[simon1ltd]

I don’t think there’s a big difference between “wild” bees and the “domesticated” or farmed bees that you seem to believe exists.

I’m in Ohio, and I’ve only been keeping bees for 3-4 years now, but I’ve attended lectures and talked to many longtime keepers in my area (Ohio).

I specifically asked about wild bees, and the answer I got was unexpected, but made sense once it was explained to me.

The PhD speaker, who’s worked in pesticide research his entire career, explained that around here American Foul Brood wiped out > 95% of hives in many areas over the span of a decade (70s or 80s?) — and he said there’s no reason to believe that the “wild” bees fared any differently. In fact, he believes we still have wild bees because of natural swarming behavior — meaning our wild bees are heavily linked with the commercially managed hives.

I can’t speak to anywhere else, but it wouldn’t surprise me to discover that the wild and managed bees are essentially the same.

[40four]

Technically you are right, there isn't much difference between them because anything we call a 'wild' honey bee in America, was once a 'domesticated' honey bee brought over by European settlers.

Also, I did not mean to suggest wild bees are not in trouble too, my gripe is these articles, without mentioning, like to quote numbers commercial beekeepers have observed in their hives.

They never explain to folks how the commercial bee-keeping industry works. They just want you to think everything is 'natural', and all these giant farms are being pollinated by wild bees alone. They aren't.

You point isn't wrong, the wild and managed bees are essentially the same. The 'wild' honey bees are just domesticated ones that escaped, or didn't come back to the hive. The problem is commercial farming in America tends to be all 'mono-crop' and by it's nature has destroyed any biodiversity and any chance of wild bees thriving. So they depend on commercial beekeepers to come in and do the dirty work.

It goes both ways, it's a mutually beneficial arrangement becuase the beekeepers get access to high quality food for their bees, which will then in turn produce more honey. Unless 75% of the hive dies or fails to return, and the colonies collapse. Which is happening all too often now. It's a really big problem to be sure.

Sounds like you keep bees so you probably are more knowledgeable than me. Sorry, I just get mad because I can think of very few articles I seen on the topic that explain the topic in a reasonable way. It is clear they are trying to push their own agenda.

Good information I found on the National Honey Board website:

https://honey.com/newsroom/presskit/honey-industry-facts

[saghm]

> The PhD speaker, who’s worked in pesticide research his entire career, explained that around here American Foul Brood wiped out > 95% of hives in many areas over the span of a decade (70s or 80s?) — and he said there’s no reason to believe that the “wild” bees fared any differently. In fact, he believes we still have wild bees because of natural swarming behavior — meaning our wild bees are heavily linked with the commercially managed hives.

Not trying to discount this, as I know basically nothing about pesticides or bees, but doesn't this seem a little circular? The conclusion that the bees in the wild are heavily linked with our bees is based on the assumption that they were fairly similar in the first place, i.e. "there's no reason to believe the wild bees faired any differently". In other words, "the wild bees are doing about the same now because they did about the same before", but without any strong evidence that they did about the same in the first place. I assume I'm missing something?

[simon1ltd]

There are multiple species of bees. I’m specifically referring to honey bees. I’ve not studied the other varieties.

I’m not aware of any studies, and most would have taken place well before the internet and electronic records were a thing.

I can state that my hives have swarmed several times, so those bees were “out there” — and the genetics I see in 2nd and 3rd generation brood show there’s quite a few different breeds in this area.

[amanaplanacanal]

Ah! Normally when I read about wild bees in the US I assume they are talking about native species, not honeybees. This makes more sense now.

[hinkley]

Beekeepers will go out and gather swarms or extract them from unwanted places if they know about them, and they have capacity. Beekeepers losing their hives drives up demand for harvesting wild ones.

So even if that weren’t a two way street, the wild ones would still be under duress.