Mite threatening bee populations advances toward Netherlands, researchers warn
A highly destructive Asian parasite that can wipe out a honeybee colony within months is approaching Europe from the east and could already reach the Netherlands through illegal imports sent in small postal packages, Dutch researchers warn.
The tropilaelaps mite has been confirmed in Georgia and, according to unverified reports, is also present in Ukraine and Belarus, researchers at the National Reference Laboratory for Bee Diseases told Trouw. The laboratory, part of Wageningen University & Research, says the mite poses a serious threat to pollination, agriculture, and the food system.
Originating in Southeast Asia, the tropilaelaps mite is about 1 millimeter long, roughly the size of a poppy seed. It feeds primarily on bee larvae and reproduces much faster than the varroa mite, which has been present in the Netherlands since 1983. A healthy colony can collapse within months after infection. Researchers say the parasite’s arrival in the Netherlands is ultimately inevitable.
“The presence in Georgia makes it a very concrete threat,” Delphine Panziera, head of the National Reference Laboratory for Bee Diseases, told Trouw. Reports from Ukraine and Belarus have not been officially confirmed, she added, but point to rapid westward spread.
Trade within the EU increases the risk, researchers said. There is an active international market for honeybee queens, meaning an undetected infection in countries such as Bulgaria or Poland could quickly spread to the Netherlands. “There is also illegal trade in queens,” Heather Graham, a researcher at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, told Trouw. Importing bees from outside the EU officially requires approval from the institute, she said.
How many illegal shipments reach the Netherlands is unknown. “We hear in the sector that it happens,” Graham said. “But it is almost impossible to enforce. A queen bee can be sent in a small postal package, with 20 worker bees and a bit of sugar water.”
The laboratory has designated March as the “month of the tropilaelaps mite” to increase awareness among beekeepers. Graham said government agencies and regulators, including the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, also need more expertise. “With bird flu, there are many experts and response plans. This mite is still so niche that few people know about it.”
The spread is linked to the global movement of the Western honeybee. Asia has 11 honeybee species, while European honeybees were introduced there in the 19th and 20th centuries because they are efficient, generalist pollinators. Diseases then moved back westward over time. A third major threat from Asia is the Asian hornet, which preys on honeybees. Honeybees are essential for pollinating fruits, vegetables, and seed crops. The Netherlands is a major player in seed breeding, where companies often rely on in-house beekeepers.
