Residents Encouraged to Attract Native Bees Amid Varroa Mite Spread

A pollination ecologist says protecting all bee species is imperative. Did you know that one in three food items you eat is dependent on the pollination of a bee? The deadly honey bee parasite, varroa mite, was detected in South Australia for the first time earlier this month, making it the fifth jurisdiction to detect the pest. If the mite reaches the feral bee population, also known as the European honey bee, 95 percent of the species could be wiped out, according to the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA).