In this presentation, Professor Samuel Ramsey details the emerging threat of Tropilaelaps mites, a rapidly spreading parasite currently impacting honeybee populations in Asia and the Middle East. He warns that these mites represent a potential "pollinator pandemic" because they reproduce twice as fast as Varroa mites and cause severe physical deformities in bees. Human activity, specifically the dense clustering of colonies in modern apiaries, has removed the natural barriers that once prevented such virulent parasites from devastating entire populations. Ramsey’s research demonstrates that while formic acid shows promise in penetrating brood cells to kill the mites, it also carries risks of queen mortality. Ultimately, he advocates for proactive international research and emergency planning to understand the parasite's life cycle before it reaches the Western world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dANIJFUeHUs