We’re definitely concerned about the wellbeing of wild bees and other wild pollinators, so it’s wonderful that you are too.
The concern arises with Honey Bees as they can compete with native (wild) bees for food sources and research has shown that the negative effects of Honey Bees on wild pollinators do exist.
There is the additional concern that Honey Bees may pass diseases on to wild pollinators when they feed from the same flowers. As some native bee species have also been used for managed crops, negative effects of pathogen spillover from managed bumble bees on wild bumble bees have also been found.
We do know that there are two important steps that need to be done to support wild bees and other wild pollinators:
- Reduce our use of pesticides. This includes buying plants that have not been sprayed with neonicotinoids, a group of pesticides that stays with the plant from seed to flower, harming and killing pollinators. This also includes spraying yards for mosquitoes. While companies may say it is safe for other insects, in fact, they often aren’t. It’s important to be aware of their ingredients and how they are applied so pollinators and other important insects, often needed as food for birds, are not harmed.
- Increase habitat for pollinators in our yards, community spaces, schoolyards, municipal office grounds, along roadways, hydro corridors and on farms that require insect pollination.
We are working hard on both of these conservation objectives to improve the future of native wild pollinators.
It is important to note that managed bees such as Honey Bees are critical for crop pollination worldwide, so whether consumers eat honey or not, Honey Bees will continue to be used to pollinate crops. However, many people have the impression that Honey Bees are imperiled but, being livestock, this is not the case.
