Bees themselves may not be the culprits for spreading cucumber green mottle mosaic virus into new areas, a research report has concluded. But while the forager bees are not likely to transmit the disease, the hive components themselves (boxes, hive stands) and vehicles could carry infected soil/plant material which needs to be managed.
The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) highlighted the findings in a communication to its members, based on information from a Hort Innovation study.
Northern Territory government research entomologist Mary Findlay-Doney relayed information to the AHBIC saying the short answer was there was only a small window of time after initial exposure to the plant virus that forager bees were able to transmit it.
"We recommend a resting period of one month after hive exposure to CGMMV positive plants," Ms Findlay-Doney said. "Managed pollinators and their ability to transmit CGMMV is just part of broader understanding of managing farm and apiary biosecurity." She said honey bees that have been exposed to CGMMV are not the most significant source of CGMMV. "It is a plant virus that is most frequently introduced in seed/infected planting material and can be moved in soil, plant material or on contaminated equipment," she said.
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