Extermination Of Ligustic Bees In Australia

The pristine island is home to the richest and purest colony of apis mellifera ligustica (called Ligurian bees, but only by assonance with the scientific name ligustica) left in the world. This species takes its name from its origin in the Ligurian Alps at the time of the Roman Empire. Roman historians praised its docility and productivity. Kangaroo Island, located off southern Australia, southwest of Adelaide, was declared a bee sanctuary in 1885. Since then, no more bees can be introduced, precisely to preserve the 'purity' of the colony. The damage, therefore, is enormous as the families (all the bees living in the hive) on the island can only repopulate 'naturally' and through techniques adopted by beekeepers to propagate the species.

If the number of existing families cannot be restored, the colony could be irreparably compromised. Certainly, the production of the highly prized honey will suffer a decrease that will hopefully only be temporary. Kangaroo Island is a popular tourist destination precisely because of the presence of large protected and unspoilt areas that are accessed with great care and accompanied by expert guides. The presence of colonies of marine animals, koalas, various bird species and, of course, kangaroos, attracts a growing number of wilderness enthusiasts every year. Geographical isolation from the mainland has allowed the island to keep the Ligustica bee families in 'purity', preserving them from various bee diseases found in mainland Australia and around the world.

To maintain this protection, it is forbidden to bring all honey, pollen, tools and beekeeping equipment used on the island, unless they have been certified disease-free by the Department of Primary Industries. In addition, no antibiotics or other chemicals are used in apiary management. Therefore, while in the rest of the world the Apis mellifera ligustica was 'mixing' with other breeds, those on Kangaroo Island remained genetically pure. These bees, moreover, have been studied for years now by experts because they are much more resistant to disease than the more than 60,000 hives in South Australia alone. An asset for beekeeping worldwide, which recognises the Ligustica bee as a 'record' compared to other subspecies.

Indeed, diseases are decimating the world bee population and the emergence of hive depopulation syndrome threatens to wipe out the extremely useful insects from the planet in the coming decades if 'remedial measures are not found quickly. This is incalculable damage to the life of the planet, to the creatures that live there and to agriculture, which is largely dependent on the pollination work of bees. How can we help bees every day in our own small way? Discover the Adopt a 3Bee Hive plan.