One of the biggest threats for British honey bees can be eradicated thanks to a personalized pesticide developed by scientists.
The Varroa mite, which has been in the UK since 1992, can seriously weaken bees by feeding on their blood, transfer viruses and reducing their fertility.
Over time, they can reduce honey yield and cause significant financial losses.
Many keepers use chemical treatments to try to control the vermin – but this can still have negative effects on the bees, their larva and delicate beehorf.
Now experts from the University of Tennessee have developed a new technique – a 'RNA pesticide' – who is able to choose certain species without damaging others.
RNA is a kind of genetic material that is present in all living beings that translates the instructions into genes into useful proteins.
The pesticide works by interrupting this process, so that the signal comes through a specific gene.
By focusing on an important gene that an animal must survive, experts can control the species without causing broader damage to others.
The Varroa mite (photo), which has been in the UK since 1992, can seriously weaken bees by feeding with their blood, reducing their fertility, which in turn can lower the honey yield
Experts have now developed a new 'RNA pesticide' that is able to choose certain species without damaging others (file photo)
A pesticide to help honey bees developed by Greenlight Biosciences is now taken into account for approval (file photo)
“This pesticide has the potential to be the most specific pesticide that we know,” said Professor Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes Journalists of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (Aaas) Conference in Boston.
The first commercially available pesticide based on the technology has just come on the market, used to help control Colorado's potato lever through a spray.
A pesticide to help honey bees, developed by Greenlight Biosciences, is now taken into account for approval.
But instead of spraying the mites directly, adult bees can be recruited to pass it on.
“It is administered in bags with a sugar fluid to work bees,” said Professor Jurat-Fuentes. 'The bees absorb the sugar, they carry it to the larvae, it goes to the blood.
“When the mites feed on their blood … it focuses on one of the mites.”
