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Native bees #927112

Asked March 30, 2026, 5:54 PM EDT

What has the seeming surge in beekeeping done to native bee populations and their ability to survive? I am interested in native bees and their continued role and adaptability as pollinators on this hemisphere. Are efforts being made for sustainable ecosystems and habitats despite farming practices (and beyond) that have harmed bees? I am a member of the Farmer Veteran Coalition and am working on a project regarding them. Thank you for any answers you may provide.

Marion County Indiana

Expert Response

Thanks for reaching out with this question. 

Generally speaking, native/wild bee species face many stressors, such as habitat loss, pesticide, climate change. 

There is limited research on the impacts of honey bees on wild/native bee species, and the results vary based on the landscape and location. One concern is that honey bees may use up floral resources (nectar/pollen) that native/wild bee species need, but this concern can often be mitigated by lots of bee-friendly flowers in the landscape. Some of the scientific papers that I know of that show evidence of competition between honey bees and wild bee species are from Europe, which is a different landscape (and where honey bees are native).

Another concern is that honey bees may share viruses and other pathogens with other bee species, but I'm not familiar with much scientific evidence on disease transfer between bee species. Having a landscape with many bee-friendly flowers can help mitigate disease transmission concerns because bees spread out among different flowers and interact less withe each other.

Pollinator Champions, our free, online course, addresses many of your questions. 

Is Beekeeping Right for Me? is another free, online course that addresses some of the potential impacts of honey bees on wild/native bees. 

We Need All the Bees, and They Need Us is an opinion piece that you be interested in reading.

Here are other articles that may be of interest to you:

The Problem with Honey Bees by Scientific American

When Do Honey Bees Compete With Native Wild Bees? Part 1 by Scott McArt in American Bee Journal

When Do Honey Bees Compete With Native Wild Bees? Part 2 by Scott McArt in American Bee Journal

An Overview of the Potential Impacts of Honey Bees to Native Bees, Plant Communities, and Ecosystems in Wild Landscapes from Xerces Society

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