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Asian Honey Bees Found on Ship at Townsville Port in Queensland

By Science Desk; published on January 10, 2012 at 2:08 pm

The Asian honey bee is smaller than its European relative. Image courtesy Government of Queensland. Photo by Paul Zborowski

Nearly three hundred Asian honey bees have been exterminated following an urgent pest control response at Townsville Port in Queensland. Live and dead Asian honey bees were found by stevedores on a ship arriving from Port Moresby.

Dock workers notified the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry who sent experts in to investigate the breach. No queen bee or hive was found.

Stringent biosecurity measures are in place in Australia, with the aim of protecting indigenous honey bees which are vital to crop production.

Posted by Science Desk on January 10, 2012. Filed under Environment,Science. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

News Tags: Australia, Bees, Queensland, Townsville.

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Editors and staffers from the Science Desk at The Global Herald.

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