Managed honey bees have the potential to affect native bee populations when they are introduced to a new area, but a study led by researchers at Penn State suggests that, under certain conditions, the native bees can bounce back if the apiaries are moved away.
The research, published in the Journal of Insect Science, examined the effects of migratory beekeeping - the practice of moving honey bee colonies to a different location for part of the year - on native bee populations.
The researchers found that when managed honey bees were moved into an area, the population of native bees decreased in abundance and diversity. However, in places where apiaries were kept for years and then removed, the native bee populations once again increased in both total numbers and species diversity.
Margarita López-Uribe, the Lorenzo L. Langstroth Early Career Professor of Entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences and co-author of the paper, said the findings suggest that while migratory beekeeping can be a disturbance to native bees, it may also be possible for those populations to recover.
"Because these sites rebounded only one year after the apiaries were removed, it suggests that the populations temporarily decreased due to native bees being displaced and not because they died out," she said. "These bees were also likely able to rebound because the landscape had an abundance of flowers and minimal agriculture and pesticide use."
However, she added that results might be different in areas where floral diversity and space for bees are lower and if there's a higher density of managed honey bee colonies.
According to the researchers, insect populations are declining across the globe, which can be attributed to many human activities including changes to insect habitats and the introduction of non-native species. While these exotic species can sometimes have a positive effect on crop plants, they can also compete with native species for resources, such as honey bees vying with native bees for flowers.
