Overview

• Experiments on black sage, white sage and distant phacelia showed feral honey bees remove about 80% of pollen on a flower’s first day.
• Because of their size and social communication, feral honey bees now comprise 98% of all bee biomass in Southern California habitats.
• Models suggest that if honey bee–harvested pollen and nectar were redirected, native bee populations could be up to fifty times larger.
• Over two visits, honey bees strip more than 60% of available pollen from key native shrubs, leaving scarce resources for over 700 local bee species.
• The authors recommend restricting hive placement in natural reserves and relocating non-native colonies to support native pollinator recovery.