Native pollinators need more support than honeybees in Australia - here’s why
The Conversation • • world
Key Points:
- The New South Wales government has allocated an additional A$9.5 million to support honeybee keepers following the 2022 arrival of the Varroa mite, bringing total spending on the issue to over A$67.9 million, despite honeybees being an introduced species that negatively impact native biodiversity.
- Australia's native pollinators, including around 2,000 bee species and many other insects, face threats similar to those seen globally, but receive far less research funding and conservation attention compared to European honeybees.
- High densities of feral honeybees in Australia likely harm native pollinators by competing for floral resources, altering native bee reproduction, facilitating noxious weed pollination, and potentially reducing native plant poll
