.

Bees, like other insects and birds, are crucial for pollinating crops and plant species which, just as importantly, absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.

Habitat loss

ADAS, a British environmental consultancy, says bees are responsible for pollinating British crops worth up to 200 million pounds (A$350 million) a year. Apples, pears, plums and raspberries are all heavily reliant on their deftness.

Globally, the value to agricultural markets is estimated to be up to 130 billion pounds (A$227 billion), experts say.

But the humble worker bee population has come under enormous strain from habitat loss, bad weather and disease in the last few decades.

In Britain alone, known colonies were found to have been cut by half between 1985 and 2005, according to the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA).

The Varroa mite has been one of the prime culprits for the bee's demise. Arriving from the Far East the parasite wormed its way through colonies in Europe, before becoming endemic in the UK in 1992.

The BBKA says Hoskins' work was a potentially exciting discovery, though cautioned that it was still early days.

"Ron is a very experienced beekeeper. His research is small scale, but it is promising," a spokeswoman says.

"Any research like this is welcome, remembering that one in three mouthfuls of what everybody eats is down to bee pollinations."