Italian bees living it up on a tropical island
June 12, 2015
From: Australian Broadcasting Corporation | Rural
By Sally Dakis
A pure strain of Italian bees found on a tropical Pacific island could be the bee bank of the future.
The abandoned colony of bees was discovered on Niue Island 16 years ago and it is believed the colony has been on the island for 30 years.
New Zealand beekeeper Andrew Corey said the bees were free of major diseases including the destructive varroa mite, which has made its way to New Zealand.
Mr Corey said the placid bees could be the saviour of the bee industry in the future and the breed could be transported from Niue Island to anywhere in the world.
“These bees could be the bee bank of the future, similar to the seed bank in Iceland.
“When the varroa mite arrived in New Zealand we thought the bee industry would be wiped out.
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