Wild bees and other pollinators are in serious decline globally, driven by habitat loss, pesticide use, and disease, with significant welfare implications for individual animals.
Individual wild bees experience suffering from pesticide exposure that impairs their ability to navigate, forage, and reproduce. Sublethal neonicotinoid exposure causes memory deficits that prevent bees from returning to their nests. Starvation from inadequate flower resources is a widespread welfare problem in agricultural landscapes. Parasites including Varroa destructor and Nosema species cause chronic disease. Unlike domesticated honeybees, wild bees receive no veterinary care, making habitat quality the primary determinant of their welfare.