According to an international team of scientists, the first colony of dwarf bees on the continent has been discovered in one of the European countries. Until now, they had been found in the tropical climate zone. The discovery has caused concern among beekeepers. Why? Find out on the Dzień Dobry TVN website.
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Source: Dzień Dobry TVN
First colony of dwarf bees in Europe confirmed
The dwarf bee is a species of insect found in southern Asia. Scientists who study these creatures report that is slowly expanding its territory to the Middle East and Northeast Africa. It has not been recorded in Europe so far. This has changed recently, when a large colony was observed in Malty. It consisted of over two thousand adults.
The discovery was reported by an international team of scientists who published an article about their research in the Journal of Apicultural Research. DNA tests were conducted to identify the species. When it turned out that it was the dwarf honeybee, the nest was removed and destroyed. The authors of the publication suspect, however, that a group of insects could have left this place earlier and established a new colony somewhere else. The presence of tropical bees on our continent raises concerns among experts.
Are tropical bees a threat?
Maltese beekeepers fear that the dwarf bee may pose a threat to native honeybee species and pollinators in general, because it will compete with them for pollen and nectar. Scientists are of a similar opinion.
– This is disturbing news. The dwarf bees are likely to compete for pollen and nectar with our native pollinators, a group of insects that are already in decline. It is also very likely that these insects will be carriers of many diseases to which European bees may have little resistance – explained Dave Goulson, professor of biology at the University of Sussex, who was not involved in the research, in an interview with the British “Guardian”.
Scientists believe that the mild winters in Malta and other southern European countries may facilitate the survival of this invasive species in our area. Individuals of this species have also been spotted in Israel.
– If he can live in Israel, I dare say he can manage in Malta. It may only be a matter of a few years before this species spreads elsewhere. Given the large number of islands in the Mediterranean that are relatively close together, and the fact that the continental mainland is also so close, it is very likely that more such incursions will occur in the future, threatening our biodiversity in ways that we may not even understand yet, said Francis Ratnieks, a British professor emeritus at the University of Sussex.
You can read more about this topic on the website tvn24.pl.
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Author: Regina Łukasiewicz, anw/dd
Source: tvn24.pl