In 2007 the first colony of Asian
Honey Bee or AHB (Apis cerana javana) was
detected in Cairns, Queensland. There were attempts to eradicate this species,
but in 2011 all attempts were declared unsuccessful and containment programs
have since begun to control the spread of A.
cerana (Australian Department of Environment, 2011).
If the world is currently facing
a bee crisis of sorts; with Colony Collapse Disorder becoming a serious threat
to Apis mellifera colonies throughout
the globe, why are we so concerned about another species of bee becoming
established here in Australia? Apart from the safety aspect (as many colonies
are found close to human habitats), we will look at the other major issues with
invasive bees.
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| Apis cerana javana swarm inside a letterbox in Cairns, Queensland. |
We have had introduced European
honey bee (A. mellifera) in Australia
for 190 years and Bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) in Tasmania since 1992
– both species have created food and habitat competition to native species,
with the B. terrestris competition
creating displacement of 2 native bee species (Australian Department of
Environment, 2011). It has also been found that Bumble bees pollinate invasive
species so effectively they increase the seed viability of some of these
invasive plants (Australian Department of Environment, 2011). AHB’s are an
incredibly versatile species and are able to act as part of a colony (eusocial)
and as a solitary individual as well as foraging from many minor sources of
food (native and introduced species) rather than one crop – this contributes to
the AHB’s highly successful ability to invade a region (Australian Department
of Environment, 2011). So the AHB has the ability to be flexible in a range of
environments, out-compete native species and contribute to the spread of
invasive plants.
Apis mellifera & Bombus terrestris foraging on the same flowers
A. mellifera are established crop pollinators in Australia and are
vital to the agricultural industry and food production. In 2008 it was estimated
that the pollination services and the production of bee products in Australia
was worth between $4 and $6 billion (Australian Department of Environment, 2011).
The threat posed to A. mellifera by AHB’s
(apart from competition) is that they
are a natural host to the mites Varroa destructor and Varroa
jacobsoni which are parasitic
mites that feed on the larvae of the bee - these are non-natural parasites to A.
mellifera (Australian Department of Agriculture, 2015).
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Reproductive Varroa mite on a developing pupa (reddish oval) and two immature Varroa (opaque ovals). Credit: Abdullah Ibrahim (arrows added for emphasis) |
It is believed that AHB’s have grooming behaviours that A. mellifera
do not display and are therefore less likely to remove the parasites from brood
(Carr, 2011). Varroa mites are responsible for the destruction and collapse of A.
mellifera hives wherever it is present around the world – thankfully it is
yet to be recorded in Australia but if it does arrive on our shores it will spread
rapidly and is therefore considered the greatest threat to the honey bee
industry (Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, 2015).
Here is a video showing ways that AHB colonies are destroyed here in Australia by Biosecurity Queensland – please do not try to remove colonies yourself, call a professional - these bees can sting, are venomous and will defend themselves if they are threatened.
Here is a video showing ways that AHB colonies are destroyed here in Australia by Biosecurity Queensland – please do not try to remove colonies yourself, call a professional - these bees can sting, are venomous and will defend themselves if they are threatened.
References:
Invasive Bees,
Australian Department of Environment, viewed 12 April 2015, <http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive-species/insects-and-other-invertebrates/invasive-bees>
The Asian Honey Bee
in Australia, Australian Department of Agriculture, viewed 12 April 2015, <http://www.agriculture.gov.au/pests-diseases-weeds/bees/the-asian-honey-bee-in-australia>
Carr, AJ 2011, Asian
honeybee: possible environmental impacts, Department of
Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities,
Sustineo Pty Ltd, Canberra.
Varroa mites, Queensland
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, viewed 12 April 2015, <https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/animal-industries/bees/diseases-and-pests/asian-honey-bees/general-information-on-varroa-mites>
Image 1 – Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) colony in mailbox, Queensland Department of
Agriculture and Fisheries, viewed 12 April 2015, <https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0004/53428/ahb-nest-letterbox.jpg>
Image 2 - Honey Bee
Viruses: the Deadly Varroa Mite Associates, extension.org, viewed 12
April 2015, <https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/pupavarroa.jpg>
Video 1 - Apis mellifera & Bombus terrestris - Sedum
'Matrona', youtube, viewed 12 April 2015 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiHP17AbQU4>
Video 2 - Asian honey bee destruction techniques for
industry use by Biosecurity Queensland, youtube, viewed 12 April 2015 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afrOmz7qXCk>
Enlightening and informative. I am curious though – you say that Asian honey bees are a threat, not only to native species but also to A. mellifera. Are A. mellifera not invaders themselves? I realise that agriculture and other ecosystems services rely on honey bees, but could Asian honey bees provide an equal service – why are they so bad compared to A. mellifera?
ReplyDeleteYes they are both invasive, with feral colonies of European honey bee all over the country - in Blog 8 I have discussed the use of native species instead of introduced, an issue I am very passionate about.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for the AHB's their foraging range is much smaller, they produce smaller quantities of honey and their swarming habits make them harder to control than the EHB's - but their temperament makes them much easier to handle and keep. EHB honey production and pollination services are so established in Australia that the impact would possibly be more financial and negatively impact human life more than the environment.
However, considering that the AHB is from Indonesia, they would probably be more suited for commercial and the environment in tropical Australia than EHB. AHB are used for crop pollination in Asia and could be utilised here too - but more research on breeding and domestication need to be done.
It is also fair to say that the impact Varroa could have on native Australian species is unknown as they have not encountered the parasite yet.
(information sourced from: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 2013, 'The asian honey bee (Apis cerana) and its strains - with special focus on Apis cerana Java genotype: literature review')