As Australia's bees face varroa mite infestation, it's hoped hover flies can fill the role of crop pollinator

ABC NEWS (Australia)

As concerns grow about the impact on bees from the spread of Varroa Mite, a fly species called Hover, is emerging as a possible alternative pollinator.

Transcript

00:00 In this greenhouse hoverflies are feasting on canola flowers.

00:06 Their progeny will be sent out to pollinate carrot crops this season.

00:10 We'll build them up hitting a target in December so we'll have about 2 million flies going

00:16 out onto the carrot crops.

00:20 Hoverflies eat nectar and pollen.

00:22 Their body hair catches the pollen and transfers it from flower to flower.

00:27 We've proven through research that these flies work well in an open field on carrots and

00:34 yeah so this year we're just pushing out the commercialisation.

00:38 Dr Rayleigh Rowbottom is part of the nationwide research team that's been investigating these

00:44 alternative pollinators for the past seven years.

00:48 They're on par with bees.

00:49 They can do exactly the same amount of pollination in a system that we've tested so far as the

00:54 bees do.

00:55 Scientists have found that hoverflies and bees tolerate each other.

00:59 In fact they can work on the same flower at the same time and as pressure grows on bees

01:04 from things like Varroa mite these alternative pollinators will become more and more important.

01:11 They could be a game changer for the professional pollinator industry.

01:16 It's not a pest to livestock and it doesn't sting so in environments such as covered cropping

01:22 they're a lot safer to work around for people.

01:24 For seed companies relying on bees as pollinators they're the perfect backup.

01:30 Moving forward the flies would be used as an insurance if you like so if Varroa say

01:38 came to Tasmania we may have to do 100% germination with the flies.

01:45 And as flies live around the crop and don't return to a hive they're not at risk of Varroa

01:50 mite infestation.

01:52 [silence]

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