Introduced to Australia from Europe in 1822, the honeybee was an established feral predator competing with the 3000 Australian native species of bees for territory, Dr. Pike said. It stole pollen and nectar from under the noses of native bees, moths, butterflies and birds such as the honeyeater, forcing native species out of the environment. Dr. Pike said while there were imperfections in some of the research done on the bees, there was overwhelming evidence pointing to honeybees having a damaging effect on the Australian environment. Field studies have shown heavy impact on native fauna and flora in areas where high concentrations of honeybees were found. But Dr. Pike's contentions have been met with opposition from the beekeeping industry.
Honeybees are a huge industry in Australia worth tens of millions of dollars a year.
Dr. Pike said studies were being done into possible poison control methods to reduce the numbers of feral bees. Mr. Hosemans' remarks notwithstanding, many of Dr. Pike's arguments seem pertinent to a number of world regions where honey bees have been introduced. They have also been reiterated on occasion in Florida, which has many unique ecosystems that exotic species might affect. In the past, the argument that feral honey bees would simply fill the void left by beekeepers existed. And there is the pollination value of honey bees in both wild and agricultural areas.