Although the process of evolution is slow, it has given the industry hope and sparked an interest in better beekeeping methods, with people entering the industry to try and save the bees.

Dr Martin said there had been massive colony loss in the US and Europe, and many commercial beekeepers had lost their livelihood, while hobby beekeepers had stopped keeping bees. Compounding the problem, he said, was the fact that miticides quickly developed resistance, and the virus appeared to be impacting other pollinators.

Read more here: abc.net.au : Bees are starting to evolve to survive destructive varroa mite, researcher says