AUGUST 7,
2019
James Cook
University scientists have discovered a common honey bee disease can be deadly
to native Australian wild bees and can be transmitted by flowers—the first time
this link has been made.
JCU's
Associate Professor Lori Lach oversaw the study investigating the
susceptibility of Australian stingless or "sugar bag" bees
to Nosema ceranae—a parasite that causes European honey bees to become
less active, develop an increase in appetite, and die prematurely.
"Pathogen
spillover from bees kept by bee keepers to wild bee populations is increasingly
considered as a possible cause of wild pollinator decline. Spillover has been
frequently documented, but not much is known about the pathogen's virulence in
wild bees or how long pathogens can
survive on a flower," said Terence Purkiss, the honors student who
conducted the study.
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