Pollinators Beyond Honeybees: Wild Bee Decline

While managed honeybee welfare attracts significant attention, wild bee species including bumblebees and solitary bees are declining rapidly with far less public awareness or regulatory response.

Key Facts

Of approximately 20,000 wild bee species worldwide, one third are estimated to be declining
Wild bees pollinate a wider range of plant species than managed honeybees and are more effective for many crops
Bumblebee populations have declined by up to 30% in North America over the past 25 years
Neonicotinoid pesticides are implicated in wild bee neurological damage, colony collapse, and navigation failure
Unlike managed honeybees, wild bees cannot be supplemented by beekeepers when populations crash

Welfare Considerations

The focus on managed honeybee welfare, while important, risks obscuring the more severe crisis facing wild bee species. Wild bees lack the protection of managed colonies and are more directly exposed to pesticide drift, habitat loss, and disease. Their welfare is intertwined with ecosystem function — without wild pollinators, many plant species cannot reproduce, cascading through food webs and affecting the welfare of countless other species including humans. Habitat provision, pesticide restriction, and reduced mowing regimes offer meaningful interventions that individuals, municipalities, and agricultural operators can all contribute to.

What You Can Do

Plant native flowering species that support wild bees across the season
Avoid or minimise pesticide use in gardens and advocate for pesticide restrictions
Support campaigns to restrict neonicotinoid use in agriculture
Provide nesting habitat: bare soil, hollow stems, and bee hotels for solitary species
Advocate for wildflower margins in agricultural areas and road verges