6 NOVEMBER 2025
Recent research finds that farms and natural ecosystems suffer when managed honeybees outcompete wild bees for nectar, pollen, and nesting spots.
Honeybees are vital pollinators for agriculture — but they’re only one piece of the puzzle.
Across the globe, over 20,000 species of wild bees quietly sustain ecosystems and food systems by pollinating fruits, vegetables, and wild plants.
Honey bees are just one species; there are over 20,000 species of free-flying ‘wild’ bees around the world – they are efficient pollinators, although they don’t make honey and don’t live in hives. Without them, our ecosystems would collapse, and our favourite fruits and vegetables would cease to exist.
Here’s the thing: all species of bees are under serious pressure from habitat loss, pesticides, disease, climate change, and now the rise of managed bees that farmers bring in for pollinating crops like almonds, berries, and fruit is evolving into a new, additional threat.
What’s wrong?
While managed honey bees are helpful for farming, they can outcompete wild bees for precious resources like nectar and pollen, leaving wild species struggling to survive on less nutritious flowers. And it’s not just about food. In some cases, managed bumble bees that escape into the wild also compete for nesting spots, like tree holes or ground burrows, pushing wild bees out of their nests.
Of course, how bad this competition gets depends on a host of things – how many floral resources are available in the area, how much overlap there is between managed and wild species, and how dense both populations are. But the bottom line is this: while managed bees are helpful for farming, they can cause ripple effects that hurt wild bees – and that’s bad news for all of us.
If we want a future full of healthy crops, thriving ecosystems, and a diversity of pollinators, we need to focus on not just managed honeybees, but also on protecting and supporting the over 20,000 species of wild, free-flying bee populations that we rely on for the nutritious fruits and vegetables our health depends on.
NOTE:
To read the Royal Entomological Society Journal report this article is based on, click here.
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FACT SHEET
Honeybees play a crucial role in supporting agriculture and food production. But across the globe, more than 20,000 species of wild bees quietly sustain the ecosystems and crops we depend on. Managed honeybees and bumblebees can unintentionally outcompete wild bees for nectar, pollen, and nesting spaces.
Thought for the Day
“Every bee matters — not just the honey makers, but the wild pollinators that keep our planet blooming. When we safeguard wild bees, we nourish the roots of our future — healthy crops, rich biodiversity, and a thriving planet”
Here come the Bee-eaters
As the planet warms, colourful birds like bee-eaters, once found mostly in Africa and Asia, could soon become a familiar sight in northern countries like the UK. But their arrival might signal deeper ecological shifts.
