British beekeeper Ron Hoskins has bred a strain of indestructible bees which can protect themselves from a deadly parasite, and could save humankind itself.
The specially developed bees groom each other to remove varroa mites, which have caused havoc with colonies worldwide.
The tick poses a serious threat to mankind because honeybees pollinate plants, which in turn remove carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
Mr Hoskins, 79, is now taking sperm from these bees and artificially inseminating queens from other hives to allow the new breed to spread through Britain.
He has spent 18 years developing the strain after he lost tens of thousands of bees when the mite first came to Britain in 1992.
The retired heating engineer from Swindon said: âIf all the bees in the world die out, then we die out â the situation is really that serious.â
Beekeepers worldwide have reported year-on-year losses of between 15 and 30 per cent since 2006, mostly due to the varroa mite and the use of pesticides.
The British Beekeepersâ Association described his work as âexcitingâ.
Link: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/838981-british-beekeepers-parasite-resistant-bee-could-save-the-world
The specially developed bees groom each other to remove varroa mites, which have caused havoc with colonies worldwide.
The tick poses a serious threat to mankind because honeybees pollinate plants, which in turn remove carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
Mr Hoskins, 79, is now taking sperm from these bees and artificially inseminating queens from other hives to allow the new breed to spread through Britain.
He has spent 18 years developing the strain after he lost tens of thousands of bees when the mite first came to Britain in 1992.
The retired heating engineer from Swindon said: âIf all the bees in the world die out, then we die out â the situation is really that serious.â
Beekeepers worldwide have reported year-on-year losses of between 15 and 30 per cent since 2006, mostly due to the varroa mite and the use of pesticides.
The British Beekeepersâ Association described his work as âexcitingâ.
Link: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/838981-british-beekeepers-parasite-resistant-bee-could-save-the-world
