Asian Honey Bee is the new cane toad

[Rosemary]

I was appalled to read this article – another threat to Australia!
Hopefully the Government will reinstate the program before it is too late.

Asian honey bee is the new cane toad

Ed Logue, AAP March 2, 2011, 3:30 pm

The Asian honey bee is the 21st century's cane toad and the federal government should eradicate it before it threatens Australia's food supply, the Australian Greens say.

"A decision was taken earlier this year to stop the eradication effort of the Asian honey bee because the decision was taken it could not be eradicated."

The eradication program, which would cost $5 million, should be reinstated to protect the honey industry, worth between $50 million and $80 million a year, and the agricultural crops worth $4 billion pollinated by honey bees, Senator Milne said.

Funding for the program is due to expire at the end of April.

Asian honey bees compete with managed European honey bees for floral resources and rob hives which may cause the European bees to die from starvation.

Senator Milne likened the damage the introduced insect could do to national agriculture on a scale with the cane toad.

"A cane toad with wings."

 

[Starbeast]

That's terrible news. I pray something can be done in time.

 

[Null_Zone]

So shall we get lots of films like the 70s Africanised Bees Destroying The World?

 

[Heck Tate]

Poor Australia. We may need some of those honey bees in the not so distant future, though. Colony Collapse Disorder is devastating the European Honey Bees in North America, causing the workers to just abandon their queen, and scientists are generally baffled by it. Unfortunately, most of North America depends on these bees to pollinate our crops, so without them we're going to have a major food shortage on our hands. So send some of those Asian bees our way, I guess.