Australia's honeybees are facing an exceptional crisis. The tiny but devastating foreign pest Varroa destructor is steadily spreading across the country.

Associate professor Caitlyn Forster from the University of Sydney said two of the best-known Australian species, the blue-banded bee and teddy bear bee can usually be heard before you see them.

Unlike bees, which mostly get their protein from pollen, wasps are primarily predators, although they may act as pollinators when they visit flowers for a sip of sugary nectar. Some Australian ...