Artificial intelligence will be used to monitor for the destructive bee pest varroa destructor at the Port of Townsville following the installation of Purple Hive Project technology.
The Port of Townsville has joined forces with Biosecurity Queensland and the Purple Hive Project, an initiative by Vimana Tech, supported by Bega Group, in a Queensland first to monitor for the pest which has the ability to decimate Australia’s agriculture industry.
The project uses artificial intelligence to scan honey bees for varroa destructor, which was recently found in Australia for the first time in NSW.
“The Port of Townsville has been identified as a critical partner for the Purple Hive Project as ports have been flagged as high-risk pathways for bee pests to enter Queensland,” Port of Townsville’s Mark McNeil said.
Bees can enter Australia on vessels or in freight which can spread pests like varroa destructor, which can kill off bees and in turn have a crippling effect on plants which require the pollinators to reproduce.
One in every three mouthfuls of food consumed in Australia is dependent on honey bee pollination.
Bega Group launched its B honey brand to help support the local honey industry while teaming up with companies including Vimana Tech to develop the project.
“Following the detection of varroa destructor in NSW, embracing new technologies like the artificially intelligent Purple Hive to detect the mite in real-time has never been more critical,” Vimana Tech’s Vignesh Murugan said.
“The Purple Hive is now actively monitoring for varroa destructor at the Port of Townsville in real-time.
“The work on the Purple Hive Project continues thanks to the investment from Bega Group’s B honey and Vimana Tech, and we couldn’t be happier for the support of the Port of Townsville and Biosecurity Queensland for proactively installing this technology.”