Interaction between Apis mellifera L., 1758 and wild bees (Apiformes): implications for designing flower strips in the Mediterranean area.

Honeybees are an important economic source for humans. Still, interaction and overlap of trophic resources between honeybees and non-managed pollinators such as wild bees have been recently studied, and concerns about possible competition have been raised in environments where the number of hives is high. Apis mellifera L. is a social species, with large perennial colonies and can communicate to choose foraging sites that are very remunerative. Moreover, they may show territorial behaviour that can depress wild pollinator species. For those reasons, actions that focus on solutions to pollinator decline shall also consider the competition that can occur between honeybees and wild species. Our study aimed at seeding and managing entomophilous plant mixtures in marginal areas of river belt basins for the support of pollinators. During a three-year experimental period, we found that plots with higher percentages of flower coverage and fewer dominant plant species attracted a high abundance of honeybees. Wild bee abundances and species were negatively influenced by the simultaneous presence of high honeybee density and mass flowerings of a few flowering species. Our results can be useful when designing mixtures of entomophilous plants for conservation purposes. Creating oligotrophic flowering areas can support wild pollinators and decrease interspecific competition. Supplementary Material File (interaction between apis mellifera and wild bees_2024.docx) - Download - 8.69 MB Information & Authors Information Version history Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License.

Authors Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 242views 102downloads Citations Download citation Oana Moldoveanu, Martino Maggioni, Daniele Vergari, et al. Interaction between Apis mellifera L., 1758 and wild bees (Apiformes): implications for designing flower strips in the Mediterranean area.. Authorea. 10 January 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173650331.17042809/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173650331.17042809/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.