Linton Briggs is a Queen Bee breeder from Glenrowan. His job is akin to that of a cattle, sheep or horse stud operator, except for bees.
Australian native bees do not produce commercial quantities of honey so all Australia's honey bees originate in Europe. Because European honey bees evolved with food crops of the old world they are closely linked to food security. Bees are thought to be worth around $4-5b of Australian agriculture.
These valuable insects are subject to a number of stresses, any number of which, individually or in combination might be linked to colony collapse disorder, a phenomena where the worker bees for a hive suddenly die off. This phenomenon has not yet occurred in Australia but there is a risk that it will in the future. Possible causes are…
• The Varroa mite, a bee parasite that is endemic in every continent except Australia. It is only a matter of time before it arrives here. • Agricultural pesticides and
