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The worst fears of Australia's honeybee industry have been confirmed, with new research showing that Australian honeybees are highly susceptible to a pest that hasn't yet reached our shores but will potentially devastate them when it does. The research project compared the responses of the Australian honeybees to a Varroa infestation with the responses of US Italian honeybees that are known to be susceptible to the mite and two other types of honeybee known for their resistance to Varroa. 'If the Australian honeybee industry and honeybee dependent crops are to have any chance of minimising the impact of Varroa when it arrives then it is critical that Varroa-resistant honeybees are bred for the Australian environment, and urgently.'.

Source: http://media.australia.gov.au/notify/click.cgi?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rirdc.gov.au%2Fnews%26%2345%3B%26amp%3B%26%2345%3Bevents%2Fnews%26%2345%3Bdisplay.cfm%3Farticle%3D2185A8A1%26%2345%3BE809%26%2345%3B1AF2%26%2345%3BC099%26%2345%3B764BD227B381&collection=releases&rank=28&auth=s6O0JulmEVrE%2Fs1sh%2BAoqA

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