There are nearly 4,000 native bee species in the United States, contributing to pollination in agricultural, urban and natural landscapes.
There are nearly 4,000 native bee species in the United States, contributing to pollination in agricultural, urban and natural landscapes. Honey bees, however, are not native to the U.S., which has led to concerns that managed honey bee populations might negatively impact wild bees via competition for resources and sharing of pathogens, according to researchers at Penn State. However, the team recently found that of the 33 genera of native bees studied, only a small number seemed to be negatively affected by the presence of honey bees.
The study, the largest of its kind, is available online now and will appear in the November issue of Science of The Total Environment.
The findings will help identify the groups of bees that may be most at-risk and aid in creating conservation strategies, according to Gabriela Quinlan, lead author on the study and a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) postdoctoral research fellow in Penn State’s Center for Pollinator Research and the College of Agricultural Sciences.
Read More: Penn State University
Recent findings will help identify the groups of bees that may be most at-risk and aid in creating conservation strategies, according to researchers. (Photo Credit: Neringa Normantaite/Unsplash)
