Breakthrough in fight to save bees

CONSERVATION groups are welcoming a breakthrough in the battle against a deadly mite responsible for decimating the honeybee population.

The Varroa mite is the biggest killer of honeybees worldwide and has developed a resistance to medication developed to destroy it. But scientists have developed a genetic technique that could stop the mite in its tracks.

The mite, which looks like a tiny brown crab, hitches a ride on the bee, draining its blood and weakening its immune system. It takes just 1,000 mites to kill a colony of 50,000 bees.

Honeybees play a vital role in food production as they are excellent crop pollinators, but populations have fallen by 23% since 1992.

The mite is particularly deadly during the winter months as it strikes when bee numbers are depleted and colonies do not have enough bees to keep warm.

Researchers from the Government’s National Bee Unit and Aberdeen University have worked out how to “silence” natural functions in the mites’ genes which could make them self-destruct.

Alan Bowman, from the University of Aberdeen, said: “Introducing harmless genetic material encourages the mites’ own immune response to prevent their genes from expressing natural functions. This could make them self-destruct.

“The beauty of this approach is that it is really specific and targets the mites without harming the bees or, indeed, any other animal.”

Giles Budge, from National Bee Unit, part of the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), said: “This cutting-edge treatment is environmentally-friendly and poses no threat to the bees.

“With appropriate support from industry and a rigorous approval process, chemical-free medicines could be available in five to 10 years.”

The mite originally attacked the Asian honeybee, but jumped to the European honeybee, which has a poor natural defence.

It injects viruses, suppresses the bees’ immune system and feeds on blood.