Bee stocks here face ‘total annihilation’ if exotic beetle lands [Ireland]
October 31, 2014
From: Herald.ie
By Fiona Dillon
Bee-keepers are being warned to be on alert for the small-hive beetle which could annihilate bee stocks if it arrives in Ireland.
The beetle, which is indigenous to Africa, wiped out tens of thousands of honey bee colonies in the US in the first few years after it became established there – and now it has arrived in Europe.
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It can cause major damage to combs, stored honey and pollen.
And if a beetle infestation is sufficiently heavy, they may cause bees to abandon their hive.
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