CATCH THE BUZZ - More cerana found in OZ

CATCH THE BUZZ

AUSTRALIA Finds 50^th cerana nest

by Alan Harman

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Australian biosecurity workers have found the 50^th Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) nest in far north Queensland as the more than two-year fight to eliminate the invaders moves to a new area.

 

   Queensland state Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin says the latest nests were discovered by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and a local council.

   “One infestation was found on a business premises in the Cairns industrial suburb of Portsmith,” he says. “It was the 50th Asian honey bee infestation found since the pest was first detected in Cairns more than two years ago.”

   The nest was destroyed along with another infestation at Greenhill.

   Earlier, the Yarrabah Aboriginal Council's head ranger reported a swarm of foraging Asian Honey bees in the Yarrabah area, about 10 miles southeast of Cairns.

   Mulherin says the nest, the first detection in the Yarrabah area, was found among mangroves and was destroyed.

   “We have now destroyed 52 Asian honey bee nests and Biosecurity Queensland is determined to seek and destroy every infestation,” he says.

   The state Department of Primary Industries found the bees on a yacht in Cairns harbor in May, 2007. It is believed the species reached Australia on a freight ship and then colonized the yacht.

   Biosecurity Queensland surveillance manager Wim De Jong says it is important to track Asian Honey bee nests before the wet season set in.

  “The swarm found at Yarrabah was relatively small,” De Jong says. “The Yarrabah council's swift response has helped Biosecurity Queensland get close to finding the possible source nest.”

   The Asian honey bees have the potential to carry the Varroa mite, but thus far no mites have been found among the swarms destroyed by Biosecurity Queensland.

   “We still don't want these bees in Australia because they can compete with native bees and European honey bees for food sources,” De Jong says. “We want to completely eradicate the pest bee from the Cairns environment.”

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