Managed honey bees themselves may exacerbate these pressures on wild bee populations, thereby decreasing wild bee abundance and diversity (Russo, 2016; Geslin et al., 2017). 

For instance, increased densities of managed honey bees in their native and non-native ranges could affect wild bees via resource competition and changes in plant communities  

As a consequence, the pressure of managed honey bees on wild bees has led to a growing debate between the need for the conservation of native and wild bees and the use of managed honey bees in natural and protected areas. 

It was notably advised that managed honey bees should not be placed in protected areas, but only in agricultural areas, to conserve and avoid damage to wild pollinators  

While we agree that extensive use of managed honey bees may be problematic for wildlife conservation and we should control the number of hives in native, protected areas, we believe that, contrary to the situation in non-native regions, pitting wild bees against managed honey bees in their native range is counterproductive with regards to the conservation of honey bee biodiversity. 

Indeed, the western honey bee Apis mellifera L. is also a component of biodiversity in its native range (Africa, Europe, Western, and Central Asia), where it has adapted to diverse environmental conditions and natural habitats. The conservation of honey bee biodiversity would therefore benefit from the maintenance of small-scale beekeeping management and conservation areas in natural and protected lands.

Alaux, C., Le Conte, Y., & Decourtye, A. (2019). Pitting wild bees against managed honey bees in their native range, a losing strategy for the conservation of honey bee biodiversity. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 7, 60.

Edited by: Rachel Mallinger, University of Florida, United States
Reviewed by: Margarita M. Lopez-Uribe, Pennsylvania State University, United States

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