To what extent are beekeepers (especially those who keep abreast of the scientific lit) familiar with the evidence pointing to pathogen spillover between A. mellifera and Bombus (bumble bee) species? What do you make of the spillover concern re. A. mellifera to native Bombus species in particular (not just managed Bombus to wild Bombus populations)?

 E.g., 

Colla, S.R., M.C. Otterstatter, R.J. Gegear and J.D. Thomson. 2006.  “Plight of the bumble bee: pathogen spillover from commercial to wild populations.”  Biological Conservation. 129:461-467.

Fürst, M.A., D.P. McMahon, J.L. Osborne, R.J. Paxton, and M.J.F. Brown. 2014. “Disease associations between honeybees and bumblebees as a threat to wild pollinators.” Nature. 506:364–366.

Goulson, Dave, Elizabeth Nicholls, Cristina Botías, Ellen L. Rotheray. 2015. “Bee declines driven by combined stress from parasites, pesticides, and lack of flowers.” Science. 347(6229):1435.

Graystock, P., K. Yates, B. Darvill , D. Goulson, and W.O.H. Hughes. 2013a. “Emerging dangers: deadly effects of an emergent parasite in a new pollinator host.” Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 114:114-119.

Graystock, P., K. Yates, S.E.F. Evison, B. Darvill, D. Goulson, and W.O.H. Hughes. 2013b. “The Trojan hives: pollinator pathogens, imported and distributed in bumblebee colonies.” Journal of Applied Ecology. 50:1207–1215.

Graystock, P., D. Goulson, and W.O.H. Hughes. 2015. “Parasites in bloom: flowers aid dispersal and transmission of pollinator parasites within and between bee species.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 282: 20151371.

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