New Zealand agriculture stands to lose between NZ$295m and NZ$728m (US$213m-525m) each year if the local honeybee population continues to decline, according to a study into the economic consequences of a decline in pollination rates.
A pesticide used internationally to protect food crops against insects and mites can produce severe learning and memory deficits in honeybees, even in very small doses.
To help address the growing threat of dwindling honey bee populations, Australia’s government research organisation is leading a global initiative to investigate the causes of their decline.
European honey bee colonies wiped out and an invasion of a devastating wheat disease are just two of the potential biosecurity threats facing Australia, according to a report released by Australia’s research agency.
Thousands of honey bees in Australia are being fitted with tiny sensors as part of a world-first research programme to monitor the insects and their environment using a technique known as “swarm sensing”.
