WELLINGTON, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A new study suggested that commercial manuka honey production in New Zealand may disrupt native insect communities by introducing large numbers of non-native honey bees.
Researchers from New Zealand's Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI), working with Maori trusts and the Department of Conservation, compared insect activity at six manuka shrubland sites in the central North Island, half with beehives and half without, a BSI media release said Thursday.
By analyzing insect DNA from flowers and trapping flying insects, they identified more than 36,000 specimens across 14 insect orders, and 137 separate species among the three most common orders, it said.
The team found that sites hosting managed hives had fewer native insect visitors, especially butterflies and moths, than sites without hives.
However, thrips, small insects sometimes linked to plant disease, were 64 percent more abundant near hives, suggesting honey bees may spread them between plants, the researchers said.
The findings, published in New Zealand Journal of Ecology, indicated that introduced honey bees can alter pollination patterns and potentially affect the ecological balance of native shrublands.
The results highlight the need for careful apiary placement to protect biodiversity while maintaining the economic benefits of New Zealand's lucrative manuka honey industry, said the researchers. ■
