Wild bees in Germany are already considered highly endangered

Wild bees in Germany are already considered highly endangered. An Asian parasite, the Tropilaelaps mite, is rapidly spreading across Eastern Europe and could soon reach Germany, posing new challenges for beekeepers alongside the well-known Varroa mite. An international research team warns in the journal "Trends in Parasitology" that this parasite could infest local bee colonies within three to seven years. Kirsten Traynor, head of the Bee Research Institute at the University of Hohenheim, notes that affected colonies show weaker development, reduced honey production, and increased mortality rates.