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  Honeybee threat: mite found in ACT hives The varroa mite parasite has been detected in a beekeeper’s hives on a property in Kowen, the first time it has been found in the ACT. The one-millimetre-wide, reddish-brown mite is a parasite of the European honeybee and if infested honeybee colonies are left untreated, they become weaker and more susceptible to other pests and disease. Varroa mite was first detected in Australia in 2022 triggering a national response to manage the biosecurity risk and spread. In September 2023, the biosecurity National Management Group agreed that it was not feasible to eradicate the mite from Australia. The ACT government says it has been working with local beekeepers to help build resilience and prepare them for the arrival of varroa mite, and minimise the ongoing impacts as it becomes endemic in the territory. Varroa mite is listed as an exotic disease and detections must be reported immediately. Varroa mite is thought to be one of the greatest threat...

Beekeepers sound the alarm over historic bee die-offs Beekeepers are sounding the alarm over the dramatic spikes in honey bee die-offs. Hundreds of millions of bees have died in the past several months, and it’s unknown what’s to blame, according to experts. Beekeepers said the impact may soon be felt not only at farms, but also at your local grocery store. Creating the perfect environment is a labor of love for beekeepers like Tom Babcock. It helps the bugs thrive, produce honey, and pollinate. He said he’s been lucky enough to only lose one entire hive. “I’ve been doing this since 2010,” Babcock said. “Never seen anything like this, not the amount of losses.” Fellow beekeeper Laura Pascarella is facing the same fears. “This is a thriving colony. This colony so far is doing exactly what it should in the spring,” she said. “But there are many beekeepers who find these thriving colonies and go back a month later, and something has happened. They are no longer thriving. They’re either d...

  New Data Confirm Catastrophic Honey Bee Colony Losses  Newly analyzed data confirm the  staggering honey bee colony losses detailed last month  of 1.6 million colonies lost with commercial beekeepers sustaining an average loss of 62% between June 2024 and March 2025. Additional survey responses and field analyses now paint an even darker picture, reinforcing concerns about the long-term viability of pollination services critical to U.S. agriculture. Experts warn that without immediate intervention, the ripple effects could drive up costs for farmers, disrupt food production, and shutter many commercial beekeeping operations. “Beekeeping businesses are facing unprecedented challenges that threaten their survival from colony losses we haven’t seen in nearly 20 years. The swift response from stakeholders and the USDA is critical in providing beekeepers with the data and information to make well informed decisions to sustain their operations,” said Patty Sundberg, Pres...

  Assessing the impact of co-exposure to succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides and the intestinal parasite  Nosema ceranae  in the honey bee  Apis mellifera Highlights ● The SDHI fluopyram at 5 mg/L and bixafen at 1 mg/L reduced  A. mellifera  survival ● Fluopyram at 5 mg/L modified lipid reserves in  A. mellifera ● Fluopyram and fluxapyroxad had an impact on  N. ceranae  proliferation ● Fluopyram and  Nosema ceranae  had an antagonistic effect on  A. mellifera  survival ● Fluopyram at 1 mg/L masked  N. ceranae  effect on  A. mellifera  midgut transcriptome Abstract Over the past few decades, significant mortality rates have been reported in honey bee populations. The decline of these pollinators is thought to be linked to a combination of stressors, including both pathogens and pesticides. Here, we investigated the impact of chronic exposure of honey bees to a class of...

  Beekeepers warning of major crisis The buzz around bees isn’t just about honey — it’s about your dinner plate. A growing crisis could impact crops, prices and pollination nationwide. Let's  connect the dots. Beekeepers are warning of a major crisis, and it could hit your grocery bill. A new report shows U.S. beekeepers lost 62% of their colonies over the past year. That’s far above the usual average and scientists say the cause isn’t fully clear.  Experts blame parasites, disease, poor nutrition and even theft. In California, beehives are being stolen under cover of night and resold for pollination.  Honeybees pollinate about 75% of the world’s food crops. So when bees die, it puts fruits, vegetables and nuts at risk — especially almonds. Those losses could push food prices higher, since bees support $17 billion in U.S. agriculture each year. Experts say government help is needed — but everyday people can pitch in too. Planting bee-friendly flowers in your yard or ...

Climate crisis on track to destroy capitalism, warns top insurer The climate crisis is on track to destroy capitalism, a top insurer has warned, with the vast cost of extreme weather impacts leaving the financial sector unable to operate. The world is fast approaching temperature levels where insurers will no longer be able to offer cover for many climate risks, said Günther Thallinger, on the board of Allianz SE, one of the world’s biggest insurance companies. He said that without insurance, which is already being pulled in some places, many other financial services become unviable, from mortgages to investments. Global carbon emissions are still rising and current policies will result in a rise in global temperature between 2.2C and 3.4C above pre-industrial levels. The damage at 3C will be so great that governments will be unable to provide financial bailouts and it will be impossible to adapt to many climate impacts, said Thallinger, who is also the chair of the German company’s ...

  Failure to communicate When Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, mayor of Alameda, California, scrolled through  The New York Times  on a Saturday morning in April 2024, a story about a controversial experiment caught her eye. Researchers from Washington state were trialing a machine that looked like a big snow cannon, which they hoped could one day be used to brighten clouds to reflect more of the Sun’s rays. They’d been spraying tiny salt particles into the air over the San Francisco Bay. At first, Ashcraft wondered which neighboring town was hosting the test. But as she read, she was shocked to learn that the researchers were conducting their experiment right there in Alameda. Ashcraft texted her acting city manager, who was equally surprised. The story revealed that  the researchers had kept the test a secret to limit protests . “It wasn’t just an oversight that they forgot to tell the city,” Ashcraft says. “They chose not to.” Concerned about the safety of the test, city st...