Dear List people
 
In The Netherlands there seems to be a growing awareness among those involved
in nature conservation, that honeybees are serious competitors of wild bees. In
several parks beekeeping is no longer allowed altogether.
    Recently, a colleague of mine was asked for an advice related to this
matter, concerning a coastal heather area. Beekeepers used to have permission
to place an unlimited number of hives there. The board of the park, while not
intending to ban beekeeping altogether, would like to limit the number of hives
now to a level that would not unduly interfere with the wild bee
populations. The big question: how to establish that level?
 
I can hardly expect that anyone of you could give a quick and fast rule
(although I would like to be informed if any existed!), but my question to you
is more down-to-earth: could you help me in finding references to studies where
the effects of honeybee keeping on wild bee populations is described, and
possibly quantified?
 
 
Many thanks in advance
 
Willem