Honeybee

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are clearly vital parts of our agroecosystems worldwide, acting as highly efficient pollinators of our food crops as well as for wild flora. Though they are not native in this part of the world, we need honeybees to keep our crops productive. In recent years their global numbers have been decreasing by the billions. This decline has been linked to several factors, including parasites such as varroa mites (not yet resident in Australia), which bite honeybees and infect them with fatal viruses; the overuse of pesticides, which can poison bees of many species; and intensive farming, which can prevent bees from having a varied diet.