Wild Bees

Wild Bees

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Wild pollinators are in decline across many parts of the world. To combat this, managed honey bees and bumblebees are frequently shipped in to provide valuable pollination services to crops. But does this practice pose any risk to the wild bees?

 

Dr. Peter Graystock, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Entomology at University of California Riverside has examined the evidence by analyzing the large body of research done in this area to come to the conclusion that managed bees are spreading diseases to wild bees. “Even in cases when the managed bees do not have a disease, they still stress local wild bees, making them more susceptible to disease.”

 

Loss of wild pollinators will ultimately either reduce crop yields or increase the reliance on and cost of shipping in more managed bees.

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